Chapter 74: Two Months Later

Vaughn

I chilled on the sofa, looking out the window at the swirls of snow rolling across my farm in Wears Valley, Tennessee.

“Fucking winter,” I mumbled, sinking further into the cushions.

My eyes scanned the land through the snowfall, taking in all the renovations I’d completed since summer. The farm was finally up to standard. It didn’t have Mollie’s fancy time saving setups anymore, but I had five cows, five sheep, and twelve chickens.

Owning a farm was harder than she ever made it seem. It was nonstop work and constant financial planning. Money hadn’t been such an issue when she was around.

I closed my eyes and sighed. Winter was a drag. Once the animals were taken care of, there wasn’t much else to do. It made for a break, sure, but it didn’t help the fact that the town was still struggling. Most of what I harvested went straight to feeding people who needed it, which didn’t leave much to sell.

Spring had to be better. I needed to produce more. I needed to make this place sustainable again.

I snorted to myself. Maybe if some of the useless people around here disappeared, I wouldn’t have to keep feeding them while they did nothing but complain.

“SOMEONE! HELP!”

A scream carried from town, followed by muffled voices and a door slamming.

Good. I didn’t feel obligated to help. I did enough around here.

Still, curiosity got the better of me. What, did someone die? Hell, I hoped not.

I stood and walked to the window, trying to make out the cluster of figures gathered around Elliot’s house.

“It can’t be,” I muttered. “That bastard better not be dead. Julia needs him.”

I shoved on my boots and headed down the hill. The whole town was outside the house. I spotted Julia’s blonde hair immediately. She didn’t look hysterical, which meant her husband was still alive.

“Who died?” I asked, louder than I meant to.

Julia snickered. “You’re an inconsiderate ass.”

“It was just a question.”

“Taro passed away,” Chen muttered. “And I’d advise you to be a little more respectful. He did a lot for this town.”

That caught me off guard. Respectful? “All I did was ask a question.”

“It’s the context,” Chen snapped. “And do you realize that what led to this started last summer when your precious girlfriend ran off?”

My jaw tightened. Mollie always got blamed for everything. Burned toast, stubbed toes, failed crops. Everything was somehow her fault.

“I’d love to hear how my precious girlfriend killed an eighty five year old man,” I growled.

A strained voice cut in. “Grandfather is dead because of Mollie’s selfishness. She left. People went hungry. She should have known sickness and poverty would follow.”

I rolled my eyes at Elliot. “Selfish? Mollie picked rocks and branches off the roads because you people were too lazy to do it. She worked herself unconscious in the fields while nobody checked on her.”

“Why do you keep defending her?” Elliot snapped. “She left you too.”

“Because if I don’t, no one will.”

“That’s because she doesn’t deserve it.”

That was it.

“Why do you think everything went to hell the second she left?” I snapped. “Because none of you were capable of doing her job. A whole town couldn’t manage what she did alone. And the way you treated her was disgusting. She worked all day feeding everyone, then got mocked when she went to the café.”

I looked at Elliot and Natalie. “You think I need to learn respect? All Taro did was tell her the weather.”

Elliot lunged.

I caught his wrists easily and twisted, holding him still. He struggled, but he was no match for me.

“It’s unlikely you’ll do any damage,” I said.

He pulled back and spat, “You abandoned your family. I had to pick up your slack while you chased your bitch around the country.”

I didn’t think. My fist connected with his face. His glasses shattered, blood spraying.

“STOP!”

Julia’s scream cut through us. She stood there, heavily pregnant, fury and tears mixing on her face.

“Elliot, stop it. Vaughn had to leave to come back sane enough to help us.”

She turned to me. “And don’t belittle Taro. He helped settle this town. If it wasn’t for them, you never would’ve met Mollie in the first place.”

She gasped.

Her knees buckled.

“My water broke!”

“Gross,” I muttered.

“Help me carry her inside!” Elliot yelled.

We got her into the house.

“Mom! Natalie!”

“Vaughn, get Mom!” Julia screamed.

I froze as Natalie and Elliot stripped Julia’s clothes off. Blood and fluid soaked the sheets.

I almost threw up.

“Gladly,” I muttered and bolted.

Vaughn

I went straight to Mirabelle’s room. She looked up at me with dull blue eyes.

Guilt hit me hard every time I saw her. I couldn’t imagine the day we’d have to bury her.

Maybe I’d been too harsh. Taro was Elliot’s father figure.

I knelt beside her. “Taro died. I acted like an ass because they were trashing Mollie.”

Mirabelle smiled faintly. “You’re saying her name again.”

I flushed. “Yeah. It’s been a while.”

I grabbed her wheelchair. “Julia went into labor. She told me to get you.”

She smiled brighter, and that made me feel better.

I wheeled her into chaos.

The Birth

Hours later, a scream split the house, followed by a baby crying.

Natalie burst out smiling. “It’s a boy.”

Relief washed over everyone.

They named him Taro.

Julia asked me to hold him. I did, easily.

Mirabelle smiled when I brought him to her.

Life kept moving, whether I liked it or not.

Mollie

Dan and I owned the stage.

The crowd was thin because of the snowstorm, but we still performed.

Singing with him felt effortless.

I didn’t sleep with anyone. I never did.

Kissing strangers didn’t fix anything. I was chasing a feeling I only ever had with Vaughn.

It never came back.

Mollie

Later that night, I stood on stage and sang to a nearly empty room.

I sang quietly. Honestly.

December by Norah Jones.

I sang it for him, even though he’d never hear it.

The Call

I finally dialed Julia’s number.

Vaughn answered.

With a baby crying in the background.

I hung up and threw the phone across the room.

Dan told me to move on.

I told myself I didn’t care.

That was the biggest lie I’d ever told.