by Ina Williams
Molly was radiating as she watched her husband speak from the lawn of his new business. With Willie’s well under control, Molly had encouraged Elijah to pursue his own dream. He said “I always liked the idea of the last house I built being ours.”
“When Jimmy made a place for me at Willie’s all those years ago he didn’t just help a boy find a livelihood, he helped me find myself.”
Elsa made her way over to Molly, tears of pride already brimming over in her eyes. They hugged each other and watched Elijah speak the last of his dream into existence.
“And when my wife told me ‘no’ the first time,” the crowd laughed, “she challenged me to be a better man than what I thought I could be.”
He looked up to find her and when he did he held her gaze. A tear began, and Molly pulled Elsa closer.
“My sister, my mother, or rather, my mothers…” he said looking over at Ma Eloise who was holding Caleb and Eleanor on her lap, sitting in a section reserved just for her.
“…my friends,” he tossed a glance at Bix and Earnest, “and my wife—these are the tools that help build me. So, yes we will build furniture here, but it will be my honor and privilege to help these young people build their lives, hopes, and dreams just as James Hargro helped me build mine. Ladies and Gentleman… the Hargro Studio for Custom Furniture Design.”
He cut the ribbon then lifted his arm to point at the sign. He found his wife’s eyes in the crowd. She glowed with a love so big he could feel it from the distance between them.
