Chapter Text
Caleb sighed as he sat up in bed. He really hated today… It had been one year since they fled their old homestead. Caleb ran his fingers through his pale blonde hair and forced a smile. Quietly getting up, he was glad that Mr. Millis had given him the day off today, as a thank you for all the hard work he had been doing this past year, from sunrise to sunset, six days a week. He wanted some quiet moments to himself before Phillip woke up.
Caleb breathed in the crisp October air after throwing on a fresh, thin linen tunic and pants, letting the scent of the wet leaves ground him, even if just a bit, before making his way toward town. As a little extra bit of joy, outside the silence and peacefulness. If he took a walk before sunrise, no one would be walking the streets, going about their day, with no stares, no whispers, and no judgment, just the closest thing to normalcy he could get. True Bastion would be up, but Caleb had memorized his daily patterns, so he would be at the church right now, preparing this week's sermons, which would probably be about him to some extent.
The only outlier was Mr. Mansell. Caleb genuinely respected and admired the man. He was the only kind soul in this town. Not to mention, the only person who cared about his well-being and his safety. The man who Caleb considered his father in all but blood. And as luck would just so happen to have it, Caleb noticed that Mr. Mansell was leaving in cottage, their eyes meeting for a few seconds. He tried to turn and walk in a different direction; he really didn't need or want to see him today. But it was too late his Caleb heard his name being called.
“Good morning, Caleb.” Mr. Mansell warmly greeted him.
Caleb stopped and saw him approaching, and looked at him, forcing a smile. “Good morning, Mr. Mansell,” Caleb responded.
“What are you doing out at this hour? Where's Philp?” Mr. Mansell questioned, seeing as the younger Wittebane wasn't trailing behind.
“He's still sleeping. I needed some time to myself, so I decided to take a walk…” caleb said flatly, hoping Mr. Mansell would get the hint and leave him be. But of course, as Caleb expected, he didn't.
“Mind if I join you? I was on my way to the church, but Bastion will be fine for a few hours.” Mr. Mansell gently asked with a smile.
Caleb wanted to say no, but for some reason, he couldn't bring himself to say so. Instead, he found himself whispering, “Sure.”
The two walked together in silence for a stretch. The early light filtered dimly through the autumn-colored leaves overhead. Caleb kept his eyes fixed ahead, hoping Mr. Mansell would turn back toward the church. Instead, Caleb heard him clear his throat and let out a frustrated sigh.
“Leaves are turning quicker than last year,” Mr. Mansell commented, shifting toward the canopy.
“Mhmm..” Caleb responded emotionlessly
“Mr. Millis said you have been a huge help; he has never seen someone work as hard as you do... he really appreciates it.”
“Don't have a choice now, do I?” Caleb retorted, getting more annoyed.
Mr. Mansell looked down at Caleb and raised an eyebrow, noticing how Caleb was subtly stiffening his shoulders, and let out a sigh, lowering his voice gently and speaking in a proud tone. “I know Bastion doesn’t see it, nor does anyone. But you’ve been doing an amazing job this past year. Not just with raising Philip, but with the expectations Bastion laid upon you, expectations that no one your age should have to bear… ”
Caleb felt his eye twitch slightly as he held his breath.
“I know it hasn’t been easy, but you’ve held strong. I bet your mother is smiling in heaven and would be proud of the man you’re becoming.”
Caleb’s jaw clenched, and he stopped walking. “Shut up,” he snapped.
Mr. Mansell halted and turned to face Caleb, taken aback by the sudden outburst. His brow knitted together in quiet surprise, not anger, just hurt. “Caleb?”
Caleb looked away, guilt twisting deep in his chest. He’d meant to keep this day to himself, the memories, the weight of what else happened that day… but Mr. Mansell had touched a nerve too raw to bear again. “I’m— I’m sorry…that wasn’t fair of me to say that…” He muttered in a low voice, grabbing his arms and began to dig his nails into the thin tunic.
Mr. Mansell exhaled slowly and looked over to the river they were passing by. “Come, let's go sit by the river for a bit.” He offered, walking off the path toward the river’s bank.
Caleb nodded and followed behind. He hated how easily this man's genuine kindness and compassion affected him, making him want to listen.
When they arrived at the riverbank, Caleb took a seat on the frosted dew-covered grass, pulling his knees up to his chest and resting his head on his knees. Mr. Mansell, without a word, settled down next to him, taking off his hat and gently placing it on Caleb’s head like he always did when Caleb was upset.
For several long minutes, neither of them spoke. Mr. Mansell just took deep breaths as he listened to the birds chirp and the gentle babbling of the river. He knew it was only a matter of time before Caleb spoke what was on his mind. But he was surprised when, instead of Caleb speaking, he heard a small sniffle and watched as Caleb’s shoulders began to shake, as he quietly sobbed. Mr. Mansell looked over at him sadly and whispered. “Caleb… What’s the matter?”
The silence drew on for several more moments before Caleb’s wavering voice broke the silence. “It’s been a year…”
Mr. Mansell didn’t say anything; he knew what Caleb meant by that statement. There was nothing he could say to some degree; no comforting words could take the pain away. Instead, he stood slowly, picked up a single red oak leaf he noticed had drifted by his boot feeling a small smile form as he looked at it for a moment twirling it with this fingers, before getting up and walking to the river's edge; with utmost care, he knelt and set the leaf gently into the water, watching it float gently downstream.
Caleb peered up from his knees, curious as to what Mr. Mansell did. Drying his eyes, he softly asked. “What were you doing?”
Mr. Mansell didn’t say anything at first; he continued to watch the leaf start to float out of sight, and only then did he speak softly. “When Bastion’s mother died… he didn’t know how to mourn… well, more like he couldn’t mourn her… losing his mother had taken a toll on him, although he never mentioned it. But I digress. One day, we were able to slip away for a few hours, and I decided to make something up to help him. We’d pick a flower, or a leaf if there weren’t any flowers around, and whisper something to it. Then we’d let the river carry it away. I don’t know, but it was like a message we could never say aloud… but it helped him, I think…” Mr. Mansell finished with a sad smile, “It helped me more than once… Do you want to try?” He asked, turning to Caleb.
Caleb raised an eyebrow and slowly nodded as he stood up and walked closer to the water's edge. He crouched down and picked up a small, yellow leaf with brittle edges. He stared at it for a while, then, almost reverently, held it to his lips. He whispered something inaudible. Then he set the leaf down and let it go. As it drifted away, Caleb remained crouched there, staring after it. The tightness in his jaw loosened just a little, and the stress he was carrying in his shoulder started to ease. He couldn’t lie; he felt more at peace, and the whirlwind of emotions in his mind quieted just a bit.
Once the leaf was out of sight, he stood up slowly, sighing. He didn’t know what came over him, but as if his body was acting on its own, he leaned into Mr. Mansell's shoulder and whispered solemnly. “Thank you.”
Mr. Mansell didn’t speak; Caleb was his son in all but blood. he would fight heaven and hell itself if it meant protecting him. He looked over at Caleb and placed a steady hand on his back, just between the shoulder blades, and left it there, standing in a comfortable silence, watching as the sun gently rose in the sky.