So we had to play the waiting game until we were prepared to head out. So, in the meantime, Tommy and I stayed in the cabin while Betty and Brose went out to run some errands and look for anything worth hunting. Though I felt like I was babysitting Tommy all over again, considering how he didn't even bother to crawl out of bed this morning.

"Aren't you supposed to be the gang leader?"

I flicked his forehead, getting him to open his eyes just a little.

"Your crew is out while you're sitting here recovering. What were you again? Not drunk?"

"I was tipsy," he mumbled. "Very tipsy."

"Is that so? Because, as a very tipsy man, you were saying some very interesting things to me that I'm sure sober you would never have said to my face. I don't understand how you can manage to drink that stuff anyway."

"It's just like a reward, for one. And secondly, I remember everything I said last night. I don't regret anything."

"So you meant it when you said you wouldn't be against having another wedding?"

"I meant every word."

"Ugh. Can you at least sit up? You need to drink water."

"I'm about to go to the river," he yawned. "I'll get plenty of water in me then. Especially because I'm in desperate need of a bath."

"Mhm. You do stink."

He rose up immediately.

"I smell that bad to you?"

"...No..."

"Ember."

"Ok, well, on the way back here, you did fall multiple times. Into dirt. And you were also sweaty at the time, so...you don't smell...pleasant."

"You're basically telling me I need to get out of this cabin and go wash up, I'm catching on now. When I get back, I'll smell much better. Maybe even better enough for a-"

"Tommy, don't push your luck here."

He pouted like a child. In a way, he was a child. He treated the alcohol last night like it was candy.

"If you need anything, I'll be at the river," he groaned, standing up. "My head..."

"Do you think you'll lay off the moonshine next time?"

"I'll try. I can't keep doing this, you know. Drinking every time we have something to celebrate...it's catching up to me."

"You're such an alcoholic."

"No, I ain't."

"Yeah, right."

"I ain't."

"Prove it, then."

"How? Do you want me to stop drinking entirely?"

"I mean...it wouldn't hurt to see you more sober."

"Uh-in case you have forgotten, silver dime, we hardly will be seeing each other after this entire situation is over. Remember? You said you wanted to live in a cabin."

"Yes, actually. A cabin like this would be perfect."

"Well, if nobody owns it, it might as well be yours."

"And if somebody does own it?"

"Everyone has a price," he said, clicking his tongue. "It's just a matter of paying. And I'll be the one to pay."

"Oh, that's nice of you, but you don't have to do that. I have plenty of money myself."

"I'm sure you do. But you can think of it as a parting gift. Anyway, I'm off to that river y'all were talking about. If you need anything, you'll know where I'll be."

"Right, I should be fine. But you know I can handle myself."

"I know it."

"Oh, and don't forget your soap either! Please don't forget your soap!"

"I get it, Ember!"

With that, he shut the door, leaving me with myself and my thoughts. Now that I was looking through the cabin once more, I realized how dusty a lot of things were. Plenty of the surfaces needed to be wiped down as well. Though we had butlers and maids at the mansion, we still knew how to clean up after ourselves. Just because we were wealthy didn't mean we had to be disgusting. I remember dad threatening to ground us if we ever left our rooms a mess. And, till this day, I still make sure my room is properly organized. So I found a broom, tied up my hair, and got to work, looking forward to seeing how the cabin would look once I cleaned it. There was plenty of dust and dirt that needed to be swept, shelves that needed to be wiped, and the windows. I had to cover my nose and mouth as well to prevent myself from breathing it all in. As I was wiping the windows down, I heard a horse neigh outside, one that didn't sound like Onyx or Frankie, Tommy's horse. I figured it had to belong to either Betty or Brose, so I kept doing what I was doing unbothered. When the door opened, I looked to my side to see someone walk in...but it wasn't either of them. Instead, it was someone wearing a long, velvety, dark cloak, with a big hood covering their face. It was way too hot to be wearing anything like that in this Florida weather, so I knew that whoever was covering themselves really wanted to hide their face. The figure looked around, saw our things, then looked toward me, as if they were angered that we even thought about settling here.

"I-I'm sorry, if you live here, then we can leave-"

The person didn't give me any time to explain. They lunged my way, quickly forcing me to fall back and drop everything I was holding. I rolled away at the last second and regained my footing.

