On warm days many of the cottage dwellers woukd move chairs outside and work or relax in the yard. So to in the yard the Wards shared. Benjamin sat on a chair in front of the steps that led to their floor, smoking a pipe. On two other chairs sat Simon and Rose, working on repairs of a net. Alice, their younger sister of about thirteen sat on the steps, reading Bible. Ben could barely read and so the children would read to him. A little higher up sat Anne, slightly younger, keeping her herself occupied with knitting. Other people were out in the yards, some closeby listening to Alice. Others working, or talking to each other.

Simon had been wanting to see the family when he came home. Being busy with work and moving had been not much of an excuse for putting it off. His experience with Simon has a perfect opportunity to go check up on them.

He waited a short while for things to cool before heading over. His face lit up with a smile as he saw them all. They had all grown so much in just the few years he had been gone. He gave a wave before slowly stepping up to the house. He nodded slightly to the kids before focusing on Ben. "It's been a while. You're looking well."

"Elijah!" Ben got up slowly and clapped the man's shoulder. "I'm a wreck actually. It's good to see you, son. Simon..." But Simon was already rushing up the steps and gave back with another chair, his sisters moving out of the way. Alice had stopped reading and both girls greeted him. Rose gave him a rather awkward smile.
Simon put the chair down. "Sit here." And he moved back to his own seat.

Elijah smiled at the welcome. It hurt that they struggled so much when he knew them to be such a good family. He tried to save off the kindness but knew to accept it even if he didn't think it necessary.

"You're too generous. I don't need a seat... Ah, thank you, Simon." He gave a smile to the older son before taking the offered seat and looked to Ben. "Sorry to hear the troubles you've had to endure. Feels like I picked a bad time go to try to be constable. Glad for Maggie though, sweet girl. I hope he makes her happy." He had said it before but felt it needed to repeat before all the family heard it.

"Everyone here looks so grown since I'd seen them last. You been working hard, it can be difficult but you've been managing clearly. "

"Aye it's been a rough couple of years, but we are thankful for what we have." Benjamin said. Sometimes he wasn't sure how long they would be able to cope without Hannah. She had truly been his better side. As for Tom... He wasn't the first child Benjamin had lost, but nothing compared to losing your oldest son when you had watched him grow into a man you were proud of. Maggie, at least, seemed to have made it alright and seemed quite happy. "Wait til you see Bram. He won't even know who you are. How've you been, Elijah?" Ben took out a small pouch of tobacco and offered it to Elijah.

Elijah smiled and nodded. "I bet. Hopefully you haven't told him anything bad about me." He laughed softly before graciously denying the offered tobacco. "Thank you though... How has the fishing been? I heard a storm was coming. Hope it hasn't scared the fish away..." He still knew next to nothing about fishing and he was sure it showed.

"What on earth do we have on you?" Ben laughed. He put the tobacco away. "Aye, they say so, but I haven't seen owt but sunshine. We could do with a bit of rain in fact..." He blew out some smoke and looked at the young man. "Are you back to stay, then?"

Elijah gave the man a huge smile as he listened and nodded. The question hit him a little inside but he didn't show it. "Yeah. I'm home for good. No more York or any place else. This is where I belong after all. I missed all of you guys." That part was true, he had missed home. Seeing the familiar faces warmed his heart in a way York didn't, though the pain of failure still stabbed inside.

"Well, we are happy to have you back, son." Ben said warmly. "We need capable people like you on the streets who don't look down at our lot." Some people assumed that if you came from a certain area, you were automatically a criminal. "Thanks for what you did for Simon the other day. And I'm sorry for the trouble." Simon turned red and looked at the net intently. Rose gave him a look of concern.

Elijah waved him off. "There is no bad lot, there are just people. Some are bad, but most are people who just make mistakes. Like Simon. It was no trouble, it gave me an extra excuse to come see you all sooner. He is at the age where lots of men become.. restless and sometimes bothered by their own lives. Usually it is a phase. I think letting him have a little space wouldn't hurt.." He immediately had to turn it around so Ben didn't get the wrong idea. "But.. I'm not a father, nor do I think I ever will be. It is only a theory from some of the things I've seen. I can't even pretend to know what really works for different people. He is your son after all.." He smiled weakly.