For a moment, Eve watched Ray flee down the stairs as if chased by a nightmare. He staggered, bumped his shoulder against the corner, and Eve heard the door slam shut at the top. It was obvious that something was wrong, and her gaze flew from the corner of the stairs back to Liam.

His eyes were wide, and he was staring questioningly at his mother.

"Put that away, Liam!" she scolded, her expression extremely stern. Her own pulse was racing because it was churning inside her like waves on a troubled sea. She reached her son in a few steps and took the pot from his head. "You know you're not supposed to play with that," she said sternly, pointing at the house. "Put the pots in the sink and then clean out the dishwasher as punishment."

"But Mum!" Liam began to rebel, but Eve put her hands on her hips, and her indignation subsided into an offended pout. Then, the boy's gaze slid to the door. "Did I scare Ray?" he asked, sounding slightly concerned.

"We'll see about that. And if I did, you'll have to apologize," Eve said and accompanied her son into the house to watch him grumble as he put the pots in the sink and obediently opened the dishwasher. Eve had usually taught him these things so that he would learn to participate in the house at an early age. It wasn't a harsh punishment, but it would keep him busy.

She then directed her steps upstairs. She was already raising her hand to knock when she paused in her movement.

Her mouth was dry. Her thoughts raced and seemed to flow like driftwood on the wild river of her pulse. They kept bumping, staggering, tumbling, sinking. This reaction to Liam, to his game... she would have had to be blind and ignorant in both eyes not to draw any conclusions. The question was: did she conclude correctly?

'Ray was a soldier.'

This realization came as clear and sharp as a sharpened blade digging into her stomach. 'Just because he was a soldier doesn't mean anything. Many were soldiers. Many quit again. That means nothing. One of many. It's a coincidence. Stay calm. Stop driving yourself crazy... take it easy,' she murmured to herself, with moderate success.

Eve took a deeper breath, then let the knuckles of her hand hit the wood.

"Ray?"

>>knock knock knock<<

"Hey... are you okay?"

Eve heard the clatter of dishes downstairs. Outside, Chief was barking, presumably because he had spotted another rabbit or mouse. Otherwise, it remained quiet.

The blood of her nervous heartbeat rushed into her ears. Fear spread frostily through her blood and her limbs, although she tried to press it down.

Dark thoughts appeared like dark shadows before they could be chased away.

'What is he capable of? How bad is this... illness in him? What has he been through?'

Some were unpredictable. They could harm others if they were in that state.

That thought stopped her breathing, and Eve shook her head.

'Stop it. He hasn't done anything to warrant this lack of trust! He hasn't hurt you. He didn't hurt Liam. He saved him!' she reminded herself - but her hands still shook.

Suddenly, though, that explained so much. How he had reacted when Liam said his dad had been a soldier. His stature. The reaction to the cold water... there was more to Ray than they had all suspected. And somehow, that stung her chest. Then she asked herself: 'Would you have told? To some stranger, you were only working temporarily? Is it any of your business?

Eve pressed her lips together, then bit her lower lip. She almost laughed bitterly. 'Haha, you hypocrite. You're the last person who could accuse him of that.

As if of its own accord, her hand slid to her cheek. She felt the sensitive area of skin that had turned into an unsightly scar. Her own fingertips were so alien in the blurred field of vision that it might as well have been someone else. They all had guilt, secrets, and a skeleton in the closet somewhere.

'Let he who is free of guilt cast the first stone,' she thought and let out a bitter snort. Taking a deep breath, she knocked again.

"Ray? I'm worried about you. May I come in?"

She heard a noise from inside, but there was no answer. This worried her enough that she reached for the handle and pushed it down.

The door swung open a little but then bumped, and Eve's gaze found the toe of his boot.

"Stop... please..."

A soft whimper reached her ears, and immediately, her eyes fell on Ray, who was crouched against the wall behind the door. With his legs drawn up and his hands over his ears, he was mumbling quietly to himself, moaning and squinting his eyes.

It only took a fraction of a second before Eve's heart seemed to break with a crack and a crunch for this man and everything he had experienced.

