Chapter 7

It took two months of dealing with carpenters, plumbers, sheet-rockers, and electricians to fix up his little house to his satisfaction. He’d done his own painting and ceramic tile. He’d sanded and varnished the oak floors and installed replicas of country cabinets. He’d scraped years of paint off fine wooden molding, restoring it to pristine condition. Now that it was spring, Jim planned to clean up the cottage garden. He decided not to plant the first year, because he needed to see what perennials would blossom once the choking weeds and grasses were removed, however, beneath the weeds he detected a riot of color which could only mean wildflowers and a mixture of spring bulbs. Best of all, he was no more than six miles from work and just two miles away from Bear and Brian who gave him their steadfast support during those first dark weeks.