With the arrival of spring came the return of limited ferry service. The mainland businesses sent over enough materials to build a large warehouse, but the politicians wouldn't let them send enough supplies on a single ferry to fill the ware house. After a teleconference with the businesses it was decided that the warehouse could be used for community events in the time being to keep squatters from setting up camp. Even though the weather was slightly warmer Tara still dressed up as an astronaut whenever possible, going on imaginary missions and overcoming all kinds of dangers. Dad once asked Tara if she wanted to join the military, and she replied probably not they had to many rules, she just enjoyed pretending. Dad put up a mural for mom, she often wondered why he put out a tip jar when working inside the house. Tara and Colm admit that as nice as it was to have both mom and dad together at meals it still felt off some how. In Tara's words "I know we were just kids, but even we could feel something was off with dad's sudden attachment to us and mom, when before he hated being in the same room with her." I only have mom's version of what happened at the spring festival the day dad asked her to go with him. Mom stands firm that she thought he had asked as a friend and nothing more. She hired a sitter to watch me for the day, and then headed out with dad. She says the day started out good, and they were actually having fun, especially skating like they used to years ago. But then dad spotted a Vintage Love Doctor Machine, and insisted they test their relationship. Mom says she could tell by dad's humming that he was thinking of his music and not her as they approached the machine against her better judgment. Mom won't say if she's still mad at dad for trying to make out with her. She only says that when I'm old enough I'll understand. What she will tell me, and dad nods in agreement if I ask him, is that she told him under no uncertain terms would she allow him to break her heart again with a misguided sense of need just because they'd lost Paul, whom they'd both loved, a few months earlier. One of the local vendors even confirms that mom was yelling at dad and told him he had to decide what was more important in his life, being footloose and fancy free or being there for family no matter what. "I've made sacrifices for us and our children too! Don't you ever forget that Sark Stone! And since the ferry is running again feel free to leave whenever the fuck you want!" mom had yelled at him before storming out of the warehouse. I asked the vendor, one of Mr. Peoples cousins, if he was sure those were mom's words multiple times. He just nodded and claimed that mom was right furious that day. All I can do is wonder at just how mad must have been, because I've seen her mad and I've never heard her use more than fudge or fiddle sticks. None of us are to sure how much that fight impacted on dad. What we do know is that at least this time he did go back to sulking and snarling at mom, as he had in the past when they would fight. Colm thinks that dad might have actually been weighing mom's words over and over. What we do know is that dad settled into his own routine's, but some of that included helping mom with her garden, along with asking her for her input on how best to finish his side of the building. That first spring was also when Colm published his very first book. He said that their confinement on the island had inspired him to write several sci-fi books centered around the island. With most of the snow melted mom was able to start hunting for materials for the science center again. She was really good at finding valuable minerals and rocks. Spring Equinox arrived and everyone went to the festival to have fun. Well everyone except me, I was home with a sitter. Dad played guitar while everyone danced. Tara and Colm participated in the egg hunt. While Tara didn't find anything Colm did, he found a fancy egg and an odd gnome in a rabbit suit. Colm displayed them for a few days, before selling them to Mr. Peoples. He gave the money to mom to help with the renovation. She used it to order building materials from the mainland. Dad and Tara sort of got mom's fascination with the vintage look of the old railway. While none of us are one hundred percent sure if we agree with mom, the home is a lot warmer now that mom was able to get good insulation to go in the wall behind the half bricks she used on the interior. Mom told dad to relax, she didn't plan on bricking the full interior, and eventually she might change her mind on the final look of the whole home. Colm dragged dad to the new chess table every chance he got, that dad was willing to sit and play. He liked to bounce story ideas off of dad. He had already started his second book. Part of the many changes that happened that spring was Colm and Tara getting their own rooms. In turn they started helping even more with chores around the house such as giving me my bottles, or tidying up the meal dishes for mom. Tara says it's because they were getting better sleep on their new beds. That dad didn't play guitar as much and had suddenly shifted his focus onto murals and street art couldn't be missed. Dad would sometimes come hangout with mom and watch gardening programs on the new tv. They frequently discussed the rumors that there was someone living at the seemingly abandoned Danilova residence. Not that anyone ever saw anyone on the property, but sometimes if you stood still long enough it seemed as if someone was looking out the windows. As the last days of spring fluttered away, dad got mom to let him paint a whale in our dining area. In return for the work she had done on his side of the lot. It would be a fare stretch to say that they were friends by this time, but instead what they had could definitely be called comfortable casual acquaintances. Neither kept their doors locked to the other, but they also respected each others space. If dad recognized the silk flowers as the ones he'd given mom on that ill fated attempt of a date, he didn't say anything, although his lips would sometimes twitch up into a smile as he worked. Mom had done some really nice work on our split home, while maintaining the old rail stations identity. Mom claimed that before she did anything further for the walls they should probably invest in some flooring, maybe even the in heat variety. She had spent hours with dad discussing what he thought he wanted and needed as a single man. She said that for the time being she'd leave the stairs, because dad might want an upper deck for parties once his cooking skills grew. Dad expressed gratitude for the shelves to display grandpa's inventions. On our side, as I had mentioned mom had managed to make rooms for Tara and Colm. Since I was still a toddler she hadn't made me my own room yet. Downstairs was all closed in finally, no more going outside to get upstairs. Mom had salvaged enough of the original paneling to do the entire first floor. From the outside the overall look is nice, and will be even nicer when she's able to get better siding for the upstairs, according to mom. She even humored dad when he had requested a pool on his side.
Mom complained about the final frost being hard on her garden, yet we still got more than enough food from it to feed ourselves.
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