"How'd you sleep?" Harlow asked in the morning as Marin, Tilly, and the baby dragged themselves through the front door of his home. "Did you sleep? At all?" He chuckled, a glint in his eye.

"Not really," Marin admitted. "At least not for longer than a few hours at a time."

"Better than no sleep at all. But don't worry, this part doesn't last for long. And, before you know it, she'll be fifteen and you'll be fending off suitors." Harlow shook his head.

"Just going to do my best to get through one day at a time," Marin said.

"And one night at a time, too," Tilly added with a yawn.

Harlow stood and walked over to the large wooden table next to his hearth. There was a bowl with apples and pears, and he chose two and handed them to Marin and Tilly. "I have some hot water for tea, if you'd like. And some biscuits."

"That's very generous of you, thank you," they replied, accepting the food.

"Agnes and Berta are out back tending to the animals. I asked the girls to get the baby some fresh milk."

"Much appreciated," Marin said, nodding.

"Yes, you really have been so giving, and we'll never forget how much you've helped us. But, we should probably get going soon. It'll be a long walk with the baby and we'll need to make plenty of stops. Please know how appreciative we both are for everything," said Tilly.

"About that," Harlow said. "I'm not letting you walk all the way to Addersfield with a newborn. I'll take you in the cart."

"No, really, that's too much," Tilly protested. "All we need is the fresh goat's milk for the babe, then we'll be off. You've already been so generous and kind."

"Nonsense," Harlow said, waving away her worries. "I don't have any produce to sell at the market today, and the girls are more than capable of taking care of themselves. I have a cousin who lives out that way, anyway. It'd be nice to drop by and see how he'd doing."

"Are you sure? Your offer is exceedingly charitable," Marin said.

"After what you did for my girls, I am the one who is forever in your debt."

All Marin had done for his girls was to make some tea and say some words. He was grateful that his talents could help others, but he felt bad being so handsomely compensated for doing something that came to him so naturally. But they were tired. And walking so far with a baby so young was overwhelming.

"No, I will be forever in your debt, Harlow. You are a good man," Marin accepted the offer.

So, within the hour, they were packed up and heading east. The donkey didn't travel much faster than they could have walked, but it felt luxurious being able to sit back and watch the trees roll by. Red maples and orange oaks, yellow birch and bright hickory. The forested stretches looked like an ocean of vibrant colors. The babe slept for most of the journey, having been awake so much of the night. And even though she weighed no more than a small cat, Marin's elbow and shoulders were becoming sore from holding her, even though Tilly was the one who held her most often.

The journey took up all the morning, but at least when they arrived at Hobson's they felt as well-rested as was to be expected after three straight nights of little sleep.

Hobson was with Milo, harvesting the fields. They were using scythes to cut down long stalks of wheat. "Brother!" Marin called, jumping from the cart.

"You're back?" Hobson greeted Marin with a huge grin. "And, who did you bring with you? Oh, hello, Tilly. Are you–are you holding a baby?" Hobson threw down his scythe on the pile of cut wheat, and walked towards Marin and the cart, Milo following directly behind.

"This is Harlow," Marin introduced the farmer who had helped them out so much. "He took pity on us and brought us all the way to you."

"Nice to meet you," Harlow said. "But I didn't take pity on your brother. This is repayment for how he saved my girls' lives."

"Yes, Marin has a knack for healing." Hobson's smile widened. "Thank you, though, for bringing my brother here. Please, feed and water your donkey. My wife Trea will get you something to eat. Will you be staying the night?"

"No, thank you. I have a cousin who lives a few miles back. I was planning to spend the night with him."

Hobson helped Tilly step down from the cart. "Who is this beautiful baby?"

"We'll tell you the story this evening," Marin said. "But first, I want to apologize for just showing up on your doorstep again."

"Brother, don't be ridiculous. You are always welcomed here!"

That night, over supper, after bidding farewell to Harlow, Marin and Tilly recounted a somewhat simplified version of events. They confessed to falling in love. Explained how Jocelyn had refused to even hold her own child after its birth. And then told how they had tried to convince Hobard to come with them, but that he was adamant that he was happy staying in the monastery.

When they were done with their tale, Hobson only had one question, "So, when will you two be getting married?"

Marin and Tilly looked at each other. "As soon as possible," they both answered in unison.

Epilogue

Marin placed another log on the fire to keep the flame steady. The fire was warm. Too warm for a summer's morning, but Marin stayed next to it, using a long wooden spoon to turn the porridge in the pot.

"Hope is getting hungry. How much longer, daddy?" Tilly said in a sing-song voice to cover her frustration with the fussy nine-month-old.

"I'm ladling it now, my loves," Marin sang in return.

Seeing the steaming bowl, Hope clapped her hands, a huge smile revealing two small white nubs on her bottom gums.

The winter had flown by in a haze of sleepless nights. The trio had practically hibernated in Hobson's barn, warmed by the body heat radiating off the livestock and huddled under piles of blankets. But as the snows began to melt and Hope started to sleep through the night, Tilly and Marin had made plans.

Spring had quickly become busy with a seemingly endless list of preparations that needed to be completed before moving. First, they needed to build their new house and purchase the basics needed for a kitchen. And, on top of that, they needed to make sure they had everything for a growing child.

Although Hobson offered to let them stay, everyone knew it was an impossibility. Both Tilly and Marin had too many ghosts in the area. There was no way for them to be married and raise a family in Addersfield.

Harlow gifted Marin and Tilly a small plot of land on the outskirts of his property. In turn, Marin helped with the planting and harvesting so Harlow no longer had to hire hands to help. Tilly used seeds and cuttings that Trea provided so she could start her own medicinal garden. She traveled to the surrounding towns and provided services as a wise woman. When there were severe cases, Marin would offer his healing talents. They used the coin they earned to pay Harlow back for everything he had given them.

But they always spent mornings like this. The three of them in front of the fire, eating breakfast, and getting ready for the day. Marin couldn't believe how quickly Hope had grown. She had gone from being a helpless mewling infant to this robust babbling baby who crawled and pulled herself up and had such a forceful personality.

He also couldn't believe how much his love for Tilly had grown. They'd had a small ceremony after only being at Hobson's for a few nights. Under the autumn leaves, they'd clasped their hands and declared their love for each other. In some ways it had felt blasphemous to make these fresh vows so soon after breaking the ones they had made to The Order. But in other ways it made perfect sense. One chapter ended as another one began.

They were happy. Happier than they ever could have imagined. Hope wasn't just a destination. Hope was home. She was their light, their joy, their family. Marin's fire burned bright, and warm, and full of love.

[Footnote: I know that the name Hope is anachronistic. My decision to use this name for the child was due to the time constraints of this being a NaNo project. This will probably change in future drafts. Thank you for your understanding and support!]