"Well, I see how this is going to go," I muttered. I looked around for my revolver, but it wasn't within reach. I had left it on the kitchen table, right where the figure was standing. I had to use my fists. I didn't want to kill the person, so I decided to withhold my lightning powers unless things got really bad. For the next few minutes, we threw punches at each other left and right, but most of them dodged. The mysterious person had incredible speed and stamina, which reminded me of my training sessions with Julius. I missed him dearly. I had to make him proud. I decided to aim for the figure's stomach, hoping to weaken them in that area, and I managed to get a hard punch in. The person stumbled and let out a small groan, their voice sounding more like a female's if anything.

"I promise you we will leave this place if you just give us time," I huffed, stepping closer toward her. "We aren't bandits. We didn't take anything."

She hastily patted herself down before pulling out her own gun. She aimed a small, bronze pistol at me, aiming straight at my head.

"Fine," I muttered, letting lightning crackle within my fingertips. "It never had to be this way, though."

As she looked up, I saw just a mere fraction of her face. It looked familiar. Way too familiar. It almost stunned me. My mouth let out a small gasp, and right when it did, the cloth covering my face loosened and fell. The woman let out a small gasp herself. She set her pistol down, stood, and began to slide her hood backwards. I couldn't believe it. She had the same curly blonde hair I remembered from my childhood. The same ocean-blue eyes. She just looked older.

"...Mom?"

"Ember," her voice shuddered, and tears began to fill her eyes. "Oh gosh. I'm so sorry. I am so incredibly sorry. I've had to keep my guard up all this time and-"

I cut her off, giving her the biggest hug I've ever given anyone in my life. I never wanted to let go of her. I couldn't. I thought about her for so many years. Wondering where she was-wondering if she even managed to survive being on her own. Now I could finally have closure. Something I've been longing for an incredible amount of time. We both just fell to the floor and sobbed into each other's arms, just grateful that we were able to reunite after so long. I let her pick up and trace over my face- my wet, snotty face-and stroke my hair like how she used to. My body was still in complete disbelief at her presence.

"You're all grown up," she said, smiling weakly. "Into this beautiful young woman. Oh, how I regret not being there for you all these years. And your hair...how, exactly, is it more grayish-looking than mine?"

"It's a long story," I laughed. "An incredibly long story."

"Well, I'm glad I'll be able to hear it since I didn't kill you. You have amazing fighting skills. Who taught you?"

"I had a trainer named Julius. He taught me everything I know about defending myself. You're not too shabby yourself, mom."

"Thank you. It took me a few years to get into the swing of things, but I learned to defend myself, too. Especially since...gosh, do you know?"

"I know everything. I remember that argument that you and dad had when I was younger. You wanted to take us with you, but then-"

"Your dad insisted on just us going on a trip, yes. We were both about to leave when all of a sudden, he had to stay behind for business. I knew by that point something was up. He wanted me gone. Permanently."

"I saw him pay a lawman after you left."

"Mhm. Figures."

She let out a heavy sigh and pulled me in closer. Though I had grown much bigger over the years, she still held me as if I were still a child.

"I managed to escape. It was rainy and difficult to see, but I made my way. It was the most painful decision of my life, leaving you three behind. I wanted to turn back and hug y'all one last time, but I knew better. He's mad at me. I didn't want to risk him being mad at you three as well. If he's willing to kill me, who knows what else he's willing to do."

"Oh, he gets mad at me all the time. But I have a good reason for making him mad."

"What happened?"

"After you were gone, he forced us to stay in the mansion until we got married."

"What?"

"When he first told us that, he said that it was an idea that you would agree on. Because it was for our safety and whatnot. He said that Midnightsville is a dangerous place."

"Oh, absolutely not! Are you kidding me!? Well-the city can be dangerous at times, but that doesn't mean he had to lock y'all up at the mansion! And he-wait...oh goodness...your marriages. I missed your weddings. I missed everything."

"Well, lucky for you, I'm not married. I had a wedding planned and all, but we didn't go through with it."

"...Sweetheart, I'm sorry."

