Branded

Instead of thirty hours it took over four days. She'd discovered that he needed to get out of the car and stir around, exercise a little or he started getting nerve pains and cramps. But it also meant three additional nights in a motel.

Three nights tangled up arm in arm. Each night they tried something new, but he was exhausted so their encounters were brief. She didn't care. They were together.

As they pulled in the drive his folks ran out to greet him. He slid out of the car and braced himself against the seat as his mom threw her arms around him. "Oh, Jonah. It is so good to have you home." Running her hand down his cheek, "Oh, you look so good. Come on in, I made a cake and some sandwiches for you to eat." His dad slid in and hugged him as well.

"Let's get you inside." She started to pull him towards the steps. He teetered and almost went over.

"Mom! Mom, hold on a second, I can't..." Maggie put her hands to her face and gasped.

"Oh, son. I'm so sorry. I wasn't thinking. I almost pulled you over."

"It's fine, Mom. Noel does it all the time, just for fun." At that second, Noel showed up with the wheelchair.

"Only we he deserves it. Here, Mrs. B. Let's get the big lug into the chair then Henry, if you'll open the garage door I'll try to get him up that one step."

"Henry, you push your son up there. I have to say high to Noel." Turning she grabbed her and squeezed her. Noel could tell she was crying and hugged her back. "Noel. I will never be able to thank you enough. He looks great and it must have been so hard on you."

"No, Mrs. B, it was..."

"Bullshit! Pardon my language. You have sacrificed everything for our family. Thank you. You're even better than a daughter. And you must be exhausted. Four days on the road." She nodded.

"Yeah, I'm a little tired. Let me go give Henry a hand. We have so much to talk about."

"Did you, you know?" She nodded, earning another hug. "Oh, dear, I am so happy for you. For the both of you." Then laughing, "And for me. Welcome home."

"Jonah? Are you sure this is a good idea? Yes, it's almost a year since you got sick and I think it's great that we came out here to Colorado to visit your old stomping grounds...

"I love it here. It's beautiful, so much different than the East. To be honest, I never got to see much of the area on my last trip. A few short hikes because someone kept me working all the time.

"But the mountains! I used to love the Appalachians, but these put them to shame. Ever since I came out here to help you... It feels like so long ago, doesn't it, but also just like yesterday. Weird, right?"

Looking worried, "But it's five miles up, and you can see there's lots of snow up there...."

"It'll be fine, Noel. I'll take my time and if I'm getting too worn out we can turn around. Down hill all the way. And you can carry me if I get to weak."

"Dream on. That's not going to happen, you oaf. So we need to stop if you get even a little weak, okay?"

"Sure, doc. Whatever."

"But what about your feet? They're still a little numb. What if they're getting frost bitten and you don't know it. I mean it's still pretty cold..."

"Noel?"

"You're right. Sorry. It's above freezing, and the leaves are out on the trees. What's the worse that can happen? Your toes, turn black and rot off from the cold. No big deal. I'm not into feet anyway. They're ugly and come to think of it, feet would probably look better without toes. So let's go."

Suddenly pausing. "Wait, hear that?"

"What?"

"That soft buzzing whispering noise. Where are those rascals? There! There they are." A small flock of birds flew erratically and landed suddenly in a tree not far away. "Waxwings."

"Waxwings?"

"Birds, nature boy. Bohemian? No, too big, must be cedar. They are like the coolest birds. They sit there all prim and proper like they're snooty royalty or something. Their crown all erect and every feather in pace. Then they all bust out like they're going to the after party talking to each other. They fly this way and that way then land in a tree bar for a while in a small group. Then, bam! Off in a rush to another bar somewhere. Cool. Look! There they go!"

"How the heck do you know this stuff, Noel?"

"I used to hang out at the park and the lake so I didn't have to go home. Nature and its critters were my friends." He hugged her and they kissed briefly.

They were about halfway up, the trail was still clear, when she stopped. "Jonah! Look at those aspens. They're all twisted up and gnarly. We need to go check them out. What could have happened to them? Come on!" She ran into the grove and started running her hands along their curved and twisted trunks. Wounded, but still in full leaf.

"An avalanche did it, Noel. Look up above. Snow builds up and slides down the hill. Look how it's completely wiped out the trees up above, and then it ends up here, it looks like. They picked a bad spot to grow."

"She hugged the biggest one. "But they never gave up. Bad times hit them and they continued to grow. Amazing."

"What are you doing with that tree?"

