Maisie's mind was clearing, and I could see her realizing she belonged in this family. A few weeks passed, and she did not cause any trouble. She did not scream or cry. Despite the doors being locked, there were no other attempts to escape the house. She even began to smile, which lightened the mood of the home.
We were a family again. It was like it used to be. This is how it should have always been.
Clara was cleaning the kitchen counter with a rag. She and Maisie had already cleaned the kitchen after dinner, but she continued to fuss with washing the counter after Miles brought Maisie upstairs. I sat at the table as I watched her clean. She was humming, which was a lovely sound I had not heard since Emily's death.
"It's great to see you happy," I said.
Clara stopped humming, and she looked in my direction with a smile. I leaned back in the chair, crossing my arms over my chest.
"It's nice to see you not drinking," she said.
I had not poured a glass of whiskey in over a week. The headaches were painful at first, but I needed to keep a clear mind. I was unaware if Maisie's change in attitude was an attempt at manipulation, and I needed to be alert. Once I realized she had accepted the family, stress had left my tense muscles and I did not feel compelled to drink.
I was saving this family. We all benefited from having Maisie in the home. This was where she belonged.
Clara turned and leaned against the counter's edge. She stared at the staircase, and her smile did not waver. Her hands clasped in front of her chest, and her smile grew.
"What are you thinking about?" I asked.
She walked over to the table and pulled out the chair to sit across from me at the table. Her hand stretched out as she leaned forward. I grabbed her soft hand and ran my thumb across her knuckles.
"I never thought this would happen," she said. "It's hard to believe that Miles is so happy."
"He was always a happy kid," I said.
"No." She shook her head. "Joey, you know that's not true. There was always something different about him. None of us could figure out his mind, but we knew he was not happy. Whatever he was struggling with got worse after Emily died. But now he has Maisie, and he looks at her like she is his whole world."
It was great to know I brought this to my son. The more Maisie settled, the more he would enjoy being a husband.
My thumb ran over Clara's wedding ring. The diamond was small because it was all I could afford when we were young. She was never disappointed when she looked at it. I had offered her my Mother's ring after she had died, but Clara wanted to save it for Miles's wedding. She glanced down at me, fiddling with the band.
"You did the right thing by giving them a wedding," she said.
"Do you think I should have waited?" I asked. "Maisie was quite upset and cried through the entire thing."
"I think it was good that the wedding happened quickly. Maisie needed to see she is part of the family."
Clara covered my hand with hers to stop me from playing with her ring. I looked up at her, and she was still smiling. She had not smiled this much in years. The thought of my family being so happy spread warmth through my chest.
"Do you think we'll be grandparents soon?" she asked. "It has been so long since we had a baby in this house."
The image of Maisie with a large belly filled my mind. She was a beautiful girl, but the thought of her carrying my grandchild made her even more gorgeous. She deserved this life much more than being trapped in that disgusting tavern.
"She'll be pregnant soon," I said. "This family will be full of even more love."
"Maybe Bram leaving was the best thing to happen to us?" Clara asked.
Hearing my brother's name was still like a stab to the heart. I had managed to forget about his betrayal while focusing on Maisie. Questions were prodding my mind, but I pushed them away. I could not waste time thinking about him.
"We don't need to talk about Bram," I said. "Never mention him again. He is dead to this family."
"Joey-" Clara started.
"No." I ripped my hand out from hers. "We need to focus on ourselves. We have Maisie, and now we're going to have grandkids. We need to protect what we have."
–
I brushed the dirt off my hands as I left the barn. The sun was setting, and the farm would soon be flooded in darkness. Miles was chopping logs to make firewood. I watched him as he swung the axe to split the wood. He always seemed to leave this chore for the end of the day, and this time of year he would rush before it gets dark.
"Need help?" I asked.
Miles said nothing but shook his head. He swung the axe again. I ran my fingers through my hair as I watched him work. I knew he did not need my assistance. His speed was always amazing.
"Hello!" a strange voice called out.
I turned to see two men walking around the farmhouse. Neither of them looked familiar, but I had not seen the neighbors in years. I had no idea if anyone lived in the nearby farmhouses. Did everyone leave for the city? We only saw others when we were allowed at the church.
"We were wondering if you could help," the one man said. He was smiling, and the other had his eyes wide in fear. "We have run into a bit of trouble."
Miles looked over his shoulder at me. His brows were furrowed, and he gave his head a slight shake. It was subtle, so only I saw. I stepped next to him, and he did not let go of the axe.
"What kind of trouble?" I asked.
"We were heading back to our parent's home," the smiling one said. "Our Mom has been sick, so we thought we should visit. Unfortunately, our horse was injured, and we can't get much further."
"What would you like us to do, gentlemen?"
The two men looked at each other briefly. The scared one shook his head, and the smiling man rolled his eyes. Why was he so nervous?
"Do you have one we could buy?" the smiling man asked.
"We don't have one we could spare," I said. "If you get closer into town, you may find somewhere you can buy one."
The smile on his face wavered as he scratched the back of his neck.
"Is it far?" he asked. "It looks like it'll get dark soon."
"Sleep in your carriage," Miles said.
"Outside?" the scared man said. "In the dark? With coyotes?"
He chewed on his lip as he looked up at the setting sun.
"Silas," he said in a hushed tone. "We can't sleep outside."
The scared man grabbed Silas's arm, who rolled his eyes and sighed.
"I'm sorry," he said. "My brother has this irrational fear of the dark."
"It's not irrational!" his brother said. "It is dangerous in the dark. There could be coyotes or mountain lions."
"Reggie, I don't think there are mountain lions around here."
"What if there are? What if we get injured? What if we die? I just wanted to see our Mother one last time. I did not know this would happen."
Silas's smile dropped as he looked at Reggie. I watched the brothers share a somber glance as unspoken words about their Mother passed between them. It was the same way Bram and I looked at each other when our parents were sick. Would the stress of this trip tear them apart? Would one betray the other and destroy their family? I saved the Wilcox family, but others may not be so lucky.
"You can stay here for night," I said. "In the morning, you can go into town."
"No," Miles said. "Not happening."
He shook his head. His grip on the axe was tight in a white-knuckled grip.
"It's only for tonight," I said.
"It's not safe," he said. "The girls are inside."
"Please," Reggie said, his voice on the edge of begging. "We cannot stay outside all night."
I saved my family. Helping another family was the least I could do.
"You can stay here for night," I said.