The Boys Down South by Abbi Glines

39

dixie

My bedroom had been filled with flowers from friends and family. They were finally starting to wilt and die. The hospital room got too full so they’d brought most of them home throughout the week that I was there. Asher stayed the nights with me. He wouldn’t leave my side and my dad said that if he or Mom stayed, Asher would just sleep in the waiting room on chairs. I begged them to let him stay with me. At least he had a sofa bed to sleep on in my room.

That week now seemed like a blur. I’d been home for over two weeks. My physical therapy was three times a week at a local place. Asher took me there and back to each appointment. We were together. We were no longer hiding.

When I’d first arrived home, it felt odd even standing in that living room. I had basically died there. My heart had stopped beating. Thanks to my parents, though, it had only stopped for a few seconds before the paramedics arrived. But I had died in this very house and lived to tell about it.

Asher had stood behind me with his hand on my waist as I stared at the floor where I remembered everything going black. I didn’t remember any white lights or angels sending me back to earth. I wasn’t sure if that meant I hadn’t died at all or if that white light thing was just a myth. But I knew my life would have ended had my family not been there.

Being back home felt good, though. Everything felt brighter. Life felt more precious. I didn’t take anything for granted anymore. Asher came over after work every night and we had dinner together, watched television, and just laid out under the stars most nights. Being together was all that seemed to matter. We didn’t talk about his plans for the future, but we both knew I wasn’t going to Clemson now. Although the doctor said I could, I was scared. I knew in time, I’d be brave again. I just needed some time to get used to this. I had enrolled at a junior college that I could drive to every day instead. Asher had one year left at Florida and being away from him was going to be difficult, but I would have him any way I could. I could survive the distance.

Tonight Asher had texted he’d be working late at the farm after he finished at the Feed and Seed. As much as I would miss him, I knew he’d given up all his free time for me. He had things he had to take care of and I couldn’t be selfish. I took a shallow bath so that my stitches didn’t get wet while I read a new book Mom had bought me. It helped pass the time.

When I stepped back into my room, I noticed there was a path of small envelopes leading to my window where my camera sat along with one last envelope leaning against it. I picked up the first one and opened it. Inside was a photo of me with Asher and Brent fishing with my dad at the lake. I was about nine years old. Smiling, I went to the next envelope and picked it up. It was a photo of me riding the handlebars of Asher’s bike across the farm when I was eleven.

Picking up the third envelope, I was anxious to see the next picture. It was of me at thirteen, my cheeks pink from blushing as I stared at the photographer. I was sitting outside on the fence watching the horses. Asher had taken that photo. He’d been taking photos of the new horse Dad had brought to show the Knolls. But he had started taking pictures of me instead and I’d been so shy around him. And completely in love. It was obvious in the photo.

The fourth one was of us. The first photo of us officially being together. Mom had taken it on my birthday. The birthday he had kissed me and given me the charm for my bracelet.

The fifth photo was of us at his Senior Prom. It was taken one week before he stopped speaking to me. I wasn’t sure what the last envelope held. The prom photo had been the last one of us together. I opened it and found a note in it. “I’ll see you at the lake. Bring the camera. We are due for a new photo.” Smiling, I put the note down and hurried to get dressed.

Pulling on a light blue sundress that fell just above my knees, I left my hair piled on top of my head because the summer nights were warm. It would still be sticky hot out there by the lake. I picked up the camera and headed downstairs.

Both my parents were watching the evening news. “I’m going to see Asher at the lake,” I told them. “But someone had to let him in the house, so I guess y’all already know that.”

Mom smiled. “Yes. He promised he’d have you back soon. Be careful.”

“Be happy, baby girl. Just be happy,” Dad added.

They were acting odd but then again, they’d been through a very traumatic experience. No one could blame them for not being themselves just yet. I hurried to the path that led to the lake, excited about being alone with Asher again. I knew we weren’t going to be having sex just yet. I still had to discuss that with the doctor without my parents being present, but I could wait. I was happy just being alone with him.