"This one's the momma. Aspens make seeds, but they mostly spread by sending out roots and new ones grow. Like blackberries or raspberries. These are all her babies. Good job, Momma. Can we sit over there by that rock and just feel them a bit. Maybe she'll let me take one of her babies to raise at home."

They sat down, out of site of the road when Noel saw two doves fly hurriedly past through the trunks. "Shhh. Someone's coming. Quiet."

"Noel, how do you..."

"Shhh!"

"Come on, slow poke. We have a destination to reach. No lollygagging, well, except, hell, give me another kiss. God, Eric, I love you so much. And I have loved you for such a long time. I can't believe you asked me to marry you, in the parking lot of our favorite trail. It's about time, I was just about to ask you."

From their spot behind the rock they could hear kissing and hands on clothes. "And this ring. Eric! It's the most beautiful thing in the world. Never have I ever loved someone as much as I love you. It's magical. We're going to be so happy! Adventure, travel, places to explore. We're starting off together in Idaho! Incredible!

"Oh, God, I love you. I feel like I'm just floating up the mountain. Now let's get up to the top. It's like you can see 360 degrees and the whole universe of mountains and snow all around. And then, my fine fellow, we're going to do it. 'And what did you do the day you got engaged?' Such a story."

More rustling. "No, Eric, not yet. When we do it I want to be the one on top. You can just lie there as I thank you, plus...All that snow, and I have to take off more clothes...Hurry up. Let's go. I'm getting excited just thinking about it. Oh, Eric...Okay, stop. Save it for the top."

Noel knew that voice and slid her right hand onto Jonah's, squeezed, and placed the left one on his chest directly over the brand. He reached up and pushed that hand firmer against his chest. She started to cry just thinking about how it had to make him feel, and put her head against his shoulder.

Once the couple had moved along up the trail, "I'm sorry, Jonah. That must have been awful. Anything I can do? Should we just head back down?"

"Awful? Yes. Those are nearly the exact same words she said to me. Line for line. Brings back a lot of good times. And simply awful times. Abandonment. But it sounds like she's better off, and," looking at Noel, "I'm much, much better off. I obviously didn't mean as much to her as I thought. Just a means to an end. Guess there was a reason my mom was not too excited."

"Jonah, can we discuss something for a moment. If Zoey is going to Idaho...I've done some investigation."

"Uh, oh."

"Nothing bad, but have you considered living here? Or in this area?"

"Sure, but..."

"Great! I've done some investigating in my free time. I talked to your school and you could start your fourth year in the Fall semester and finish up your degree. You've already spent so much time, it would be a shame not to complete it. I talked to Ariel and the hospital is actively recruiting nurses."

"What about my folks?"

"They actually think they're ready for a change. They already have someone who wants to buy the bakery so they would be able to sell their bakery there and open one here. There isn't one in the whole county and there are possible locations on the Main Street in town. I mean we'd have to go through them and check it out and all, but the floor plans looked pretty promising. My mom and her crew can fly here whenever they want. Soooo?"

"So, once again you've planned my future."

"No! No. Jonah, I don't care where I live as long as I'm with you. You don't have to do any of this. These are just ideas."

Looking into her eyes, "They are terrific ideas. But I never really had a chance, did I?"

"What?"

"Not since the end of ninth grade when you marked me yours."

She smiled up at him, eyes still moist from her tears and smiled and snuggled in closer. "Nope. Although I never suspected that there would be so many twists and turns or that it would take this darn long." She laughed again. "I love you, Jonah, forever and through whatever avalanche comes our way. We may get twisted around a bit like these trees, but we'll continue to grow and get stronger. Our roots linked together until the end. And maybe even beyond that."

"And I love you, Noel." He pulled her into a hug and kissed her. "I think we should do it here right in front of Momma aspen. What do you think?"

"She'll have to close her eyes. See where those lower branches came off. Looks like eyes. Look away Momma aspen," she laughed again. Oh, how he liked that sound. "You never have to ask me twice, Big Guy. I was hoping you'd suggest that."

"Yea, there's just something special about making love amongst Momma aspen's roots, so I think you should be on the bottom and be closest to them. Nestle into her old leaves and sticks and a few rocks and..."

"You, ass! Kiss me. We can take turns. Oh, and just for the record, I'm way happier than Zoey is and I'll be happy forever as long as I have you, Jonah. I think you made the right choice."

"Me too."

A sudden breeze set all the leaves of the aspens to fluttering, changing their light green leaves to silvery white and creating a soft whispering sound. She smiled and pulled him close. "Thank you, Momma aspen, and thank you, Life," she whispered.