William had been standing quietly off to the side, almost invisible the whole time. His eyes, full of sorrow, drifted away from Sophia and her son. He stepped outside and came to stand next to Samuel, giving his shoulder a light pat.

“It’s gonna be okay. Everything's gonna be alright.”

Samuel lowered his head, trying to hide the pain on his face before meeting his brother’s eyes.

“Yeah. At least I know Hopey’s still alive. She’s out there ...