Finding Truth Behind Legends
by Wizardtho
Chapter 39:
When Taha and Dad arrive home, the pipe trench is finished, gravel has been laid in the bottom, and the bottom layer of beams has been bolted into place. More guests have also arrived.
The Canadian Lynx Alpha female and one of her ranks, Delphine and Bastian, were first. Next was a single massive black bear from Minnesota, Theo, who was their beta. The final set to show up so far was a pair of Wyoming foxes, their beta Hunter and his mate Maya.
Taha looks around at the busy backyard, then quickly makes his way straight to me without a thought toward anyone else. Taking me in his arms, he whispers, “Are you alright? I didn’t expect so many to show already.”
I nod and breathe in his scent for a second, then tip my head up. His lips meet mine for a slow, sweet kiss before I answer, “I’m perfect now. Did you get everything alright?”
He nods, pecks each of my cheeks, and promises, “Your dad was a lot of help, and we had a productive morning. I believe we got everything we need to finish out the bathroom and get the lofts completely ready. Your dad picked out the sinks, but I agreed with his thoughts on why he believed they were the right choice. I think you’ll agree, once you see them.”
As it turns out, the sinks are perfect. When Dad and a few of the newcomers finish unloading the trailer, he unboxes one of the sinks and places it on the dining room table in front of me. I gasp as my hand covers my mouth. Tears fill my eyes as I choke out, “Gran Marie’s china serving bowls!”
Dad’s ear-to-ear grin suddenly falls as he looks at me, but I shake my head as I wipe a fallen tear, “No, it’s perfect, Dad. I promise. I don’t know why I just got so emotional.”
He asks as he hugs me, “You sure? I can take them back if you’d rather the plain ones.”
I hug him a bit tighter, whispering, “Don’t you dare. You know how much I loved Gran Marie. The sinks really are a perfect fit for our family home, Dad. I was just caught off guard.”
He pats my back, then grins and says as he lets me go, “Good... because now you have to see what the faucet looks like with it.”
He hurries to unbox one of the faucets, then sets it up as it would sit in its final position. I let out a breath and grin, “I love it. It’ll look even better once the holes are drilled and the vanity is placed in the bathroom. Oh, the tile… were you able to find it?”
Taha takes my hand and leads me to the entry, where stacks of boxes are placed against a wall. He cuts the tape open for the top box on each stack, then smiles. I open them, breathing out happily, “Oh wow. I love this. I figured you’d just get square mosaic sheets if you couldn’t find the blue diamond pattern, but this arabesque is even better. It’s the same shades of blue as the diamond, but the shape is just a little… softer.”
Less than ten minutes later, drywall is being hung on the 2nd floor. Taping and mudding of seams are also being done. Dad and Leah are in the bathroom, Jake and Aiden take the main loft, and Shiloh is with Devon in the master loft. Taha is outside with Thomas, figuring out spacing, then marking the holes for the sinks and faucets on the vanity.
I walk back out onto the living room patio, smile at Jasmine sipping her bottled water, then look out at the cabin progress being made. She nods in the direction of the cabin, saying, “I wouldn’t be surprised if you were ready for plumbing and electrical to be run by this time tomorrow. I saw the marine sealant they put on the underside of the subfloor. That stuff is insane.”
I nod and ask, “The black on top… do you know what that is?”
She chuckles, “It’s a thick, sheet-style thermal membrane. That’s going to make sure the outside weather stays outside. Look, they’re covering the walls in the same thing. Those strips that aren’t covered? Those are the nailer strips that your outside boards will be nailed to.”
I grin, “You know a lot more than plumbing.”
She blushes slightly, then admits to me, “I want to branch out, learn other parts, then come back to work for Dad knowing more. I want to be more well-rounded in construction, but I don’t think I could ever live too far from my family. It’s not that they would be upset, I just don’t want to. I love being close to them.”
I hum before asking, “Would you consider living closer toward the middle of the rez?”
When she says she’s willing to seriously consider it for the right opportunity, I vow silently to speak to Kimbal on her behalf.
I smile widely when my phone rings, and it’s none other than Kimbal. I excuse myself and step away from Jasmine as I answer the phone. “I was just vowing to myself that I’d speak to you soon. How’s Sinopa?”
He chuckles, “And that’s the reason I was calling… to give you an update. Well, really to thank you again. She only got sick once first thing this morning. Part of that was how quickly she sat up when she realized she had slept in. Usually, by this time in the day, she’s gotten sick at least a half dozen times.”
I let out a breath in relief, “So it’s helping? Wonderful! How many cups has she had so far today?”
