That's if I can get the guys from work to help in their spare time.
On driving into my place with Kelly at my side, I'm nervous. She's the first woman I've ever brought here, so I hope she can see past the mess left behind by the flood.
Even after she's climbed out of my truck and looked up at the house, I'm unsure what she thinks of it all. However, I can tell by the way her eyes dart about that she's taking everything in.
Still without a word, she takes off down the bumpy gravel driveway before disappearing around the back of the house.
I find her with a hand up to shield her eyes from the sun. She's taking in the field and barn on the other side of the creek. That she can see beyond the flood damage is clear by the wattage of her smile.
After I join her, she throws her arms around me and squeezes tight, before reaching up on tiptoes and giving me a resounding kiss.
"Oh Zac, it'll be perfect!"
Okay, I hadn't expected this sort of enthusiasm, given the house sits in a sea of silt, with debris from homes further up the valley, strewn everywhere.
"It will be? I mean, do you think so?"
"Zac, with you at my side, of course, it will!"
Quick as a flash, I've scooped her up and am sloshing through the mud to the back door. Rather than stop, I boot the door in and cross the threshold with her in my arms.
There's nothing bridal about the moment. The place smells like a fetid swamp. And yet, with Kelly tight against my chest, I couldn't be happier.