"It's alright, honestly. It's actually a funny story how everything came to be. I'll tell you from the beginning. You'll laugh, I promise."

So I told her the whole story. From when I met Tommy with my "Ghostskinfluenza" and everything until now. She maintained a surprised look on her face, as if she wasn't sure how to respond, but she did have to ask one thing.

"Where is he right now? Your...almost...husband...?"

"Who? Tommy? He's out by the river. He had to clean himself up after last night."

"Mm."

"Mom?"

"Hm?"

"What are you thinking right now?"

"Nothing-it's just...you told me everything that happened. You told me your plan to stay in a cabin for the rest of your life. And if that's what you wish to do, sweetheart, I won't stop you from living that dream."

"...But..."

"...But...take it from me, sweetheart...I've been hopping from cabin to cabin for years. By myself. And of course, everything is nice and peaceful when you're by yourself, but only for so long. After a while, your body craves being around the people you care about. I don't think anyone will know how badly I wanted to return to y'all...every day I experienced heartache. Being in a cabin by yourself may seem nice at first, Ember, but you must think about everything long-term. It seems to me that the man who rescued you and killed for you is quite fond of you. And there's not a whole lot of men out there who'd do that for someone they've only known a short while. You may start to miss him while you both are living you're seperate lives. I know he'll miss you, too."

"I told him not to grow attached."

"Oh, Ember. It doesn't matter what you do or don't tell him. I guarantee you that he'll always feel the same way. If you truly do wish to live in a cabin alone for the rest of your life, we can make that arrangement since I've been moving from cabin to cabin all these years, and I know plenty of locations you can call home. But I honestly don't think that'd be a good idea."

"Mom-"

"I can tell that you love him when you talk about him. Your eyes soften just a bit. It's that same look I gave your father when we were together. You know-until he became a lying dirtbag. But this isn't about us anyway-it's about you two."

"Well, I don't know if I want to love right now," I sighed. "There are too many things going on. Besides, he wants to live in the mansion, remember? I don't want to live there anymore."

"I can see your point, although with your father gone, you could recreate the mansion to be someplace completely different than your childhood. You're making completely new memories with the man you're in love with-"

"I'm not in love with him."

"Oh yeah, keep denying it. See how far that gets you."

"I-okay, you know what? Sure, when I kissed him, it felt nice. I wanted to do it again. But that doesn't mean-"

"Let me ask you this, Ember. Can you continue to imagine living a life without him present?"

"...Uh. Y-yeah of course I can-"

"You're stuttering. You still stutter when you lie. Quit lying to me and go see him right now."

"First of all, I didn't stutter."

"Mhm."

"Secondly, mom, he's bathing. It'd be weird for me to confess my love when he's-"

I stopped when I heard footsteps outside. Since I didn't hear any horses, I knew it had to be Tommy returning.

"He's not bathing now, is he?"

"Mom!"

"What? You know I'm right."

"Ugh. I'll go. But that doesn't mean I'm confessing my love toward him. We're just going to talk. And then, I'm going to return from talking, because I desperately need to spend time with the parent whom I haven't seen for years."

"Yes, we can continue to talk as long as you want. I'm not going anywhere."

"Do you promise?"

"I promise with all my heart, Ember. From here on out. I love you so much. You and your sisters. Now go tell that man that you love him. Go on."

"Ugh."

I walked off, just feeling defeated that I couldn't convince her. Tommy immediately noticed me, perking up once he saw me walking his way. He was busy taking care of his horse, giving him extra carrots as an apology for falling off him so many times on the way back to the cabin last night.

"You alright?"

"Not really."

He stopped what he was doing to completely focus on me. Gosh. The way he was looking at me made it so obvious that he really did love me. Even after all I've put him through.

"What's wrong? Are you hurt?"

"No-I'm fine. We're fine."

"We're?"

"You'll never believe whose cabin this is."

"Who's? Ah, let me guess. Your long lost cousin?"

"No, Tommy-"

"Your grandparents? You know, you never did mention them."

"Because they're no longer living. Tommy-"

"One more guess?"

"It's my mom's," I laughed. "It belongs to my mom. Ellie."

Just as I spoke those words, she stepped out of the house a little, peeking her head out to see what we were discussing. Tommy's jaw dropped immediately.

