The Tokens

Chapter 6Optimism

Eric had the house plans in hand. Actually, they were spread across his kitchen table, where he had spent hours going over them to make sure he was ready to proceed with the project. There was a lot of planning that went into building a house, and he found himself a little overwhelmed. Poor planning would result in down time and project delays—the trades would be waiting for one thing to be completed before taking over. Keeping the project moving at a consistent and steady pace was part of Eric's job.

The excavators were breaking ground in two weeks, and Eric was lining up his subcontractors. They'd need plumbers and pipefitters, electricians, masons and bricklayers, roofers, drywallers, and carpenters … and that was before the flooring could be installed and the painters could move in. And Eric had to coordinate every step of the process.

In addition to keeping the project moving smoothly, Eric had to make sure the supplies got to the construction site by the time the trades were ready for them. On top of that, he had to make sure they were all paid.

Caught up in the excitement of overseeing this construction, Eric hadn't considered the fact that he would assume so much responsibility. If anything went wrong, it could affect his reputation among his peers in the industry and with homeowners. He suddenly got a case of the “What‐ifs?” What if the weather didn't cooperate? What if there were delays due to poor scheduling? What if materials weren't delivered when ...