Ember held her hand out, admiring it, her eyes still brimming with tears of joy. “It’s… it’s perfect, Colton. It’s exactly me.” She looked up at me, her smile radiant.
The rest of the night was a blur of laughter and conversation, the excitement keeping everyone buzzing. I held Ember’s hand, feeling the solid weight of the ring on her finger, a tangible symbol of our unbreakable bond.
Larry, Marge, and Agnes were the first to leave, followed by Avery, Lila, and Lori soon after. When it was just us, Ember pulled me outside to the front porch, the cool night air a welcome contrast to the warmth of the house. The snow had started to fall again, coating the ground in a fresh layer of white.
She turned to face me, her eyes sparkling under the faint glowof the porch light, and looped her arms around my neck. “I’m so happy, Colton,” she whispered, her voice thick with emotion. She leaned in, pressing a soft, lingering kiss to my lips. It was a kiss full of promise, of forever, of everything we’d almost lost but had somehow found again.
When we finally pulled apart, she rested her forehead against my chest. “Okay,” she mumbled, her voice muffled. “Now you have to tell me. How did you pull everything off? The scavenger hunt, all of it. Everyone was acting so weird for days!”
I chuckled, wrapping my arms tighter around her. “Well, Firefly, I knew I wanted to do something special, something that would remind you of all the places that areus.”
“So, who was in on it?” she asked, pulling back slightly to look up at me, a playful glint in her eyes.
“Everyone, practically,” I admitted with a grin. “Your mom and mine were a huge help, and were excited to do it. They loved it. My mom had the clue at the library because, well, she works there.”
“And Mom at the park?” Ember prompted.
“That was easy,” I said, pressing a kiss to her hair. “Your mom always enjoyed taking you there, it’s where you spent so much time growing up. It just fit.”
“Marge?” Ember asked, a knowing smile playing on her lips.
“Oh, Marge was thrilled,” I confirmed. “She was the one who thought of the rock candy clue at the General Store for Agnes to give you.”
“I loved that one,” Ember giggled, remembering. “And the antique store and the swimming hole?”
“Those were my ideas,” I confessed. “The antique store felt right for finding timeless love, and the swimming hole… that’s where so many of our childhood memories are. Even partially frozen over, it holds somuch of our past that I had to include it. I wanted to make sure those places were part of our story tonight.”
“And the covered bridge and lookout point?”
“The bridge felt like a crossing, a new path for us,” I explained, stroking her arm. “And the lookout point…” I paused to make sure I had her attention. Looking her in the eyes, I said, “Ember, that was where you told me your dreams. Plus, I wanted you to see the whole valley, where we came from, and where we’re going. Everything we’re building here, everything that’s waiting for us. To remind you of how far we’ve come, and how much more there is ahead.” I paused, leaning in closer. “And of course, the island behind my house… that was always going to be the final spot. Our first date, the place where our second chance truly began.”
She looked up at me, her eyes filled with tears waiting to spill over. “You thought of everything, Colton. You really did. It was so special and meant so much. It’s something I’ll never forget.”
“Only for you, Firefly,” I repeated, my voice husky. “Only for you.” I pulled her close again, pressed my lips to her forehead, and kept her wrapped in my arms.
We slowly made our way back inside. The celebratory mood had evaporated, replaced by a palpable tension. My dad and Richard are gathered by the fireplace with Garrett and Owen standing to their side, their expressions solemn. My mom and Laura are seated on the couch, their faces equally grim. The moment we stepped into the room, their conversation ceased, and all eyes turned to us.
“What’s going on?” Ember asked, her voice quiet, sensing the shift in theatmosphere.
No one spoke immediately. Richard cleared his throat, his gaze meeting mine, then Ember’s. A deep sigh escaped him. “Ember, sweetheart, now probably isn’t the time-”
Ember stepped forward, interrupting her dad, “No. Tell me what’s wrong. What’s going on?”
Richard did a quick look around at everyone before looking back at Ember. I noticed how Laura wasn’t looking at her husband; she was sitting next to my mom on the couch, my mom holding her hand. Uneasiness settled into my stomach. I knew that whatever was going on, it wasn’t good, and there’s only one thing, or person, I could think of that it could be.
‘Shit,’ I thought.
Looking at his little girl, Richard started talking. “We’ve all been talking, comparing stories, and well, we realized no one has heard anything from Cade for a while. Longer than usual” He ran a hand over his face, looking weary. “I’ve tried everything, Ember. I contacted the American Red Cross, Military OneSource. I even tried reaching out to his old recruiter because he kept in contact with him, but no one can tell us anything. Everything’s classified.”
Fuck. This wasn’t good.‘Where the hell are you, Cade? What are you up to?’I thought to myself.
Laura let out a choked whimper that had Ember immediately rushing to her side, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. “Mom…”
Laura shook her head, tears welling in her eyes, but she met Ember’s gaze with surprising resolve. “No, honey. Not tonight.” Her voice was firm, though it trembled. She patted Ember on her hand. “Tonight is not the night for this. This is your night. A happy night. And I refuse to let anything ruin it for you.”
“But Mom, Cade–”Ember started to argue.
“No, Ember. I said no.” Laura’s grip tightened on Ember’s hand, her insistence clear. “It’s your night. Your engagement. And right now,” she declared, her eyes bright with a fierce determination, “I want to take my newly engaged daughter and Paula into the kitchen to have a little girl talk and talk about wedding ideas.”
