Our absence hadn’t created much of a stir. Everyone assumed I had needed to get out of the house for a while after the encounter with Marie and Brent, but knew I would come home when I was ready. They had set the table when we got home and there were two places for Caleb and me.
The next day, Dorothy came to town. She arrived just as we were making that night’s dinner amongst the clutter from cooking for the next day. Caleb and I were able to excuse ourselves from most of the conversation by taking over in the kitchen for Mom while she chatted with her sister and my siblings. Dorothy had a voice that carried though, so we overheard some of what she said. Plus it’s difficult to resist eavesdropping when you hear your name mentioned. “Does Ethan still think he’s Pagan?” she asked.
“Yes, an
