The morning fog blurred the village into a muted gray as Ellie stood trembling in a plain white dress. She kept her eyes down, afraid to meet the stares of those who pitied her\u2014and those who didn\u2019t care enough to.<\/p>\n
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Caleb stood beside her, tall and weathered from years of mountain hardships. His jaw was set, his gaze steady, and though there was a softness hiding deep in his eyes, Ellie was far too frightened to see it.<\/p>\n
His children stood close: \nMia, eight years old, fiercely protective. \nBen, five, peeking from behind his sister\u2019s arm.<\/p>\n
To them, Ellie was a stranger invading the last pieces of their mother\u2019s memory.<\/p>\n
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When the ceremony ended, Ellie felt as though part of her had been left behind in the village\u2014buried somewhere she would never find again.<\/p>\n
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