Page 17 of Hope After Loss

“You’re welcome.”

“And you’re welcome for all the work I did on your house. For free.”

“I bought you breakfast as a thank-you,” I tell him as I slap his back.

“That makes us even,” he mutters.

The two of us scarf down our sandwiches and coffee as we complete the walk-through, making note of anything that needs to be addressed.

The house features one-level living at its best. The living room opens to the kitchen. I decided against wasting footage on a dining room and opted for a twenty-foot island, which will accommodate seating for eight, with a small breakfast table tucked into the windowed nook to the side of the glass doors that lead to the deck. Three bedrooms are off the hallway. Two guest rooms with one full bath between them and a master suite. A mudroom connects the attached garage. The four-car detached garage has an unfinished space above it that can be used as storage or converted into a living space in the future.

Other than a few cosmetic changes, I’m pleased as hell with the home, and I can’t wait to kick my boots up here.

Once we’ve made all the notations and walked the perimeter, the two of us head back to town together to meet Corbin and the other guys at Anna’s home.

We spend the rest of the day installing glass panels and staining the newly added deck. Pop and a few of his friends drop to handle the wiring to the sunroom and hang the lighting and ceiling fan.

Mom and Leona show up after church with chicken salad sandwiches and sweet tea.

“Oh, this is wonderful,” Leona cries. “Anna is going to be able to sit out here on the swing and enjoy a cup of coffee and the morning sun with Kaela.”

“What a difference it makes. It’s just stunning,” Mom agrees.

She walks over to Corbin and wraps her arms around his middle. “Mike would be so appreciative. You’re doing a good job, looking after his girls,” she tells him.

Maxi arrives in a box truck loaded down with a rattan patio set, a rug, cream-hued outdoor curtains, and wicker lamps for the sunroom. She, Mom, and Leona hang the curtains and arrange the furniture while Pop and I install the swing and mount a television against the wall of the house.

Once all the finishing touches are complete and Mom and Leona have adorned the space with lots of colorful throw pillows and blankets, Maxi calls Anna and tells her to bring Kaela home.

Anna emerges from Brandee’s house with Kaela on her hip, and before she can get ten steps into her yard, she bursts into sobs.

Mom and Leona hurry out to her, and Leona takes Kaela as Mom and Anna continue, arm in arm, to the steps that lead up onto the new covered front porch.

Anna’s tear-filled eyes bounce from the bench by the door to the flower boxes and the antique sconces. Then, she walks to the side, taking in the dark stain on the decking that wraps around to the new sunroom.

Corbin explains that the room is connected to the back of the house and accessible via the back door. It’s fully insulated with window panels that unlock and slide open, exposing screens so that she can let the fresh air in on cool summer days. It is temperature-controlled, so she and Kaela can enjoy the outdoors year-round without dealing with rain, snow, humidity, or bugs.

“And it’s great for housing plants that need lots of natural light. You can come pick a few out from my greenhouse this week,” Leona adds.

“Be careful which ones you choose from her greenhouse,” Maxi whispers.

Anna stands in the midst of the new addition. The bright decor makes her smile, and I swear my damn heart swells in my chest at the sight.

She approaches each man to hug them and thank them. When she reaches me, she smiles, and I pull her into my arms. I hold on a little longer than I should.

Here I spent the morning, reveling in my big, new house on the mountainside, but this small gesture, a little wraparound deck and sunroom on her tiny house, brings her so much joy.

Anna

Iwalk into the building, carrying Kaela. Both of us are wrapped up in warm coats to fight the morning chill. Weston is in his office and comes out to greet us when he hears the door open.

“Hey, ladies. Do you need help?” he asks.

“Yeah, I have her pack ’n play and diaper bag in the trunk of the car,” I reply.

“Keys?”

They’re still clutched in my hand, so I hand them to him, and he disappears out the door.