She had no answer for him. Her parents had been taken from her in the blink of an eye. There had been no warning, no awareness, and no way to prepare. All she could do was help him fight his pain as it came and ride the wave of grief that would inevitably follow. He collapsed against her, tears falling from his eyes. It mattered least that he was a firefighter, less that he was a man and most that he was a son. No one could chastise him for holding on to Emily for comfort. Nobody did. He cried just as she had when her parents had died. She held him because she understood better than anyone else in his life what it was like to be unprepared for a parent's death.
She had never expected that the mutual recognition of grief could reinforce the sinew in a romantic relationship but she felt it then more than ever— in that moment so devoid of hope and so full of longing.
“Come with me,"he said, mopping his face with a wad of tissue. "I can't go in alone.”
She clutched his hand and stood with him. They walked together.
The room was all silence and sterility. It was possible the fluorescent lighting made her face look more ashen than it actually was, but unlikely. In her youth, the thick braid which hung by her shoulder might have been the same color as Avery's, but like her face it, too, was faded. Her cheeks were hollow with weight-loss and oxygen tubes snaked into her nostrils. Her eyes were closed. Despite her reduced complexion and wrinkled features, Emily could make out a bone-structure which had been passed on to her son. There was a stunning, unmitigated likeness between them.
They both wept quietly, as though the room were made of glass, the breaking of which would occur at the smallest whisper. They practiced the utmost restraint as they stood on either side of the patient but when he took her hand in his, she stirred and woke.
Her clouded green eyes shifted from Emily's face to Avery's.
“Avery,” she uttered quietly. She coughed and gasped for air.
"Don't talk, momma. I'm here. I'm not goin' anywhere," he said softly.
Visiting hours eventually ended and they were forced to leave. He promised his mother he would return first thing the next morning. Later on that evening, he kicked delectable bites of chicken pot pie around his plate but didn't eat any of it. He hadn't eaten properly all day. Emily managed to get some food in her as did Gran. There wasn't much conversation. After the dishes were washed , dried, and put away, Gran said goodnight and went to her room.
"Are you ready to go to bed?" Emily asked. He didn't answer, just stared into his half-empty glass of whole milk.
"Not yet," he said plainly, turning the glass so the milk left white ghosts on the inside of it.
"Do you want to talk?" she asked. "There has to be a lot running through your mind. Why don't you try telling me some of it?"
“I don't even know where to start,” he broke down. The floodgates were open and the tears were starting to form in the corner of his eyes. “I don't know what to do. Momma is going to be gone soon. Gran can't be alone. Aunt Bertha is on the other side of the country. There is no one here to take care of Gran.” Emily was confused by his elevated level of concern for his grandmother and his lesser worry for his mother. He noticed it immediately. "Don't get me wrong. I care about my momma. I'm just... thinking about the future."
She nodded. He was right to do so. She had the feeling that the more he concentrated on the future, the less difficult his mother's passing might be for him.
"She definitely won't go to a home," he said, running his fingers through his hair. "I don't think she'll want to leave this house."
Gran's wrinkled hand on his shoulder startled them both. “Child, when you gonna stop worryin' about your Gran? You got bigger worries right now. You just concentrate on spendin' time with your momma. Don't you worry about me.” She kissed him on the cheek. "Goodnight little babies," she said, disappearing back down the hall.
“She says that like it's easy." He sighed. "The truth is, Em, my Gran was more of a mother to me than my own mom. Until my brother died, she did whatever she wanted without a second thought. It wasn't until after Chad died that she started taking care of Gran.”
Her heart broke at the thought of any mother not wanting to take care of her own children, but his words explained a lot about his reaction to her current condition. Her own mother had been so doting. Motherhood was her everything.
"Do you think she would come back to Daytona with us?"
"I don't know. It's definitely a question worth asking," Emily replied, shrugging.
For two days, his mother held on to her life. Avery was at her bedside when she passed.
Emily did what she could to help with the funeral arrangements, but most of her time was spent standing quietly in the background. She couldn't help but remember how she and Amelia had handled the arrangements for parents chiefly on their own.
Thinking of Amelia flooded her with guilt. She knew she shouldn't have hung up on her sister, but wouldn't have gotten anywhere arguing with her either. She decided to text her sister, just to let her know she was away, just in case she was trying to look for her.
Emily: In Georgia. Be back in a couple days. Avery's mother passed. Dinner when I get back?
Half an hour later, Amelia replied.
Amelia: Dinner sounds good. Looking forward to finding out who Avery is. Xoxo
She laughed, remembering that things with Avery were still so fresh that she hadn't taken the time to go into extensive detail with her frigid sister.
Instead of letting Gran cook again, Emily took over the kitchen for the evening. Both Avery and his Gran were far too exhausted by their loss to do anything. Emily picked up the slack on everything they couldn't handle. She whipped together her mother's famous macaroni and cheese. Saying Gran was impressed with her kitchen skills would have been an understatement. She had the couple virtually married off with Emily barefoot and pregnant in her beautiful country kitchen. As much as Emily found it all to be insane, it also made her heart skip a beat, or twelve.
For the first time in days, Avery managed to eat and they sat around the table after they'd finished eating.
