The first light of morning slipped through the cracks of the stone house, washing the kitchen in pale gold. Maya and Anna, who had dozed off beside Olivia's bed, stirred awake with the gentle caress of dawn.
Their eyes immediately turned to the girl lying still beneath the woven blankets. Relief rushed through them like a warm tide—Olivia's cheeks were no longer a frightening pallor but were softly rosy with returning health.
Her breathing came steady and calm, her small chest rising and falling in a peaceful rhythm, her lips curved in the first genuine rest she'd known in days. The heavy weight that had pressed on their hearts throughout the long, worry-filled night finally began to ease.
"Thank Lumin…" Anna whispered, her voice thick with emotion as she brushed a strand of dark hair from her daughter's forehead. The simple gesture carried all the gratitude of a mother who had feared the worst and found hope instead.
It wasn't long before the rest of the household stirred awake as well. The soft sounds of morning began to fill the house—muffled conversations and the rustle of blankets being folded.
Soon the lobby filled with the familiar shuffle of feet, drowsy greetings, and the gentle laughter of children slowly emerging from sleep. The house came alive with the comfortable chaos of a large family beginning their day.
One by one, everyone moved on to their morning routines. When Henry and the others prepared to step outside to tend to their personal needs, Anil and Neil's family quickly stopped them, gesturing toward a different direction entirely.
"Come, let us show you something," Anil said with a knowing smile, leading them back toward the underground stairs.
They showed them the underground bathing and toilet facilities that Neil had so thoughtfully built. The chambers were neat and practical, with carefully positioned buckets, stone-carved basins, and an ingenious drainage setup that carried waste safely away from the living spaces. Everything had been designed with both function and comfort in mind.
"It's better to use these than to venture outside unnecessarily into the bitter wind," Anil explained, his breath visible in small puffs.
James ran his hand along the smooth stone walls, marveling at the precision of the work. Catherine examined the clever drainage channels with obvious admiration, and even Henry—who had seen much in his long years—shook his head in amazement at such thoughtfulness and skill.
"Even the finest house in the shelter doesn't have facilities this well-designed," James murmured, his voice filled with genuine awe.
After everyone was refreshed and properly awake, the women gathered in the kitchen to prepare the morning meal. The familiar clatter of pots and wooden spoons soon filled the air, mixing with the warm, yeasty smell of bread that had been left to rise through the night. Steam curled upward from bubbling pots, and the kitchen became a haven of warmth and activity.
They were halfway through their preparations, Anna carefully stirring a pot of healing broth meant for Olivia, when a faint sound broke through the comfortable kitchen noises—a soft, muffled murmur that seemed to come from the corner where the girl rested.
Turning sharply, their hearts suddenly racing with hope and fear, Maya and Anna saw Olivia's eyelids flutter like butterfly wings against her pale cheeks. Her dark lashes trembled, and slowly—so slowly it seemed to take an eternity—her eyes opened.
"Olivia!" Anna rushed to her side, nearly knocking over a wooden stool in her haste.
The girl's eyes, still dazed but unmistakably aware and focused, darted across the unfamiliar stone walls of the kitchen. For a moment, confusion clouded her features as she tried to make sense of where she was. But then her gaze found her mother's face, and at once, the fear and confusion melted away, replaced with a weary but genuine relief.
Her lips parted as if to speak, but her strength hadn't fully returned yet, and the effort seemed to exhaust her. Instead of words, she simply grasped Anna's hand with trembling fingers—fingers that were warm now, not cold as they had been through the frightening night. After a few deep breaths that seemed to steady her, her eyelids grew heavy again, and she slipped back into sleep—but this time it was natural, healing rest, not the worrying unconsciousness of illness.
Anna stroked her daughter's hair with infinite gentleness, her voice breaking with joy as she whispered, "She woke up… she's truly getting better. My little one is coming back to us."
The news spread through the house like wildfire on dry grass. James and Henry, hearing that Olivia had stirred and spoken, were overcome with relief so profound it left them momentarily speechless.
Henry's weathered face brightened with the first genuine smile he'd worn since the avalanche, though Maya gently reminded him with a soft touch on his arm, "She just woke for a moment, Father. Let her rest now—her body is still healing."
Henry nodded, sighing with disappointment that he couldn't greet his granddaughter properly yet, but his shoulders sagged with gratitude all the same. The constant tension he'd carried since her collapse finally began to release its hold on his tired frame.
The oppressive heaviness that had lingered over the family since they'd lost their home seemed to lift like morning mist. Though they had lost a house, walls, and possessions—all the material things they had worked so hard to build—the most precious treasure of all had been spared. A life that had hung in the balance had been restored to them.
As Henry often said in his moments of wisdom, they could always build a new home with willing hands and time; but a lost life could never be recovered, never be rebuilt or replaced.
(So one must always treasure the time spent with loved ones while it lasts, for such moments are more valuable than my novel ).
Before long, breakfast was ready—warm bread, thick porridge, and roasted strips of goat meat that had been carefully stored in the barrel. Along with the main meal, Anna had prepared a simple but nourishing broth especially for Olivia, seasoned with healing herbs that Astrid had recommended.
