A quick online search netted me the address of Susan's employer--I'd never gotten her home address--and I sent her a set of diamond earrings for all of her help. She called to protest, but I wouldn't hear of it. She'd been there when I needed her, which was far more than I was entitled to expect.
I was working twelve hours a day in the workshop, sometimes with Dad, but usually alone. My woodworking skills had returned--mostly. With Dad's occasional help, I was keeping up with the orders and putting out high quality furniture and cabinets. Dad only had to fix a few glaring blunders, but what did he expect? If nothing else, he was getting far better quality than he was paying me for, which was zero.
It was mid-morning, and I decided to take a break from some dovetails on a set of drawers f
