“You must be Stephanie.”
“I am, and you must be Dwayne.”
“That would be me.” He gave her a nod and she followed him through the door. Once inside she handed him the wine while a yellow Labrador sniffed at her clothing.
“Bella! Behave.” Dwayne gave the dog a strong look as she wagged her tail. Stephanie stroked her head.
“It’s okay. I love dogs.” She was still petting the dog’s head when Paul entered the room and greeted her with a hug.
“Happy Easter, and thanks for coming to visit our humble abode.”
Stephanie looked around the beautifully furnished room. Antiques were proudly displayed on the shelves, with several paintings hanging on the walls. “I would hardly call this place humble,” she said. “In fact, it looks like a photo from a home decorating magazine.”
“Now you’re making me blush,” said Paul.
“You should have seen it when we first bought the place,” said Dwayne. “It was a real fixer upper.”
“It was indeed,” said Paul. “Every night we’d come home from work and change into our grubbies. We ripped up carpets and replaced drywall. Then we repainted every room and refinished all the cabinets. The place looked like a war zone for months.”
“But we eventually got it done.”
“Then came the fun part.” Paul’s face was glowing. “Dwayne went antique hunting with me, but picking out the flooring, the paint colors, and, of course, the artwork, was my department.”
“You know, some of these paintings do look a little familiar,” said Stephanie. “I recognize the styles of some of our artists.”
“Very good.” Paul gave her a nod of approval and showed her around the rest of the house while Dwayne took the dog outside. Afterwards they rendezvoused in the kitchen where the scent of roasting lamb made their mouths water. Dwayne offered her a soft drink and they sat down at the small table in the breakfast nook.
“We’ll be eating in the dining room,” said Paul. “It is Easter after all, and we don’t use it very often. So, enough about us. How was your Easter morning?”
“Okay, I guess.” Stephanie still missed Danny, but she thought it best not to bring him up. “I had a nice, quiet morning, and then I called my mother to wish her a Happy Easter.”
“Dwayne and I have an Easter tradition. Every year we spend Easter morning helping with the Easter egg hunt at a shelter for homeless families.”
“We believe helping others in need is what the spirit of the holiday is all about,” said Dwayne. “And we both love kids, so it’s very gratifying to see all the happy smiles on their faces.”
“Although we’ll occasionally have to referee whenever two kids spot the same egg at the same time,” said Paul. “So far, we’ve not had any knock down drag out fights, but it’s because we keep a few extra eggs off to the side. That way whichever kid loses the argument still has something for his Easter basket.”
“But it’s also exhausting,” said Dwayne. “We have to get an early start. Then, after the hunt is over, we stay and help serve breakfast, so we’re usually beat by the time we get home. We’ll chill for a couple of hours, and then it’s time to put the lamb in the oven.”
“Sounds to me like the two of you have a wonderful holiday tradition,” said Stephanie. “Easter was nice, but kind of low key while I was growing up. I remember hunting for Easter eggs in the backyard when I was little, then, after my father passed away, Mom and I started going to church on Easter morning, but we somehow got out of the habit once I started high school.” She talked about going to college in Boulder, and her decision to stay in Colorado after she graduated. Paul finally asked her the question she hoped would not be asked.
***
