My thumbs tap across the screen.
Me
It’s over, for good, finally.
Tyler
Is she okay?
I send him back a thumbs up, and the three dots at the bottom of the screen appear instantly.
Tyler
See you guys soon. And Harlen, thank you, for everything.
I look up from my screen and see Cherry, Chase, and Rusty all at the curb, laughing, and I smile before typing my reply.
Me
She was worth being punched in the face for…twice ;)
I chuckle, shoving my phone back into my front pocket and exhaling deeply.
Casting my eyes to the deep pinks highlighted among the orange rays of the morning's sunrise, I whisper, “I love you, Mom.”
Then I run across the lot, snatching up my girl.
It’s late.
After returning to the lake house this morning, Harlen and I washed the blood away and then slept for what felt like hours.
We are on the deck, and Chase is still asleep inside. I’m curled under a black fluffy blanket with Harlen, when Rusty emerges through the large open doors, carrying three large mugs. One is black, the other gray, and the thirda mix of florals.
He extends his hands toward us, and he angles his chin to the floral mug in the front. “That was hers,Summer’s, she loved anything bright and vibrant. Roses were her favorite.”
I smile, taking the mug from him. “I see why she chose you then.” I wink, and when Harlen takes his gray mug, freeing Rusty’s hand, he pinches my shoulder in gratitude, a smile lifting the corner of his mouth proudly.
He rests back on the couch beside us and kicks out his legs, sighing deeply. “Your girl is flirting with me, Goldie.”
Harlen snorts, and I find myself giggling into my cup of tea, the milk rippling with my breath.
“In your fucking dreams, old man.”
We are all laughing. It’s so free and so light, it feels a little like…home.
Rusty leans forward, the chair creaking, placing his mug of black tea on the table before resting his elbows over his knees and clearing his throat. “Look, Cherry. I need to tell you something, sweet girl.”
Harlen shuffles beside me, sitting up straighter, and I flick my eyes to him. His brow furrows, confused. I don’t think he knows what his father has to say.
I return my attention to Rusty, where I watch him run a palm down the length of his face, and then both hands drag back through his hair. “I’ve ruminated over this for a while, and I didn’t know when it was the right time, if ever, to tell you, but I think you should know.”
“What the fuck is going on, Dad?” Harlen asks, voice heightened, and Rusty extends his hand in a stop motion.
“Relax, hothead,” he says, scrunching his eyes closed and shaking his head.
Harlen falls back into his seat with a huff, and I keep my eyes on Rusty’s deep blues. I have a feeling I know what he’s going to say, so I find myself saying it for him.
“Was it you?” I swallow the lump in my throat as a tear unwillingly slides down my cheek. “Did you…save me the first time?”
