Thanks, she said quietly. Don't mention it. They didn't talk for the rest of the ride home. But when they pulled up to the ranch and Jonah helped her down from the wagon, his hand lingered on her arm for just a second longer than necessary. A silent reminder that she wasn't alone.
And for the first time since walking into that general store, Evelyn let herself believe it. That night Evelyn couldn't sleep. She lay in bed staring at the ceiling, replaying the encounter in town over and over until the woman's words lost all meaning and became just noise. Finally, she gave up and got dressed. The house was dark and quiet, everyone else asleep.
She made her way downstairs and slipped outside into the cold night air. The sky was clear, full of stars that seemed impossibly bright out here in the middle of nowhere. Evelyn stood on the porch and breathed in the smell of snow and pine and something else she couldn't name. Peace, maybe. Or the illusion of it.
Couldn't sleep either? She spun around to find Levi sitting on the steps, his harmonica in his hands. He looked young in the moonlight, younger than his twenty-some years, like the world hadn't finished beating him down yet. Didn't know you were out here, Evelyn said. I come out sometimes.
When the house feels too small. He held up the harmonica. Trying to finish this song. Been working on it for months, but I can't figure out the ending. Why not?
Because I don't know if it's supposed to be sad or hopeful, and I can't decide which one is true. Evelyn sat down beside him on the steps. Maybe it's both. Levi considered that. Can something be both?
I think most things are. He nodded slowly like that made sense to him. Then he brought the harmonica to his lips and started to play. The melody was haunting, slow and mournful, full of longing and loss. It reminded Evelyn of every goodbye she'd ever said, every place she'd left behind, every person she'd lost.
But there was something else in it, too. Something that sounded almost like hope. When he finished, the silence felt heavier than before. "That was beautiful." Evelyn said.
Levi ducked his head. "It's not done yet." "Sounded done to me." "Yeah, well, I'm a perfectionist." They sat together in comfortable silence watching the stars.
After a while, Levi spoke again. "You know what happened in town today?" "Jonah told us." Evelyn tensed. "Of course he did."
"Don't be mad at him. He was worried about you." "I don't need people worrying about me." "Too bad." "We're going to worry anyway."