Chapter 18: New House But With Troubles
After lifting Rosaluna’s spirit, I finally suggested we venture outside.
"Come on," I said, extending my hands to both Isabella and Rosaluna. "I have something to show you both."
Isabella fell confused. "Outside? But Harold, we just—"
"Trust me," I interrupted gently, then turned toward the door. "Oh, and Lisa should see this too."
I called out for Lisa, who had been quietly tending to some chores in the back room, giving our family space to process everything that had happened.
"What’s this about?" Lisa asked, untying her apron and hanging it on the wooden peg by the door.
"You’ll see. Just... come with us."
The four of us stepped out into the golden afternoon light, our footsteps crunching softly on the dirt path that wound through the village.
"I wonder what kind of surprise it is?" Isabella asked clearly not expecting anything great.
Lisa quickened her pace to walk alongside us, her brow furrowed in thought. "Maybe he managed to save some things from the fire? Is that why you erected these walls of Earth? Are you hiding things somewhere so no one would steal them?"
I shook my head. "Not really. There wasn’t much left to save from the old place, honestly."
The words seemed to hit Rosaluna harder than I’d intended.
