A Place to Breathe

Several persons got out of doorways and the walks of the gardens as Annabelle and her party came into the settlement. The snow lay on the roofs soft and pale as a blanket that had lost the itchiness. Thin streamlines of smoke curled out of chimneys. Not rich smoke. A plain, as wood that was burnt to make each piece last. Small feet were standing in snow, eyes large and questioning, children stopped in their play.

Ezra came near Annabelle, and his presence was constant. The ...