When she finished she wrapped the rods in brown paper and tied them with a bright red ribbon before attaching a small note that read, “For the man who loves order.”
Franklin returned that evening in good spirits while carrying a new box of hooks and two bottles of beer.
“Theresa,” he called happily from the doorway, “we are going to the lake this weekend.”
She looked up from her chair calmly.
“That sounds wonderful,” she replied. “I left you a surprise in the shed.”
A few moments later a furious shout shook the quiet house.
“What have you done to my rods,” Franklin yelled while storming toward the porch with one damaged rod in his hand.
Theresa tilted her head with innocent curiosity.
“I did not ruin them,” she answered gently. “I simply organized them because you wanted order.”
Franklin called her crazy but she only smiled and said calmly that the project could be considered a piece of modern art.
The following morning Franklin left early for Lake Hartwell determined to salvage his pride while Theresa opened a small drawer in the bedroom where she had hidden a box labeled rare English rose seeds.