cool and moist and lit by hundreds of tallow candles reflecting the starlight in the night sky.
“How is the water divided?” Willow queried on their way toward a table for a cool drink.
“Everyone gets an equal share,” Caleb explained. “But if one family runs out sooner than another and they were responsible with their water, everyone shares what they have.”
Willow looked around, smiling back at the happy faces. Faces that would be streaked with dust and lined with fear and worry if not for the man standing beside her. For the first time since Willow met Caleb, the full magnitude of what he was doing for these people truly hit her. The weight upon him to do the same for the rest of Predaria seemed almost too much to even comprehend.
They reached a table laden with fruit, poached eggs, cooked potatoes, warm mead, and sparkling water.
Someone tugged on his sleeve.
“Caleb?” He looked down and smiled at Selena, her golden curls tight from the moist air.
“Yes, Selena?” He scooped her up into his arms and his eyes danced as they drank in her tiny face.
“Thank you for the rain.” She threw her arms around his neck.
Caleb closed his eyes and when he opened them again, Willow was smiling dreamily at him. “I didn’t bring the rain, Selena. God did. It is Him we thank.”
The little girl withdrew her arms and gave him a thoughtful look. “I know, but Mama said you are one of God’s angels, so I wanted to thank you and then you can tell Him.”
Caleb smiled. “I will tell Him.”
Selena turned to Willow. “Are you an angel too?”
“No,” Willow said softly. Something tugged at her heart seeing the man she loved holding a child that could have been his own.
Caleb pulled lightly on a golden ringlet falling over Selena’s face and the girl turned back to him. He winked at her. “Yes, she is an angel. But no one is to know.”
Selena gasped and covered her mouth, her blue eyes as wide as saucers. “I won’t tell, Caleb.”
“Thank you.” He put her down gently, then took her small hand in his and kissed it. She giggled and ran off.
Willow watched her. “Someday, you’re going to make a wonderful father.” She turned her gaze up and looked at him. His smile gleamed his azure eyes and made her heart leap into her throat,.
“I would like children. But not yet. I want to bring a family into a healthier world.”
She nodded in agreement and spent the rest of the night thinking about their future children.
The next few days flew by with sun filled mornings and long nights. The water tanks had to be drained, and water measured and collected. The first two hundred gallons was distributed evenly to every family in the village while the rest was stored to be used to water the earth. The tarp coverings were replaced by pulling the ropes on the opposite sides of the water tanks and everyone in Shondravar worked together once more to get each job done quickly.
Willow helped with everything. For the first time in her life she felt as if she were a part of something bigger than her father. She was making friends, although, at first it was difficult when anyone heard who she was. But they warmed up to her after seeing her help.
For Caleb, the labor did not cease. The land needed to be fed every day, watered with rubber tubes much like the fire blowers. These, thankfully, ran on solar power, but night feedings were done completely manually. Instead of shooting sand all over Shondravar, the hoses were fitted with special lids containing thousands of tiny holes from which sprang Caleb’s precious water. Not too much was to be given to the land at once, but spread out, hopefully lasting until the next rain.
When he wasn’t seeing to the watering, or helping the villagers with what they needed, he was seeing to his fields, making sure they had enough to drink.
Willow hardly saw him for the next week and when she did, he smelled like the sweet grain.
Jonas dined with them almost every night now that Ermile was gone and Shauna seemed more willing to have him around. He was exhausted though from helping Caleb, and even fell asleep in the middle of Willow’s vegetable soup tonight.
Tired and worn out, Caleb smiled at his friend and rose from his chair at the table. He asked Willow to walk him to bed.
“I’ve missed you and I wanted