It was early spring of the seventh year since Rud had rescued Patience. Patience's third child was another boy named Rudolph after Rud, but his middle name was Smith after Mr. Smith, the head of her father's household staff. Smith had been a father figure for both Patience and Billy as their father was often away on business.

Rud had met Smith only briefly, but had taken an instant liking to him and thought Rudolph Smith Morrow was a great name for one of his sons. Patience had nicknamed him Smitty saying one Rud in the family was more than enough.

The year after Smitty was born, Patience had become pregnant again. She had not planned on another baby so soon but considered it a blessing. This time it was a baby girl just as Alice had predicted.

Patience named her daughter Mary after her mother. Mary's big brothers, Henry, Logan, and even little Smitty were very excited they had a little sister. Rud loved his boys, but that little girl had a special place in his heart from the day Miss Betty placed her in his arms.

The cabin was getting crowded, so Rud had a bigger house built about a hundred yards away and not far from the trail leading up to the old hideout. Rud wanted to leave the cabin in a livable state, so he had purchased all new furniture and housewares for their new home.

After their things had been moved into the new house, Rud found Patience in the cabin sitting on their old bed. This bed was where Rud had placed her when he first brought her home to their valley, where she had laid watching Rud sleep on the tattered old rug, where they had become lovers the night they were married, and where her children had come into this world. Rud could tell Patience was very sad.

Margaret's pots and pans were still stacked on the shelves Rud and Billy had built for her. Her stove, the fireplace, the stone walls, all of it meant so much to Patience. Seven years of memories from the best years of her life were within these four stone walls.

Rud sat next to her. Patience said no matter where she sleeps, the cabin will always be her home. Rud told Patience the cabin was not only a home, but it was also a refuge for him first and then for her and Billy when they had no place else to go. They did not need it anymore, but someday someone will, and it will be here for them.

Knowing very well how much this cabin would mean to someone needing a place to feel safe, Patience began to feel better. Patience asked Rud to promise her it will always be here when someone needed it, and Rud promised.

Rud picked Patience up and said, "I carried you in when I first brought you home, and now I'm carrying you out." Patience smiled and held on tightly, her arms around Rud's neck. As Rud carried her through the door, Patience reached out and took her ball of sourdough starter that hung from a hook by the door just as Bessie had instructed. Rud closed the cabin door behind them and carried Patience to their new home.

* * * * *

The homestead had a much larger footprint now with Rud's new house, his old cabin, Billy and Alice's cabin, which had been expanded to two rooms, the large barn, and all the outbuildings. More pasture had been cleared and fenced for the horses and mules. A milk cow had replaced the goats as with the larger family a greater quantity of milk was required than the goats produced. Rud never really like goat milk that much anyway.

They had expanded the food plot and hayfield too. PAMBRO had made all of them wealthy, but Rud had not changed. In addition to his duties at PAMBRO, he still hunted, trapped, and made trade goods in his blacksmith shop. So much had changed in the last seven years, but the important things had not.

All of Ollie's hard work was showing, and Bessie's farm was producing good crops each season. Martha had wanted another child right away, and less than a year after Charlotte was born, she had become pregnant. Martha delivered a baby boy named Andrew. According to Martha, taking care of her babies was easy. It was Ollie and the two Great Grandmas that caused her the most grief.

Alice had not wanted children right away. She had waited so long to be married, and after they were, she had hoped to be a wife for a few years before becoming a mother. Alice and Billy were still best friends, and now they were lovers too. She still peppered Billy with questions about what he liked and would swoosh her hair in his face when they slept.

But now, with Patience and Martha having babies, Alice's maternal instincts were starting to flare, and she thought it was time to start a family. She felt she was ready and knew Billy had been thinking about having children.

Billy was working hard to ensure all his new ventures would be well underway with appropriate leadership in place, so when it happened, he could sit back and enjoy being a father.

* * * * *

Early one morning, Patience was sitting on a stump at the edge of the woods listening to the wind whistle through the pines. Her daughter Mary wrapped up tightly in her arms. Patience loved to sit and listen to the wind as it blew through the trees.

Rud was plowing the food plot with Smitty, as usual, following behind him, pretending to do whatever his dad was doing. The twins were supposed to be picking up any rocks turned up by the plow but were instead throwing clumps of dirt at each other. Separate, the twins were angels, but together, they were nothing but trouble.

As Patience sat on the stump, holding Mary, the warm spring air made her feel renewed. Just like the flowers that would soon bloom in the meadow, life always seemed to start anew in the spring. Patience would be twenty-three soon and was amazed at how quickly time had passed.

The occasional warm gust of wind blowing in her face made her think of her mother and father. Patience missed her parents, but not her life before Rud brought her to their valley. She could not imagine a better life than she had right now. But there was one dream from her childhood she still longed to fulfill.

Thinking enough time had passed, Patience planned to ask Rud if they could all make a trip back to town. She wanted to stop by his old village and see their good friends James and Sarah. Patience also wanted to see what had become of the home she and Billy grew up in and see Mr. Smith if he was still there. She would plan this trip to coincide with her favorite event as a girl, a spring concert put on by the merchants in town.

Patience had vivid memories of this annual spring concert and remembered seeing her father and mother on the dance floor. Her parents looked beautiful and so happy together as they danced. Patience had dreamed of the day it would be her and her husband on the dance floor.

Getting her rough woodsman to dance, she thought, would be easy. Getting him to agree to visit James and Sarah in his old village might be a challenge. Under a constant assault from Sarah, when it came to visiting his old village, Rud had gone from "no," to "maybe," then "soon," and finally "next year." Patience hoped it was time, and Rud would finally put the last painful part of his past behind him.

Patience asked Rud at supper that evening, and to her surprise, he agreed to all of it, including stopping by his old village. Rud could see how much it meant to Patience and could not say no. He listened as Patience laid out her plans, then Rud said, "Okay."

* * * * *

Charlotte and Bessie decided the trip would be too much for the youngest children and stated they would keep Mary and Andrew while their parents made the trip. Patience was reluctant, but Charlotte insisted then looked at Rud daring him to object. Rud said, "You know you have to give them back?" Charlotte smiled and said, "I make no promises."

Patience did all the planning, confirmed the date of the concert, made the hotel and other arrangements for the group, and communicated with Sarah about stopping by to visit with her and James. Patience also arranged for the carriages to take the three families to town. Rud and Ollie were both surprised when Alice agreed to a carriage as she always rode a horse, usually double on the same horse as Billy. Billy said nothing.

When the day arrived, Mary and Andrew were dropped off at Charlotte's with the expected tears from Patience and Martha. Rud looked back as they pulled away, and the younger children were already happily playing with the wooden toys Charlotte and Bessie had set up for them. Rud knew it would be tougher on Patience and Martha being away than it would be on the children.

They stopped in Rud's old village to see James and Sarah. Word got around quickly Rud was "home," and several of the men who had ridden with James brought their families by to greet them. Despite having let go of his anger, Rud could not warm to the older members of the village, the ones who had refused to help. He had tried but could not find it in his heart to forgive them.

James noticed Rud's uneasiness seeing some of the older residents and reminded him it was their shame, and they had to live with it. Rud smiled when James added, "Best keep that big knife in its sheath. I'd hate for you to start waving it around and scare all the old folks."