Now that I had left the army, I didn’t have that problem anymore. I would just stand here for a while silently asking the same questions over and over again.
Of course, I would never get an answer. Bryan and Lily, his parents, both knew I came here and at what time, so they tended to leave me alone. They would always call me later in the day, though, if I hadn’t already been around to visit them.
Today was one of the days I would visit, though. They were forecasting a severe snowstorm this evening, and I wanted to make sure that they had everything they needed just in case.
I walked up to their front door and rang the bell. It was only a few moments before Lily opened the door for me.
“Hunter, it’s lovely to see you. Come in.”
I walked into the house and instantly was engulfed in her embrace. She was the closest thing I’d had to a mum since I was fifteen years old, and I loved her and Bryan dearly.
“I’ll put the kettle on,” I heard Bryan say.
I looked up to see him smiling and walking into the kitchen. Both of them had retired at an early age. Being solicitors, they had earned a great deal of money throughout their working lives and didn’t need to continue working.
Lily eventually let go of me, and when she pulled away, I could see the tears in her eyes.
I placed my hand on her shoulder. “Come on, let’s enjoy some tea and talk.”
She smiled, nodded, and led me into the kitchen. A mug of tea was already on the kitchen table, and I found Bryan standing there. I walked over to him and placed my arms around him. We all needed this comfort, today especially.
“Sit down, son.”
I had repeatedly asked Bryan not to call me son. After all, I wasn’t his. However, no matter how much I tried, he would still insist on calling me that, saying I was his second son andnothing in the world would change it. I sat down on a chair, and Lily sat next to me, taking my hand in hers.
“How are you doing, Hunter? You look tired.”
“I’m fine. Just had a restless night, as always. I did some cleaning at the graveside today, so it should look nice when you get there.”
“You don’t have to do that. And please stop blaming yourself for what happened.”
I went to reply, but she instantly stopped me.
“Hunter, you forget we know you. I know you blame yourself for Elliott’s death, but nothing you could have done would have stopped it. It’s time to let go.”
She paused for a moment. “Have you spoken to Ember? She misses you, despite what she said. I’m worried about her and that so-called fiancé of hers. He isn’t right for her. You’re the man she should be with.”
I sighed. We’d had this conversation so many times, but for once, it was time to come clean, at least to Lily. Bryan and I had already had this conversation years ago. So many times, he had tried to convince me that I should forget it. That it was just a silly promise Elliott had made me make when we were younger.
“I know I should be with her. I love her. I always have loved her.”
A smile came over Lily’s face, but I knew it wouldn’t be there for long.
“I can never be with her, though. I made a promise years ago. Elliott asked me never to touch Ember. He said I should let her live her own life and never get involved. He even mentioned it as I held him in my arms when he took his last breath. I made that promise, along with looking after you both. I have to keep it.”
I could see the tears in her eyes as I spoke. I knew they had always wanted me to be with Ember; I also knew how much she had cared for me and that she’d had the biggest crush when wewere teenagers. I guessed Elliott hoped that Ember would grow out of it when she got older, but she never did. Even when we were about to go on our first tour of duty, I could still see the love she had for me in her eyes. That was when I first made that promise to Elliott, and I had to keep it.
“Saying that, if Wayne ever hurts Emmy, I never promised not to hurt him.”
Lily squeezed my hand. “We know you would. But please don’t hold on to a promise if it makes you both unhappy. Even Elliott wouldn’t have wanted that,, I hate to see you so alone. You have a lot of love to give, and I want to see you happy.”
I smiled at her. I would never be happy. There was no other woman out there for me. However, after everything that had happened, I knew Ember would never be mine.
“I will find someone. I’m just not ready yet. Anyway, this isn’t what I came here for. I wanted to make sure you were prepared for the storm that’s coming in this evening. Did you need me to get you anything?”
I looked over at Bryan, unable to meet Lily’s eyes anymore. I knew if I did, I would see the sadness in them. Bryan quickly looked over at her and then back at me, then let out a sigh. I knew he was just as disappointed as Lily, but he would never voice it.
He spoke with a sadness in his voice. “We are all good, thank you. I went out yesterday and stocked up on all the essentials. We have a gas fire to keep us warm and have plenty of battery-powered lights. How about you, though? We do worry about you being out in the woods. Why don’t you come and stay here? We have plenty of room.”
