Chapter Fifty-Three: Final Chapter

Chapter Fifty-Three: Final Chapter


“Annie...I need you. Please, will you come back with me?”

Those were the only words I needed to hear.

If Mason needed me, then of course I would be there for him.

He had done so much for me, after all.

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I only realized that I was just standing there staring at him when my mom opened the front door and stepped out, determined to see who it was that I was talking to.

“Well, Annie, aren’t you gonna introduce me to your friend here now?” She asked me with a bright smile for Mason.

After that it was all over and Mason had to be invited in and to dinner and to spend the night. He pretty much had an open invitation to stay forever after just an hour or so at my parents’ house. My mom was clearly taken with him right from the start.

My mind was weighted heavily with thoughts of his brother’s accident, but of course, he wasn’t about to discuss it openly in front of my family.

I got him alone to talk about everything further via the excuse of going on a walk around our property.

There was a big open field bordered with trees behind our house and we walked through it as we enjoyed the twilight air.

Sunlight slanted down through the branches of cottonwoods to create channels of light for dust motes to dance in.

“It’s beautiful here.” He told me, watching me surreptitiously; I could feel it.

I merely grunted in quiet response.

“I’m leaving in the morning. I hope you’ll come back with me.”

We passed along the banks of a little creek and on into a private glade of sycamore trees.

Without even realizing it, I had taken him to my secret special spot as a child; my playhouse of dreams.

To my surprise, it was still well-cared for, and was even strung with little ribbons, and the seat bench inside the little fort structure had a fresh cushion on it.

“Are you asking me to be your girlfriend?” I asked him with quiet bluntness. I couldn’t take this any longer. I had to know.

He put his hands in the pockets of his jeans as he studied me. “Yes.” He said finally. “I suppose I am.”

“Mason...”

I could barely believe my ears. I had been wanting him to tell me this so badly, but now I found myself flooded with all these new doubts.

“We-we’re so different.”

“Are we?” He gently turned me to face him as we stood by the little fort.

When we looked at each other, we were both seeing each other perfectly clearly. “We both work ourselves half to death to maintain the businesses of our dreams, we both feed the community, each in our own way. We both have troubles with our families, but we’re also both fiercely loyal to those families.” He cocked his head and began to slowly smile. “We’re both scared to death of getting hurt by someone we care about. But, I think, my dear Annie; that in this case, it’s worth the risk.”

He brushed his fingers ever so lightly across my face and I didn’t flinch.

I had come so far, because of him. I could let him touch me now, I had been a lot better about contact with everyone lately; from coworkers to my family, even strangers on the plane ride here.

Finally, I had come through the storm to find myself on the other side, and it was beautiful.

I began to smile and it was only then that I realized I was crying.

“What’s wrong, angel?” He asked softly.

“Nothing.” I answered, wiping away my tears with a little laugh then sliding my arms around his neck. “I just love you.”

He held me by the waist and studied my eyes for a moment longer. “I love you, too, Annie Caldwell.”

We both laughed as he swept me off my feet to carry me into the little fort. He laid me down on the seat cushion and we kissed and laughed softly and made love until all the light had faded from the sky.

It felt too good to be true. It felt exactly right; like the start of a new and beautiful thing, a thing that we could trust to stand the test of time.

It felt dangerously, deliciously sweet.

The End