“The park ranger said no one knows who the inhabitants of the site were. They left no written or pictorial records and they simply vanished. Perhaps, he said, they were part of the Anasazi people, but no one really knows. They believe that the people used the caves to sleep in at night, or maybe they went there for protection from animals or possibly other tribes. But this Ben…” She shook her head.

“What are you saying, Amelia? Are you upset because Miriam seemed to like this fellow Ben?” Hannah asked.

“I don’t want to lose her and Sadie. If she falls in love and marries Ben and moves away from this area, I’ll be devastated.” Amelia looked away. “I’d hoped that Miriam and Denny would fall in love.”

“Now really, Amelia,” Hannah said. “Don’t you think if there were chemistry between Denny and Miriam, we’d know it by now? You can’t make something like that happen.”

Amelia sighed. “I know that. It’s just that I finally have a family, and I love them so much I can’t bear the thought of losing them.” Her chin quivered.

“It’s ridiculous to think you can control where your children live or who they marry,” Hannah said. “My Miranda lives in Pennsylvania; Grace’s Roger lives in South Carolina. They visit; we see them.”

Grace felt the tension, which had eased considerably of late, mounting between Hannah and Amelia. “I can understand how Amelia feels, that she wouldn’t want Miriam and Sadie to move away. It’s a valid concern.”

“Well,” Hannah conceded, “you’re right, Amelia. I wouldn’t like it much if Laura and Hank up and moved and took away my grandson, Andy.”

Grace looked at Amelia. “You know how things are when you meet someone on vacation. It’s romantic, exciting, but in the light of reality it often pales. If Miriam stays in touch with Ben and she wants to see him again, and he comes here, I suggest that he stay with us. We’ll get a sense of who he is. Maybe if he doesn’t have deep roots in Virginia, he would move here.” She was silent a moment.

“In a way, we live in a cocoon. We’ve gathered people we love about us, and we want our lives to stay the same. Does anything stay the same? We really don’t have control, especially when it comes to the needs and wants of others. People do what they think they must do for themselves. Any one of the people we love could pick up tomorrow and leave Covington. They could pass away, like Harold Tate or Old Man or Charles have.”

“I hate it. I hate change,” Amelia said.

“But then, Amelia, there are changes that make us happy, like Miriam and Sadie coming here,” Grace said.