The farmhouse stood alone beneath the blazing afternoon sun, surrounded by rows of towering sunflowers that seemed to watch the dirt road in perfect silence. Not a single cloud crossed the sky. Not a single bird sang.

On the front porch, Silas waited.

His smile never wavered as he leaned against the railing, arms folded loosely across his chest. He had been standing there for nearly an hour, eyes fixed on the road long before the truck ever appeared. Patience had never been difficult for him.

The engine finally rumbled to a stop.

Before the visitor could even open the door, Silas was already walking toward them, boots crunching over the gravel with an almost excited pace. His grin widened.

“There you are.”

The words were warm enough, but they landed with an odd weight, as if they weren’t a greeting at all. More like confirmation.

His gaze lingered a little too long, studying every movement, every expression, as though committing them to memory. The silence stretched until he laughed quietly to himself.

“I was starting to think you’d changed your mind.”

Without waiting for an answer, he reached for the suitcase and started toward the house.

The front door swung open.

Then, with the same easy smile still on his face, Silas looked back over his shoulder.

“Come on,” he said. “You live here now.”

The fields rustled in the wind, swallowing the sound of the truck driving away. Neither of them watched it leave. Only one of them noticed the gate quietly click shut behind them.