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“What wood did you use on this?” Isaac asks.
“Knotty alder. It’s a bit softer than other hard woods, which makes it easier to shape and stain, but it’s still strong,” Keller replies.
“It’s beautiful. I love the baby animals,” I praise.
“Bran did those. He’s painting a mural on the nursery wall to match. Willa wants it to look like a magical safari.”
Isaac snaps a few shots of the custom work.
“What’s that over there?” he asks.
Keller’s eyes follow his to a structure against the far wall. “That is the new barn set display we made for the live nativity at the church. Last year, a few shepherds fell through the floor, so we built a new platform and decided to go ahead and give the barn and manger a facelift.”
“Live nativity? When is that?” Isaac asks.
“Saturday afternoon. Would you like to come? Bran is playing Joseph again this year, and his girlfriend, Hannah, will be making her debut as Mary,” I say.
“I’d love to. Dawn and Daniel will be here on Saturday, and I’m sure she’ll want to cover it for the article,” he says.
“Dawn and Daniel?” Keller asks.
“Dawn is the journalist who will be writing the article for the magazine. She and her husband are supposed to arrive late afternoon.”
“I thought you were doing the article,” Keller says, confused.
“No, I’m not a journalist. I couldn’t write my way out of a box. I just take the pictures.”
Cobie comes running up with Bran on her heels.
“Look, Daddy, I made a friendship ball!” She holds up the multicolored blown glass ornament for Isaac to see.
“Wow, great job, kiddo,” he praises.
“Bran said we have to hang it in a window so the light can catch the colors, and it will attract friendship and good luck,” she explains.
“We can never have too much of either,” he says.
She hands it over to him. “Here, this one is for your house. We’re gonna make another one for Mommy’s house,” she says.
“I’m not sure we have much room in our suitcases, and these are awfully fragile to carry all the way to Paris with us,” he says.
Her face falls. “Oh, right.”
I step between them. “I’d be happy to send them to you. Once you’re home from your trip. You can leave them with me, and I’ll look after them while you’re gone and then package them carefully and ship them to you,” I offer.
Cobie smiles and thanks me, then skips off to make another ornament.
“I appreciate you offering to do that,” Isaac whispers as we watch her go.
“It’s no problem at all. The post office is literally outside my office door.”
“It’s still generous.”
Keller accompanies us to our next stop. His sister Norah’s flower shop.
We walk in, and Norah greets us from behind the counter.
“Hi, Sela, Keller. Who are your friends?” she asks.
