"Her son was off fighting, so I read the letter aloud to her."
"I also taught her little daughter to read."
"The tears and relief welling up in the old woman's cloudy eyes made me feel as if something had cracked open inside me."
"Because of this, the family began welcoming me of their own accord. They would give me food, water, and amulets they had made by hand."
Audrey began trying to fit in there.
It wasn't unconditional love.
Under the rules, she had been forced into labor reform by orders from her superiors.
But she received something in return.
How could they stop hurting one another?
First, they had to strike at the forces of evil. Then, they had to let love flourish.
She had to learn how to cooperate, however clumsily.
But not to protect herself, and not to please anyone.
She did it so they could build facilities together that everyone could use.
Those country bumpkins she had once considered filthy made her feel the meaning of home all over again.
The people she had once fawned over were those she thought she should look up to.
They were her leaders, but they had never expected anything from her.
Instead, the leaders took the initiative, leading everyone in improving their lives.
They built canals and roads.
They were working, without beautiful jewels or fancy ornaments.
Yet that Political Commissar, sweating as he took off his hat and rested on the grass in the sunshine, was still beloved by everyone—and somehow even more charming.
It was a special kind of charm, one that precision alone could never give you.
People had begun to understand exactly what it meant to change the old world.
She had also received new rewards.
A simple, elegant New Government Building.
Relationships that