"Gran, we need to talk about what will happen next,” Avery began. The mood immediately moved from generally cheerful to quiet sobriety.
“I think you should come back to Florida with us. We can take care of you there. It's beautiful, and we have plenty of room. I have two spare bedrooms in my apartment alone.”
“You don't have to Emily, I could set up the guest bedroom at my house for Gran. We will get her all set up when we get back," he said.
“Does this ol' lady get any say?” Gran interrupted. “I don't want to leave Georgia. Isn't there another way?” she asked them both.
“I know you don't want to do this. I know you love the house and that this is the only home you've ever known.” He paused and ran his fingers through his hair, letting out a deep breath and continuing. “But unless you want to go in one of those damn old-folks' homes, you gotta come back home with me.”
The old woman scowled.
“Can I at least pick where to live when we get there?” She joked as she took a sip of her sweet tea. “I may want to stay with her just for the mac n' cheese.”
UNDER THE STARS
“What do we need all these blankets for?” Emily questioned while Avery piled them into the back seat of his truck. It was dusk and the sun was setting into the trees. During the day, it had been inexorably hot. The evening air was much more comfortable.
“I'm taking you somewhere great," he said. "Just trust me."
The light-blue, spaghetti-strapped sundress she wore fell just below her knees, complementing her eyes. She wore a white, jeweled pair of flip-flops and expected she'd end up carrying them by the night's end. He wasn't dressed particularly nice. In his jeans and t-shirt, he looked as handsome and striking as he always did.
"I guess you're not going to give me any information about where we're going," she said with a smile.
“My favorite place in Georgia,” he sai
d as the truck's engine roared to life. He drove down the gravel road, but before he reached the main street, he veered off down a tributary path.
The wide trail led to a creek which glistened in the twilight. There were only a few feet between the tailgate and the water.
“When I was younger, I used to love coming to this spot. No matter how bad things got, I could always come here and clear my mind.” They both vacated the truck cab and he took her hand at the back bumper. "I've never brought anyone else here. It never seemed special. I feel like showing you everything," he said, enveloping her in a tight hug. He kissed her forehead, then turned to let the tailgate down. In the back he'd laid, not only a stack of blankets, but an inflated air mattress.
He laid the blankets over the mattress then hopped up into the truck. He helped her up.
“So this is what the blankets were for,” she said with a chuckle. He pulled her into his side and she rested her head in the crook of his arm. They lay speechless, listening to the natural chorus of birds and insects that sang around them.
It wasn't long before the sun disappeared and the sky turned a deep cobalt. Stars twinkled in the wide expanse. Sometimes streaks would shoot out of nowhere.
"This is so beautiful," she said at just above a hush.
"What is? The creek?"
"Everything. The creek, the stars..." She rose up on her elbow. "You and me."
He thumbed her hair out of her eyes. "I love you..." he said.
Her heart could have exploded with the amount of feeling she had for him. But her heart didn't explode, it jumped in her chest and tears clouded her eyes. "I love you too," she whispered.
She ran her fingers through his messy hair, drinking in the sight of him. She never wanted the moment to end. His strong jaw lightly covered by two days of stubble, his eyes slightly puffy from the tears he'd shed.
“I need you,” Avery whispered, moving in to gently kiss her, moving his fingers through her silken hair. Her lips parted when his tongue applied for entry. She kissed him back with everything she had, allowing her hands to explore his body. As Avery's kiss became more desperate, she ran her soft hands along the waist of his faded blue jeans, slowly inching down until she came in contact with his growing erection. With her contact, he let out a throaty cry of pleasure.
He rolled on top of her and she gasped in surprise as his denim-clad cock pressed through her panties against her moist center. The simple friction sent her fingers sliding through his mess of blond hair, gently tugging as she bucked her hips up to meet his slow strokes. He licked and sucked at the delicate flesh of her neck. Her body began to buzz again, on fire with his every touch.
“Make love to me," she begged. He didn't answer, just feverishly continued showering her with caresses and kisses. He pulled away gazing passionately into her eyes. In them he saw the star-spangled sky, his future... everything he wanted in life.
He lowered his lips back down, running his tongue along her plump bottom lip before diving back into her intoxicating mouth. Her hands met with the hem of his thin, white t-shirt, tugging it over his head. Running her fingers up and down his sculpted back, she gently scratched with her nails.
She deftly unbuttoned his jeans, thrusting her hand into them to grasp his hard, thick length.
"I never thought I would find someone like you," he whispered against her skin, moving his mouth to the hidden zipper of her dress and pulling it down slowly with his teeth. The spaghetti straps tumbled over her shoulders and to her fingertips as her dress fell away. His kisses continued down her body, leaving not a single inch of glistening flesh untouched.
The cool night air met her creamy breasts. Her nipples puckered in immediate response. She made quick work of his zipper, yanking it down until he was fully exposed. She noticed he hadn't worn any boxers.
The bodice of her sundress bunched up at her belly-button, he eased the skirt up until she was almost completely exposed. She wore a skimpy pair of hot-pink panties.