The women carefully ladled a generous portion into one of Neil's miraculous storage barrels, which seemed to defy all logic and reason. Catherine, who was still adjusting to the wonders of this house, watched with undisguised curiosity and asked about its purpose.
Linnea explained patiently how the barrel worked—how it could hold far more than its modest size suggested, and how food placed inside would remain at exactly the right temperature, warm or cold, for as long as needed without any fire or ice to maintain it. Catherine and Anna both marveled anew, their eyes wide with the wonder of people encountering magic that was both practical and useful.
Later, the women decided to stay in the kitchen, sharing their breakfast near Olivia's resting place so they could watch over her and respond quickly if she stirred again. Their quiet conversation mixed with the gentle sounds of eating, creating a peaceful atmosphere of care and vigilance.
Meanwhile, the men and children gathered around the stone table in the lobby, the same table where so many family meals had been shared in comfort and safety.
Bowls of warm stew and chunks of fresh bread were passed from hand to hand until everyone had eaten their fill, their stomachs satisfied and their spirits lifted by the good news of Olivia's improvement.
With breakfast finished and bellies content, the children began chatting more freely, their natural energy and curiosity returning as the worry of the previous day faded. Neil's cousins, who hadn't had much chance to interact with Noah the day before due to the somber circumstances of the family's arrival, now eagerly tried to get along with him and make him feel welcome.
This was their first time actually meeting him since Uncle James usually traveled alone with his trading goods, leaving his family safely at home. Caspian, being closest in age to Noah and naturally friendly, quickly became the boy's primary companion.
Soon the two were laughing together over shared jokes and comparing stories of their different lives. The other children joined in as well, and before long Noah was being treated not as a guest or newcomer but as simply another member of their extended family circle.
Neil, meanwhile, noticed that James and Henry were watching him with an odd expression—a mixture of curiosity, bewilderment, and something that might have been awe. Their gazes followed his movements with the intensity of people trying to solve a particularly difficult puzzle.
"What is it?" Neil asked finally, setting down his bowl and looking between his uncle and grandpa with genuine confusion.
Henry stroked his graying beard thoughtfully, his eyes never leaving Neil's young face. "Just wondering, my boy… trying to understand how you managed to build a place like this."
James leaned forward across the table, his expression half-serious and half-teasing in the way of adults who can't quite believe what they're seeing. "Two eyes, two ears, two hands, same as the rest of us, yet somehow you've accomplished what none of us could even dream of attempting. Strange, isn't it? Makes an old man wonder what else you might be hiding."
Neil blinked, then gave him a look as if his uncle had said something foolish. James caught the expression immediately. "What's that look for?" he exclaimed in mock offense, though his eyes sparkled with mischief. "Are you mocking your elder, you impudent boy?"
Without warning, he lunged forward and began tickling Neil mercilessly, his fingers finding all the spots that made his nephew squirm and gasp with helpless laughter. The sound rang through the lobby like music, bright and joyful and utterly carefree.
"Mother!" Neil cried dramatically when he spotted Maya emerging from the kitchen, wiping her hands on her apron. "Uncle James is bullying me—and he says he used to bully you too when you were little!"
Without pausing to verify the truth of this accusation or to hear James's side of the story, Maya marched over and gave her brother a firm knock on the head with her knuckles. James yelped in surprise and immediately released Neil, who scampered free with a triumphant grin spreading across his face.
The entire hall erupted in laughter—none louder or more delighted than Henry, who was thoroughly enjoying seeing his grown son scolded by his daughter just as he had been scolded as a boy so many years ago.
Their merriment was cut short when Maya's expression grew more serious, and she shared the news they'd all been hoping to hear. "Olivia has woken again, and this time she stayed awake long enough to take some broth. She's asking for her family."
At once, James's playful sulk vanished completely, replaced by eager anticipation. "Can we see her now?" he asked, already rising from his seat. When Maya nodded with a warm smile, everyone rose from the table as one.
The children rushed to join the procession, eager to meet their new cousin properly now that she was awake and alert, while Noah followed simply with the pure joy of a little brother whose sister had finally recovered from her frightening illness.
They crowded into the kitchen with as much quiet excitement as the space could hold, where Olivia lay propped up against soft pillows, still weak but smiling faintly at the sea of concerned and loving faces surrounding her.
James and Henry pressed forward carefully, their relief plain to see in every line of their faces and every gesture of their hands.
The children gathered around the bed in a semicircle, introducing themselves shyly but with genuine excitement, their voices creating a lively hum of welcome and friendship. Each wanted to be the first to tell her about the house, about Neil's amazing abilities, about all the wonders she would discover once she was strong enough to explore.
For a moment that seemed to stretch and encompass all of time, the kitchen was completely full of warmth—not just the physical warmth of bodies and cooking fires, but the deeper warmth of family bound together not by walls of stone or timber, but by the simple miracle of one precious life restored to those who loved her most.