XXVII.
The days went on in a pleasant routine. Whether playing board and card games with Carol, smoking cigars with Erwing in the dining room after lunch or helplessly trying to help Loreley with her motherly duties, Stuart discovered a part of himself he wasn't aware of, a segment which brightened up when conversing with others and felt fulfilled when engaged in family socializing. When sunny winter days turned into rainy early spring ones, he enjoyed sitting by the fireplace with Carol. She sometimes engaged her hands in knitting or she read novels, but at other times they both sat in silence disturbed only by the weak sound of rain pouring down the roof. Sometimes, but rarely, Carol would mention Oliver.