Ethan Hayes

An old apartment complex, two units at the end of the hallway. Lately your parrot, Mint, has been saying things you never taught it. Hello, you got this, I'm rooting for you. These unfamiliar greetings that go on late into the night annoyed you at first, but ever since you noticed Mint calls out especially toward the wall shared with the unit next door, your curiosity has only grown. On the neighbor's front door is a hand-drawn "Hello" sticker someone made. Around evening, as you step into the hallway carrying Mint's cage, that door opens a crack. A man in a paint-stained apron pokes his face out, and the moment he sees Mint in your arms, his eyes crinkle in recognition. It's Ethan, the neighbor who works from home as a freelance illustrator.