HEIRLOOM

Chapter 5

On the way back to our friend's house, a heavy rainstorm breaks out in the sky. However, it surprisingly ends quickly, and as we step into the yard, the clouds are already dissipated, welcoming the warm glow of the sun. There we discover Alex diligently fixing the roof of the paddock, having already chopped and stacked firewood from two fallen birch trees next to the chicken coop.

"I didn't expect to see you up so early," he says, surprised to see us. With a mouthful of nails, he continues nailing new boards to the paddock. In the meantime, a goat, tied up by an apple tree, is leisurely munching on the leaves of a prickly shrub nearby.

"What a storm it was last night!" Alex says through his teeth. "The neighbors' windows are even knocked out by hail!" He stands up to greet us, "Luckily, almost no damage to our house!"

"Yes, it was terrible storm!" Gabriela utters quietly.

"So why are up so early?" Alex asks, swinging an axe at a new piece of wood. A moment and it breaks down into two pieces.

He then promptly grabs them and nails to the other side of the paddock.

Gabriela looks uneasy and lets slip that we have just gone on a morning walk. The expression etched onto her countenance makes it abundantly clear that concealing the truth is proving to be a formidable task.

"Pray tell, what made you leave for a walk at such an unusual hour?" Alex questions with disbelief written on his face.

"I couldn't sleep and thought of catching the sunrise. It's been a long-standing desire of mine," I reply, clinging to my half-truth, even though the sunrise never came to fruition.

"Did you venture down to the riverbank?" Alex's inquisitive gaze falls on my hands and some dirt, dried on our clothes.

"We did," I reply, crossing my arms over my chest, hoping to conceal the scratches now evident on my skin.

Gabriela chimes in, further embellishing our lie, "The river has the most stunning dawn views."

I observe Gabriela's cheeks flush, implying her unease at this sudden interrogation.

Alex's perceptive eyes zero in on my hands, "What happened? Your hands are scratched up."

Trying to conceal my lie, I joke, "Oh! We had to climb over a fallen tree!" My laughter rings out nervously as I brush the dirt from my knees, averting my eyes in fear of being discovered.

Alex doesn't ask any other questions, just invites us home to have a family breakfast.

As we make our way to the kitchen, the tantalizing aroma of fresh coffee and sizzling bacon waft through the air. My stomach grumbles with anticipation when I see the food spread out on the table, complete with eggs, ham, baked toasts, and freshly squeezed orange juice.

Kristeen, Gabriela and the children are already gathered around the table.

"Wow, everything looks so good," I exclaim, taking a seat at the table.

"Thanks," Kristeen beam. "We like to keep things simple and traditional here in the countryside."

Isabel adds with a wide smile on her face, "And the breakfast dishes are all locally sourced. The eggs came straight from our own chicken coop."

Alex pours coffee into our cups, "Help yourselves, everyone. Eat as much as you like." Then adds, "How do you like the countryside so far?"

I immediately reply, "It's just stunning! I didn't realize how much we needed this break from the city."