Chapter 1
Lucy
Hello, this is Lucy Hartford.”
“Ms. Hartford, this is Jessie from Bybio. I’m calling to confirm your appointment on Monday at eight forty-five.”
My belly flips, “Yes, I’ll be there.” I answer through my car’s speakerphone.
“Okay, thank you. We’ll see you then and have a good day.”
“Thank you,” I hang up. I swallow down my nerves about my upcoming appointment. I can’t believe I’m going through with it. I shake my head; I need to keep myself busy until Monday.
I pull into my driveway, well, it’s more of a dirt trail up to the house at the moment. The two-story farmhouse stands proud, but boy does it need some TLC. It is covered with cracked white sidling with falling down green shutters. The roof is also green, and needs to be ripped off and replaced. Patience is what I need at this time. I have so many changes all happening at once.
I’ve always loved this house because of the piece of land that surrounds the run down structure. It sits upon the top of a hill. When you step out the back of the house and get the first view of the valley below, it takes your breath away. You see the beauty that is our little town and our little part of Ohio and the world. All the hills and valleys in this part of the state is what draws people here and keeps them here.
I’ve been having a lot of vivid dreams each night since I bought the place three months ago. Visions and dreams of children playing on a hillside full of wildflowers of every color imaginable. I hope by next spring, I can be in a place where I can plant wildflowers on my hill. I only have about fifty projects to start and finish before then.
I park my car and walk up to the front porch. I look down the lane to the road, St. Rt 88. I watch several cars go by, and a couple of them honk their horns. My house is the last house you see before you hit the town’s corporation limits. I giggle, I’m sure everyone in town is glad someone finally purchased this place. It has always been neglected for as long as I can remember. It’s been for sale for over three years this last time and has been totally abandoned.
I look at my half-acre front yard and sigh. My God, it is going to take a lot of sod to get this place turned into any semblance of a yard this summer. Right now the yard is covered in weeds and crabgrass. I look at the overgrown shrubs that are planted all along the front of the old house. My nose scrunches up; I hate them. I want something with some movement. I want some plants of all different sizes and colors. I’m thinking of purples and blues to greet my futures guests.
I unlock the beautiful double front doors. Too bad, a previous owner has painted them. This is one of the projects I plan to tackle myself, to refinish the door. I also plan to do all of the painting on the second-floor beds and baths.
Next week the work all begins. I walk through the foyer towards the back of the house. Excitement is coursing though my veins. I can’t wait until all of these walls are down. It costs me a small fortune, but it will be worth it in the end. I have it all scheduled out, and everything is running on time. In six weeks, I’ll be able to move inside my new home. Thank God, I can leave my parent’s house behind for the last time. I love them to death, but I need my own space. Who knew when I left twenty-two years ago that I would be so happy about moving back to my hometown. I giggle and shake my head and walk into the master suite. I’m a divorced, unemployed woman who just turned forty and moved back in with her parents. God, my life sounds a mess.
Monday, the crew I hired starts gutting everything downstairs except the master bedroom and bath. I liked the layout of the master suite, even the bathroom. I have a plumber coming Tuesday to begin changing things out. He’s then going to continue on upstairs to update the two bathrooms up there.
I hold a color swatch up against the wall by the window in my bedroom. I hold up the light grey first, eh, too, in style for my room. I hold up the light purple, and I know right away, it’s too much for me. I plan to paint the woodwork black, and I need a lighter color than this shade of purple. I hold the lightest of my samples, it’s a pale, pale, teal green. I smile, this is it. This is the color. This will look so nice with the black trim. Half of me knows that a cream or white walls would be the most calming and brightest. But thanks to Robert, my ex, I will never live in a sterile white room again for as long as I live. My life going forward will be filled with color.
I take my paint choice, and I write it on the wall and snap a picture. I want to get my room started after most of the demolition is done. I know this is a lot of house for one woman, but I don’t care. I don’t care how crazy everybody thinks I am, including my parents, for taking all of this on. I know it’s going to be worth it in the end. I’ve driven by this home my whole life and have always loved it and felt sorry for it. I’m damn proud I’m bringing it back to life. I’ll be happy here. Hopefully, I’ll be blessed, and the next phase of my life will bring me, my own children. My hand goes to my belly. Monday will be here soon.
