Too silent was the safe abode. Absently drinking from a cup of coffee, Emily sat at the little wooden table in the cabin's corner. The warm beverage did not help her to quiet the whirl of emotions inside. Outside, the late afternoon light created mottled shadows across the garden as it passed through the high canopy of trees. It was quiet, really rather calm. Over the preceding three weeks, Emily had discovered that the peace always arrived right before the storm.
Daniel moved across the room, his face stern and inscrutable. His usually composed manner had given way to a keen edge of anxiety; his motions were erratic. Emily understood he was attempting to contain himself and shield her from the terror chewing at him. She could tell, however, that he shared her level of anxiety.
Though
