"We'll need to restock before the next storm."
She laughed softly.
"I've already been thinking about that."
Caleb smiled.
"Of course you have."
For several minutes, they worked together without discussing the difficult weeks behind them. Martha organized the provisions while Caleb brought in wood, and before long the cabin had begun filling with the smell of warm bread and coffee.
By evening, snow was falling lightly outside.
Caleb sat near the stove, sharpening a tool.
Martha worked beside him, repairing a small tear in her shawl.
For a while, the only sounds were the crackling fire and the quiet scrape of metal against stone.
Then Caleb looked toward her.
"Martha?"
She raised her eyes.
"Yes?"
He hesitated.
"Would you like a larger sewing table?"
She smiled.
"Why?"
"Seems you've got more things than that little corner can hold."
Martha glanced toward her supplies.
He was right.
The wooden box, folded cloth, thread, needles, and several unfinished projects were crowded together.
She looked toward him.
"Could we make one?"
Caleb smiled.
"Together?"
She nodded.
"If you're willing."
He set down the tool.
"I'd like that."
For several seconds, they looked at one another.
Then Martha returned to her sewing.
But her smile remained.
Caleb watched her for a moment before returning to his work.
He had spent years believing that sharing a house meant surrendering his independence.
Now he understood that sharing a home could make ordinary tasks more meaningful.
The following weeks passed quietly.
Caleb repaired the barn wall with Martha's help. They built a new shelf in the pantry, strengthened the porch steps, and began planning a small garden near the cabin where the soil received enough sunlight during summer.
Martha suggested planting potatoes, beans, onions, and herbs.
Caleb wanted to add a small patch of flowers.
She looked surprised.
"Flowers?"
He nodded.
"Why not?"
She smiled.
"I didn't think you cared for them."
He shrugged.
"Never had anyone to plant them with."
Martha laughed softly.
Then she looked toward the clearing.
For the first time, she imagined the cabin surrounded by flowers during spring.
And she realized how much she wanted to see it.
One evening, Caleb found her standing beside the window watching the snow.
He approached slowly.
"Something on your mind?"
Martha nodded.
He waited.
She looked toward the mountains.
"I used to think that if I found a place where nobody knew me, I could become a different person."
Caleb listened.
She continued.
"I thought I could leave behind the woman everyone laughed at, the one who always felt too large, too awkward, and too difficult to love."
Her voice trembled.
"But I came here with all those memories still inside me."
Caleb remained quiet.
Martha turned toward him.
"Sometimes I still hear Harlan's voice."
His expression softened.
She continued.
"I know he's not here. I know you've been kind. But there are moments when I feel as though I'm back in that house."