Sleepy Fox Hollow [m] nomajoka

"children aren't a problem," heda defended, tears starting to sting the inside of her eyes at the realization of this reality. she let her breath escape into the wind, then swallowed. anselm's continued refusal to accept them into any sort of a relationship even as he was made to realize that conception was not divine — it shamed heda with the lowborn flush of a girl who has been charmed into a backwoods by a boy promising marriage;
but he hadn't, and a moment ago she had not either. still the scald of self-chastisement remained, an interwoven feeling that she had allowed herself to be ruined in some way, unfit for a better man who might see fit to marry a widow.
her heart raced; she tried to draw herself up as straight as she was able. "that won't matter if there's a way to fix it," and it relied upon another break from the reality she had always tried to cultivate for herself — anselm might think she meant an ending and yet she would never think of it.
if he felt responsible for them, he might press his connection to them.
if another man felt responsible, he —
heda was mortified to even consider it. but if it spared them such — connection — wouldn't he feel relief?
in the manner of a woman drawing a shawl around her shoulders, heda stepped off. "please leave me alone, anselm," she asked in a soft, tired plead; surely he saw her path moved toward ava and not the borders, even if she wanted to flee the hollow at once.