So. The question landed harder than intended. Caleb froze. For a moment neither moved. Then he looked away.
I can't keep giving Dana reasons. You've done nothing wrong. That's not how courts work. His voice cracked slightly. Just enough for Miriam to hear.
That's not how people work. The room fell silent again. Finally, Miriam spoke softly. Stay until the electrician gets there. Ray was supposed to come tomorrow.
Then wait until tomorrow. Caleb nodded reluctantly. But something had shifted. Miriam could see it. He wasn't just worried anymore.
He was bracing for impact. Thursday arrived with another disappointment. Around noon, Ray Dillard called. A job in the neighboring county had gone long. He wouldn't make it.
The repair would have to wait until Monday. Caleb stared at his phone after the call ended. Monday. Four more days. Four more days without power.
Four more days of rumors. Four more days of uncertainty. Four more days for Dana to gather information. Something inside him tightened further. That afternoon, he worked until exhaustion forced him to stop.
He repaired drainage lines, cleared brush, hauled lumber, anything to keep moving. Physical labor had always been his refuge. Work was simple. Work made sense. Work had rules.
Life didn't. As the sun began setting, Caleb sat alone on the back porch steps. His phone rested in his hand. He had just finished talking to Lily. The conversation replayed endlessly inside his mind.
Daddy, when can I come home? Such a simple question. Such an impossible one. He had answered the same way he always did. Soon.
Very soon. But the word felt emptier every time he said it. He stared across the fields as darkness slowly gathered. Somewhere nearby, a cricket chirped. The world seemed peaceful.
Caleb felt anything but. A few minutes later Miriam stepped outside carrying two mugs of coffee. She handed one to him and sat beside him without speaking. They watched the sunset in silence. Finally she asked, "What did Lily say?"