8. Chapter Eight
Chapter Eight
Jack
It’s late when I pull my truck up the driveway and kill the engine. The misty fog has captured the mountain, and I can barely see the glowing lights of my cabin as I stomp up the steps.
I didn’t expect to be gone all day, but I needed everything to be perfect. My muscles are aching, my body tired, but it will all be worth it soon.
Emma might have agreed to stay here, but I won’t accept it until I’m worthy of such a gift. I’ve sworn to her father, God rest his soul, that I’ll take care of his princess, and that’s exactly what I plan on doing.
I kick my boots off and notice that all my shoes have been lined up nicely, a straight line with a clean mat underneath. I collect the ones I just kicked off and place them neatly beside the others, smiling.
I look around and the entire porch looks different. The dim light gives off just enough ambiance that I can see the wood has been stacked nicely too. My heart swells when I see Emma has laid out a bowl of water and seed for the birds.
I go inside and search for my girl. The cabin smells different – like vanilla and cinnamon. It’s spotlessly clean and I can see she’s been re-decorating. It looks amazing.
“Emma?” I call out.
There’s no answer and my tired muscles begin to tighten.
“Emma? Where are you?”
My deep voice echoes through the cabin and Georgie comes running out of the bedroom, her tail wagging so fast she almost loses her balance.
“Where’s Emma, girl? Where is she?”
Georgie spins around in front of me and that’s when I see it.
Standing at the doorway to my bedroom, Emma is staring at me, her eyes red and puffy.
“Princess!” I race over and grab her, blood pumping in my veins. Instinctively, I’m checking inside the bedroom, making damn sure no one is here.
“Who did this? Who made you cry?”
Because I’ll fucking kill them.
Emma sobs against my chest, her body shaking.
I fall to my knees and clutch her hands, begging her to speak.
“I didn’t think you were coming back,” Emma gasps, her words shattering my heart to pieces. Me. I did this to her. “I thought you were gone.”
I shake my head, rising to grip her face. Her perfect, beautiful face.
“No, no… baby. Never. I would never do that. I would never leave you.”
She trembles and I want to punch myself in the face. I hate that I’ve made her this way.
“I didn’t mean to be so long, I’m sorry.” I hold her head, pressing desperate kisses, hoping they will make everything ok again. “Please, let me explain. Let me… let me… show you.”
Emma’s brows crease and her red eyes lock on mine. “Show me what?”
I take her hand and lead her through the cabin. I grab any lights that I find along the way, four or five torches and the candle sitting in the middle of the table. I’ll need them all it’s so dark outside. There’s no electricity where we’re going either, just a sketchy generator that battles to start up.
Cradling her in my arms, I lead Emma to my truck and help her into the front seat. She’s shivering, her teeth chattering in the cold of the night, so I rip my coat off and lay it over her.
I buckle her in and tell her everything will be ok, pressing a kiss to her hair.
The sound of my truck’s engine is louder as I race up the beaten track towards my old cabin, the wheels spinning on the dew that’s starting to settle on the land. I didn’t plan on showing Emma yet, I needed a few more days to make it just right.
But I need her to see that I’m not going anywhere.
She’s curled in a ball next to me, her cheeks red, the rest of her skin pale white. I drive as close to my old cabin as I can and that’s when I see her glance across to me, a frown splitting her eyes.
“What are we doing here?”
“Wait in the truck, I’ll get you in a second.”
From the outside, Emma won’t be able to tell what I’ve been doing. I haven’t got to that bit yet.
Inside, I race around and set the lights up throughout my old cabin. Tools are spread out all over the floor from where I’ve been working all day, so I push them aside and throw a blanket over them to hide the mess.
I race around and check everything one last time. It’s not as perfect as I wanted, but it will do.
On my way back out, I make sure the old photograph of Emma and her parents is perfectly straight. It’s got prime position, directly about the arched entryway so it’s the first thing everyone sees when they step inside and the last thing they see when they leave. The smiling faces of my best friend’s family, standing in front of this exact cabin, is the perfect touch to our new home.
Ryan will always be a part of my life, my brother, my best friend. And I’m about to honor his memory by giving his only child everything she ever dreamed of.