He replies right away, “One hot and a double cold.”
I nod, “Good. Make sure she has a hot again tonight, and update me in another 2 days, please. I want to make sure she tolerates it well. If she has anything out of the ordinary happen, let me know right away please.”
He says seriously, “The instant I find out about it, Bella, you will know. Now… what did you want to talk to me about?”
I smile, “Do you happen to know of Devon’s older sister, Jasmine?”
He says he’s heard of her, so I continue, “She’s her father’s plumbing partner, but she mentioned to me that she’s wanting to branch out and become more rounded in construction. It was while we were watching the cabin progress during a break, and she was explaining about the marine waterproofing and thermal membranes. What she needs is an apprenticeship, because she wants to come back and work for her father again after learning more. I know things are hectic all the way around right now, but after things calm down, would you be willing to at least talk to her? I know you may not be hiring right now, but she has steady work with her Dad until the time comes when you could possibly be her mentor.”
He chuckles, “You don’t need to sell Jasmine to me, Bella. She’s amazing at what she does, and if she’s wanting to branch out, I’d definitely like to talk to her. How much longer do you think they will be working at your place?”
I grin, “At least another day or 2. Possibly 3, depending on how fast the outer shell and walls go up for the cabin. They’ll probably complete the main house interior connections this afternoon, now that Dad and Taha are back with all the bathroom things.”
He hums, then says, “I’m only about an hour away right now. Do you mind if I stop by to check out the progress? Maybe talk to them both about me taking her on in a couple of months?”
I say surely as I see Taha and Chayton carrying the tub into the house, “I love the idea. I’ll stall if I need to, as the tub is going up the stairs in about 10 seconds. See you soon.”
As soon as I end the call, I’m right back on the phone dialing Brad’s number. “Hello, Miss Bella. How are things going?”
I smile, “Good, Brad. The drywall is up, and I’m ready to take possession of what you and your father have finished. The walls are going up for the cabin, so it should only be another couple of days before the cabin is finished.”
He chuckles, “That’s good news. Dad and I have both of the loft orders complete. We started working on the cabin order this morning. If you can give us 2 hours to finish the one we’re working on and get cleaned up, we’ll be over to help install the beds.”
I breathe a sigh of relief, “Thanks, Brad. I really appreciate it.”
When Taha and Dad arrive home, the pipe trench is finished, gravel has been laid in the bottom, and the bottom layer of beams has been bolted into place. More guests have also arrived.
The Canadian Lynx Alpha female and one of her ranks, Delphine and Bastian, were first. Next was a single massive black bear from Minnesota, Theo, who was their beta. The final set to show up so far was a pair of Wyoming foxes, their beta Hunter and his mate Maya.
Taha looks around at the busy backyard, then quickly makes his way straight to me without a thought toward anyone else. Taking me in his arms, he whispers, “Are you alright? I didn’t expect so many to show already.”
I nod and breathe in his scent for a second, then tip my head up. His lips meet mine for a slow, sweet kiss before I answer, “I’m perfect now. Did you get everything alright?”
He nods, pecks each of my cheeks, and promises, “Your dad was a lot of help, and we had a productive morning. I believe we got everything we need to finish out the bathroom and get the lofts completely ready. Your dad picked out the sinks, but I agreed with his thoughts on why he believed they were the right choice. I think you’ll agree, once you see them.”
As it turns out, the sinks are perfect. When Dad and a few of the newcomers finish unloading the trailer, he unboxes one of the sinks and places it on the dining room table in front of me. I gasp as my hand covers my mouth. Tears fill my eyes as I choke out, “Gran Marie’s china serving bowls!”
Dad’s ear-to-ear grin suddenly falls as he looks at me, but I shake my head as I wipe a fallen tear, “No, it’s perfect, Dad. I promise. I don’t know why I just got so emotional.”
He asks as he hugs me, “You sure? I can take them back if you’d rather the plain ones.”
I hug him a bit tighter, whispering, “Don’t you dare. You know how much I loved Gran Marie. The sinks really are a perfect fit for our family home, Dad. I was just caught off guard.”
He pats my back, then grins and says as he lets me go, “Good... because now you have to see what the faucet looks like with it.”
He hurries to unbox one of the faucets, then sets it up as it would sit in its final position. I let out a breath and grin, “I love it. It’ll look even better once the holes are drilled and the vanity is placed in the bathroom. Oh, the tile… were you able to find it?”
Taha takes my hand and leads me to the entry, where stacks of boxes are placed against a wall. He cuts the tape open for the top box on each stack, then smiles. I open them, breathing out happily, “Oh wow. I love this. I figured you’d just get square mosaic sheets if you couldn’t find the blue diamond pattern, but this arabesque is even better. It’s the same shades of blue as the diamond, but the shape is just a little… softer.”
