Author's POV
By midday, the Silver Creek pack house was wrapped in an oppressive quiet.
Clara pulled into the circular driveway with Marcus buckled in the backseat, her face drawn with exhaustion. They'd just returned from the hospital, where Gerald Holt remained in critical condition.
"Mommy, is Daddy still sleeping?" Marcus asked, craning his neck to look up at the second-floor windows as they walked toward the entrance. "He's been asleep for two whole days!"
Clara's hand tightened on his small shoulder. For a moment, she didn't know how to answer him.
Finally, she knelt down and smoothed his hair back.
"Daddy's just very tired, sweetheart. He needs to rest. Our family has been going through a lot lately, so you need to be extra good right now, okay?"
Marcus nodded
