Like Dragonflies, page 20
“And what’s the easiest?” she asks, her lashes fluttering as sleep threatens to steal her away from me.
I kiss her full lips. “Loving you.”
Sage
“Tie or no tie?” Mars holds up a blue tie to his neck then moves it away so I can see him with and without it.
“The blue brings out your eyes, but you don’t need a tie, Mars. Save it for later.” I lift an eyebrow at him and smirk. He’s so nervous about meeting Dad that everything goes right over his head.
After the fall semester was over, I decided to transfer out of Ashton Hills Community College. I hated it there anyway and political science bored me to tears, even though I aced every assignment. Once we’re finally settled in our new place, I’ll enroll in a new college. One where I can major in art. Like Dad said, I need to start a life that I designed.
That’s why Mars and I found an apartment in a city far enough away from Ashton Hills and Duncan that neither of our insane parents would come hunting us down. It’s close enough I can drive to see Dad when I miss him though.
Thankfully, after the big blowup where my mom tried to get Mars in trouble, Dad was able to intervene. He convinced her—and even went with her—to see Sheriff Beauchamp to clear the air. Sheriff Beauchamp wasn’t pleased, according to Dad, about her fudged story, but since he knew her, he dropped his search for Mars. Dad pulled out his trusty checkbook and made a donation to the department that had the sheriff easily letting my mother’s meddling slide. I’m just happy Mars is no longer being hunted by the sheriff for crimes he didn’t commit.
“Later?” Mars is clueless and it’s so damn cute.
“Later. You can tie me up.” I wink at him and a smile cuts across his face. He’s still the most handsome guy I’ve ever laid eyes on.
My sweet Mars.
He presses his lips to mine then holds me at arm’s length to look at me. No matter how many times he does it, I still get butterflies. “You look beautiful, Sage.”
“Thank you.” I give his lips a quick peck. “And you look fine without a tie.”
“I’m just nervous. What if he interrogates me to death?”
“He won’t. Well, he might interrogate you a little but it won’t kill you. Come on, let’s go before we’re late,” I say with a smile. I take his hand and tug him out of our practically empty bedroom and over to the front door.
Now that I’m officially withdrawn from school, I can focus on making our little apartment feel like home. We have a couch in the living room and a bed in the bedroom but nothing about the space shouts Mars and Sage. It needs colors. It needs art.
We’ll both make sure that happens now that we have more time. Up until the end of the semester, it has been a constant cycle of Mars taking me to classes then going to work. Most times, if Dad was around when I got out of class, he’d drive me back to the apartment and we’d get to spend time together. On Mars’s off days, I got to drive The Beast to and from school. Now that huge metal monster purrs like a kitten for me.
When we get outside, Mars places his hand on the small of my back and guides me to The Beast. I climb in, mindful that I’m wearing a dress. This time it’s not because my mother made me wear it though. I’m wearing a dress because I want to look nice at dinner. I’m determined to be comfortable so instead of heels, I have on flats.
I slide over to the middle of the seat and click my seat belt in place. Mars climbs in the driver’s side and gives my thigh a squeeze. I rub the back of his hand because I know he’s still nervous as hell.
“It’ll be fine,” I reassure him as we pull off. During the entire drive, I serenade Mars with my bad singing and I’m able to pull a few smiles out of him. We talk while he drives and it loosens him up, just in time for us to pull into the parking lot.
Dad chose a restaurant in a neutral zone so we wouldn’t have to go into Ashton Hills or Duncan, and I’m so grateful for his consideration. Little things like that let me know that no matter whose blood is running through my veins, Charles Emerson will always be my dad.
“Ready?” I ask Mars, as we head to the restaurant holding hands.
“I’m ready.” He nods and I see the bravery in his eyes that I love so much. I give his hand a squeeze then reach up to push my fingers through his hair. His lips look too good not to kiss, so I steal one while nobody is looking.
His strong arm hooks around my waist and I feel weightless. Well, I feel weightless until I hear someone clearing their throat behind us. I pull away from Mars, fully ready to ask why this person is so close to us, when I realize it’s Dad.
