Pat and Dan had bought their house a few years before. They loved the quirky house even though it seemed lonely and unloved, spending their time renovating it a room at a time.
Their final job was decorating the landing area. Stripping the wallpaper and paintwork at the end of the passage, Dan found that there was a portion fitted with hardboard. Prying it off a door stood behind it.
Cautiously they opened it shining a torch around. It was a nursery. Everything was dusty and faded, such a sad room. Walls were covered with murals of animals, there was a crib with pink lace, a nursing chair, and a sideboard on which sat a book. Picking it up Pat wiped the dust off. Opening it up, there were happy family photos and towards the end were news reports of a tragic accident. A mother and child had been killed. Pat’s eyes filled up. Looking at Dan, she could sense he felt it too. Now they knew why their house was so sad. Expecting their first child, Pat hugged her stomach, promising the child that they would make it a happy home again.
Next morning Pat set about clearing the room. In the crib under the quilt was a letter. The child’s father had left a love letter to both his wife and child, saying how heartbroken, he was how much he adored them. But as he couldn’t bear to see the room that had given so much love in his life, he was sealing it up as a memorial to them.
Pat sat and cried again then with determination she set about the room, telling her own unborn that the room would be filled with love once again. Standing back, Pat and Dan surveyed the finished room, sighing. All the murals had been brought back to life, ready for their little one.
