At night she wept silently and wondered if her life was now a loveless marriage in a home that felt like a prison.
Ellie tried to connect with the children. She baked cookies and offered them to them with trembling hands.
And Ben hid behind her.
Ellie’s heart sank, but she didn’t give up. She remembered her own lonely childhood and promised herself she would be patient.
Gradually, she began leaving them small gifts – carved sticks, wildflowers – hoping to gain their trust.
Caleb was an enigma.
He spoke little, his face was marked with sorrow.
However, Ellie noticed the tender care he showed his children despite his rough appearance.
One afternoon he saw her struggling to carry firewood.
Wordlessly, he took the weight from her arms. “You don’t have to do all this alone,” he croaked.
Life in the mountains was strenuous.
