Page 10 of Ember’s Heart
Colton
A s my truck rumbled to a stop at the end of the Carter’s long driveway, I breathed in the fresh air.
Even though my family lived not far from hers, the air was different.
Where I had the creek and trees, the Carters property was surrounded by fields and trees surrounded the edge of their property line.
Pulling to stop at the yard that stopped just before the porch and shutting the ignition off, memories hit me with a wave of nostalgia so intense it hurt.
Looking at that front porch all I saw was the day I left here for basic training.
The heat of that kiss we shared flooded my mind, and I had to grip the steering wheel to try to clear my mind and focus on why I was here.
Before I could gather myself, the front door of the house swung open, and Laura Carter stepped out onto the porch.
She stood there, all five foot four inches, hands planted firmly on her hips, in a pose so undeniably like Ember it almost made me laugh.
There was no denying this woman was Ember’s mom; from the shared cascade of blond hair and those piercing blue-gray eyes to the sheer, fiery attitude, they were mother and daughter, a matched set of stubborn determination.
Her face was a mix of relief, like she’d been holding her breath for ten years, and also a mix of hurt and anger that made me wonder if she’d prefer to hug me or punch me.
“Well, are you just going to sit in that truck all day, boy?” she called out, her voice carrying across the yard. “Or are you going to get your ass over here and give me a hug?”
Climbing down from my truck, the gravel crunched beneath my boots as I made my way up the porch steps. As I approached she opened her arms and I stepped into her embrace. It was a warm, familiar hug, the kind that reminded me of home, of a time when things were simpler.
When she finally stepped back, she swatted me playfully with the dish towel she held. “Well, let me get a good look at you,” she said, her eyes scanning over me.
A wave of emotions washed over me. I felt relief finally being here, but there was also the regret for the years of silence and the hurt I’d caused. “It’s good to see you, Laura,” I said, my voice rough.
She nodded, her eyes softening. She gestured towards the porch swing. “Come on, sit down. Let’s talk.”
“It’s so good to see you, Colton,” Laura said, as we settled onto the swing.
“Now if only Cade soon decides to retire from the Army and come home. Then this old lady can finally have some peace of mind knowing all her children are safe,” she paused to make sure I was looking at her before she continued, “and that includes you too, Colton. ”
I didn’t know what to say to her. And before I had a chance she continued with a laugh, She chuckled, “You boys aged me before I was ready. Remember that time you tried to tie that rope to the old oak by the creek, thinking you could swing out over the water? That rope snapped, and Cade broke his arm.”
I found myself laughing at that memory. “Hey! That was all Cade’s idea, I swear.” I was lying because truthfully it was both of ours and I knew Laura knew it too.
She continued, “Or how about the time you decided to ski off the back roof. I was standing at the kitchen sink doing dishes and the next I know you two boys come flying down! I swear, I thought I was going to have a heart attack.”
By the time she finished with that memory we were both laughing hard and had tears in our eyes.
Then her smile faded slightly. “Or the time when Cade decided to put Ember in that inner tube and roll her down the hill. Hit a bump, and she split her lip on that air spike. I think I have a picture somewhere from a few days after. She looked like she’d gone ten rounds with a prize fighter.”
“I remember that,” I said, my voice low. “I remember how scared she was.” We sat in silence for a few moments and then I looked at Laura, “How can you be so welcoming to me, Laura? After everything I’ve done? After…after how I hurt Ember?”
She looked away from me for a brief moment before looking back at me and tapped my hand with hers. “Lord knows, we’ve all missed you around here. You’re still family to us, Colton. We love you.”
I looked at her, my eyes questioning. “I’m not so sure everyone feels that way.”
“Honey, you were always like a son to me and Richard,” she said, her voice soft, but firm.
“And family forgives when one acts like an ass and forgets his way home sometimes. Though sometimes it takes a while, and sometimes, it involves a bit of yelling. And maybe a dish towel to the backside. But you’re here now.
And that means something. It means you’re trying. ”
She paused, her gaze drifting towards the fields, her expression turning somber.
Sighing she continued speaking while I sat and listened.
“My girl… she’s still hurting. She’s been hurting for a long time.
She tries to put a brave face on, but it’s obvious.
But,” she paused, a hint of a smile playing on her lips, “seeing you sitting here, talking to me… it means you’ve finally pulled your head out of your ass.
And that, Colton James, is a start. A start to making things right.
A start to maybe, just maybe, healing some old wounds.
And,” she added, her eyes twinkling, “a start to figuring out how you’re going to win my stubborn daughter back. ”
Before I had the chance to say anything, the sound of a car engine came down the driveway. We both turned to see Ember’s car pull up in front of the house next to my truck, the tires crunching on the gravel.
I could tell immediately when Ember stepped out and slammed her door this wasn’t going to be easy.
Her posture was rigid, her hands curved into hard fists by her side, and her gaze fixed on me.
The air crackled with tension between us as she stood beside her car and as I sat like a coward next to her mom.
Beside me, I heard Laura give a small, almost nervous laugh. “Oh dear,” she muttered, patting my knee as she got up. “Good luck with that, Colton.” She made her way to the door to go inside and yelled across to Ember to go easy on me .
I stood up and walked to the edge of the steps and slowly made my way down, all while keeping my eyes locked with hers.
My, my, my… was my Firefly on fire.