“Come with me,” I tell Emma when I get back to my truck, a mix of excitement and nerves making my stomach queasy.
She grabs my hand, tentative legs making her unsure on her feet as I wrap my coat around her.
I guide her inside, and as we step in the doorway, I can feel her hesitation. Then she sees the photograph and looks right at me. I squeeze her hand and look directly into her amazing blue eyes, giving a gentle nod to assure her everything will be ok.
“Jack, what is this?” Emma whispers, her voice trembling.
With the assortment of lights, candles and torches, I’ve managed to give the cabin a gentle glow. Somehow, it adds to the ambiance, the rustic wooden walls providing a warm feeling, showing off the new paint job I applied today.
I squeeze her hand again, leading her further inside. “I’ve been working on something. For us.”
Her eyes widen as she looks around. She’s never seen inside this cabin, at least, she doesn’t think she has. She was only a baby the last time she was here.
Now, the run-down cabin from her favorite photo looks almost new. Not bad for one day’s effort. The walls are freshly painted, and I’ve sanded back a few old pieces of furniture that were left lying around.
There’s still work to do, but I’ve made a good start.
“I-is this what you’ve been doing all day?”
I nod and lead her down the passageway. “There’s more.”
I’ve put a new rug down and it leads us towards the bedrooms down the hall. There are three enormous rooms, plus a big master bedroom. They’re all ready to be filled.
This cabin is so much bigger than the one down the mountain. It’s ready for tiny little footsteps running up and down the floorboards. I imagine the sound of children’s laughter echoing through these halls, the sweet pitter-patter of their feet as they chase each other from room to room.
I’m ready for that. I’m ready to be a father to Emma’s children.
I take a deep breath, my heart pounding inside my chest as I turn into the first bedroom on the right.
“And this…” I let go of Emma’s hand and step over to the crib set up against the wall. “This is the crib you slept in the night you stayed here. That picture you have? I bet you didn’t know we spent the night right here, sleeping in this crib.”
Emma’s hand goes to her mouth. “I-I… wh-what?”
I nod gently, taking her hand.
“Your mother nursed you to sleep in that chair by the door,” I say, gesturing to the wooden rocking chair I re-stained today. “I can still remember how sweet she sounded as she sung you to sleep.”
Emma gulps down. “Why did you ever build the new cabin? This place is gorgeous.”
“It was too big. When I returned home from duty, I was in a bad way. PTSD and all that, I was broken. Walking around these empty halls became too much. I distracted myself and built a new home down the hill a bit. Big enough just for me and my dog. The idea was that it wouldn’t be as lonely, but I guess I was wrong on that part.”
She steps closer, one hand on my chest, the other leaning on the edge of the crib as she peers into the soft sheets I’ve laid out. She sobs as she sees the mobile softly spinning above our heads, tiny little woodland animals dancing in slow circles.
Her eyes fill with tears, but I think this time they’re tears of joy. She drops her head to my chest.
“Come on,” I say. “There’s more.”
I show Emma what will soon be our bedroom. It’s not finished yet, but it won’t be long before we’re waking up in here. She’s already making good suggestions on how we can improve it.
We move back to the main living area and Emma’s face is brighter than I’ve ever seen it. Absolutely gorgeous.
“I can’t believe you did all this for me.”
“For us,” I correct her gently. “And for your dad. He always wanted you to be happy. I’ve made a promise to him, to myself, to you, that I’ll spend the rest of my days making that happen.”
Emma leans in and kisses me. “I’m sorry I’m so crazy.”
I shake my head. “You’re not crazy.”
She laughs and widens her eyes. “Are you kidding? I was a wreck, I thought you were gone.”
“That will never happen.” I cup my girl’s cheeks with my hands. “Emma, you’ve given me a reason to live again. You’ve healed parts of me I didn’t even know were broken.”
“I love you Jack,” Emma whispers against my lips.
“I love you too, Emma. More than anything.”
For the first time in a long time, I feel at peace, standing with my girl in my arms. We’ll have a new family home soon, a new beginning. The past no longer holds me at its mercy, the future sparkling brighter than I’ve ever thought possible.
With Emma, we have a bond so deep anything is possible.