Jill's husband Tony was a landscaper. Managing his own company had been a long time dream of his, especially during the years he did grunt work on summer vacations for a demanding boss. He had also always hoped for a partner to share his life with, and at the age of thirty two had almost given up on finding her. It wasn't until Jill hired him to redo her yard that he had gotten to know the woman who lived only a few blocks away. 

 

Now the pressures of finding customers, keeping the books, and hiring employees eclipsed the glamour of having his name on the trucks with a design Jill had created. They even had their daughter, after three miscarriages. There had been heartfelt prayer over those losses. 

 

Then there was the injury that the insurance company had originally denied treatment for. They tried to blame him for negligence, to avoid a payout. But Jill had been persistent, a nice word for stubborn, and he could even get by with over the counter pain meds. 

 

But today was packed with appointments, and he had no time for remembering. Tony stood in line for coffee and a bagel, the only breakfast he could manage these days. In the slow period he wished for it to get busy. Now should he pray for it to get slow again? 

 

He was pleased that they had plans to go to the movies on the weekend. Mandy was getting older and would probably outgrow the desire to be seen with her parents in public. 

 

to be continued...