The moment I see him, I break into an uncontrollable smile. “Dad!” I hop into his arms and he gives me one of those hugs that makes me feel like a little girl.
“Hey, kiddo. You look beautiful.” His smile is so bright and happy. I wonder for a moment if him and Mom are getting along. I don’t want to ruin a good time by bringing her up though, so I don’t ask.
“Thank you.” I smile.
“And you must be the infamous Mars.” Dad holds out his hand to Mars.
“Yes sir, Mr. Emerson. Nice to meet you.” They shake and I can’t stop grinning like an idiot. I have my two favorite guys in the world here with me though. There’s nothing more perfect to smile about.
We walk into the casual restaurant and the maître d’ shows us to our table. It’s tucked away in a private corner. It feels like we’re away from the rest of the restaurant and I like it.
I sit beside Mars and Dad sits across from us.
Dad looks from me to Mars and then says, “What are your intentions with my daughter?”
I blink in disbelief.
Mars opens his mouth and closes it a couple of times without any words being spoken. Once Dad has successfully flustered us, he breaks into a big smile.
“I’m just messing around, Mars.” He laughs so hard he has to dab at the corners of his eyes. “God, you should have seen your faces. Listen, I’m not here to grill you, son. I just want to know that you love Sage and you’re serious about her, because she’s damn sure serious about you.” That’s the Dad I know.
Beside me, Mars relaxes and nods his head. “Absolutely, Mr. Emerson. I’ve never been so sure of someone in my life. Sage is my reason. She’s my everything.” He turns to look at me. I see love in those denim blue eyes and it makes me tingle all over.
“That’s good to hear.” Dad thumbs through the menu and we do the same. Not long after we all decide what to eat, a waitress comes to take our orders. Dad doesn’t let silence settle in for too long.
“Sage tells me you found a job in a diner.” Dad looks stern but not intimidating. I can tell he’s trying to read Mars.
“Yes, sir,” Mars says nodding. “I took whatever I could find to start making money.”
“You’re a good man. I hear you’re into art too.” A small smile tugs at the corners of Dad’s mouth.
“Yeah. I’m not like Sage though. I’m just really into graffiti.”
“His work is really good, Dad.” I refuse to let Mars sell himself short so I pull up pictures of his work. Dad looks impressed. I’m not surprised though. Mars’s art is amazing.
“Wow. You’re good, kid. Stop downplaying your talent.” Dad flips through countless pictures in my phone of Mars’s art. After a few extra seconds, I gently take the phone out of his hand before he stumbles across pictures no dad needs to see.
“I can see why you two get along so well,” Dad says. This puts a smile on Mars’s face and he looks at me like I’m the prettiest girl in the room. “So, Mars, how much are your commissioned paintings going for? With a skill like that, you have to charge a pretty penny.”
“Well, um, sir…” Mars stammers.
“Call me Charles, please,” Dad insists.
“Okay, Charles, I never gave much thought to how much I should charge.”
“But you have thought about charging for your work, right?”
“Yes, absolutely. I’d love to do commissioned work one day.” I love the dreamy sound of Mars’s voice when he talks about his aspirations. It makes me fall for him even harder.
“That’s great to hear. I want something original for my man cave. I’ll give you complete creative control. Just tell me how much.” Mars’s mouth hangs open at Dad’s words. I’m not shocked at all though. I know my dad and he goes above and beyond if he believes in someone.
“Mr.—er—Charles, you don’t have to do that.”
“I know talent when I see it. I also nurture talent when I can. When Sage showed interest in painting, I made sure she had a corner in her room where she could let her creativity run wild. I don’t see the difference between nurturing her talent and nurturing yours. Show me what you got, kid. I want a Mars original on my wall.”
“Wow, Charles, that means a lot. I don’t know what to say.” Mars’s gaze drops to the tabletop. I can see a million things running through his mind. I wish I knew what each one was, but I know he’ll tell me later on when we’re alone.
