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Everybody was a little concerned when Hetty didn’t show up for walking club.
It was prime gossip time–Hetty never missed it. Not once. Not even last week, when Thor commandeered their morning, talking relentlessly about different types of fish.
So when the Lady of the House didn’t appear by midmorning, Alberta was the first to notice. Then Sam.
“Something’s wrong,” Alberta declared, hands on her pearls. “That woman lives for judging people–she should be here by now.”
Sam frowned. “Maybe she’s just…sleeping in?”
Alberta snorted. “Hetty Woodstone–our Hetty? Sleep in? Girl, please.”
Just then, Flower drifted into the hallway, moving at her usual unhurried pace, humming softly, clearly unaware of the tension building around her.
Turning toward Flower, Alberta continued, “Flower, have you seen Hetty this morning?”
Flower blinked slowly, tilting her head. “Hetty? Hmm…no, I don’t think I’ve seen her today. Wait, maybe? I can’t remember. Why?”
“She never showed up for walking club, and we haven’t been able to find her,” Sam explained.
Flower’s eyes widened, and they quickly came up with a plan to find Hetty. It didn’t take long before they were splitting up and combing through the mansion. They learned that none of the other ghosts had seen her since last night. Hetty was an early riser, especially if her insomnia kept her up–so her absence this late in the morning made no sense. They met up, mid-panic, trying to piece everything together.
Flower drifted leisurely down the stairs, humming to herself, completely unaware of the surrounding tension.
“Oh, there you are!” Sam called out, rushing up to her. “Did you check Hetty’s room? Was she there?”
Flower slowly blinked, looking between the two of them. “Hetty’s room…? Why?”
“Flower! Yes, you were supposed to check her room–Hetty’s missing.” Sam explained, exasperated.
“Oh! That’s right. I knew I was forgetting something. No, I haven’t seen Hetty. We should probably find her!”
Alberta rolled her eyes. “And who was the genius that entrusted Flower to look in the most obvious place?”
“Hey! That’s the point–it was the most obvious and straightforward place! I thought she could handle that!” Sam exclaimed.
Alberta scoffed, stomping off toward Hetty’s room, muttering under her breath.
When Alberta walked through Hetty’s door, she froze. Her breath caught in her throat, shocked by the sight in front of her.
Sam had followed Alberta up, but hesitated just outside the door. She didn’t want to barge in and risk waking Hetty if she really was finally getting some rest. Everyone knew how terrible her insomnia could get, so if she was sleeping, Sam didn’t want to disturb her by opening the door and making noise. But when Alberta didn’t come back out after a couple of minutes, Sam’s nerves got the better of her.
As she stood in the hallway, contemplating whether to go in, her brain kept coming up with a whole slew of possibilities (mostly scary). What if something happened? Finally, her worry got the best of her.
“Screw it,” Sam muttered under her breath. She took a deep breath and slowly opened the door as quietly as she could.
She peeked inside, heart pounding–and then stilled when she saw.
Alberta was standing silently in the corner, slightly smiling, eyes soft. Sam pushed the door open a little wider, alerting Alberta of her presence. She turned to her, raising her finger to her lips, telling her to keep quiet, but then smiled and pointed towards the bed.
Curiosity piqued, Sam followed her gaze…and froze. Her mouth fell open.
Trevor and Hetty were curled up together, sound asleep, in bed.
Trevor lay on his back, arm wrapped around her–delicate but secure–like she was the most precious thing in the world. Hetty was draped across him, her head tucked beneath his chin, their fingers intertwined over his heart. Her face was soft, relaxed–so different from the strict, tight-laced Lady of the House they all knew. And Trevor looked so peaceful too, protective even in sleep. Their breaths synced. Hetty’s dress was acting as a makeshift blanket over both of them.
It was so domestic. Intimate. Familiar.
Sam’s chest ached at the sight. Not just from the surprise, but from how right it looked. How natural. Like this wasn’t a fluke, but something that had been happening quietly, maybe often. A secret slice of comfort neither of them shared with the others.
She had suspected something–there’d been this weird tension, softer glances exchanged across rooms–but this? She hadn’t expected this.
This was a full-blown relationship.
Despite the hundred-plus years between them, Hetty and Trevor did fit, both in theory and quite literally in front of Sam right now. They really were quite similar and balanced each other. They made each other better–softer, somehow. Especially Hetty.
Looking back, the room switch fiasco finally made sense. Hetty had arranged for Flower and Thor to move in together, leaving herself with her own room–and Trevor conveniently without one. A true roommate swap, perfectly executed…almost.
Most didn’t realize the couple’s true motivations and room switch operation, so from the conclusions she made from the scene in front of her (that they’re together again), the switch made perfect sense. However, it also showed how serious their relationship must be for them to move in together–especially because it was Hetty of all people.
Somehow, Hetty and Trevor just fit.
And the fact that Hetty–Hetty–had let someone take care of her like this? That was more surprising than anything.
Then Hetty let out a whimper in her sleep, her hand tightening in Trevor’s. Instinctively, he pulled her closer, his arm tightening as he pressed a sleepy kiss to her forehead.
Sam’s heart melted at the sweet domestic scene in front of her. Again.
But then she frowned, realizing Hetty’s insomnia must’ve kept her up all night for her to be this exhausted. The insomnia was always worse when she was overwhelmed. Sam’s worry returned, and then she started to feel like she was intruding on the couple.
Alberta gave one last look toward the bed, her usual sharp expression softened into something that almost looked like fondness.
Sam lingered for a few more seconds, then caught Alberta’s eye. They exchanged a quiet look of understanding–we will absolutely be discussing this later–and Sam slowly stepped back out of the room, gently closing the door behind her.
As she started walking away, she couldn’t help the smile tugging at her lips, thinking about the scene she had just witnessed, and resumed her thoughts from earlier.
Sure, it was kind of weird to think of the logistics, but they really do work together. For all their differences, Hetty and Trevor were actually kind of the same. Stubborn. Deep-feeling. Vulnerable in their own ways. Both wore masks to fit in–to protect themselves.
As unlikely as they seem to be as a couple, it really does work. Sam was excited to see what their next chapter will be.
She really hoped Flower was wrong about the so-called “unbearable romantic toxicity,” whatever that meant.
Either way, she was happy for her however-many-greats-aunt. Happy that Hetty was happy. That she was finally letting someone in. Letting someone take care of her.
Even if that someone happened to be a pantless 2000s finance bro.