Source One

mother’s room. She picked up her mother’s journals and swallowed against the lump in her throat. She carefully placed them into a box she’d marked important .
    Amber was going to donate as much as she could to charity. What she’d keep would go into the garage. But this box would stay in her room.
    She brought the box over to the dresser where her mother had kept her jewelry and slowly opened the drawer.
    There was a lot of costume jewelry. Her mother’s important jewelry sat in a velvet box. Amber lifted the lid and fingered the engagement and wedding rings nestled there.
    The box also contained gold necklaces. Amber closed the case and picked it up, tucking it next to the leather journals.
    Over the next half hour, she added several photo albums to the box. Her most important possessions were now in one place.
    Amber carried the box into her bedroom. Katie sat playing on the floor.
    “Can I go outside, Amber?” she asked.
    “Of course.”
    Amber walked her to the living room and opened the sliding glass door. “Your daddy and I will come join you soon. Okay?”
    “Okay.”
    Katie ran outside.
    Amber went into the kitchen. Brian had come back and was packing a set of china.
    “Katie’s in the backyard. It’s fenced in.”
    Brian nodded. He knelt to tape up a box. “I’m about done here. What else can I help with?”
    Amber looked around. She’d already packed up the rest of the kitchen. What she wouldn’t be needing anyway.
    Brian had finished and was watching her. “Anything that needs to be fixed?” he asked.
    Amber nodded. “Actually, there’s a window in the garage that’s been jammed for years. The realtor was going to have a handyman take care of it.”
    She led him into the garage.
    “Is there a toolkit in here?” Brian asked as Amber turned on the light.
    Amber pointed to the workbench and Brian got to work.
    Five minutes later, Amber was back in the kitchen, when she heard Brian swear loudly.
    She hurried out. “What happened?”
    Brian was pressing on his palm. “I got it loose, but I cut my hand.”
    Amber quickly moved to him. Took his hand into hers. There was a decent amount of blood. “Let’s go into the kitchen.”
    Brian nodded and followed her.
    Amber pulled out a chair. “Sit down. I’m just going to get a few things from the bathroom.”
    She gathered up bandages, a washcloth, antibiotic cream and went back into the kitchen. She wet the washcloth at the sink. Took Brian’s hand and wiped the blood off, examining the wound.
    “I don’t think you need stitches. I have butterfly bandages, and I think that’ll take care of it.”
    She opened the antibiotic cream and started to bandage the wound.
    When she was finished, she met Brian’s eyes.
    He’d been studying her. He grinned. “You’re good at this.”
    Amber smiled a quick smile. “I studied nursing in college.”
    Brian’s brow raised. “Nursing?”
    Amber nodded. She gathered the pieces from the bandage wrappers and threw them in the garbage.
    “You trained as a nurse and you work in business?”
    Amber tensed. She bit her lip. “I had a job as a nurse for a couple of years after college. It didn’t work out. Then the job in your office came along.”
    She glanced at Brian. Saw the question in his eyes.
    Amber turned away and fiddled with the cap of the cream.
    She inhaled a breath and turned back to him. Pointed toward the backyard. “Should we see how Katie’s doing?”
    Brian blinked. A second later he nodded and rose from the chair. “Yes. Thanks for fixing this up.”
    She, Brian and Katie stood in the entryway later that night.
    Katie threw her arms around Amber’s waist. “Thank you for the dollhouse.”
    Amber squeezed Katie and smiled. “My pleasure.”
    Brian’s brow raised. “See you tomorrow night?”
    Amber nodded.
    He leaned in to give her a kiss before he took the dollhouse from Katie and carried it outside.
    Amber waved as they pulled out of the driveway. She slowly walked back inside. Sighed as she turned the deadbolt.
    It had been an emotional day. But Brian and Katie had made it bearable. More than bearable.
    ***
    The following Monday, Mr. Sumner handed Amber a business card. “The new software code we’re working on……..this is our potential customer. He’s overseas, but he speaks English. I want you to take the lead on contacting him.”
    Amber drew in a breath. “Me?”
    Mr. Sumner nodded.
    “But I’ve never done anything like that before.”
    “You’re