Page 46 of Ember’s Heart

Colton

W e had dozed off, wrapped in each other’s arms, as snow fell outside.

Laying here watching Ember sleep, I hated having to wake her, she looked so peaceful, but there was still one more part of my plan. As I gently nudged her, her eyes fluttered open, a slow smile spread across her face as her gaze caught the ring on her finger.

“Come on, Firefly,” I murmured, pressing a kiss to her lips. “Let’s get going. I still have one more surprise.”

She stretched, a soft groan escaping her lips, but her eyes were bright with curiosity. “Another one?”

“You deserve it,” I countered, helping her sit up.

Once we were both dressed, I took her hand leading her out of my room. “We’ll take my truck,” I told her. “I’ll make sure you get your car tomorrow.” She nodded, squeezing my hand, her eyes still shining with emotion.

The drive to her family’s house felt both impossibly long and incredibly short. My heart pounded with a new kind of anticipation now. Pulling into her driveway, I saw the glow of lights spilling from every window.

Ember turned to me, her brow furrowed in confusion. “What’s going on, Colton? Who’s all here?”

I grinned, my pulse quickening. “I don’t know. Why don’t we go find out.”

We walked hand-in-hand up the snow-dusted porch steps, and I didn’t even bother knocking.

I just pushed the door open, pulling Ember in front of me, her hand still clutched in mine.

The living room was packed. Richard and Laura, my own parents, Marge and her husband Larry, Agnes, Avery, her daughter Lila, and Lori—basically everyone who had a helping hand in making today happen.

All eyes swung towards us the moment we stepped inside.

“She said yes!” I boomed, unable to contain the sheer elation bubbling in my chest.

There was an eruption of cheers and applause. Our moms were the first to move, rushing towards us, their faces wreathed in tears and smiles. Laura enveloped Ember in a hug, while my mom hugged me. “I’m so proud of you, Colton,” she whispered, her voice thick with emotion.

“My girl,” Laura choked out, pulling back to cup Ember’s face, her eyes brimming. “Oh, my sweet girl.”

Then our moms were switching, and Laura was next, pulling me into a hug that squeezed the breath from my lungs. “I’m so happy for you two.”

After our moms, our dads came over to hug Ember and me.

Richard clapped me on the back, a proud smile on his face.

“Welcome to the family, son. Officially.” Then Garrett and Owen descended next, their eyes surprisingly damp.

Garrett gave Ember a tender hug, then turned to me.

He clapped my back, harder than necessary, but there was genuine warmth in his eyes.

“Congratulations, you guys.” Owen just enveloped me in a bear hug, laughing. “Happy for you two.”

Then came the excited congratulations of everyone else—Marge and Larry, Agnes giving Ember a surprisingly tight squeeze, lastly Lori and of course Avery, who descended on us with a squeal of delight.

“Let me see the ring!” Avery practically shrieked, grabbing Ember’s hand. She held it up to the light, her eyes wide. “Oh my god, Ember! Colton, it’s stunning! So perfect!”

Laura leaned closer, taking Ember’s hand herself. She studied the ring, then looked up at me, a pleased smile gracing her lips. “Colton, I’m very impressed. You did good.”

A wave of relief washed over me. I’d spent weeks agonizing over this ring.

It wasn’t a diamond, not in the traditional sense.

I’d worked with a local jeweler to design something truly unique, something that perfectly captured Ember.

It was a delicate, antique white gold band, handcrafted to resemble intertwining branches, with tiny gold leaves scattered along its length.

Nestled in the center wasn’t a single large stone, but a cluster of small, brilliant yellow-green sapphires, each one cut with such precision that they shimmered and sparkled, almost like tiny, captured fireflies.

I wanted something that represented her nickname.

And inside the band, I’d had a simple inscription engraved: My Firefly, My Home .

Ember held her hand out, admiring it, her eyes still brimming with tears of joy. “It’s… it’s perfect, Colton. It’s exactly me.” She looked up at me, her smile radiant.

The rest of the night was a blur of laughter and conversation, the excitement keeping everyone buzzing. I held Ember’s hand, feeling the solid weight of the ring on her finger, a tangible symbol of our unbreakable bond.

Larry, Marge, and Agnes were the first to leave, followed by Avery, Lila, and Lori soon after.

