"I have done nothing wrong. " "You left without permission. " "I am an adult. " Her brother stepped closer. "You're coming home. Before Clara could answer, Taza appeared. He didn't threaten anyone. He simply stood nearby.
Her brother looked at him. This doesn't concern you. Taza answered calmly, "It concerns Clara. " Clara looked at Taza. Then she looked at her brother. "I am staying. " Her brother stared at her.
"You would choose this place? " Clara shook her head. "I'm choosing my own life. " Her relatives eventually left. Clara stood alone after they disappeared down the road. Taza approached. "You don't have to thank me. " "I wasn't going to. " He almost smiled.
Clara looked at him. "You didn't save me. No. You simply stood there. " "Yes. That mattered. " Taza looked away.
"You're stronger than you think. " Clara smiled softly. "So are you. " That night, Taza couldn't sleep. He sat outside his cabin beneath the stars. He thought about Clara. He told himself she was simply lonely.
He told himself she would eventually meet a younger man. He told himself that whatever he was feeling would disappear. But none of those thoughts brought peace. Then winter arrived. A sudden storm covered the mountain roads with snow.
Clara had gone to deliver supplies to a family outside town when the weather changed. Her horse became frightened. The road disappeared beneath the snow. She finally reached Taza's cabin. He opened the door.
"Clara? " "I couldn't reach town. " He looked at the storm. "You'll stay here tonight. " She nodded. Inside the cabin was warm. Taza prepared a simple meal. They sat beside the fire.
For a long time, neither spoke. Then Clara asked quietly, "Why do always say you're too old for marriage? " Taza stared into the fire. "Because I am. " "That isn't an answer. " Clara waited. Finally, Taza told her about Amaya. He spoke slowly.
He explained that he had once believed he would spend his entire life with someone. Then he lost her. "I decided afterward that I would never make that mistake again. " Clara's voice was gentle. "Loving someone wasn't the mistake. " Taza looked at her. "Losing her was. " "The mistake was believing you had to stop living because you lost her. " Taza said nothing.
Clara moved slightly closer to the fire. "I know what it feels like to believe nobody will ever choose you. " Taza looked at her. "But someone did," he said. Clara shook her head. "No one chose me. " Taza frowned.
"You're wrong. " She looked directly at him. "Then why haven't you? " Taza froze. The storm continued outside. Clara's voice became softer. "I've been waiting for you. " Taza stared at her as if he had misunderstood.
"For me? " She nodded. "I have watched you for weeks. I've seen how you help people. I've seen the man everyone else ignores. " Taza slowly looked down. "You deserve someone younger. " "I don't want younger. " "You deserve someone who can give you more. " Clara smiled through tears in her eyes.
"I don't want more. " She whispered the words again. "I've been waiting for you. " For the first time in 20 years, Taza didn't know what to say. The man who had spent years convincing himself that love was behind him suddenly realized something terrifying and beautiful. Maybe his life wasn't finished. Maybe he had simply been waiting for the right woman to remind him that it wasn't.
The storm continued through most of the night. Snow pressed against the windows of Taza's cabin and the wind moved across the mountain like a distant warning. Inside, the fire burned steadily while Clara sat across from Taza. Neither of them spoke for several minutes. Her words were still hanging between them.