Two years ago my world fell apart. My father passed away and, after twenty years of marriage, I found myself solecustody after a divorce.
I moved back into my late fathers cottage in the Cotswolds because Id been made redundant. At fortyone I felt certain there was no hope left for a decent job or a fresh romance.
Misfortune seemed to follow me. The thatch roof, patched by a local handyman, started leaking and I lacked the strength to haul timber myself.
The contractors who replaced the windows left the job halfdone, letting cold drafts slip through the gaps. To stay warm I gathered pine cones and burned the countless books Id hoarded in the study.
Then the power went out and I was forced to switch the heating off.
The landlord of the pub opposite began to make me tempting offers, and I wasnt sure whether to laugh or weep.
I thought things could not get any worse, yet suddenly everything began to turn.
A bloke Id later call my prince appeared at the village bus stop in Little Whittington, stepping off a regional coach. His hair was tousled, his clothes were workwear, and he earned his living repairing roofs. He asked if I needed a hand. I admitted I did, but I had nothing to pay him with.
He said we could settle the account when I could afford it.
He fixed the leaking roof, a broken tap, the water meter, the garden fence, the stairs and the windows.
One bitterly cold night I returned home to find a glowing fire pit in the living room and, beside it, a steaming mug of herbal tea.
It was as if a miracle had arrived to warm my frozen throat and chilled feet.
I knew then who my hero was and wondered how I could thank him. Though skilled, he was modest, so I keep his name private lest he be embarrassedour village is tiny and everyone already knows him.
Now the cottage and garden look as though a firm, caring hand has tended them. With my prince I feel warmth and happiness, and my greatest fear is ever losing him.
Life has taught me that even after the deepest losses, kindness and humility can rebuild a shattered world, and that love worth having is always worth protecting.
