Weeks passed.

Not quickly. Not slowly. In the way serious things often advance—quietly enough that daily life still seems possible while the horizon changes.

The congregation continued meeting. Field service continued. Family worship continued. Nathan’s school concerns came and went in smaller waves now, and he was learning how to answer questions without shrinking from them. Samuel kept his work in its place, though not without cost. Sasha baked more than usual when she was thinking, which meant the kitchen often smelled of bread or vanilla or cinnamon by evening.

And all the while, the news kept circling the same language.

Unity. Cooperation. Stability. Shared moral purpose.

One evening, the television played softly from the living room while Samuel reviewed a scripture with Nathan at the dining table. Sasha was in the kitchen, drying a mug.