He spent several minutes simply feeling her body, lavishing attention on each curve. He worshiped her, kiss-by-kiss. He kneeled between her thighs, lowering his mouth to trace his tongue over the fabric barrier. His movements turned insistent. He yanked the panties over her thighs and to her ankles. They hung there as he dove into her, stiffening his tongue and turning its tip over her clit and the swollen folds there until she was bucking in ecstasy. Keeping with the tried-and-true, he slid a finger into her, still licking madly. He sucked and nibbled until she sounded like she was speaking in tongues. Her first orgasm rumbled from her core upward then washed from the top of her head to her toes.
Thunder rolled in the distance as she rode the wave of pleasure until it calmed. Their mouths met in a passionate mess, her tongue exploring his mouth, tasting her own arousal, still fresh on his lips. He inched up her body, cupping both of her breasts, while feathering light kisses down her neck.
“I want to feel you... now...” she goaded as he pressed against her. She reached between their wanton bodies and gripped his erection, nudging it against the damp opening to her core. As he slowly thrust himself into her.
He pushed the last bit of his length in until his balls pressed tightly against her warmth. Her gorgeous pussy stretched to accommodate his throbbing cock. His mouth dipped back to her lips, tasting and teasing with every thrust into her body. His deep moans echoed the sweet sounds she made under his lips.
She panted hard, running her hands over his tight abs and straight up to caress his strong chest, bucking her hips up to meet his slow thrusts. Her second climax of the night slowly building deep in her stomach as his hard length grazed her G-spot. Her moans grew louder and her kisses became more feverish. She screamed his name as he pushed deeper into her. Her orgasm ripped through her rather violently. Her whole body shuddered.
Her pussy throbbing around his swelling cock was all he needed to reach his own climax. He bit down gently on Emily's shoulder as he thrust one more time into her soaking center. He cried out, spilling his seed deep inside her welcoming body.
They fell asleep for a while under the stars, wrapped in a fleece blanket. Only when the rain started to gently fall, did the couple decided it was time to make their way back to Gran's house. Avery would have loved to spend the entire night there with Emily, but mother nature had different plans.
A sharp crack of lightening jolted Emily awake as Avery reached for her dress and his jeans, all of which were balled up at the tailgate of the truck. They scrambled to get clothes on and into the shelter of the truck cab.
“I'm freezing!” she cried, laughing as the diesel engine roared to life and the headlights kicked on, barely lighting the dark path back to the farmhouse. “I'll warm you up when we get back,” Avery said with a mischievous grin spreading across his lips.
Like two teenagers breaking curfew, Avery and Emily snuck in the house trying not to wake up Gran. The jig was up when they crept through the front door to see her sitting at the kitchen table. Soaking wet and caught out! They both let out a laugh while Gran stood, poking Avery in the chest and saying, “I hope you plan on making an honest woman out of her, Avery Daniel Martin,” before she continued to her bedroom closing the door louder than normal.
“Does that mean we have to get married?” Emily questioned while they both laughed like a bunch of children. Before Avery could reply to her outlandish comment, she blurted out “but it would have to be in Vegas. With Elvis.” She clenched her stomach, trying to control her howls.
“Come on, let's get you in the shower before you get sick,” Avery said, picking her up off the floor and climbing the rickety stairs to the second-floor bathroom. He set her down and ran the shower for her.
“Do you need anything from your bag?” Avery asked before turning for the door, pulling a plush, white towel from the closet and placing it on the sink for her.
“Just grab me my black yoga pants and a t-shirt, please,” Emily answered while her dress dropped to the floor and she stepped into the s
hower. Avery froze taking in her stunning body once more before walking out.
“You are in so much trouble,” he grumbled before closing the door while Emily laughed.
He opened his old bedroom door, searching around for Emily's bag to bring her some dry clothes. No matter how old he got, he always hated going through a woman's bag, especially a purse. He found the black pants in question, and grabbing her I love Si t-shirt he walked back to the bathroom with a smile on his face. He remembered the shirt from their first date in the hospital.
By the time he brought the clothes back to the bathroom, she was done with her shower—fresh-faced and smiling.
“I'll be in the bedroom waiting for you,” he turned and walked out of the bathroom leaving her to ready herself for bed. She sighed when the bathroom door closed. She'd forgotten her hair-dryer.
When she got back to the bedroom, he was splayed out on the bed in a pair of gray boxer briefs.
“How are you feeling?” She asked. The day had packed so much emotion, she was worried it all may just have been too much for him. Not only had their relationship taken a new level but soon they would be burying his mother and going back to Daytona Beach with his grandmother to care for.
“I'm good, I think. What a strange day it's been. I know I should hurt more, but I don't. Maybe the grief will come later. Who knows? Maybe not. I detached myself from her long ago. Moving to Daytona made it easier. I didn't have to witness her self-destruction. She drank a lot.” He pulled Emily tighter in his arms. “But that's in the past. I don't want to think about her. I want to think about us and our future.” Avery shifted under her arm, lying on his side to look in her eyes.
“What about us, Avery?”
“These past couple days have been a lot to take in. I didn't know coming to Georgia would lead to everything that has gone on.” He examined her face for a reaction, but the only emotion she exhibited was affection.
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