That night, Caroline looked at Charles as she cooked dinner.

"Charles, we'll have to tell the children."

His reply was too short; "I know."

Caroline turned her back to him. She knew that it was hard for him, but there was absolutely no need for him to be so curt. She wasn't the one who had started talking about leaving, and she wasn't the one who had given up. She was just about as upset about leaving the town as he was; maybe more, even.

"Caroline?" He seemed to have sensed that she had gone rigid and tense. He put a hand on her shoulder. "I'm sorry."

Caroline replied with a nod. She couldn't find words to express how she felt. Part of her was inclining to forgive; another part of her would not give in.

As they all sat at the table, Charles said grace. Once they had all started eating, Charles said, "There's something I've got to tell you children."

The children raised their faces. Even Grace, who was too little to understand anything, seemed to feel the tension in the air. She put her spoon down and watched her father intensely.

"We're leaving Walnut Grove."

James and Cassandra went pale. Albert instantly flushed and said angrily; "Why, Pa? Why?"

Charles looked at his son, and quickly looked back down at the table. Caroline watched him twiddle with his spoon as he tried to find a way to answer his son.

"Albert, I can't." He replied. "The crop's all gone, we have to wait until next year, and there aren't any jobs around here. I just can't."

"But we've done it before!" Albert protested. "Please, Pa. I want to stay here. I want to go to school here. This is my home. I don't want to leave."

"I'm sorry, Albert." Charles said. "My mind's made up. Best start soon; we'll tell Laura and Almanzo first thing tomorrow morning, and pack up."

Albert turned to Caroline. His eyes were pleading, yet all Caroline could do was shake her head. Albert turned away from her, his eyes welling up. Caroline knew that all of this was crushing the children, and yet she could not find words to comfort them. They were all disappointed in her and Charles, and she couldn't blame them; she blamed herself for letting Charles give up and for letting them down.

The whole family ate in silence. Cassandra was crying with tears rolling down her face, and both James and Albert were blinking rapidly to stop the tears from falling. Caroline knew that they were all shocked. She knew that they had hoped that their father would tell them to cheer up, that they would only have to wait a year, that they could start all over as they always had done.

As Caroline washed the dishes in the kitchen, Charles went outside to tend to the animals. Albert came up her and asked, "What are we going to do with the farm?"

"Your father says that some family is willing to buy it for a pretty good price."

"Oh." Albert paused. "So we really aren't coming back?"

"I don't think so. Your father has no intension of coming back, anyway."

"Oh." Another pause. "Why, Ma? I didn't think of Pa as a man to give up. I always thought he would try no matter what."

"So did I, Albert." Caroline sighed.

"So you don't want to leave?" Albert asked, with a hint of hope in voice.

"None of us do, Albert." Caroline replied as she started to dry the dishes. "Including your father."

"Then why does he do this?" Albert said. It was more of a protest than a question.

Caroline put the dish down and turned to her son. He was looking at her intensely. She forced a smile and said, "It's not easy for him, and you must try to understand that. But he is getting older, and he says he doesn't have the energy to go on like this. When you grow up, you can do as you like; build your own house and farm, and live where you want. But for now, I want you to help and support your father. He loves farming, I'm sure, but he's thinking about what's best for his family. He can't let us starve."

Albert looked like he was about to protest, but seemed to change his mind. He nodded. "Yes, Ma."