Read Chapter 11: — GOING ONLINE

With Daniel in rehabilitation, George became the most important person in the barn.

He built a simple website, then an online shop, then a product catalogue that made Sunward Weaves look far larger than it was. Martin wanted to photograph every worker holding a basket. George refused.

"People aren't props. Ask them first."

Martin blinked. "I was going to."

"You were going to tell them. That's not the same."

Martin found himself being managed by a man the village had dismissed for years.

He enjoyed it.

Rebecca began visiting on days off, initially to check Daniel and then because she liked the place. She improved the product descriptions, corrected Martin's punctuation and persuaded Edith to record short videos explaining traditional weaving techniques.

The videos performed better than the polished advertisements.

Customers liked hands, mistakes, laughter and the creak of willow bending around a frame. They liked Edith saying, "If it fights you, you've soaked it wrong," and Arthur telling viewers that a good basket should outlive the person who bought it.

Claire saw one of the clips and called Martin.

"Your videos are terrible."

"Thank you."

"I mean technically terrible. The stories are good. Let me help."

He hesitated.

"Business only?"

"Business and Leo. That's enough."

Claire began selling a limited Sunward collection through her food channel. The first livestream sold out of bread baskets in twenty-three minutes.

Martin watched from Willowbrook while Leo wandered into the frame and shouted, "Daddy made those!"

Martin had made none of them.

He cried anyway.

The next day he sent Claire a message.

Thank you for making him proud of something I didn't ruin.

She replied after an hour.

You didn't ruin everything. Stop making tragedy another form of vanity.

He read the sentence three times.

Claire had always been better at cutting through him than any therapist.