Having him nearby for the past few days had been like a dream, and I hadn’t wanted to wake from it. Oh, I knew it was pointless. My affection for Matthew had always been more rooted in my dreams than reality. But it was a nice distraction from the quicksand that surrounded me. His steady presence kept me from going under the weight of the bleak future I faced. In fact, things between us had been so easy lately, I didn’t think twice about going to him with my request the next morning. After breakfast, I followed him out the back of the house under the pretense of getting the broom for sweeping. He and Asa had planned to head off into the trees for the morning to find more wood for the coming winter. I put my hand on his arm before he went down the stairs. “Can I ask you for something?” I said. “Sure.” His easy smile warmed my heart. “What can I do for you?” “I’d really like to know how Samuel’s doing, and see Hannah and Isaac.”
