José claimed a small windowless cabin for us that had one bedroom and a common room that was a combination of parlor and kitchen. I settled into a chair with the door propped open, nursing Menotti and listening to the sounds of birds singing in the morning sun. We’d been here for almost a week and the hut was starting to feel like home thanks to José’s ability to scavenge for us. Later that morning José came in carrying a large box.

“I found some goods for us.” He dropped the box on the table. “I had more, a heavier blanket and a loaf of bread, but I saw the Rodrigues family. They needed it more than we do. I hope you don’t mind.”

I set the baby down in the small crate that served as a crib and peered into the box. “This will do just fine. It’s certainly better than what we had on our way here.” I pulled José to me, kissing him gently at first, then letting the passion grow. It had been a long time since we’d had the opportunity to be alone. We took our time as I let José lead me into our little bedroom.

Afterward, from the comfort of my warm bed, I watched as José got dressed. “Why must you leave?” He turned and smiled that lopsided boyish grin that I loved.

“I want to be with the other generals when Rossetti arrives. It’s the first place he’ll go.”

“It’s still fairly early, he may have been delayed by the weather.”

“He should be arriving any day now, he wasn’t that far behind us.” He leaned over to kiss me. “I won’t be gone long.”

*  *  *

One week later I stood next to José at the doorway of our tiny shack watching the rain pour down. Breathing in, I took in the smell of damp grass and earth. Every day at precisely two in the afternoon the heavens opened and continued to saturate us until after sundown.

Anxiety ate at José. He moved from the bed to the table and back to the bed, unable to stand still.

“Something’s wrong,” he said. I turned to look at him as he began to make another circuit through our cabin. “They should have been here by now.”

“You know how long it took us to get here. The roads are probably worse for them than they were for us. Don’t worry. They will be here in a few days.” I grabbed José by the shoulders and moved him off to the side so that I could get to the pot collecting the raindrops that leaked through our ceiling. “He probably stopped for his printing press.”

“Possibly.”

“And he probably picked up the people we left behind. I’m sure they slowed him down as well.”