Martha looked down at the brass key in her palm, then hooked the ring securely onto her leather belt loop.

“We start framing the north wing at seven o’clock Monday morning,” she said softly.

“I’ll have the three-ton lumber truck delivered by six thirty,” Nathaniel said.

Daisy tugged at the bottom corner of Nathaniel’s heavy canvas jacket until he bent down near the iron radiator.

“Mom said we get to keep two little goldfish in a bowl on the kitchen windowsill,” Daisy whispered.

“Two is a very practical number for a kitchen window,” Nathaniel said, standing up to straighten his coat collar.