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I cook , but it feels strange now I ood, but I know they would taste better if Allyroo to encroach on Ally’s personal space too soon, but the table feels too big, and I scrape half of my breakfast into the trash because my appetite disappears

The real question is, what do we do now? It’s a weekend so she doesn’t have to work, but I doubt she’ll want to do anything with ht as well continue the work on the porch It’s a nice day, and it needs to get done anyway

I get dressed in real clothes and grab the plans I’ve started for the restoration and renovation of the house, and I dare to go out onto the back porch Ally is typing furiously on her phone, but doesn’t look up at me

Setting the file down in front of her, I clearthe house, including everything I thought needed work inside and outside, and the plans for the porch Since it’s going to be your house, I thought I should show you Feel free to add anything youto finish getting rid of the rotten porch boards”

She doesn’t look up at me, but I see her eyes flick to the folder, and as soon as I’ins to pour through the contents At the very least I know I can get her attention by focusing on the house

I have about half the deoes very quickly On the couple of breaks that I take for water, I see Allyaround the house with the folder, a notepad and a pen Her face is serious and engaged Determined

When I finally get the last of the old planks up from the porch, I take a break I stand on the back deck and watch the river When I bought the house, I was attracted to building; I didn’t really appreciate the land so et it The red oaks are dense behind the house leading down to the river And the rustle of leaves and the rush of water are the perfect Tennessee lullaby After the hard work on the porch and the gentle breeze coht here and fall peacefully asleep

“Whatcha doing?” Ally startlesA peace offering?

“Thanks,” I say, taking the glass and gulping down half the lemonade “Tart Did you make this?”

“Yeah,” she says “It’s pretty wild to drink a glass back here again It just brings it all back tobarefoot down to the river without a care in the world”

“Well, it actually was yesterday,” I tease “Barefoot in the river, that is”

She punches“You knohat I mean It’s just … a lot” She stares off toward the Cu the birdsong and enjoying the breeze

Later, as I pile the last of the rotting wood on the side of the driveway, I have an idea The thought comes from out of the blue, but once it’s in o It’s still early in the evening, and I haven’t had much to eat today I doubt Ally has either

I shower in a flash, washing the sweat offaround in the kitchen Soon I have everything I need I grab a blanket, and head to one of the gorgeous spots near the river Ally knows this place backwards and forwards She’ll knohere I alance

It’s our honeyht? What’sa photo of the food laid out on the blanket, and then the view of the river, I text both of theht not co, and I hope that she accepts We have a ether in front of us, and I hope, even if she can’t forgive me, we can at least have some seourh this is thrown together hastily, it actually looks really impressive with caviar, crackers, a hard salami and a nice bottle of merlot There’s even a small box of truffles