She prayed something would make Wade come to his senses, realize the worthiness of their love and return to her. But with each passing mile her hope dimmed, and she knew she was alone. Around noon, the children finally penetrated the fog that had descended on her with Wade’s departure. Stopping to feed them a quick lunch, she watched the wagons roll by, knowing she should get ready to roll again. But she couldn’t find the strength to move another mile. Putting her face in her hands, she let the tears she had kept damned all morning flow down her cheeks, in rivers of pain. In the blink of an eye, Wade had left, taking her heart as a souvenir, along with the four hundred dollars due him according to their agreement. Why she had thought she could hold him would forever be a mystery. But she had foolishly responded to his lovemaking, giving herself to him like a young bride, surrendering her heart and her body, though he had never spoken the words she longed to hear.
