Taking a position at the new firm meant moving across Toronto, and leaving the Little House behind. It was a difficult thing to do. We had lived there nearly 5 years, and it represented much more to me than just sticks and mortar. In the time we were there we had planted the entire yard with lovely gardens, built a pond and vegetable garden, completely rewired and replastered the house. It was a place the had my heart in it. If I am on that side of town, I still often drive by and see how the Little House is doing. The new owner has changed it to his liking. I know it isn’t mine and I have no business in it, but I wish he hadn’t.

Our new home is on an acre and a half on the north side of Toronto. It has a big stone fireplace and soaring cathedral ceilings. We bought it as a property with potential, there is certainly some fixing to be done, and I would like to change a thing or two. The day we moved in I picked up my new car – a Volvo C-70 convertible (of which I am quite proud…) A month after moving in, LW and I got married. Somehow between the two we managed to fit in a positive pregnancy test.

In the time since school finished, we had taken up sailing as a hobby, and spent a summer sailing OPB’s (Other people’s boats), and racing on weekends as crew. In that time LW had also convinced me to give God a second chance, and we have been attending an Anglican Church (Episcopalian in the USA). I feel like things are beginning to be stitched back together. I knew things were going right standing up at the front of the crowd at the wedding.

The wedding was held on the waterfront of a local yacht club, and was a perfect blend of religious rite and informal fun. A squall blew through the ceremony, and was just enough to make everyone shudder, but the rain seemed to go around us without actually hitting. Our friend sailed back and forth on the waterfront to “provide a backdrop to the ceremonies.” I arrived in the canoe, and paddled right up to the beach. LW arrived in the Volvo, driven by her Dad, looking stunning. My beautiful daughter came behind them in a friend’s Cadillac.

Now when exwife and I got wed, I knew as soon as she arrived that things weren’t right, but with LW I was simply overjoyed to see her. She was smiling, and beautiful. Nothing else mattered. We had planned this day for months, we were going to be having our own child soon, and she and my daughter and I were going to be a family. Officially. For real. We were both in good careers, we had a good house, we had a church community that was supportive and cared, and we had friends and interests that we shared. The night was a blur of dancing and laughter, and keeping LW’s beer bottle full of ginger ale so that no one would offer her a drink. It worked.

In the months since that day we have endured morning sickness, and bursts of tears and joy. We have shared our joy with family and friends, and we have fixed up a few things on the house. And we bought a boat.

A family of three can fit in a canoe and have a nice trip, but a family of four in a canoe for a week is a little cramped. Certainly we have the gear and could pull it off, but we also live next to a beautiful lake, and we have some wonderful places to explore nearby. And just beyond them, well, “There be Dragons.” Since the opportunity presented itself, and we have a little experience now is a good time to pursue those dragons. Our new boat is small by yach club standards but adequate. It is a 25 foot Catalina Sailboat, we plan to name her Iris at spring launch.

I’ve faced the dragons of career change and self discovery. I’ve chased dragons of divorce and love and religion. You have read some of those in the past few days. New dragons are waiting for sure. Careers will evolve, and growing families provide new chances for adventure and fun, and eventually the epic journey that I mentioned not so long ago will begin to be stitched together. Today the journey involves legs of yachting and paddling, possibly with some hiking in the north country. As we go along the journey will make itself plain. But for now, the seed exists, it is in fertile ground, and slowly, it will grow.