Page 61 of Reckoning

Tate took the shortcut through her neighborhood, and as he was crossing the city park, he saw his dad in the open doorway of Curly Gibson’s garage, lying on one of the mechanic’s dollies, working on somebody’s truck. It was ninety-two degrees and there wasn’t a breath of moving air. It was just a reminder to Tate of what a man does out of love for his family. How hard he works without complaining.

This would be Tate’s path, as well. Finding a place to belong and building a reputation that would support him and Briar. He was so ready for that to happen, but neither of them was ready to be out on their own.

Waiting was going to be the hardest part.

He was almost home, wondering if what had just happened between him and Briar would be visible for the world to see. He damn sure felt different. Fate finally opened the doorway between them. There was no more wondering to be had, and much to look forward to in the months to come.

It was getting close to sundown when he walked into his house.

“I’m home,” Tate said.

“In the kitchen,” Lilith answered.

He walked in, grabbed a cold drink from the refrigerator, and kissed her on the cheek.

“Is Briar over the moon about her good news?” Lilith asked.

Tate nodded. “And then some. Now that I know where she will be, I’ll be heading to New Orleans after graduation. We won’t see much of each other, but at least we’ll be in the same city. Big decisions being made for both of us,” he said. “How long until supper?”

“Oh…maybe an hour. Your dad should be home soon.”

He nodded. “I’ll be in my room.” He picked up his laptop and headed down the hall. As soon as the door closed behind him, he called Briar.

She answered with a breathless hello.

“Are you feeling better?” he asked.

“Yes.”

Then his voice softened. “I love you.”

He heard her sigh. “I love you more.”

“Sleep easy tonight. Dream of me,” he said, and hung up.

* * *

Briar was still smiling when the call ended. Then she pulled up the tracking app to check her dad’s current location. He was on the way home, but still an hour away.

She wandered into the kitchen to look for something to eat and settled for a bowl of microwaved soup and some cheese and crackers. It would be at least another week before the new cookstove was hooked up. The glass top on their old one had shattered when the tree landed in their kitchen.

So many things came undone that day.

Homes. Lives. Trust.

Her parents’ marriage ended that day, it just took longer to die.

Tate nearly losing his life to save her.

The stove was just another thing that broke in that storm.

She read in a book somewhere that time heals all wounds.

Maybe. Maybe not.

Even at her young age, she knew healed wounds left scars—even those you couldn’t see. While physical things that were destroyed can always be rebuilt, sometimes relationships can grow from tragedy, and sometimes a tragedy is the last straw to what was already coming apart.

Like a locked door being the last straw.