3
Cari dreaded hearing the extent of the damage to her house. She had called the insurance company, and a claims adjuster would be out tomorrow. Hopefully, it wouldn’t take long to get everything finalized.
When she and Ben stumbled on it, the house had been standing vacant for several years, and they found it was in sorry shape. The wraparound porch sagged, barely attached to the house. Cari fell in love with it instantly and told Ben the backyard was perfect for children. Flowers bloomed at the foundation, and a sunroom could replace a poorly built room that jutted off the back. It would be her oasis to read and play piano. It was the kind of house that would be home to their future family. Cari had convinced Ben they needed to buy the large rambling Victorian on Maple Street, but in a