She knew the black shadows of this profession... after all, her husband was a Seal in the Navy. And she had always hated this helplessness. Nevertheless, she forgot all that at that moment. Instead, she slowly crouched down and closed the door behind her, so Liam wouldn't get the idea to barge in.

"Ray," she addressed him again. But he didn't respond to her at all. Instead, his shoulders shook, and cold sweat made his face glisten. His fingers were tightly buried in his hair and pressed over his ears so that his knuckles were brightly visible beneath his skin.

"Ray," Eve repeated slowly and clearly. Hesitantly, she touched him first on the knee and placed her fingers carefully on his jeans. Ray flinched - and so did she from tension and fright. Her heart stumbled, then she calmed herself and touched him again, placing her hand in the same place. This time, he didn't flinch.

"Everything's fine. Hey, look at me."

She pulled her hand back, only to place it against his arms this time. Eve gently but firmly rubbed his tense muscles to let him know she was there and meant no harm. 

"You're not there anymore," she said. It didn't matter where that 'there' might be or that she didn't know what he was seeing or what nightmare he was trapped in. Nor did it matter that she didn't know what was bothering him. Only one thing was necessary: he realized that he wasn't sitting here alone and that these events were over.

"I'm here, do you hear me? It's me, Evelyn."

She spoke, her voice mingling with the sound of his heavy, panting breath. Slowly, her hands traveled up his forearms until Eve reached his fingers. She had to use more force, but slowly, his cramped fingers were released from his hair and ears. But he was still trembling, staring with wide, fear-filled eyes at a point far beyond this room. His gaze kept darting from one corner of the room to the other.

"Try to breathe calmly... it's all right."

Eve took his hands down firmly, then placed her cool fingers over his cheeks. Rough beard tickled her palms as her thumbs gently stroked the curve of his cheekbones.

"Liam was just playing Ray. He didn't know it would do that...didn't mean any harm," she spoke, just so the sound of her voice filled the room. She knew it was only a matter of time before Ray could shake off the threads of this nightmare. How much she could help... Eve didn't know. 

"His father," she began, and it felt like her tongue was getting heavier. Weighed down by the lie that put a bitter taste in her mouth. "He was a soldier, too. He always admired him... but he didn't understand what it meant..." she said quietly, forcing a smile onto her lips. It was dull and clouded by dark clouds. "But there's no war here, no battle, Ray. This is Silvershore," she put a gentle hint of jest in her voice, "it's so dull here that even the fish will soon jump into the nets voluntarily, don't you think?"

Of course, that was just nonsense. But that didn't matter. He probably wasn't even listening properly. Eve stroked a few strands of dark hair from the sweaty face of the much taller man. A short time ago, he had held her, pulled her to his shoulder, and held her tight. At the time, he had seemed to her like a rock in the surf against which the highest waves could break. Only now did she see the truth and, with a clammy heart, recognized a little of herself in him.

When Eve cried alone, she had only herself and the darkness to keep her company. She had to be strong... in her own way.

And that's what they all always wanted.

To be strong, to be strong, to be strong.

They piled up their suffering behind a wall or a dam until, one day, it collapsed on them. She knew that. And now she saw it in Ryker, as she had seen it before. In her husband and also in herself. At some point, the foundation was eroded and simply couldn't hold any longer. And then... it just collapsed, like a house of cards. Eve's lips formed a thin line under the dull ache that almost took her breath away.

'But HE is not alone now. And no one has to go through the same thing as you. He doesn't have to cry into his pillow alone,' she thought, giving her a new lease of life.

Slowly, she lowered her hands and then sat down next to him, just so their shoulders almost touched.

For a while, she just sat next to him. Then, an idea came to her, and Eve lifted herself, groaning softly.

Ray had been motionless the whole time, almost lethargic - now, suddenly, there was movement in his body. Ray's hand moved forward and grabbed hers. His fingers trembled as he clasped hers. There was a heartbreaking desperation on his face and in his eyes as he looked up at her. He looked like a lost child.

He didn't say anything, but he didn't have to.

Eve's lips formed a gentle smile as she gently squeezed his hand.

"I'll be right back. I promise."