Page 37 of Finding Home

“Think of it as something to look at when you’re alone in your bed tonight.” Her voice has dropped so only I can hear her. She has come out of her shell with me this week. Bolder, and not afraid to ask for what she wants. I love that she feels confident and trusts me enough to do that.

“I’ll be doing nothing but staring at that picture, babe.”

“Really, nothing else? Hmm, maybe I’ll just have to send a better picture when I’m in bed tonight.”

“God, yes. Or better yet, call me on a video chat?”

“And risk your parents hearing us? Nope, not happening, buster.”

“Fine,” I mutter, sounding like a petulant child. “Have fun tonight and be safe. Oh, and give Lizzie a hug from me.”

“I’ll see you Sunday around lunchtime, right?”

“Yeah, and it can’t come soon enough.”

“Bye, Jace.”

“Bye, baby.”

The line disconnects and I grin. I can’t wait to surprise her when I show up at the festival tomorrow night.

My folks are on their front porch when I pull up. “Where’s Tink?” my dad calls when he sees me alone.

“Good to see you too, Pops.” I laugh, shutting the truck door with my overnight bag in hand.

“Oh, dear, you know what he means. Is she okay?” My mom meets me halfway, pulling me into a big hug, like it’s been three years instead of three months since I’ve seen her. As a teen, I used to love walking up and resting my arm on her head. At five foot nothing, she’s over a foot shorter than me, but she more than makes up for it in stubbornness. She pats my cheeks, checking me over in such a motherly way. Her once brown hair is now more gray than anything else, and she decided to quit covering it last year, embracing her grandmother years, “If only someone would make her a grandmother,” she said. At twenty-eight, she believes I’m doomed to be an eternal bachelor. My brother and sister are both in their twenties now and just starting to get the little comments, too.

“If you must know, Tink is on guard duty, watching over some people who are very important to me.”

Mom whirls around, slapping my arm, the fine lines that trace the corners of her eyes and mouth deepening as she smiles; her eyes sparkle with excitement. “Chris! Get over here! Jace has met someone.” She’s clutching my arm with enough force that I wince a little, laughing at her excitement. “You have, right? That’s what that comment meant, right?”

“Nita, let the boy talk, and maybe we will get more information.” My dad pulls me in for a hug.

“Let’s get inside and I’ll tell you all about them.”

“Them?” My mom is like a dog with a bone. My dad just smiles at her endearingly, and my heart twists, hoping this will be Harper and me in thirty years.

“You can put your things in your room later. I just pulled an apple pie out of the oven, so let's eat and catch up,” Mom calls as she heads into the kitchen. I follow to help carry plates.

I’m barely in a chair before my mom huffs loudly. “Well, now, are you going to talk or just enjoy tormenting your dear old mother?”

“As a matter of fact, I have met someone. Someone I care for a lot. Someone I hope to have a very long future with.”

“I knew it! That’s why you’ve skipped dinners and begged to change it tomorrow to lunch, isn’t it?”

My dad chuckles, not even trying to reign her in.

“It is. Her name is Harper, and her daughter’s name is Lizzie.” Mom clasps her hands in front of her. Her mouth opens to say who knows what, but I hold my hand up to stop her. “We met when I was visiting Juniper Falls this summer. She owns the spa in town, and a massage was the prize for the wood splitting contest. There was just this spark the second I met her, and it’s grown ever since. As I said, she has a daughter, Lizzie, who is four, turning five in the spring. She’s the sweetest kid, you’re going to love her, Mom. She can’t talk yet, but she gets her point across, and I don’t think it’s possible to meet her and not fall in love.”

Mom bats away a tear. “What’s this, hun?” My dad stares at her. “This is good news, why the tears?”

“Oh, you old fool,” she swats his arm playfully, “these are happy tears. Jace, you look so happy, and the tenderness in your voice when you talk about Harper and Lizzie, well, that is all I could ever hope for, for any of my kids.”

Taking her hand, I swallow the lump in my throat. “I’m very happy, Mom.” We spend the next hour talking, mostly me telling them more about my girls. My brother Caleb calls just past nine. He’s deployed in the middle east, it’s his first deployment, so it has been an adjustment for us all.

“Caleb, honey!” Mom exclaims over my shoulder, making Caleb roll his eyes, and I can hear muffled laughter in the background. He’s going to be getting honeyed tonight, I bet. “Did you hear the news yet? Jace has a girlfriend.”

“Mom!” I laugh at the way she jumped at the chance to share my news.