Hi Folks! A couple people asked me to continue this, so here it is. I hope everyone had a fantastic Valentines and holiday. ~pig~


…the forest for the trees…

Chapter 7

I've pretty much always been an early riser. Today was no different. I was up a little after five. It was Friday, the day after Christmas. The entire world was off work today, except maybe me. Since I ran my own business, I was never off. I needed to get back to work, besides, it relaxed me. I do free lance computer programming. I do it very well, very quickly, extremely accurately and am paid very well for it. My computers were at my apartment. Last night, Sam had mentioned that I needed to begin bringing my things back over to the house. To pack and move my entire apartment would take no more than three or four hours. With most of that time spent in Suzi's room. The apartment was a bunch of blank walls, someplace to sleep at best. Here is where I lived.

I went out and opened the garage door, and rearranged the stuff that was supposed to be in the truck. Since I was moving back in, allot of it could stay here in the garage. That sorted and done, I drove over to my apartment. It wasn't far, about twenty minutes. Once there, I grabbed a few things. I got out my suit case and packed my razor, some under clothes, and the second most important reason for my trip here, my laptop computer. With it, I could continue to earn a living from anywhere. Going into my tiny closet, I picked up a couple pairs of shoes to take along, and an old wooden box from the shelf. In the shoebox sized container were disks of digital images of our life together. Beginning with our first pictures from elementary school and continuing until just before we divorced. These images were very important, but they weren't as important as one other thing in the box. The most important reason I was here this morning was in a small velvet box nestled in amongst the disks. Our wedding rings. When we split up, Sam had taken off her rings, handed them to me and simply said 'It's over'. Most ex's would have had the rings at a hock shop within hours of the divorce. For some odd reason, I'd kept them. I couldn't tell you why. It wasn't like I didn't need the money sometimes, but I just kept them. You just can't imagine how happy I was that I did.

I felt wonderful. Actually, I felt better than wonderful; Sam and I were together again. I went back to my truck and started back 'home'. This felt good, going to my real home. The apartment just never really cut it. When I was with Karen, in her place, all I could think of was going camping, alone. What a piece of work that woman is.

I passed by the local strip mall and noticed the supermarket was open. Perfect! I pulled in to the nearly deserted lot and parked. Inside the store was nearly as deserted as the parking lot. I picked up the standard staples, milk, eggs, bread, tater tots. Then I went by the meat section and picked up some packs of bacon and packaged ham for sandwiches. Now a quick trip by the coffee aisle, then to frozen for some juice. Then I saw it. Brazen in the frozen foods section, Packages of 'Bacon of the World'. There were only three, so I got them all. I checked out, loaded the pick up and went home.

It was just seven; Sam and Suzi were still sleeping. I didn't want to start cooking yet, but I did want some coffee. I ground the beans and made a pot while doing some stray dishes left from yesterday. The dishes being done, I poured myself a cup of coffee. Next, I took out my laptop and set up on the kitchen table. I would just do a bit of work here in the kitchen while waiting for everyone to wake up. Perfect! Once up and running, the laptop couldn't find the wireless signal. That's odd… There is, or maybe were, all the internet, telephone and cable connections going into my old office in the room above the garage. Guess I had better go and check. Access to that room was either through the garage or laundry room. It had been a summer room when the house was designed over eighty years ago. All screens and windows, perfect for my office. I'm not really sure if anything was still up there though. Into the laundry and up the narrow stairs, the door is locked. That's not unusual, but what is different is the hook beside the door is empty. No key hanging there. That's odd… but I do remember I have my old emergency keys I kept stashed in the basement.

It had looked like no one had been into the basement since I left, when I went to find the candles on Christmas Eve. Maybe the keys were still there. Back downstairs, through the garage and down into the basement. There are the keys, just where I left them before I moved out. This time I checked around down there, since the lights were working now. I really don't think anyone has been in here since I left, odd that. At least the stuff I left here might still be here.

Back up stairs, and unlock the door to my old office. Wow, it looks like I still work here. Heck, it's cleaner than when I worked here. Everything of mine is still in place, desks, files, computers, everything. Even the nic nacs and pictures and momentous are all dusted and exactly as I left them. Like a time vault. I see the problem right away. The UPS is dead. Taking the uninterruptible power supply out of the power circuit and cycling all the routers and computers back on will cure everything. I do just that.

Going back downstairs, I grab my coffee and laptop and return to the office. I'm still amazed by the condition of the room. I began looking at all the old photographs, letting memory lane play out in my head. That's nice… I turn when I hear a noise behind me, it's Sam. She looks embarrassed, I think she's gorgeous in the morning, and tell her so.

"Gorgeous? Are you nuts Freddie? I'm in an old brown robe and fuzzy slippers with massive bed hair."

No reply is necessary from me. I put down my coffee and took her in my arms for a wonderful kiss and hug. It's so good to be back.

"You know Freddie; you weren't supposed to find this." She said.

I didn't understand, "Find this, my old office? Why not Sam?"

"I don't know" she said "I missed you, and kept this room just like you left it. When things were bad, and with Tony, that was all the time, I could come up here and… I don't know." She sounded embarrassed still.

"Samantha, I missed you allot. I thought about you all the time." I said staring into her eyes.

"C'mon, coffee is ready, and I have a surprise for you for breakfast." I said taking her hand and leading her back down the stairs.


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