This is a story about a man and his best friend. They cared for each other. They supported each other in times of need and celebrated in times of glee. They were together a very long time, as all friends are.

They met when he was just exiting his twenties, a time when  everything was changing. Introduced by a mutual friend, they instantly got along. There were a few issues in the beginning, especially when storms hovered, the best friend couldn’t handle the pressure and broke down a few times. But the man was there, helping to mend the wounds. In time, rain no longer affected the best friend.

When a woman came into the man’s life, the best friend even hosted the nuptials. The woman knew that the best friend would be a big part of her life, and she couldn’t be happier. The best friend was the life of the party, getting dressed up in many, many different styles and colors over the years to make everyone feel festive at the events. It was dark shadows for Halloween, blue streamers for birthdays, lights across the crown for Christmas.

It was at one of these events that the accident occurred. A slip of the wrist dropped a candle. The fire blazed and the best friend suffered the most. The party guests escaped, the man almost didn’t leave until his wife pleaded with him. The first responders did what they could, but it was clear the best friend would never be the same.

The man vowed to do everything he could to make the best friend better than ever. The man called 911 Restoration.  They arrived within the hour, had the technology to remove smoke from the best friend’s air circulation, had the training to shake the soot off, and had the talent to make him feel better than ever, and the man was ecstatic.

The parties shrank and the family grew. The best friend sheltered the children while the husband and wife were away, and in turn, the man would spoil the best friend with the latest technology, bringing in new appliances and the like.

Their relationship went on like this for decades, until the kids were grown and gone, until the wife was grown, and soon to be gone. The best friend knew the roles would soon be reversed, knew that wounds of rain would soon need to be mended. And when that day finally came, the best friend kept the man busy. They planted a garden. They decorated. They took funny pictures to send to the kids, now grown with best friends of their own. They kept up their purpose, one hand washing the other.

It was with his best friend that it all came to an end, and due to the man’s dedication that his best friend would out last him. Looking up at all they had been through, from the original patch work in the rain, to the spoils of precaution, and from the imperceptible fire damage to the garden brushing the window, the man gave his best friend one last look, his family one last thought, and he was at peace.

This is a story of a man and his best friend. This is a story of a man and a house that became a home.