“Say you’ll do it. I’ll make sure you won’t be there when Eleanor is there. Deal?” Dad reaches across the table to shake Mars’s hand.
“Deal.” Mars smiles and they shake on it.
The rest of the evening, we talk about everything under the sun and Mars opens up around Dad. I love the way they hit it off. The entire dinner has me floating on a cloud.
When it’s time to leave, Dad and Mars try to out-gentleman each other and pay for the check. “Why don’t we do this, I’ll pay the check and you can leave the tip.” Dad always has a solution for everything.
“Okay, that works,” Mars says with a chuckle. When I left home to be with Mars, he’d been horrified that my dad wrote a check to help us get our start. Mars is so proud and I know it’s hard for him to accept help from others. But Dad is giving and loves me. With time, I know he’ll love Mars too. Still, Mars insists we pay back Dad every penny.
Once the meal is paid for, we all walk out to the parking lot, and Dad wraps me in a warm hug then presses a kiss to my forehead. Mars hops in The Beast and warms it up while I stand outside talking to Dad.
“Sage, you wanna come past the house and grab some of your paintings? Mom is at a women’s group meeting, so you have a couple hours.” I hesitate for a beat, thinking about being in that house again, but then I nod. I’ve missed my paintings and my easel.
I let Mars know about the change of plans after I hop in The Beast then we follow Dad back to Ashton Hills.
I cringe when I see the yellow sign welcoming us. There’s nothing welcoming about this fucking town. After we’ve been driving for a while, I realize that Ashton Hills doesn’t hold the same energy that it used to.
I used to dread being here. I used to feel crushed by the weight of everyone’s expectations. Now, it feels like I’m driving through a memory.
When we get to Mom and Dad’s house, I suck in a breath and brace myself to go inside. It feels like this place existed lifetimes ago for me.
“You okay?” Mars asks. He brings my knuckles to his lips and kisses them. It gives me the last little drop of strength I need.
“I’m okay. Let’s get this over with.”
When we get out, Dad is already opening the door for us. I walk in and the familiar scent grips me. I remember the stress and the agony of hiding myself all the time for fear of judgment.
How did I ever live that way?
“Feels different after you’ve been gone for a while, huh?” Dad asks.
“Yeah, totally,” I remark with a sigh. “I’m gonna get my paintings and easel and get the hell out of here. No offense, Dad.” I laugh a little and Dad shoots me a look.
“None taken.”
“I’ll help you grab stuff,” Mars says.
We head up to my room and I can’t help but remember what happened the last time we were alone in my room. I draw in a breath and move over to what used to be my painting corner. I hand Mars canvas after canvas until his arms are full, then I load my arms up and all of the paintings are collected.
I place my paintings gingerly in the back of The Beast after Mars lays down a blanket for them so they’ll be safe on the ride home. “I’ll run up and get your easel,” he tells me. It’s the last thing we have to grab.
I nod and head back to the house with him to say goodbye to Dad.
“I’m proud of you, Sage,” Dad says with a smile.
“Thank you,” I say to my father. “Thank you for having dinner with us and seeing Mars isn’t anything like what Mom said.”
“I like to form my own opinions. And in my opinion, Mars is a good kid with a good heart.” I look up and see Mars standing behind Dad with my easel tucked under his arm.
He heard every word and I’m glad. He needs to know I’m not the only one who thinks he’s amazing.
“Thanks, Charles,” Mars says, a shy grin tugging at his lips. He tosses his free arm around my shoulders and I snuggle closer to him.
“I mean it, kid. Hey,” Dad grumbles, looking at Mars and aiming his index finger. “You better take care of my little girl.”
“I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
“I’ve got a good feeling about you two.” Dad chuckles. “Now get out of here before Eleanor comes home, and I have to spend my night talking her down.” I need no further pushing. I give Dad one more hug and kiss then I rush to The Beast and climb in beside Mars.