Less than ten minutes later, drywall is being hung on the 2nd floor. Taping and mudding of seams are also being done. Dad and Leah are in the bathroom, Jake and Aiden take the main loft, and Shiloh is with Devon in the master loft. Taha is outside with Thomas, figuring out spacing, then marking the holes for the sinks and faucets on the vanity.
I walk back out onto the living room patio, smile at Jasmine sipping her bottled water, then look out at the cabin progress being made. She nods in the direction of the cabin, saying, “I wouldn’t be surprised if you were ready for plumbing and electrical to be run by this time tomorrow. I saw the marine sealant they put on the underside of the subfloor. That stuff is insane.”
I nod and ask, “The black on top… do you know what that is?”
She chuckles, “It’s a thick, sheet-style thermal membrane. That’s going to make sure the outside weather stays outside. Look, they’re covering the walls in the same thing. Those strips that aren’t covered? Those are the nailer strips that your outside boards will be nailed to.”
I grin, “You know a lot more than plumbing.”
She blushes slightly, then admits to me, “I want to branch out, learn other parts, then come back to work for Dad knowing more. I want to be more well-rounded in construction, but I don’t think I could ever live too far from my family. It’s not that they would be upset, I just don’t want to. I love being close to them.”
I hum before asking, “Would you consider living closer toward the middle of the rez?”
When she says she’s willing to seriously consider it for the right opportunity, I vow silently to speak to Kimbal on her behalf.
I smile widely when my phone rings, and it’s none other than Kimbal. I excuse myself and step away from Jasmine as I answer the phone. “I was just vowing to myself that I’d speak to you soon. How’s Sinopa?”
He chuckles, “And that’s the reason I was calling… to give you an update. Well, really to thank you again. She only got sick once first thing this morning. Part of that was how quickly she sat up when she realized she had slept in. Usually, by this time in the day, she’s gotten sick at least a half dozen times.”
I let out a breath in relief, “So it’s helping? Wonderful! How many cups has she had so far today?”
He replies right away, “One hot and a double cold.”
I nod, “Good. Make sure she has a hot again tonight, and update me in another 2 days, please. I want to make sure she tolerates it well. If she has anything out of the ordinary happen, let me know right away please.”
He says seriously, “The instant I find out about it, Bella, you will know. Now… what did you want to talk to me about?”
I smile, “Do you happen to know of Devon’s older sister, Jasmine?”
He says he’s heard of her, so I continue, “She’s her father’s plumbing partner, but she mentioned to me that she’s wanting to branch out and become more rounded in construction. It was while we were watching the cabin progress during a break, and she was explaining about the marine waterproofing and thermal membranes. What she needs is an apprenticeship, because she wants to come back and work for her father again after learning more. I know things are hectic all the way around right now, but after things calm down, would you be willing to at least talk to her? I know you may not be hiring right now, but she has steady work with her Dad until the time comes when you could possibly be her mentor.”
He chuckles, “You don’t need to sell Jasmine to me, Bella. She’s amazing at what she does, and if she’s wanting to branch out, I’d definitely like to talk to her. How much longer do you think they will be working at your place?”
I grin, “At least another day or 2. Possibly 3, depending on how fast the outer shell and walls go up for the cabin. They’ll probably complete the main house interior connections this afternoon, now that Dad and Taha are back with all the bathroom things.”
He hums, then says, “I’m only about an hour away right now. Do you mind if I stop by to check out the progress? Maybe talk to them both about me taking her on in a couple of months?”
I say surely as I see Taha and Chayton carrying the tub into the house, “I love the idea. I’ll stall if I need to, as the tub is going up the stairs in about 10 seconds. See you soon.”
As soon as I end the call, I’m right back on the phone dialing Brad’s number. “Hello, Miss Bella. How are things going?”
I smile, “Good, Brad. The drywall is up, and I’m ready to take possession of what you and your father have finished. The walls are going up for the cabin, so it should only be another couple of days before the cabin is finished.”
He chuckles, “That’s good news. Dad and I have both of the loft orders complete. We started working on the cabin order this morning. If you can give us 2 hours to finish the one we’re working on and get cleaned up, we’ll be over to help install the beds.”
I breathe a sigh of relief, “Thanks, Brad. I really appreciate it.”
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Instead of bogging down the chapter page with pictures, I have made a page just for my inspiration pictures for the loft bathroom, in case any of you are interested in seeing my vision. Link is below. Enjoy.