Clara sat with Amyeliana up on the roof. She had come home that day desperate to finally tell someone about everything that had been going on. She told Amyeliana everything that had happened with both Harrison and Araminta, and practically stunned the teenager into silence.
"Wow," she finally said. "So, you kissed her fiancé, she found out about it, and she's fine with it?"
Clara threw up her hands in frustration. "I don't know," she exclaimed. "Apparently? The whole thing just feels very weird to me."
"Good. I'd be concerned if you weren't weirded out by it." Amyeliana shook her head. "I can't imagine what Harrison would think if he found out."
"He won't," Clara said sharply. "And let's be honest, it's a secret that's worth my job."
"You don't feel bad about lying to him?"
"Of course, I do. But telling the truth won't get him out of the marriage, and it'll get me fired. Even if him knowing the truth would get him out of marrying Araminta, it wouldn't be worth losing my job. I need, we need, the money more than he needs, well, anything." Her words were harsh, but Clara knew they were true.
"I suppose. But, I mean, how are you doing with it? It can't be easy, especially given that you like him."
"I don't like him," Clara argued, but even she didn't believe her own words.
"You only say that because you know you can't like him," Amyeliana retorted. "But that doesn't mean that you actually don't."
"I keep my job this way," Clara said firmly. "And it's not like I'm hurting anyone."
"No, I suppose not." Amyeliana sighed. "You haven't told Ezra about any of this, have you?"
"No, absolutely not," Clara said, shaking her head. "No point, it'll all be over when the wedding happens. And it would just cause him to worry. Which is why I'm counting on you not to say anything, either."
"Oh, trust me, I have no intention to," Amyeliana said. "He and Archibald got in a fight before you got home."
"Really? What happened?" Clara turned her thoughts back to when she first got home. She had only seen Ezra, but figured Archibald was sleeping.
"Over the construction site," Amyeliana said. "The recruiters came to his factory today, and he talked to them. He didn't take a job or anything, but when we got home and told Ezra about it, Ezra lost it and basically forbid him from accepting it."
Clara pursed her lips. She knew exactly why Ezra did what he did, but she also knew it wouldn't do anything but infuriate Archibald. "Which in turn made Archibald angry because he sees Ezra working there and hating it less than factory work and getting paid more?"
"Precisely."
Clara sighed. "I'll talk to him later," she said. "He'll calm down. And Ezra and I already talked about it; if everything checks out with the company, Archibald can always get a job with them later."
Amyeliana didn't reply, and Clara couldn't see her face to tell what she was thinking. "What's wrong?"
"Have you been by the construction site lately?" Amyeliana asked.
Clara shook her head. "Not since before the demolition."
"I think you should."
"You pass it on the way to work, right?"
Amyeliana nodded.
Clara didn't like how worried she was about this. "Alright," Clara said. She got up. "I'm going now."
"Now?"
"I won't necessarily have a time to go later, so yes. Now."
Amyeliana also stood. "Then I'm coming with you."
Clara glanced up at the sky. They would still have daylight for at least another hour. "Alright, but we should hurry. I want to be back before dark, and I certainly don't want Ezra coming up here to look for us only to find us gone."
Amyeliana just nodded and followed Clara back into the building and to the ground floor.
Amyeliana took the lead, as she knew the path better than Clara. Clara didn't notice anything unusual until they actually got to the site.
The black Tower and Bridge fences stood tall above them. A surge of nervousness that she couldn't explain ran through Clara at the sight of the white logo.
"What do you notice that's different from other sites?" Amyeliana asked her.
Clara looked around. Most construction sites were noisy at all times of the day, dirt and dust coming up in plumes from inside of the fence. People came in and out all the time.
This site, however, was absolutely silent. The outside area wasn't even dirty. And no one was around; at least not on the outside. "It's too quiet," Clara said. "Which is weird, but why are you so concerned?"
"They always enter through there." Amyeliana pointed to a small door in the fence that Clara could hardly see. It was black, just like the rest of the wall. "There's usually more entrances, right? But with this, there's just the one. I've walked the whole perimeter, and only one door."
That was odd. "Like they're trying to control who comes in and out?"
"That's what I thought. But also, Clara, what if there's a fire or a collapse or something? You can't get an entire crew out through one door in a short amount of time."
Clara could see her concern, and the thought didn't fill her with confidence either.
"And Ezra's been getting home later, too," Amyeliana told her.
"How much later?"
"I mean, he always got home after me and Archibald. But not he's barely home before you are."
"So they're keeping him for an extra two hours, even though he thought his hours would stay the same?"
"I don't know Clara, it just doesn't seem right to me."
Clara could hardly blame her. Ezra already worked long hours and safety measures weren't particularly good to begin with. "He has seemed to be more tired lately, even though he prefers it to meat packing."
"And that's all that Archibald can see, even though I've told him a million times that I think it's dangerous," Amyeliana said. She sounded like she was about to cry. "I'm just worried he's going to go behind Ezra's back."
