Chapter 125 Part 125
Asher
Lorelei stood at the front door, and Asher sighed, but opened the door. “Lorelei.”
“Asher, don’t look so serious,” she said, with a smile. “Aren’t you going to invite me in?”
“Sure, come on in,” he said.
“I brought cookies for the boys,” she said, indicating the tin in her left hand. In her right hand, she held a gift bag that was obviously for a baby.
“They’re in the kitchen.” Lorelei followed him through, and she smiled sweetly at both boys.
Oscar and Joel both started laughing, and Asher grinned. “Go do your homework or something.”
“Yes, Sir.” They were still sniggering as they left the kitchen. Joel returned a few seconds later, grabbed the tin of cookies, and disappeared again.
“What was that all about?”
“Nothing, they’re being idiots. What can I help you with?”
She sat down at the kitchen table and looked around. “You’ve made some changes. I like it.”
“It was Emerson,” he said.
“I thought her name was Emma.”
“Emma’s short for Emerson.”
She didn’t react, and Asher switched the kettle on. She kept quiet while he made coffee, and he sat down opposite her when he was done. She took a sip and looked at her cup for a long time.
“I know I handled things badly when we first broke up.”
“Are we reminiscing now?”
She smiled again, but it was different. “It’s been months since she left. We don’t see you anymore. You didn’t even attend Joey’s funeral.” When his body was found, the town had been in uproar. His murder case was still open, but there was no evidence, no witnesses, there was just nothing. Nobody could understand how something like that could happen in Two Bear Meadow.
“I’ve been busy,” he said.
“I want to try again, Asher. I’ve had time to reflect, and I realize that I didn’t always treat you the way you deserved to be treated. I’m sorry about that, I really am.”
Asher shook his head. “I’m not over Emerson.”
“Asher, I love you, I never stopped,” she said.
“I did, Lore. I stopped loving you, and then I found out how you cheated, and you showed your true colors with your actions toward Emerson. She never did anything to you.”
She lowered her head, hiding her glistening eyes. “I know I was wrong. I made mistakes, but what I feel for you just won’t go away. She left you, Asher, and I doubt she’s coming back for you.”
“It doesn’t matter, but the truth of the matter is that if she walked through that door right now I wouldn’t think twice about wanting her in my life. I can’t say the same about you.”
“There really is no chance for us?”
“I’m sorry. I don’t want to hurt you on purpose, but we had our time, and it didn’t work.”
“Okay. I’m sorry you miss her so much.”
She stood up and left the bag on the kitchen table. Asher listened to her footsteps, and the front door clicked softly as she left. Asher rinsed their cups in the sink, and turned when he felt another presence in the kitchen with him.
“Was that true?” Joel asked him.
“Were you eavesdropping on us?”
“I wanted to know what she wanted. She’s bad news, Asher.”
“I know she is, and yes, that was true. You shouldn’t eavesdrop regardless,” Asher said.
“Sorry.”
“It’s fine. I think she got the message this time.”
“We’re both glad she’s gone. There was no way she was going to become our stand-in mom, just so you know,” Joel said.
Asher chuckled. “What do you two want for dinner?”
“You know we’re not picky. If there’s meat, we’re happy. Do you want some help?”
“Nah, I’m fine.”
Asher cooked dinner for the three of them, and the kitchen table was set. Their dinner conversation was lively, and Asher chuckled as they kept talking, and ribbing each other about girls. When he thought about it, he was convinced that Emerson would have loved them.
The boys cleaned the kitchen, then they headed back to the hospital. Asher took the gift bag Lorelei had left, and Joel just shook his head. The kid was wise beyond his years, but it was something Asher admired in him.
They stayed longer than the visiting hours allowed, but both boys held Genesis, after they hugged and kissed Eden. Asher stood to one side, and gave them time with the baby. They were gentle, spoke in soft voices, and Eden couldn’t stop smiling.
“Did you tell your mom about Genesis?”
Winchester sighed. “Honestly, I don’t think she’d care.”
“Babies change everything, McRoy. Call her, and tell her, then at least, you know you were the bigger person,” Asher said.
“Yeah, you’re probably right.”
“I usually am.” Asher grinned.
That night, as he lay in bed, his thoughts went back to Emerson. What would their life be like if he hadn’t told her to leave? It was something he wondered about a lot. Would she have stayed? Would she have been happy? He had no answers to his questions, and it took him a long time to fall asleep.
He dreamed about the wolf that night, the fiercely proud predator, the Alpha of his pack, his gentle soul, and the way he’d protected a small child. In his dreams, he walked through the dense forest with the wolf, seeing everything through new eyes. It felt like there was a hidden message in the dream, but it took a while for him to see it. There was blood on a tree, droplets of it on the green leaves. A baby’s cry echoed through the mist, and Asher woke up covered in sweat.
He sent a text to Winchester, even though it was 3 a.m. The blood on the leaves felt like someone was hurt, the baby’s cry forlorn, and it made his skin crawl. The only thing that made sense to him was an accident. When his heart finally beat in a normal rhythm again, he lay back against his pillows, and closed his eyes.