60. Visitors
Visitors
Helena
Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong.
Kiran and I are hunched over the coffee table, carefully working on a puzzle. He furrows his brow, tongue peeking out in concentration as he twists a puzzle piece in his small hands, determined to make it fit.
The back door swings open, and the familiar sound of boots against the wood floor fills the house.
Kiran barely acknowledges it, too focused on his task, but I glance up, immediately clocking the two men as they step inside.
There’s something about the way they carry themselves, like boys caught sneaking in past curfew.
I push myself up from the couch and make my way to the kitchen, leaning against the doorway with my arms crossed. “And just where have the two of you been?”
Silas meets me halfway, placing a kiss against my hair. “Ruth’s going to help with the will.”
Eli grins. “She wasn’t happy with our idea, but Silas convinced her. ”
I glance at Silas. “So you really think this will all work?”
“I do. I doubt they’ll even come looking for it. But if they do, it will be in the safe.”
My gaze searches his, looking for any crack in his confidence. “It’s a lot of money, Silas. If Everly has that to throw around, he can afford the help to get what he wants.”
His fingers trail down, hooking under my chin and tilting my face up until I have no choice but to meet his unwavering eyes. “This is our home, love. You can’t put a price on that. It will be protected.”
The comfort of his words settles deep in my chest. I exhale slowly, wrapping my fingers around his wrist, grounding myself in him. “Okay.”
He studies me for a moment longer, voice dropping to something softer. “Trust me?”
I squeeze his hand. “Yeah, I trust you.”
A small smile tugs at the corner of his mouth. “I love you.”
He leans in, pressing a soft kiss against my lips.
I melt into him, my fingers tightening around his. When we part, I look up at him and smile.
“I love you too.”
The steady rhythm of our days brings a quiet kind of peace.
Mornings spent making breakfast, guiding Kiran through his lessons, tending to the garden.
Each task grounds me, reminding me of a life that once felt so distant.
And then there’s Silas, the unshakable presence I longed for in all those years apart.
The comfort of his touch, the way his gaze lingers on me.
It’s everything I once wished for, everything I thought we had lost.
Sometimes, in the stillness of the afternoon, when Kiran is bent over his math or lost in the simple joy of digging in the dirt, I find my thoughts wandering.
Would this have been our life? Would there have been more laughter, more tiny hands reaching for mine, more nights spent whispering about the future?
I like to think so. But time just wasn’t on our side.
Still, the push of my purpose presses against me.
Getting Silas to understand the truth of his existence is only half the battle. I need him to repent. To seek forgiveness before it’s too late.
No one has spoken Bennett’s name since the day the papers arrived, but I can feel his presence like thunder waiting behind the clouds.
The conflict simmers beneath the surface, teetering on the brink of the inevitable.
Part of me wants to ask Silas what his plan is; another part of me wants to live in unknowing bliss.
The thoughts occupy my mind as I scrub circles over a soap-covered dish.
“I think that plate is clean,” Marcel says as he emerges from the office.
I look down, shaking off my stupor. “Yeah, guess it is.” I turn on the water to rinse it. “I thought you were going to avoid me for the rest of time.”
Marcel has done everything in his power to be the first one done with dinner, even going as far as having his coffee and bread in the barn so he’s gone by the time I come down to make breakfast each morning.
I turn toward him. “I’m really sorry for what happened the night of Eli’s birthday.”
He shakes his head, still not meeting my eyes. “It was just Silas throwing his weight around when it wasn’t needed. You know I respect you and your marriage, Caroline.”
“I do. Again, I’m sorry.”
Marcel gives me an easy smile. “I know. And hey, that’s the most action I’ve seen in about fifty years, so nothing to be embarrassed about.”
I snap his arm with my towel. “You’re horrible. Now get out of here before Silas pitches a fit again.”
He tips his chin and starts for the door.
I glance out the window and see Silas leading Merriweather out of the stables, Kiran by his side.
They guide the mare to the paddock where Silas hoists Kiran up into the saddle, handing him the reins.
I watch as they begin to walk circles. Kiran’s feet hardly reach the stirrups, but his face is beaming.
Then I focus on Silas. His gentle hands direct the mare while making sure Kiran stays in the saddle.
A small part of me doesn’t want to say goodbye to this life.
I place the final pan back in the cabinet when a knock comes at the front door. I’m the only one in the house, so I make my way to the office, out of sight. I know deep down that almost none of the living can see me, but knowing people like Eli and Ruth walk this earth has me cautious.
A second knock sounds, loud and insistent, and I hear the shuffle of boots. My pulse quickens hoping Eli or one of the men see that we have visitors.
Finally, Eli’s voice rings out in greeting. Then I hear Bennett Everly’s.
“Eli, glad you’re here. Came to see if you’d like to talk.”