Picking up where the castle fell

So their transition away from the bays of coyotes, gravel roads and starlit nights led them to the more civilized sounds of fire sirens, busy traffic and street lights illuminating their back patio. Not only had they left the serenity of a countryside home, but for the first time were living the apartment life where sounds of noisy neighbors and the privacy they were used to had all but disappeared. On many levels, mom embraced this change, if only to be less secluded. The beauty of the country spoke to her soul on levels only her and the Lord could know, but the sense of loneliness that overcame her at times was overwhelming. As her condition had progressed, her ability to go out and greet civilization on her own terms had been dictated by the prison that her body held her in. There were still some good days where she could drive herself, but even then the pathway between the house and the garage was an obstacle course of uneven ground and the anxiety that accompanied it could be equally unnerving with a body that was shaky on it's own. Then there was the long drive to wherever it was that she destined a place to visit, as the country home was twenty minutes from the nearest town, much less the nearest city. So while the change was dramatic and bittersweet, she looked forward to again being the city girl that she had once been.
Daddy had chosen an apartment close to me and all but a few doors down from my brother. Later my brother and I would understand more as to why they moved so close.
Daddy took on a new post at a new school while mom took on the task of nesting and creating a home in this new foreign yet familiar place. Her palate was empty and her notebook was full of details entailing the placement of every picture, every candle and every piece of lace. She had been shopping for months for the perfect accents ( of course on sale) to create her new design. Most of their furniture from the country house had been put in storage until they could determine where their next permanent home would be. This new creation was a comforting distraction from the uncertainty of the unknown future. She never did well with change, especially when it came to her home, but she did the best she could and leaned on her artistic vision to keep her moving forward and to surround herself with beauty.