"He wouldn't do that," Clara reassured her. "And he certainly wouldn't go behind mine. Look, I said I would talk to him, and I will. Everything will work out."
"But what if something happens to Ezra, here?"
Clara felt ill just at the thought. "It won't," she said, firmly. "If things start to get too dangerous, he'll get himself out."
Clara doubted that Amyeliana was convinced, but it was time for them to get back. "Come on, you'll feel better with a little food in you."
Nothing looked that bad. But Clara agreed with Amyeliana's nervousness. Something wasn't right with Tower and Bridge. And with Ezra in the middle of it and Archibald eager to join, it made her nauseous.
As soon as Clara opened the door to her quarter, she knew she had made a mistake. Emme was on the floor, close to tears, wrapped in Archibald's arms. Ezra whipped around as he heard them come in, and after an instant of relief, anger filled his face.
"Amyeliana," Clara said quietly before Ezra could say anything, "Archibald, take Emme and go get our dinner rations."
"But, Clara," Amyeliana whispered.
"Go." She and Ezra rarely fought. But they never fought in front of the others.
Tension filled the air as the three filed out. Ezra's jaw was clenched, but he remained calm until he and Clara were along.
"Where were you?"
Part of Clara would have preferred if he yelled. The low intensity of his voice shook Clara to her bone. "We went to see your construction site."
Ezra gaped at her. "You put us through all that worry just to see my construction site? Do you even know how scared we all were? Emme was terrified!"
"I know!" Clara fought to keep herself from shouting. "I know," she repeated as she got herself under control. "I should have told you."
"Then why didn't you?" Ezra asked coldly.
"First off, because I knew you would have objected to it."
"Yes, I would have," Ezra said. "It's too close to dark to be safe."
"And then what? Either we would have argued and Amyeliana and I would have gone anyway, or we would have argued and she would have had to continue carrying her anxiety on her own."
"What anxiety?"
"Ezra." Clara shook her head. "She walks past that site every day. Twice. You and I both know it's not a normal construction site. She sees you coming home later and later every day, more and more exhausted. You don't talk about your job, you just say it's better than meat packing.
"I'm not asking you to tell us details about what you're doing," Clara continued. "None of us really do, and no one wants to talk about work after dealing with it all day. But she's scared, Ezra. Scared for you, scared for her brother."
"Archibald isn't taking a job, there."
"And I agree with that," Clara said. "But I have to admit, you being so adamant about him not working with you is just more worrying."
Ezra crossed his arms, jaw clenched.
"Look, I am sorry that we went off without letting anyone know," Clara said. "I honestly hoped you would never find out. But, I just need to know, if something is wrong with your job, would you tell me?"
Ezra hesitated. "I would tell you," he said. "Look, Clara, they work us hard. I'm not going to lie. They make us stay extra hours without extra pay, and we don't get to leave the site during the day. But if I make it through to the end, I'm guaranteed a fair amount of money and a job in the factory that I'm helping build."
"You haven't mentioned that before," Clara said.
"Because I don't want to assume anything," Ezra said. "But they told us that our we'll get a pay raise and even get some benefits."
"Like what?"
"Like medical care. For family too."
Clara sighed. "Emme."
He nodded.
"Look, I'm glad about that," Clara said. "Just promise me you won't put yourself in danger for the promise of a better job."
"I swear, Clara. I don't plan on leaving this family for a long time."
The two stared at each other until Clara finally nodded. "Alright. I'll stop bugging you about it, but I will talk to Archibald tonight. Can you forgive me for going behind your back?"
"You know I can't stay mad at you, Clara."
The door cracked open, and Amyeliana poked her head inside apprehensively.
"Something wrong?" Clara asked.
Seeing that nothing had exploded, the three of them came into the room.
"Let's eat," Ezra said.
When Clara went into the sleeping room to talk to Archibald that night, he seemed to expect her. "Here to talk me out of taking a job with the company that Ezra works for?" he asked.
"You're smarter than you look," Clara teased. She sat down next to him.
"I won't, I promise," Archibald said. "I don't want to go behind Ezra's back, or anything. I just don't want to be sitting doing the same thing every day. It makes me feel sick."
"I know. And I know it seems like things take forever, but Archie, more opportunities will come up. There are a lot of construction jobs around. This one is just, too uncertain."
Ironically, the Tower and Bridge job should have been less dangerous, given the gas masks all the workers received. On most other construction sites, workers just used their regular oxygen filters. Every single one got some type of lung illness. But Clara would worry about that later.
"I just wish he, and you, didn't feel like you had to protect me all the time. I can handle myself."
"I know you can." Clara kissed the top of his head. "But Ezra and I have spent too much time worrying about you, we can't just stop. So you'll have to bear with us."
"I guess."
"Love you, Archie."
"Love you, too."