Chapter 124 Part 124
Asher
“But Eden’s fine, right?”
“She’s as fine as can be, Oscar,” Asher said, with a grin as he parked the truck in front of their house.
Joel and Oscar grabbed their backpacks, and Asher followed them up the porch steps, and into the house. With all the excitement going on with Genesis’ arrival, he’d almost forgotten about the letter.
“I received a letter from your father,” Asher began.
“What did it say?” Joel asked him.
“It’s on the coffee table if you want to read it. He’s trying to make amends.”
Oscar shook his head. “There’s nothing he can say that will take away what he did.”
Asher nodded his head. “That’s true, but the only person you’re hurting by hating him is yourself. You don’t forgive to make the other person feel better, you forgive so you can heal. Forgiving doesn’t mean you let him back into your life. Forgiveness means you free yourself from your past.”
“Are you preaching to us, or to yourself?”
Asher stood in the foyer and looked at Joel. He’d blossomed under Asher’s care, and with that came a sharp mind, and a quick tongue. Oscar had become more outgoing, and Asher liked that they could talk openly to him.
“Joel!”
“No, he’s right. I have to learn to forgive, too. It’s something I’m not good at. I meant it when I said that you could always talk freely to me.”
“Have you forgiven Emerson?” Both boys knew parts of that story. Colt had started it on their annual spring camping weekend, when the boys had gone with Asher. Colt didn’t know everything, and Asher knew that if he wanted their complete trust, he had to be honest. You couldn’t bullshit those two boys, they saw right through it.
“I like to think I have. Some days I regret sending her away, and other days I think I did the right thing. I can’t know for sure either way,” Asher said.
“I think if I read his letter now it’ll take me longer to make peace with what happened,” Joel said.
“That’s fair, and it’s absolutely your choice. That letter will stay on that coffee table.”
Oscar nodded his head, and headed to the kitchen. “How long before visiting time?”
“We’ll go back later this afternoon. We’ll have an earlier than normal dinner, and then head out.”
Joel turned to follow his brother, but stopped, and turned back. “Is it worth it, falling in love?
“What?” Asher asked, with a chuckle.
“When you fall in love and it ends, you feel alone and hurt. Is it worth it?”
“Wow, where did that come from?” Asher looked quizzically at Joel.
“You don’t date, and we’ve been here for months. So, was it worth it to fall in love with Emerson?”
“There’s a girl you like,” Asher said, and sat down on the couch.
“Yeah.” Joel sighed, and sat down next to him.
“It hurt a lot when Emerson just left, and when I couldn’t find her afterward, when I realized what an idiot I’d been, but I don’t regret a second of the time I spent with her. It gets better over time,” Asher said, and looked at him. “That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take the chance. Love is always worth it. You never know, this girl might be your one.”
Joel laughed, and shook his head. “Nobody meets the one when they’re 17.”
“No, you’re right, few people are that lucky.” Joel frowned, but Asher got to his feet again, and joined Oscar in the kitchen.
“He’s got hearts in his eyes for Claudia Mitchells.”
“Pastor Mitchells’ daughter?”
“Big hearts,” Oscar said.
“I do not have hearts in my eyes!” Joel said loudly, from the living room.
Asher chuckled. “I said the same thing once, and realized pretty quickly that I did.”
Oscar grinned, and shook his head. “He wants to ask her to the festival dance.”
“Does she like him back?” He lowered his voice because he knew Joel would be listening.
“Maybe it’s time to have the talk with him.”
Asher’s mouth gaped open, and Oscar laughed. “With the pastor’s daughter?”
“Asher, you should see your face. It’s not the 1920s anymore. These days, kids get pregnant at school.”
“Joel!”
He appeared in the kitchen doorway a few seconds later. “Yeah?”
“If you impregnate Claudia Mitchells, Thomas will chase you with a horsewhip!”
Joel chuckled, and shook his head. “He didn’t whip Winchester.”
“Winchester wasn’t 17! I’m serious, Joel. That girl is as off limits to sex as they come.”
“You should tell her that,” Oscar commented.
Asher lowered his head into his hands. “Have you…shit, Joel, use protection.”
“We haven’t done anything! Oscar’s riling you up.” Oscar started laughing, and Asher glared at him.
“Not funny. Accidents happen, and a child is for life, that responsibility never stops, and you’re only 17. What about college?”
“Asher, stop,” Joel said, and laughed again. “I just like the girl. I haven’t even so much as kissed her yet.”
“Keep it to activities with all your clothes on,” Asher said. Both boys laughed, and he shook his head. “Are you trying to give me a heart attack before I’m 30?”
“How old were you when it happened?”
“I’m not answering that,” Asher said, and stood up from the kitchen table.
“Younger than 17?” Joel asked, and Asher shook his head again. “You know Colt has a big mouth!”
“We know Colt was 16,” Oscar said, with a grin.
“Pops was right, Colt fell on his head as a baby.”
“Aww, come on, Asher. We’re all men here,” Joel said, and laughed again.
“I’m way too young for a girl to come knocking on my door and hand me a grandchild!”
Both boys laughed loudly, and Asher narrowed his eyes. “Fine. I’ll buy you each a box of condoms. If some girl comes knocking, you’ll face the consequences, then I’ll be the one laughing.”
Asher turned his head at the knock on the front door, and both boys started laughing hysterically. “I swear, that’s not for us.”