Chapter 12: Building on Solid Ground
Spring returned to Oakhaven with a vengeance, painting the lakeside town in vibrant greens and blooming wildflowers.
With the legal settlement finalized, Hannah received a modest financial division of marital assets—enough to purchase a small, charming cottage near the lake, featuring a white picket fence, a sprawling apple tree in the front yard, and a sunroom perfect for painting and reading.
David Miller and his restoration crew spent three weekends helping her repaint the interior in warm, cheerful colors and fix the squeaky front porch steps.
""You know, this house is almost as stubborn as you are, Hannah,"" David joked, wiping sweat from his forehead as he secured a porch railing.
Hannah laughed, handing him a cold glass of lemonade. ""Stubborn is just another word for resilient, David.""
""Resilient looks remarkably good on you,"" David said softly, setting the hammer down and looking into her eyes with a tenderness that made Hannah’s heart skip a beat.
May you like
For months, their relationship had danced on the unspoken border between friendship and romance. Neither of them had rushed; both knew that hearts recovering from shrapnel needed time to knit back together. But standing on the sunlit porch of her very own home, Hannah realized that the fear of opening her heart had finally melted away.
---
