"You nearly died."
"And I would rather not die of boredom."
He turned toward her.
For the first time, he laughed.
It was a short, rough sound, as if he had forgotten how to make it.
Clara smiled.
"That wasn't supposed to be funny."
"Then I apologize."
She stepped closer to the stove.
"You're burning those."
Elias looked down.
The potatoes were black on one side.
"I was going to turn them."
"Before or after they became charcoal?"
He moved aside.
"All right. You do it."
Clara took the skillet.
Within minutes, the kitchen smelled of butter and warm potatoes. Elias watched her work with a strange feeling in his chest.
Margaret had once stood in exactly the same place.
For a moment, he could almost hear her singing.
The memory hurt, but it no longer felt like a knife.
They ate together at the kitchen table. Clara finished her breakfast and began washing the dishes before Elias could stop her.
"You don't have to do that."
"I know."
"Then why are you doing it?"
She looked over her shoulder.
"Because you have done enough for me."
Elias shook his head.
"You're stubborn."
"So are you."
He smiled.
The following afternoon, Clara insisted on helping him repair a section of fence. She could not lift the heavier posts, but she held the wire while Elias secured it. By sunset, they had repaired nearly half the damaged section.
As they returned to the house, Clara stopped beside the barn.
"Did you always live here?"
"No."
Elias removed his hat.
"I used to own a bigger ranch. My wife and I lived there for eight years."
"What happened?"
"My wife died."
Clara lowered her eyes.
"I'm sorry."
"Our daughter died a few months later."
The words seemed to hang between them.
"How old was she?" Clara asked.
"Six."
Clara pressed her lips together.
"That's too young."
Elias nodded.
For a moment, the only sound was the wind moving through the grass.
Then Clara whispered, "I had a daughter, too."
Elias turned toward her.
"Had?"
"Her name was Rose."
He waited.
"She was four years old."
Clara stared at the ground.
"Her father said there wasn't enough food for all of us. He said the child was weak. He said she would never survive the winter."
Her voice broke.
"I believed him when he told me he was taking her to a doctor."
Elias felt his stomach tighten.
"He never brought her back?"
Clara shook her head.
"He returned alone."
Elias looked away, struggling to control the anger rising inside him.
"What happened after that?"
"I left."
She wrapped her arms around herself.
"I walked until I couldn't walk anymore."
Elias wanted to ask more, but something in her expression stopped him.
He placed a hand gently on her shoulder.