Chapter 16 - The Blueprint
Elena and I sat at the kitchen island that evening after Lily had gone to sleep. Spread out before us were large, rolled-up architectural blueprints.
"Are we really doing this?" Elena asked, tracing the outline of a commercial kitchen on the paper.
"We promised to live fully, without fear," I reminded her, covering her hand with mine. "This is the next step."
We had found an abandoned, run-down boathouse near the local pier. For months, we had talked about opening a small, intimate seaside restaurant. Not a massive corporate venture, but a place that felt like an extension of our own dining room. A place where Elena could craft her brilliant recipes and where my mother could display her art.
"It’s going to be a lot of work," Elena warned, though her eyes were sparkling with excitement. "The roof needs replacing, the plumbing is ancient, and we’ll have to build the deck from scratch."
May you like
"I have two strong hands, and a lot of free time," I smiled. "Besides, I spent the first half of my life tearing things down. I want to spend the second half building something beautiful. With you."
Elena leaned across the island and kissed me. "Okay. Let’s build our sanctuary."
