"Father?" The man looked over in the hall to see his young daughter. Her messy golden hair ran to her shoulders. She wore a light pink nightgown her mother had sewn for her. "What's wrong?" She asked, walking to him. He smiled and picked her up, setting her on his lap, and looked at her. "It's nothing. Can you not sleep?" He asked. She shook her head. "Did the thunder wake you up?" He asked since she shouldn't have been up. She nodded softly with a yawn. He got her a small glass of water and carried her up to her bedroom. He tucked her in her bed and kissed her on the forehead. "Goodnight Angel," He whispered before closing the door, leaving the room. The man sighed softly and walked downstairs. He threw away his salad, cleaned the dishes, and put them away. The room was cold without his wife. It seemed so empty in the house without her. He'd occasionally look over to where she'd sleep right next to him.

He'd panic for a moment whenever he didn't see her, but reality soon sunk in once more. After hours of staying still alone, the man went to sleep. That next morning the sunrise shined in the man's eyes. The man sat up and pondered for a minute. He looked behind him one last time where his wife would have been. He let out a sigh and stood up. He got into a black suit, combed his hair, and put on his chapeau. He went into his daughter's room and softly woke her up with a small nudge. She yawned and sat up. "It's time to get up." He said quietly. "Do you have your black dress?". She nodded and stood up. "Can you get ready yourself, or do you need help?" "I'm ok," She said before looking through her wardrobe. The man nodded with a smile and closed her door. He went over to another room where his son was sleeping.

"Charlie..." He whispered, giving his son a soft nudge. The young boy groaned aggressively and turned away from his father. He was stubborn when it came to waking up, so this was no surprise to the man. The man loomed over his son and tickled him in the stomach. His son yelled and laughed as he squirmed to get away from the man's touch. The man laughed and stood up straight. "Come on, big guy, let's go." He said before looking through his wardrobe. He took out some black pants, black shoes, and a black button-down shirt. He picked his tired son up and set him down. The young boy stood for a moment before sitting on the ground tiredly. The man chuckled "Do you want me to leave you to put these on?" He asked. The boy shook his head and jolted back up onto his feet. The man helped his son get dressed in dark clothes.

The man headed downstairs with his son to serve breakfast. "Angel! Breakfast!" The man called. "Coming!" A muffled voice said behind his daughter's door. As the man was making eggs, frantic footsteps tapped on each step of the stairs as his daughter ran downstairs. The man served his children toast with scrambled eggs along with a glass of milk. As they ate, the man could occasionally glance at the empty chair where his wife would have sat. His wife would have often started a conversation. When they finished eating, the man took the dishes and went to wash them. He told the children to get their shoes on. They followed his directions as he cleaned them and set them in cupboards. He put on his shoes and took his children out to where he got a carriage ready. An older man sat in the front who would have driven the carriage. The man tipped his hat off to the father and his children as they got inside. They took off as the man spoke to his children.

"Please be quiet and speak when spoken to do so. We are going to an important meeting for your mother." He said. They both nodded silently. The man sighed softly and sat back, looking out the window until a group of people in black clothing. The man opened the door letting his children out first as he followed behind them. He held both of their hands for a small act of comfort. Multiple people continued to arrive until the town's minister arrived. The minister stood next to the coffin. It was open at the time but later would be lowered 6 feet in the ground. Everyone took their moment to glance at the woman. The man and his children took a long look at her before going back into the crowd. As the mister prayed, a woman put a hand on the man's shoulder. He looked at her, then looked back at the priest as she took her hand off his shoulder.

"We lift her to you today, in honor of the good we saw in her and the love we felt from her. Please give us the strength to leave her in your care, in the knowledge of eternal life through Jesus Christ. Amen," the priest finished after a long speech. "Amen." Everyone said. They all walked inside the building, the man and the priest following last. The man sat down on the porch, and the priest sat next to him. "If I hear, 'it'll get better' one more time..." The man said. "No offense." "None taken." The minister said. "She was a wonderful woman. Y'know when you and her were courting, she'd brag about you and how lucky she was. I remember a time she almost fell off her horse, getting distracted from talking about you." The minister said, trying to lighten up the mood. They both chuckled. "I remember the day I proposed. Winnie was so happy she fell into the lake, dragging me in with her." "Winifred was crazy and, uncoordinated that was for sure and certain."

