New Hire, Old house

New Hire, Old house
After sunset Alex found Misha in the living room, standing looking out of the bay window. Travis had been busy in the daylight hours getting people to do the work on the house and the garden. Alex had forgotten how much he loved it here. Once the garden was back to there glory he would be much happier. He never thought the house would fall into disrepair. Last time he had been here it was in amazing shape. Maybe he needed to find a keeper for the house. That thought made him sad.

"So tell me, who are you hiding from?" Alex asked as he sat on the couch.

"A man I dated but he turned out to be a very bad man. He followed me from America to here. Not sure if he knows I am here or not. I would hope not." Misha explained to him tears in her eyes.

"Well you are safe here for now. I don't mind you being at the house. In truth it would help me out in the long run. How about we make it a job for you. That way you have money as well." Alex smiled as she looked at him like he had lost his mind.

"You-You would do that?" Misha finally chocked out.

"Why not? I can't stay here for long. I would be happy to have you stay here if you think you can keep the place up. The outside same as the inside." Alex smiled brightly at her.

"I might have to leave at a moments notice." Misha was tring hard to not take the job. "That man might find me again."

"It is alright, as long as you take a moment once you are settled again to let me know. Then I can find another keeper." Alex explained as he watched her fight with her own mind.

"Alright sounds good." Misha smiled brightly as she turned back toward the window. "This house is great though, old yet strong. I love how there are animals all over. I love watching them during the day. This stag always comes to the house in the morning. Looking for somethig, what I don't know."

"There used to be a crab apple tree out there, but it died. Had to dig it up and we didn't get to plant another one." Alex told her watching as she looked out the window.

"Hmm maybe a new tree then." Misha suggested as she watched a cat run across the lawn.

"If you wish, I will let the new gardener know that one should be put in. Several stags lived on the land around the house. Along with a bear at one point, not sure if it i still around." Alex could remember that bear comeing close to the house.

"I am not sure I would want to see a bear that close." Misha laughed at the thought. "Deers, cats, dogs, maybe even a wolf would be okay but not a bear."

"It didn't think it even noticed me at that point. Just wanted food, and I guess I didn't smell like food." Alex laughed because that bear ran when it saw him.

"Strange, though maybe your after shave put it off." Misha turned just enough to see the look on his face. She laughed so hard she cried.

"Well I never." Alex sighed but laughed with her. "It is very possible."

They talked for a while about nothing but animals. Alex had always loved the different animals that lived on the lands. Several birds lived here you didn't see many other places. Alex had thought about making it a preserve but it would take so much work that he couldn't put into right now. Maybe he would have Hem look into it and see what was really needed. He watched as Misha wondered from the window to the book shelf back to the window. She really had alot of energy to go back and forth.

"Alex?" Travis called from the door.

"In the living room." Alex called back.

"Well I was able to get some workers to help with the outside of the house. I might have a gardener, but they are well." Travis looked at Misha then to Alex as if to say he couldn't explain right now.

"I trust you to hire the best for the house and land." Alex smiled giving a wink that he wunderstood. He couldn't understand how he found them, but Travis always seemed to find the right ones.

Misha went to bed a few moments after Travis came into the room. Alex was watching out the window to see if anything was moving around the house. So many memories here good and bad together. He could recall seeing Dorcas by the tree. Then he could recall seeing Crystal there, that frist time she appeared at the house. Victor had fallen out of that tree a few times as well. Once breaking his arm, which he blamed Alex for. It was insane the things you could recall if you sat and put your mind to it. Alex missed them both darely. Dorcas had made his life so much richer then it had been. When Vincet came into there lives Alex couldn't understand life before him. With a turn of his head he looked at the painting of Victor when he was around ten. Standing tall with his bow and arrows. That Alex was rather sure his mother would have thrown a fit over.

"Lost in thought?" Travis asked as he sat beside Alex.

"Yes, recalling things that happened so very long ago." Alex told him with a half smile. "Things changed so much over the years."

"So true, so much can change over the years. Whta brought you back here?" Travis had a feeling Alex would come back at some point. This place was his home.

"To be honest I have no idea, I didn't want to come back at all. So much saddness here that I didn't want to deal with it any longer. However sitting here now I can say that this place is full of joy. Family has left this place full of happyness and love. I just never knew that until now." Alex sighed as he looked from the window to Travis.

"Yes you did grow up here. This place has always held love. It also hold horrors that many don't want to think about again. I'm glad you didn't sell it over the years. So many of the houses in the area where sold off piece by piece." Travis could recall over the years the threat to the property.

"I gave my word to my father that I would never do that. So I haven't, it is partly because they are buried here. Dorcas is also buried here." Alex told him as he thought back to when his father had asked me to keep the place in one piece.