I didn’t see Asher’s truck as I approached and wondered if I’d arrived before him. Maybe he had to take a shower first. I slowed my pace since I wasn’t supposed to be running anyway and began to sit down on the grass when I heard something behind me. I turned around, hoping it wasn’t an animal out here in the darkness. And if it was one, I hoped it was the non-aggressive type.

Asher stepped out of the trees and into the moonlight. The silly smile on my face was unavoidable. Just seeing him made me feel that way.

“You’ve got the camera. Good,” he said as he walked over to me and grabbed it.

“I agree, but it’s dark out here. We’ll need the flash.”

“Probably,” was his only response.

He pressed a kiss to my lips and I sighed from the pleasure. Then he walked over to the trees and sat my camera down there.

“That’s a nice camera to put in the grass,” I pointed out.

He looked amused. “It won’t be there long.”

I was about to ask him what he was planning on doing with it when he stopped in front of me. “God, you’re beautiful,” he whispered. His hand caressed my left cheek as he looked into my eyes. “I thought for a moment I might not see this smile again. I wouldn’t have survived without you.” His words were spoken softly. As if he were thinking aloud. Allowing me into his thoughts. I started to speak, when he went down on one knee. I began to wonder if I was dreaming. Had I fallen asleep in the bathtub? This wasn’t even a daydream or a fantasy I had ever been brave enough to enjoy because I never believed it would be mine.

He held out an ice blue velvet box and opened it. Inside was the most perfect ring in the world. I wasn’t sure what it looked like exactly because my eyes were filling with tears and blurring my vision, but Asher was holding it and he was on one knee and that made it perfect. It could be from a gumball machine for all I cared.

“I’ve loved you most of my life. Without you, my world has no laughter. No sunshine. No joy. You bring all that when you smile. I can’t do life without you. I tried. I need you, Dixie Monroe. I need you today and for the rest of our lives. Will you—”

“Yes!” I said on a sob, not waiting for him to even finish. “Yes, yes, yes!” I chanted. Then I paused. He had one year of college left. He’d be leaving soon. I wouldn’t let him give that up for me. Not because he feared losing me, which was something that would never happen.

“But you’ve got college.”

“So do you,” he replied. “And it’s just a year for me and we’ve got our entire lives together.”

He was right. We had forever. I wasn’t dying anytime soon. I had to live so I’d get the life with Asher I’d always wanted. “Yes! It’s still yes,” I said, wiping at the tears streaming down my face.

He stood up and pulled me into his arms before sliding the ring on my finger. It wasn’t from a gumball machine. It was a perfect teardrop shaped diamond.

A flash went off in the darkness, causing me to jump. I blinked, trying to regain my vision. Once I could focus again, I saw Asher smiling, his gaze toward the trees. I turned to see Brent, Bray, Dallas and Steel walking out of the woods. They all looked happy. Even Steel.

“It’s about damn time you married into this family. You’ve been trying to get in it since you could walk,” Bray said, holding the camera and taking another shot.

I looked from them up to Asher. “I guess you Sutton boys don’t do anything alone.”

He shrugged. “We do some things. Just not the important things. And it doesn’t get any more important than this.”

A few more pictures were snapped as I laughed and wrapped my arms around him.

Each brother came up to me and hugged me before leaving. Each one having something to say in my ear just for me to hear. I knew Asher would ask me later what they said. And I would tell him.

When it was Steel’s turn, he whispered, “It’s okay now. I get it. We both knew it was always him.” It was bittersweet. I did care for Steel. He’d come along when I needed someone. He gave me some happiness during a dark time. I’d always love him for that.

After the last brother walked back into the woods, Asher brought my ringed finger to his mouth and kissed it. “Hard to believe this is real.”

I couldn’t agree more. “We went through a lot to get to this point but, Asher, I don’t want this to be because you thought you were going to lose me. I want you to be ready for this.” I feared that my almost death had made him move too fast on something too important to rush. I knew what I had just been through was the reason Steel was so accepting. When faced with death, you see the world differently.

“The day I kissed you outside my truck when you were fifteen, I started planning this moment. I’ve known you were my one since then, Dix. Even when I thought it was impossible. Your face…it was all I saw. All I’ll ever see.”

And his would be the only one for me.