She confided in Caleb, hoping he wouldn’t mind.
Instead, he said, “They don’t know you. I see how hard you work, how you take care of Mia and Ben.”
His words were simple but powerful.
Winter hit hard. A blizzard trapped them in the cabin, and food began to run low.
Ellie rationed what little they had, making sure Mia and Ben ate first.
Caleb noticed her sacrifice and began teaching her how to hunt.
Her hands trembled as she held the rifle, but his patience reassured her.
“You are stronger than you think,” he told her.
Ellie’s bond with the children grew stronger.
Mia helped her cook, and Ben clung to her side, calling her “Mama Ellie.”
She taught them songs her own mother sang to her, filling the cabin with laughter.
She realized she was building a family.
One night, Caleb found her looking at the stars. “You’ve changed,” he said softly.
And it was true. She had changed on the outside, but also on the inside. She was proud of herself.
When a bear came too close, Ellie, once afraid of nature, stood by Caleb to scare it away.
Later, he squeezed her hand. “You’re part of it now,” he said.
Ellie’s heart raced, not from fear, but from the realization that she was falling in love with him.
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