The terrifying mountain man smiled more in that spring than settlement had seen in twenty years.
Ephraim watched from distance sometimes.
He did not approach.
His supplies lasted until thaw.
He sold remaining traps.
Took work repairing fences.
For several months he stayed sober.
Then drank again.
Clara learned recovery was not story with straight line.
She brought him soup once when fever came.
Did not move home.
He asked:
“Why help?”
“Because I choose.”
He looked at her.
“No obligation?”
“No.”
That answer hurt him.
Perhaps helped.
Clara’s mother had written that gifts did not purchase obedience.
Clara discovered the other side.
Boundaries did not forbid kindness.
She could feed father without becoming his life.
She could forgive one day and remain separate.
Ephraim apologized first time in summer.
Poorly.
“I shouldn’t have said some things.”
Clara replied:
“You traded me.”
He looked down.
“Yes.”
“Say it.”
He could not.
Not then.
She left.
In autumn, he tried again.
“I traded you because I was afraid of dying.”
Clara’s throat tightened.
He continued.
“That doesn’t make it less wrong.”
Better.
Not enough.
But better.
She said:
“I believe you.”
Not “I forgive.”
He nodded.
Silas never told Clara what to do about father.
Once she asked:
“Do you think I’m foolish for helping him?”
“No.”
“Would you?”
“No.”
She laughed.
“Honest.”
“You asked.”
Silas proposed in first snow.
Not with ring.
Not immediately.
They had ridden to lower ridge overlooking Harlan’s Crossing.
Clara wore buffalo hide from first journey.
Silas had repaired edges.
He said:
“I want ask something.”
Clara smiled.
“That sounds ominous.”
“I’ve practiced.”
“That makes worse.”
He looked annoyed.
She waited.
“Come live with me.”
Her heart jumped.
“As what?”
Silas swallowed.
“Wife, if you want.”
There.
Clara looked toward mountains.
Then at him.
“What if I say no?”
“I ride you home.”
“What if I say I need year?”
“I wait year.”
“Five?”
His eyebrows rose.
“I get older.”
“That is not answer.”
“I wait.”
“What if I never?”
He went quiet.
Then:
“I’ll be unhappy.”
“But I’ll leave you alone if that’s what you ask.”
Clara’s eyes filled.
She took his gloved hand.
“My mother told me to judge you by what you did after no.”
“I know.”
“You have spent almost a year making it very difficult to find reason not to love you.”
Silas stopped breathing.
Clara smiled through tears.
“That was not proposal answer.”
“No.”
He looked tortured.
She enjoyed five more seconds.
“Yes.”
His eyes closed.