They laughed. The man, as he was laughing, he put his hand on his face. He covered his eyes as he quietly sobbed. The minister looked at him and pulled him into a hug. "That's right, Elijah. That's right. You loved her," he said. When the funeral ended, the woman's corpse was 6 feet in the ground and, the mourning family sat quietly in the carriage. When they got back to their home, no one said a word. The children got ready for bed immediately since the funeral served dinner. Both children went up to their rooms without saying goodnight. The man sat at the dinner table once again. He sat there for hours, not saying or doing anything. When it was about midnight, the man stood up. He started to head upstairs but stopped when he bumped into a small table. Papers fell on the ground, scattering everywhere. The man sighed and started to pick them up. As he did, he stared at one specific sheet. It was an advertisement for an orphanage that the man had taken one day when he was out buying supplies.

"MRS.VELVET'S ORPHANAGE Here your children will be safe from harm. They will have a warm bed, nice clothes, and three meals a day!" The first words read. As the man continued to read, his mind spun. He reread the paper over and over. It seemed like a nice enough place for his children. He loved them more than words could express, but he didn't believe in himself enough to take care of them. Without his wife, he would be hopeless. The man separated the advertisement from the other papers. He stacked them all together and put the orphanage advertisement on top of the stack. He set them on the table and headed upstairs. He didn't bother to change clothes or get ready for bed. He lay in his bed, pondering about his children. It took hours for him to stop thinking and for him to fall asleep.

That morning the man woke up with the sun shining in his eyes like usual. He got dressed in new clothes, combed his hair, and washed his face. He went into his daughter's room and woke her up softly. He did the same with his son. He served them a simple breakfast and got them into the carriage. It took about 30 minutes to arrive at the large, gloomy building. By the building's appearance, the man started getting second thoughts. He shook his head and got his children out. They entered the lobby sitting down in a few empty chairs. "Next." A woman called from an office. The man stood up and told his children to wait there. He sat down in front of a desk where an older woman sat.

"Are you dropping off or picking up?" "Dropping off." The man said, fiddling with his hands under the desk. "How many?" The woman asked as she wrote down everything he said. "Two. A boy and a girl." "Ages?" "The boy is four, and the girl is six." "Names?" "Angela and Charlie" "When they're older, do you want them back, or do you want me to tell them that you're dead?" The man didn't say anything for a moment. "Neither... If they want to find me later, then they will. If not, they won't. Simple enough." The woman wrote everything down. "I will not have them live a terrible life here. They will not go to help any family. They will not be taken in by anyone except those who want to take them in as children." "That won't be your decision. Once you give children away, the children are in our hands."

The man sat there silently. He thought about taking them back, but he couldn't. He nodded, stood up, and headed for the door. He looked at her and his son. He gave his daughter a tight, warm hug. The man hugged his son as well before grabbing two bracelets out of his pocket. He put them on his children's wrists and spoke. "These will remind you of our family. Keep these safe, and you will always remember me. Look out for each other." "Where are you going?" Angela asked. "I'm going home. You will stay here." "When are you coming back?" "If you wish to see me, you'll visit me when you're older. It'll be alright." The man said, putting a hand on his daughter's cheek. The man stood up straight, said goodbye, and left. Both Angela and Charlie felt a hand on their shoulders. A maid pushed them down a hallway. A week later, an older boy who looked to be about fifteen stood on the sidewalks of the city.

"Extra! Extra! A 35-Year-old man takes his own life after losing his family!!" He yelled, waving a folded newspaper in the air. A woman took a newspaper and handed a coin to the boy. She read the newspaper carefully. "Winifred Mandin dies of a heart attack on November 11th, 1829. The day after the funeral, Elija Mandin puts his children, Angela and Charlie Mandin, up for adoption and takes his life a week later, on November 18th, 1829. Elija laid on the ground of his home. A pistol was on the floor and a hole punctured the center of his face. Jade Andrews found Elija when she came to check on him after his wife's death."