Super close to wrapping this up, really this time!

Chapter 25

"Is that fresh coffee I smell?"

"Oh, Hey Doctor Weaver, yes it is. I just made it."

"Big Joe, you are the best!"

Kerry made her way to the Coffee machine set up in her makeshift kitchen, she filled a mug and savored the smell of it before tasting it.

"You know, if this contracting thing ever goes belly up, you could open your own coffee shop, you are one hell of a barista." Big Joe just chuckled and shook his head as he drank his coffee.

Big Joe was the fifth and final contractor Kim and Kerry had interviewed before hiring to complete the renovations in their new home. He was a big man, hence the name Big Joe, but was incredibly delicate in his wood work and the home was easily becoming the best on the block.

Big Joe and his crew had just finished converting the den into a home office for Kim, complete with its own outside entrance. The woman had decided that when the time came to expand their family, Kim would start transitioning from seeing patient in the office to seeing them at the house, allowing her to be near the baby. All that remained to be finished was the kitchen and some landscaping in the back yard.

The kitchen of the Weaver/Legaspi residence was becoming a never ending project. As Kerry often like to explain, she had been waiting her entire adult life to have the kitchen of her dreams and now that the time had come she wasn't going to settle for just anything. "Only the best for my kitchen she would often reply" when asked how it was going, Kim could often be heard mumbling "Our Kitchen" under her breath but regardless of that, Big Joe knew who to defer to on all things kitchen related.

"Doctor Weaver, you're going to have to make a decision on the color of the walls, the floors are down, the cabinets are up, the Viking appliances are all in and the quartz is cut. The last thing is the back splash. If we don't order it now it won't be in by the time we need to be done."

"I know, I know! It's just, well, how can I choose a back splash if we don't know the color of the walls!"

The contractor and doctor stood staring at the back wall of the kitchen, it had four distinctly different patches of paint in varying shades of cool muted colors.

"Is that fresh coffee I smell?" Kim asked as she made her way into the kitchen, startling the two of them and jolting them from their trance.

"It sure is Dr. L" Big Joe said, as he moved over to grab a mug for Kim

"Well, give me some of that, I need to meet Little Joe in a few minutes to finish the plans for landscaping."

Big Joe handed the steaming mug to Kim who took a sip, "Oh God, seriously this is define!" Kim grabbed her clip board that was resting on the table in front of the wall of paint swaths, "I like the blueish grey one, it reminds me of your eyes Ker" With that she made her way out back. Leaving the other two to continue staring at the color.

Finally Big Joe broke the silence. "You know what they say "Happy Wife, Happy Life" Kerry squinted her eyes a little looking at the one Kim liked, "You are not the first person to point that out to me Big Joe."

"So?" The contractor asked sheepishly.

"You heard the woman, the blueish grey one" Kerry then shifted her attention to the back splash samples "And we will go with this back splash"

Big Joe had a little smirk on his face, "Gee, if I had only known I was talking to the wrong Doctor this kitchen would have been done weeks ago" Kerry moved to refil her cup, "Don't get cocky Big Joe. I'm still wavering on the floor stain." This shut the contractor up immediately as he rushed out to buy the paint for the rest of the kitchen.

Kerry found Kim out by the gazebo giving some final instruction to Little Joe, who just happened to be the cousin of Big Joe, ironically Little Joe was actually much bigger than the other Joe but was 8 years younger hence the nick name.

"How's it coming along out here?" Kerry asked. Kim and the landscaper stopped abruptly and exchanged a look as if agreeing to keep a secret between each other, "No worries Doctor L, I'm on it" He turned toward Kerry and tipped his Hard hat towards the other woman "Good Morning Doctor W" the landscaper looked back at Kim and nodded, "Well, I have got a lot to do, so I will see you ladies a little later" Kerry didn't seem to notice the brush off, "Sure thing Little Joe, see you later" Kerry directed her attention back to Kim, "So what do you think? Will we be ready by the Fourth?" Kim reached for Kerry's shoulders turning her around to take in the full expanse of the yard, "Absolutely Ker, the first annual Legaspi/Weaver fourth of July party is well on track!"

Every year Kim's family hosted a huge Fourth of July BBQ when she was growing up, it was one of her most favorite memories from her childhood. Since her parents decision to down size and move closer to the kids and grandkids, each Legaspi child had taken over as host of one the many family gatherings that take place during the year. Kim and Kerry where not aware at the time that their dream home just happened to back up a huge park that hosted a Fourth of July fireworks display every year and that their back lawn provided premium seating for the show, this little tidbit made them the perfect hosts for this family tradition.

Kerry took in the large yard and sighed, "This is such a great space Kim, I am really impressed with the work you and Little Joe put in, the garden is incredible, I can't believe we have 3 separate seating area, the fire pit is really coming along too" "Thanks Ker" Kim started to walk towards the other areas "And, Great idea using the wood from the dying tree they forced us to remove to make the benches and this huge picnic table its perfect for the outdoor kitchen." Kim beamed at the compliment, she was very proud of her carpentry skills and was excited to build the table that she hoped would be shared by friends and family for generations to come. Kerry suddenly looked at her watch. "Shoot, I've got a get a move on it if I'm going to make this budget meeting AND drop Hen off at his grandparents" She reached up on her tippy toes to kiss Kim quickly and started to rush away, Kim grabbed her arm before she made it to far, "Kerry, when your done tonight, meet me back her around 8:30 I have something I want to show you ok?" Kerry gave her a smile, "Sure. I'll call if I'm running late."

It was almost nine o'clock when Kerry finally made her way back to the spot where she had left Kim this morning. The day had been one disaster after another, she and Susan still had their struggles finding common ground, but Kerry had to admit that she was doing an excellent job running the ER and she was worried about Abby, she could tell that things hadn't been right between she and Luka for a while now but she was too busy to make time talk it out, something she wanted to rectify in the coming weeks.

She had pulled into the driveway knowing she was running late so she immediately made her way to the lawn area, it was right around the time the summer sky was just turning dark. As she rounded the corner she noticed the area was bathed in a warm amber glow cast from what looked like a million little twinkling light floating above her. "Oh my God Kim, its...it's..." Kerry struggled to find the right word before she landed on "Magical" Kim looked so excited when she saw Kerry's expression "Surprise!" she half shouted "It is magical isn't it?" Kerry made her way over to Kim who was standing under the finished Gazebo. She handed Kerry a glass of wine and brought her glass up to it and clinked them together. "It's done Kerry. The last nail is in, the last light is up...all we need now is all our friends and family, it's going to be prefect" Kerry just smiled at Kim, "I'll cheers to that."