"The same way anyone does," Sani said. "We talk, we listen, we argue when we need to and compromise when we can. We figure it out as we go." "That's not a plan." "It's the only plan that works."
"You can't predict every problem before it happens, Cole. You just have to trust that when problems come, we'll face them together." Cole rubbed his face. "I don't know if I'm built for that kind of trust." "You've trusted us with your life a dozen times over."
"That's different. That's survival." "So is this." Sani leaned forward. "What do you think marriage is, if not survival? Just a different kind."
Cole didn't have an answer for that. He stood, walked to the window, and looked out at the dirty streets of Gravel Springs. People moved like ants below, working, trading, living their small lives in the shadow of the mines. Most of them probably had the same fears he did, the same doubts. "I'm going to mess this up," he said quietly.
"Yes, you will," Sani agreed. "So will we. And then we'll fix it. That's what people do." She stood, moved to the door, then paused.
"One more thing." "What?" "Stop thinking of this as something you're enduring. You chose this. We all did."
"That means something." She left before Cole could respond. He spent the next hour washing off the road dust and trying to organize his thoughts into something coherent. By the time he finished, the sun had dipped below the hills and the town was settling into its evening rhythm. He found the others in the boardinghouse common room, seated around a scarred wooden table with a map spread between them.
"What's this?" Cole asked. Kaya looked up. "Planning. There's work at the Broken Ridge mine."
"They need security for overnight shifts, and there's a freight company that runs supplies to the smaller camps. We could split up, cover more ground." "Or we could stick together," Lyra said. "Safety in numbers." "Safety doesn't pay as well," Kaya countered.
Cole sat down and studied the map. "What about that?" He pointed to a section marked in faded ink. "Says here there's a valley about 20 miles west, good water, decent soil." "So?"
"So maybe we think past the next paycheck. Start looking for something permanent." The women exchanged glances. Kaya folded her arms. "You serious?"
"I don't know. Maybe." Cole shrugged. "You're the one who brought up settling down. I'm just thinking about what that looks like."
"It looks expensive," Lyra said. "Land costs money. Building costs more. And we'd need livestock, tools, seed if we're farming." "I'm not saying we do it tomorrow. I'm saying we start thinking about it."
"Make it a goal instead of just drifting." Sani nodded slowly. "I like that." "Me too," Kaya said. "But we still need money, which means taking the work that's available now."