Brigid dragged herself out of bed around eight on Saturday morning. Byron was downstairs and raring to go. She prepared a simple breakfast of avocado toast with eggs. He wolfed his meal down and sat patiently as she finished.

Their trek to Gunther’s Hardware Store would have been useless if she were alone with her limited knowledge on home repairs. He prepared a list of supplies including sanding pads and stain to tackle the staircase. “If you spent your entire adult life in the Army, then how do you know so much about refinishing wood?”

“I watched a YouTube video last night on my phone.”

Brigid cocked her head to the left to stare at him as he scanned the aisle for items needed. Byron reminded her of her dad who used to refer to himself as a jack of all tr...

Please subscribe to keep reading.