The Emmons invite Will and me over for a combination celebration/business meeting when the deal goes through. At twenty-five cents apiece, I hire our three and Garth to stay at our house and be in charge of each other's happiness for the evening. Cutting across the yards, I hear our two realty signs creaking in concert.
        Early American furniture surrounds Marsha's grand piano like a rapt audience. Todd tallies numbers. “Marsha and I probably won't net more than a couple thou', if that, from the sale of our house. We don't have much equity.”
        Marsha pushes up off the settee and says, on her way out of the room, “Two years, five months, and two weeks.”
        Todd asks Will, “How do you think you guys will do?”
        “A lot better than that.”
        Marsha wheels in refreshments on her tea trolley. Todd says, “I sure don't claim to be the expert here but I don't think we'd need anything fancy. Concrete block seems the cheapest, quickest way to go.”
        "You can't just stack 'em up like Legos," Will protests. "Even concrete block you're talking time and money. And you still have to meet building codes."
        “Oh, boy,” Todd says. “I can see we're going to need your expertise sooner rather than later, Will. How soon before you get a job down there?”
        Will shakes his head. “I couldn't make half what I'm making here.”
        As his words sink in, panic clogs my throat. “But, Will, if you stayed, I'd be all alone down there.”
        Leaning back in partial shadow, he folds his arms. “You wouldn't be alone.”
        “But we can't build the school without you.”
        “You can't build it without my paycheck either, especially since it seems like mine's gonna be the only one coming in.”
        Todd says to me, “Much as I hate to admit it, he's probably right about staying where he is for now, at least until we build the school and tuition rolls in.”
        “Don't worry,” Will says. “I'll be down every weekend.”
        Todd says, “I'll be like your apprentice. You show me stuff on the weekends, and I'll follow through during the week.”
        I can't fathom being there without Will. Two Emmons against one of me, I think. “The sooner the school's done, the sooner we get paying students,” I say, “and then you can join us full time, Will. I know we can finish by Labor Day.”

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