When it was just us, Ember pulled me outside to the front porch, the cool night air a welcome contrast to the warmth of the house.

The snow had started to fall again, coating the ground in a fresh layer of white.

She turned to face me, her eyes sparkling under the faint glow of the porch light, and looped her arms around my neck.

“I’m so happy, Colton,” she whispered, her voice thick with emotion.

She leaned in, pressing a soft, lingering kiss to my lips.

It was a kiss full of promise, of forever, of everything we’d almost lost but had somehow found again.

When we finally pulled apart, she rested her forehead against my chest. “Okay,” she mumbled, her voice muffled. “Now you have to tell me. How did you pull everything off? The scavenger hunt, all of it. Everyone was acting so weird for days!”

I chuckled, wrapping my arms tighter around her. “Well, Firefly, I knew I wanted to do something special, something that would remind you of all the places that are us .”

“So, who was in on it?” she asked, pulling back slightly to look up at me, a playful glint in her eyes.

“Everyone, practically,” I admitted with a grin. “Your mom and mine were a huge help, and were excited to do it. They loved it. My mom had the clue at the library because, well, she works there.”

“And Mom at the park?” Ember prompted.

“That was easy,” I said, pressing a kiss to her hair. “Your mom always enjoyed taking you there, it’s where you spent so much time growing up. It just fit.”

“Marge?” Ember asked, a knowing smile playing on her lips.

“Oh, Marge was thrilled,” I confirmed. “She was the one who thought of the rock candy clue at the General Store for Agnes to give you.”

“I loved that one,” Ember giggled, remembering. “And the antique store and the swimming hole?”

“Those were my ideas,” I confessed. “The antique store felt right for finding timeless love, and the swimming hole… that’s where so many of our childhood memories are.

Even partially frozen over, it holds so much of our past that I had to include it.

I wanted to make sure those places were part of our story tonight. ”

“And the covered bridge and lookout point?”

“The bridge felt like a crossing, a new path for us,” I explained, stroking her arm.

“And the lookout point…” I paused to make sure I had her attention.

Looking her in the eyes, I said, “Ember, that was where you told me your dreams. Plus, I wanted you to see the whole valley, where we came from, and where we’re going.

Everything we’re building here, everything that’s waiting for us.

To remind you of how far we’ve come, and how much more there is ahead.

” I paused, leaning in closer. “And of course, the island behind my house… that was always going to be the final spot. Our first date, the place where our second chance truly began.”

She looked up at me, her eyes filled with tears waiting to spill over. “You thought of everything, Colton. You really did. It was so special and meant so much. It’s something I’ll never forget.”

“Only for you, Firefly,” I repeated, my voice husky. “Only for you.” I pulled her close again, pressed my lips to her forehead, and kept her wrapped in my arms.

We slowly made our way back inside. The celebratory mood had evaporated, replaced by a palpable tension.

My dad and Richard are gathered by the fireplace with Garrett and Owen standing to their side, their expressions solemn.

My mom and Laura are seated on the couch, their faces equally grim.

The moment we stepped into the room, their conversation ceased, and all eyes turned to us.

“What’s going on?” Ember asked, her voice quiet, sensing the shift in the atmosphere.

No one spoke immediately. Richard cleared his throat, his gaze meeting mine, then Ember’s. A deep sigh escaped him. “Ember, sweetheart, now probably isn’t the time-”

Ember stepped forward, interrupting her dad, “No. Tell me what’s wrong. What’s going on?”

Richard did a quick look around at everyone before looking back at Ember.

I noticed how Laura wasn’t looking at her husband; she was sitting next to my mom on the couch, my mom holding her hand.

Uneasiness settled into my stomach. I knew that whatever was going on, it wasn’t good, and there’s only one thing, or person, I could think of that it could be.

‘Shit,’ I thought.

Looking at his little girl, Richard started talking.

“We’ve all been talking, comparing stories, and well, we realized no one has heard anything from Cade for a while.

Longer than usual” He ran a hand over his face, looking weary.

“I’ve tried everything, Ember. I contacted the American Red Cross, Military OneSource.

I even tried reaching out to his old recruiter because he kept in contact with him, but no one can tell us anything. Everything’s classified.”

