Page 103 of Reckoning

When Abel had their attention, he made the introduction.

“Hey, everybody! This is my son, Tate. He flew in for a visit yesterday. I talk about him all the time, and he wanted to see where I work.”

They all knew Abel’s story, and they knew his people. The knowing wasn’t new to them, but Tate was, and they all crowded around, talking and teasing Abel that his son had outgrown him.

Tate liked them, and he knew they liked his dad. It felt good to know his parents’ move to Tennessee had not been a disappointment.

He stayed until his dad got busy, then left with a promise to be back before quitting time and drove home to an empty house. Lilith and Briar were gone, and there was a note on the counter.

I took Briar to meet my parents. We’ll be back soon.

Love, Mama

Tate smiled. The silence of the house was comforting. The faint scent of bacon and coffee still lingered. He got a cold pop from the refrigerator, and went out to the back porch, settled into an old chair to watch wildlife when he heard footsteps running through the house, and then the screen door bang. Briar came out talking.

“We had the best time! Your granny Barton gave us a quilt! I have a recipe for buckwheat muffins.”

Tate caught her up in his arms. He was laughing. “I just love you,” he said.

“Thank you for bringing me along. I needed this. You needed this. I love you more.”

* * *

Abel and Lilith hosted a family cookout the evening of Tate and Briar’s last day on the mountain. People began arriving just as the day was beginning to cool, when the sun was sliding toward the horizon. They arrived by carloads, bringing covered dishes and their own folding chairs, then scattered the covered dishes along two long tables and set up their chairs all over the yard. Briar was introduced to so many people she lost count of who they were and their connection with Tate, but they kept her laughing.

The elders with the knowing came one by one to meet Tate’s chosen. They were taken by her spirit and sweet personality, and it was obvious to them how deeply she and Tate were bonded. It was as it should be.

The evening passed with food and laughter. By the time they were gone, and the tables taken down and stored, Briar had fallen asleep on the living room couch.

“Bless her heart,” Lilith said. “We wore her clean out.”

Tate shook his head. “No, Mama. You settled her sad heart. That’s not exhaustion. That’s relief.”

He picked her up and carried her up the stairs to bed, and they were up and gone early to catch their flight home. It was the best time for all of them, and going home to uncertainty didn’t seem as big a deal for Briar anymore.

She just needed to find a job.

* * *

When they got home, Tate brought their suitcases inside. Briar carried their quilt, holding it to her like she was carrying a baby.

“It’s our first gift as a couple,” she said, then went straight through the little house to their bedroom, removed it from the plastic bag, and spread it out over the bed. “Look, Tate! Look how beautiful it is! Granny Barton said the pattern is called Crown of Thorns! It’s a treasure!”

He set the bags down, walked up behind her, wrapped her up in his arms, and kissed the top of her head.

“You are my treasure,” he said.

She turned in his arms. “Thank you for taking me with you. I love your family. They made me feel like I was part of them.”

“If I love you, then they love you too. That’s how it goes. You get yourself settled and do what you need to do, while I get caught up on the backlog of messages I know is waiting.”

“Back to work we go,” she said, then flung herself backward onto the quilt.

Tate laughed.

“I just had to try it out,” she said, then rolled off, kicked off her shoes, and began to unpack.

He was still smiling when he headed to his office, and as soon as he logged into his laptop, the business of the day began.