"Wait till Betty and Brose hear about this! This is incredible for you, Ember. I'm glad y'all found each other."

"Yeah. Me too."

"...Why do you seem all sad about it?"

"I'm not sad. I just...I have something else to tell you as well."

I looked back toward my mom, who instantly understood me without having to say a word. All she did was nod as she stepped back into the cabin, shutting the door behind her.

"I don't know Ember, but I think the news of your mother returning is incredible. There aren't many things you can say that will be more important than that-"

"I think I might just be in love with you."

His jaw dropped once again. It took everything I had in me not to crack a smile from his expression.

"But you said-"

"I know, I know. But talking with my mom made me realize that I've just been in denial this whole time. And I know I said I wanted to live in a cabin on my own, but...gosh, I don't know what I want anymore. I don't think I can keep on acting like I don't have feelings for you when I do. There's no way that I can just...forget about you after everything we've been through together-"

"Say that you love me again. For certain."

"I do. I love you, Thomas Matthews. And I don't think I can imagine a life without you in it."

"I love you, too, Ember Evans. And I know I can't imagine a life without you in it. Let me be yours, I beg you. I promise I will do everything in my power to stay yours-I'll stop being a gang member, I'll stop drinking-"

"You're willing to give up those things for me?"

"For you, I'd do anything. I just want you. I crave you every night when I go to sleep-every morning when I wake up, I think about you. You never leave my mind. I don't think you understand how much I need you with me. The day of our wedding, you told me not to fall in love with you. But the truth is, Ember, that's an impossible request."

"I know it is. I'm sorry if it seemed like I was pushing you away. I just didn't want to create a distraction-"

"Then distract me, Ember. Please. I would love nothing more than to be distracted by you for the rest of my life."

He grabbed my arms, pulling me closer into him.

"Please understand that I need you. Understand that without you, my life has no meaning. I will do everything I can to keep you with me."

We were just close enough that I could feel his breath against my lips.

"If we do this, Ember, there is no going back. Because I assure you that I will always be there for you when you need me. I won't leave your side, even if you want me to. You're mine to love and mine alone."

"And I'll stay yours. I've never been in love before, though. So let me know if I mess up or-"

"But that's just it, Ember. Love is about messing up, as long as we work on fixing ourselves together. And I promise you that I'll mess up way more than you will."

"Hm, probably. But hey, you saved my life. So it evens out."

"I guess it does."

"...Yeah...but what about the mansion, though? You wanted to live there, right?"

"I did."

"Did?"

"I want to be wherever you are, Ember. If you want to live in a cabin like this one, just say the word and I'll follow. Just let me follow along with you, please."

"You want to stay with me that badly?"

"Yes."

'....Hm...well, I'll have to give it some thought. May I have a moment to think on it?"

"Sure. How long do you need?"

"Hm...five seconds or so."

"Five seconds? Not days or minutes or-"

"Already decided."

I pulled him my way, creating the first to start our kiss, just like the one we shared during the party. It symbolised so much. How serious he was. How truthful he stayed. It was an exchange full of passion and belonging, especially knowing that we planned on spending our lives together no matter what became of us. I felt as if I could keep kissing him for hours right there, in the most awkward spot by the horses, to have a romantic moment.

"WHOOOOOWEE!" A voice shouted out. Brose. We both laughed when we heard him, but still didn't stop kissing. "BETTY! YOU SEEING WHAT I'M SEEING?"

"No, where are you looking!?"

"Here!"

She gasped. "YOU GOTTA BE KIDDIN'!"

"We ain't. I love this woman, and this woman loves me back. I know that now for sure."

Betty gave me a smirk, but decided to say nothing else on the matter. She knew she was right all along.

"Hey, wait. This moment is sweet and all, but who owns that horse over there?"

Brose pointed over toward a buckskin horse, one that looked as if it were just a standardbred.

"Oh, yeah. About that....MOM!"

Betty and Brose kept their stunned appearances from the moment I shouted until the moment she stepped outside to greet everyone.

"So this is the infamous Midnight Gang," she said with a bit of a tired smile. "It's nice to finally meet you all. There's so much I'm looking forward to hearing about, but first, I gotta fix us some supper. I'm starving."