Before he pulls off, I thread my fingers through his dark hair and crash against his lips. “I love you, Mars McKinney.”
“I love you too, Sage,” he says quietly against my lips. We break our embrace and he starts the engine. The Beast rumbles to life, filling me with a rush of excitement.
We’re going home.
I don’t care that our journey isn’t perfect.
Nothing about us will ever be perfect.
We’re just Mars and Sage.
Sage and Mars.
And we’re finally using our wings to fly away to our own world.
A world away from all the chaos that tried to keep us apart.
A world that we’ll paint whatever colors we want.
A world where we belong.
Mars
Two and a half years later…
“Break’s long over,” Aimee says, popping her head around the corner into the break room. “Come on, man. I’m not closing this place down again by myself.”
“Five minutes,” I tell her, unable to hide my grin.
“Yeah, yeah, slacker. Don’t make me call your wife.”
I chuckle as she leaves. When I left the Freemont Diner, about six months ago, I took a job bartending at Cantrell’s Bar. It’s a trendy little place that overlooks the Mississippi River here in Memphis. It made a helluva lot more money than the diner tips I was used to. Best part about it, though, was Aimee Cantrell. Not only does she treat me like a little brother, she took right to Sage. Those two are close and I’m happy Sage has made new friends in our new home.
Pulling out my phone, I text my wife.
Me: I got it.
Her response is immediate.
Sage: NO WAY!
Me: Yes way.
She sends me about fifty smiling emojis.
Sage: I’m so proud of you. I knew you could do it. Collette is going to freak out!
And by freak out, I imagine I’ll get a screeching phone call in the morning. Bradley will end up having to run her and little Hunter up to Memphis so we can celebrate properly. Now that Bradley stepped up and married my friend, I actually am okay with the guy. He’s one helluva dad, too, which is more than can be said for most of the Duncan dumbasses around there. Collette is happy, which is all that matters to me.
Me: I gotta close up with Aims and then I’ll be home. Love you.
Sage: We’ll celebrate when you get home. Love you more.
I’m smiling when I glance back up at my laptop screen. The email from Zion at the Harbor Town District sits open, and I can hardly believe it. They’re updating some of the older buildings by giving them an edgy, new age feel while still preserving the look of the past. It’s a quick, inexpensive way to make the area look more attractive without dumping tons of money into renovating the old buildings. Hundreds of artists submitted their entries, and only a handful were selected to run bids by. In the end, it was my art and my bid that won.
My phone buzzes again and I expect it to be Sage. Instead, it’s her father.
Charles: I heard the great news! Congrats, kiddo!
I can’t help but beam at his text. After dealing with a lifetime of my dad’s shit, it’s been so fucking refreshing having Charles in my life. He’s the dad I never had. That man is so good to Sage, and since she married me, he treats me as though I’m one of his own.
I reply my thanks and then fire off my confirmation to Zion, letting him know my schedule. Luckily, it’s the start of summer, which means Sage doesn’t have any college courses. My days are free to take on this commissioned art project that’ll take up most of the summer. I’ll call Aunt Darcy tomorrow and give her the good news over the phone. She’ll want to drive up here and see it for herself once it’s all done.
Aunt Darcy surprised me. She’s one of the few people who knows the truth about Sage and me. I can’t say it went exactly as planned, but it ended with acceptance, which is all I could truly ask for from the only mother I’ve ever known. My mind drifts to the past.
“Talk to me,” Aunt Darcy says, her wrinkled lips pursed together as she stirs creamer into her coffee.
My eyes dart around Jimmy’s diner where we’ve decided to meet up. The regulars are at their usual tables, but no one is within earshot.
“Everything’s all cleared up now,” I remind her, hoping to get off the hook for this explanation.
She brings the steaming coffee up to her mouth and gives me the narrowed look that always had me confessing when I was a boy.
“Uh,” I start, and run my fingers through my messy hair. “Eleanor, er Ellie, she hates me because I’m with her daughter.”
Aunt Darcy’s brow lifts a fraction. “Out with the rest.”
