They realized they had both been protecting the same boundary for different reasons. Mrs. Whitaker was excited about moving but worried about losing familiar connections. She asked Carly whether she would call occasionally after the move.
Carly laughed and explained that she had cleared her car because she thought she might receive household belongings. Instead, Mrs. Whitaker was offering something unexpected: a friendship without professional obligations. Carly happily agreed because she genuinely wanted to stay connected.
Before leaving, Carly returned the house key and wrote her personal phone number on paper. She told Mrs. Whitaker to call whenever she did not need her house cleaned. They laughed and hugged goodbye, finally free to become friends after eight years.
