29: Larissa

During a quiet closing shift, Larissa and coworker Lexi trade banter about dating while Larissa privately admits she misses seeing Chris and is looking forward to driving to the Christmas cabin with him. She reflects on her growing graze-box side business and on keeping Woofarine mostly with Chris due to conflict at home.

Motivated to scale her business, Larissa asks café owner Donna for after-hours kitchen and fridge access. Donna reluctantly agrees, a win that validates Larissa’s momentum and offers a practical path to more orders.

Lexi reveals gossip that Mike does not intend to take over Tony’s plumbing business and barely works there, challenging Larissa’s assumptions. This raises alarms about Mike’s ambition and stability, reminding Larissa of her father’s chronic underemployment.

Larissa explains she plans to move in with Mike before Christmas because her mother is moving to South Dakota and her own credit and finances limit housing options. She frames the move as financially pragmatic and aligned with Mike’s wishes, yet acknowledges she remains lukewarm about the relationship.

Wrestling with the implications—living next to Donna and Janessa, potential long-term plans, and Mike’s light workload—Larissa recognizes she has hidden the move from both Lexi and Chris. She senses Chris would be disappointed, which feels wrong to her, and when she imagines living with Mike, her thoughts drift to Chris instead.