Saturday morning found Maria already awake and sitting in her home office her mind running amok with design ideas. After lunch with Rose two days ago, a desire to sell Ben's store and solely focus on her design business had surfaced. Rose had shown Maria her beautiful home and immediately the conversation had shifted to their mutual love for design. Now, she sat scouring Pinterest for lawn ideas to suit her yard. The designs that swam through her screen had her excitement grow as she imagined her run down yard coming back to life.

The door bell filled the air startling Maria whose eyes immediately shifted to the corner of the screen to check the time, 9:am it read. She pushed her chair back and sauntered towards the door wondering why Joshua was ringing the doorbell instead of showing himself in. She punched in the code at the front door and listened as the gate made its signature screeching as it opened.

"Good morning, Maria," said Joyce who was descending the staircase, a laundry basket on her hip.

"Good morning, Joyce." Maria turned towards the kitchen hoping to find something to quiet the now noticeable hunger.

"I didn't know we had visitors today."

"Not a visitor, just Josh. He's taking the kids to the arcade, don't know why he needed to ring the bell though." Maria lifted a lid off one of the pots on the stove, letting out aromas that had her stomach growl in anticipation.

"Uhm maybe that's because it isn't Joshua."

Maria turned to look at Joyce who was now staring out the window. She set the lid back on to the pot and joined the peeping woman by the window which gave the best view of the gate. A glimmering red Ford-F Raptor double cabin pickup had just pulled up in the driveway. The front door opened and a figure clad in fitting jeans and a turtleneck t-shirt, stepped out, his grey eyes quickly scanning the pitiful yard.

"Mathew!" Said Joyce once she saw who had just alighted.

"Oh crap! I forgot he was coming today. We..." but before Maria could finish the statement, Joyce had placed the laundry basket on the floor, pulled the front door open and was running towards a now smiling Mathew. She hurled herself into his open arms and he lifted her off the gravel with ease. After a couple of spins, he placed her down and pulled away to look at her.

"Little Joyce!" He said as his eye roamed her length, "all grown up now."

"Shut up, it hasn't been that long since we last saw each other."

"Actually, I think it has. Two years to be exact."

"Really?"

"Yeah! What are you doing here? I thought you went to the states with my brother."

"My family refused to let me go so I had to look for another job. Speaking of," Joyce turned to where she knew Maria would still be watching them. "I believe you have already met my new boss," they watched as Maria walked out onto the porch, pulling her cotton robe closer to her. "Mrs. Maria Mukhisa."

Mathew walked toward Maria his hand outstretched for her to shake. "Yes I have, it's a pleasure to meet you again Mrs. Mukhisa."

"You too, Mathew. Joyce here said that you are the guy to revive my yard, I look forward to working with you... How long have you two known each other?"

Mathew released her hand and turned towards Joyce who was a few paces behind him. "I met Joyce when she started working for Jake, my brother. She was fresh from high school and was basically a baby herself but one who was determined to make something to support her family. It's a blessing that my sis-in-law is a saint and treated her like her own child and so she became a member of our family. I even thought she went with them to the States... she was supposed to start school and all that..." He raised his brows the last statement clearly meant for Joyce.

"Stop... you know I need to help out at home because no one gets paid to go to school, you know how things are back there. If I stop sending a paycheck, what will happen to them?" Joyce said, holding his inquisitive gaze with her own reproachful one. Mathews eyes softened as he realized her predicament.

"I'm sorry," he whispered.

"Don't you worry about me, God's got my back, I got a new job almost immediately and Maria is every bit as amazing as Maxine was." She let a smile form on her lips easing his worry. "Anyway, enough about me, you are here on different matters, I will check on the kids." Joyce climbed the front porch steps and disappeared into the house leaving her two observers watching her retreating form in silence.

"I'm sorry about that." Mathew finally looked at the woman who still stood in her robe.

"It's okay, she is a closed book when it comes to her life, now I understand why." Maria pulled her robe closer to her remembering her unkempt physique. "Well, come on in, I will get changed and we can get started."

*************

Mathew was shown to the lounge where Joyce was busy straightening out the cushions. "Wow", he mouthed as his eyes roamed the tastefully decorated area.

"Nice, right?" Asked Joyce, amusement clear in her tone.

"This...this is rich!"

"I know, such a contrast from the yard huh?"

"Total contrast, did they just buy this house?" Mathew sunk into the couch nearest to him.

"Nope, they have lived here for over a decade...run into some trouble a couple years ago..." Joyce stopped fluffing the pillows and sighed, "its not my story to tell but what I can tell you is that they have been going through some stuff lately because she just lost her husband and her two boys just lost a dad." Joyce replaced the last pillow back on the couch across from Mathew then turned to face him with a broad smile on her face, "can I get you something to eat?"