The rest of the day passed in peace. Ruth kept herself engaged with Ida and the newly wedded couple. She avoided confrontation with Mrs Payne and, kept her distance from Edwin.
He knew something was terribly wrong with her. But if she wanted some space, then he was ready to give it to her, no matter how it troubled him.
The joy was over and, now came the phase of emotional farewell. Mrs Green's eyes had not stopped tearing up and, Mr Green was putting up a tough face even though he was afraid that now he could not see his angel's smiling face every morning and the night after he returned home from the work.
Now his home would not be ringed with his nightingale's chirping. Now he would not need to find a middle ground between his wife and daughter's bickering. Now he would not have to deal with her stubbornness.
And that was breaking his heart piece by piece.
"Ida?"
"Hmm?"