But there were other days now.
Days when Lucy called to tell me about school.
Days when Julian came over to repair something and stayed for dinner.
Days when Mr. Harrison joined us for Sunday lunch.
Days when the house that had seemed unbearably empty was filled with laughter.
And slowly, I began learning how to be happy without feeling that I was betraying Thomas.
The first major project I approved was the renovation of our original household goods store.
The building was almost unrecognizable.
It had passed through several owners over the decades.
The walls were damaged.
The floors creaked.
The old front windows had been replaced.
But when I stepped inside, I remembered everything.
Our first sale.
Our first argument about money.
The winter the heating failed.
The afternoon Thomas ran down the street shouting because we'd finally made enough profit to hire our first employee.
I stood in the center of the empty room and closed my eyes.
