Chapter 26 Nate
NATE
Thomas Reed could take his dumb policy and shove it where the sun don't shine, for all I cared, but not showing up when they beckoned me to a meeting would be a horrible display of professionalism and likely would only make the heat worse.
Ember was hiding, tucked under the covers in my bed with a promise she would not leave my house under any circumstances, and I had chased the last of the press off my lawn without giving comment.
It was time to face the music, and I had no real idea where to start with any of it.
Mr. Reed sat with a few other committee members in the small conference room at the civic center.
His call earlier regarding an urgent need to meet with me had been the least of my concern when I ditched the board and rushed out of the hospital to make sure Ember was alright.
Now I paced the hallway waiting for them to invite me in to what would surely be a caning or worse.
The past several months, it seemed like I'd been defending myself in this battle of traditional family values versus the ever-changing landscape of culture as a whole.
Embroiled in this battle, Ember and I had dug our heels in and fought against what people said was inappropriate.
I knew in my heart that had she been closer to my age, this would've been a celebration that the first-ever single Lightkeeper was finding true love in his Hearthkeeper's arms.
Yet something as petty as Ember's age had cause such a stir that people in this town demonized us.
I wasn't about to bow down and let them see me whimpering.
They were wrong.
Love is love and Ember and I were both consenting adults, openly and equally walking into this relationship with our eyes wide open.
And if I had to make a point about it, I'd have said that Ember was braver than any soul I'd met.
She knew how evil people could twist things, how volatile her past could be, but she stood for the tradition and women all over this community in spite of the risk.
If that wasn't the very definition of what sharing the warmth of a Hearthkeeper's role was about, I didn’t know what to think.
"Nathan, please come in," Mr. Reed said, opening the door.
I followed him in with my shoulders squared, ready to take on an angry mob for Ember's sake, but they were all seated calmly.
And they were dressed casually too, in sweaters and jeans, sipping coffee and eating donuts like they weren't ready to put me in front of the firing squad, which I knew well and good they were.
"Nathan," Reed continued as he took what was apparently his seat, leaving me to stand, "the committee has come to a unanimous agreement." He pursed his lips and scowled up at me, and I braced myself for his hateful words.
"We don't want to punish you. You've been an upstanding leader in our community. But having Ms. Harrison—or should we say, Ms. Hensley" —he lifted both eyebrows in disdain and continued— "represent the women of our community, it's just not going to work out anymore."
I was seething, biting back my words because I knew they were only going to come out in anger.
Ember had done nothing wrong at all.
She'd been the victim of someone else's cruelty more than once, and this was just another attempt to destroy her reputation and future.
"Respectfully—" I started, but Tina Walsh cut me off.
"Dr. Bradley, I think you aren't sure what the meaning of the word respect even is anymore." She scowled deeply, and I hardly recognized her.
It was like these people wore masks, and today of all days, they chose to take them off, revealing the muzzles and fangs beneath them the whole time.
"Respectfully," I started again, glaring at her, then Tom Reed, "I think you are wrong. Ember Harrison was a victim of a senseless and downright vile smear campaign in her college years." My heart hammered against my ribs, willing me to lash out and scream.
But I maintained control because these people needed to be put in their places. Ember didn't deserve any of this.
"Ms. Harrison survived that vicious attack that went public and made something new of herself in spite of it.
And now because of your inability to see her as a competent adult, because of you all devaluing her maturity and abilities, she is being cornered like a frightened animal yet again.
You should all be ashamed of yourselves. "
Reed squirmed uncomfortably and tugged at the collar of his sweater while one of the other committee members clicked his tongue.
I didn't even know his name, yet he had the gall to speak as if we were friends.
"Nate, come on, buddy. All we're asking is that you ask her to step down." His hands steepled in front of himself as he leaned forward with a smug expression and pie all over his ugly face like he'd rolled in it.
"Think of the little girls watching. What will they think? And what about the young men who are watching you? Those young women they could—"
"Stop right there!" I growled. "If you think for a second that my dating Ember might encourage young men to victimize women even younger, then you are part of the problem." I was seething now, rage vibrating off me in waves as my hands trembled with pent-up adrenaline.
"I will not back down, and I will not step down. And I will fight with everything I have in me to make sure this town sees Ember for who she is.
"A brilliant, powerful, very capable woman who has been attacked and abused, and she's standing strong as a brilliant light in this community.
That's who young women need as a role model.
" I swallowed hard to keep my emotion at bay, then said, "A woman who can face an entire town who hates her and still show up to be the light.
Because that's what being the Hearthkeeper is about. "
Without letting them speak again, I turned on my heel and stormed out, slamming the door behind me. I was done with this.
Their stodgy, old-fashioned ways would be the ruin of every tradition in this town until a new generation with forward-thinking minds rose up to see that people change and cultures change.
And women like Ember are the backbone of the community.
Climbing into my car every bit as angry as I was when I left home to come deal with this, I prayed Ember was still curled up in my bed hiding from the world.
A shock like this definitely wasn't good for the baby, and I knew from now until the festival and Christmas tree lighting, she'd be hard pressed to leave the house.
I hoped it didn't mean skipping my family Thanksgiving.
Mom was really looking forward to seeing her and getting to know her, but given what had just exploded in our purview, I would give her grace if she wanted to bow out.
And dealing with my father's reaction would be easier if Ember didn't want to go too, but I truly hoped she would.
I hoped she would see that nothing on this Earth would ever make me look at her differently and that there wasn't anything on Earth I wouldn’t do to support her and have her back.
And showing up at that Christmas tree lighting next week, announcing to this world that Ember and I were in love, was the first step in proving to this world that love can exist outside the confines of what previous generations considered "right", and that didn’t make it bad, either.