Chapter 9 - The Thaw
Spring arrived, and the mountain began to weep, the snow melting into rushing rivers. Silas and Sadie went to the ridge to check the traps. The air was soft, smelling of wet earth and pine needles.
"The children are ready for the lowland school in the fall," Silas said, looking out at the valley. "I suppose you’ll be wanting to go back."
Sadie looked at him, surprised. "Why would I want to go back to a place that buried me alive? This is my home, Silas. These are my children."
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Silas turned to her, and for the first time, he didn't look like a man of stone. He looked like a man who had finally found the piece of his soul he had lost in the fever. He reached out and brushed a stray lock of hair from her face.
"I didn't hire you for your work, Sadie," he admitted. "I hired you to survive. But I’m asking you to stay because I want to live."
