Chapter 3 - The Fractured Peace
The days following the attic incident were defined by a suffocating silence. Toby wouldn't look at her, and the younger children, sensing the tension, grew withdrawn. Caleb tried to bridge the gap, but his own grief was inextricably linked to his children’s pain.
Eliza took to the fields, working until her hands were raw and her muscles burned, trying to outrun the feeling of rejection. She wasn't an intruder, she told herself. She was a woman who had saved this family from starving. But Toby’s words—you aren't her—kept echoing in her mind.
One morning, she found Caleb sitting on the back porch, staring out at the dying garden.
"I tried to talk to him," Caleb said, his voice ragged. "But he thinks every time you do something kind, it’s a betrayal of his mother."
"Maybe it is," Eliza said, sitting beside him but keeping a distance. "I never asked to replace her, Caleb. I only asked to help. But if I’m causing more harm than good, maybe I should return to town."
May you like
Caleb turned to her, his pale eyes searching her face. "You’re not going anywhere, Eliza. Not until I say so. We made a deal."
"A deal doesn't cover a broken heart," she replied softly. "And I think this house has too many of them."