Fuck. This wasn’t good. ‘Where the hell are you, Cade? What are you up to?’ I thought to myself.

Laura let out a choked whimper that had Ember immediately rushing to her side, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. “Mom…”

Laura shook her head, tears welling in her eyes, but she met Ember’s gaze with surprising resolve.

“No, honey. Not tonight.” Her voice was firm, though it trembled.

She patted Ember on her hand. “Tonight is not the night for this. This is your night. A happy night. And I refuse to let anything ruin it for you.”

“But Mom, Cade–” Ember started to argue.

“No, Ember. I said no.” Laura’s grip tightened on Ember’s hand, her insistence clear.

“It’s your night. Your engagement. And right now,” she declared, her eyes bright with a fierce determination, “I want to take my newly engaged daughter and Paula into the kitchen to have a little girl talk and talk about wedding ideas.”

Ember looked uncertain, glancing between her mom and me. But mom quickly spoke up, “That sounds wonderful, Laura. A fantastic idea, actually. And we can make some fresh coffee for everyone.”

Richard nodded, his gaze steady on Ember. “Your mom’s right, sweetie. Listen to your mom tonight.” The unspoken plea in his eyes was clear: let us have this joy, just for a little while.

My parents left a short while later, their faces still filled with concern for Cade, but their eyes shining with happiness for us. Now, it was just Ember and me bundled up on her front porch swing, taking in the quietness around us, watching the snow fall.

She leaned her head on my shoulder, her fingers tracing invisible patterns on my thigh. The joy of the proposal was all still humming between us, but the earlier conversation about Cade had cast a shadow over it.

“I’m so worried about him, Colton,” she murmured, her voice soft. “It’s just… not like Cade to be out of touch for so long. He’d know how upset Mom would get.”

I squeezed her hand, wishing there was something definite and reassuring to offer, but I couldn’t make promises, or tell her something I didn’t know.

“I know, Firefly. I’m concerned too. We have to believe he’s okay.

” My words felt hollow, even to my own ears, and I knew they didn’t quite reach her.

To shift the heavy mood, I nudged her gently. “So,” I said, trying for a lighter tone, “what exactly were you and our moms talking about in the kitchen?”

Ember immediately perked up, a radiant smile blooming on her face, chasing away some of the worry in her eyes.

“Oh! Everything! Wedding colors, themes, places, food… you name it!” She sat up, turning to face me, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

“We decided on a fall wedding, of course. It’s the best time of year here. The colors will be amazing.”

“Fall, huh?” I asked, picturing the vibrant leaves. “That sounds beautiful. So, fall as in almost two years or fall as in roughly nine months?”

She giggled. “Fall, as in nine months.”

My eyebrows shot up. “Nine months, huh? Is that possible?”

She nodded gleefully, her eyes dancing. “Yep! We figure it all out and it’s totally doable. The farm will be gorgeous, the weather will be crisp, and it’s always been my dream.”

A laugh bubbled up from me, a mixture of shock and pure delight. Nine months. That was fast. But then, this was Ember. And this was us. “Whatever you want, Firefly,” I said, pulling her closer, pressing a kiss to her forehead. “Whatever you want.”

“There’s something else,” I added, a secret smile playing on my lips.

Her eyes widened, suddenly curious. “Oh? And what is it?”

“Well,” I began, savoring the moment, “I spoke to your dad a couple weeks back about that piece of land I showed you, and he said he wanted to give it to us as a wedding present.” I paused, letting the anticipation build.

“He’s giving us a piece of land. Right here on the farm. For us to build our home.”

Ember’s breath hitched. Her eyes filled with tears, happy tears this time, spilling freely down her cheeks.

“He is?” she whispered, her voice choked with emotion.

“Oh, Colton! That’s… that’s everything. It’s exactly what I’ve always pictured.

Our own place, right here, where we grew up.

” She buried her face in my shoulder, her body trembling with joy.

“I can just imagine our kids running and playing in these fields, growing up on the same land we did. It’s perfect. Absolutely perfect.”

I held her tight, feeling the warmth of her tears against my skin. This was it. Our forever.

Our journey had been long, messy, and filled with mistakes, but looking at her, my Firefly, my future wife, I knew every single step had been worth it. We were home, truly home, together. And our story, our forever, was just beginning.