Where We Ended

by Ashley Munoz

“Brother, please do explain to me why the fuck you’ve cuffed yourself to my wife?”

“I’m going to allow you the chance to choose, Alec. I’ll either cut high enough so that tattoo of Artemis, which we all know you got for Natty, is removed from your body completely. Or you can lose your hand. Personally, I think you should choose the arm, make a big statement since that’s what you originally intended by getting this fucking piece, right?”

“Choose!” Silas roared his eyes going wide, his lips twisting angrily. “Your hand or the tattoo you had created because of your obsession with my fucking wife!”

Silas laughed. “You knew she was mine, Alec. She’s been mine from the first moment you saw her. Don’t pretend you didn’t know. Hand or arm?”

“I’m losing my patience and the longer you’re cuffed to my wife, the more violent my thoughts are becoming.”

I knew Silas had removed Alec’s hand, and with there no longer being any resistance when I tried to pull my arm,

I heard Silas speak over the yelling, “Do not ever touch her again. She does not belong to you; she is not your toy, and she certainly will never be your girl. Next time, I’ll take your heart.”

“Anything happens to you, Caelum, and my brain won’t matter. Nor my heart, or anything else that allows me to breathe. It’s you or it’s nothing, my love.”

Galeam gere tuum cerebrum meum est tertium ventus de te mea res clara, sponsa pulchra. Wear a helmet - your brain is my third favorite thing about you my bright, beautiful bride.

Animam tuam, Caelum. Anima mea ventus est de te. Your soul, Caelum. Your soul is my favorite thing about you.

Tears came when she crouched down, inspecting a frog hopping from stone to stone. She laughed, and it reminded me of a poem. If her laugh could create constellations, then at least ten would have been birthed. Joy was a good look on my wife, and I realized it was an addiction to allow her to keep it.

“I’d die a thousand times over if it meant I could keep you safe. My life is not worth living without you in it, Caelum. You’ve been my forever since my life started. If you were to end, then I would too. The fact that you didn’t realize that…it kills me.”

His soft chuckle was firelight against my exposed neck. “Yes, Caelum. This is yours. All I am is yours, including this cottage.”

“Two years, I’ve never been more than five miles from you.”

The Stone Riders name and acronym was on the front but on the back…

Property of Caelum “You gave me a property patch?” Jameson burst out laughing; Wes chuckled too and even Killian smirked. “She gets an actual member’s cut because we know that if we need Natty, she’ll be there for us in a heartbeat. She’ll always be one of us no matter what happens.”

“Fine. I’ll ride with you when you need me.” Jameson pointed. “And be sure to wear your property patch when you do.”

“Ombre light falls across the panes of my heart, whispering of all the darkness you draw upon. I have land to build my home upon but my soul has no roots. Apart from you, I’ll be forever without a place to dwell.”

“You, my darling light are a whisper on the wind. Here to love me, and gone with my last breath. I vow to carry you with me into the depths of death, wherever it may take me. I will carry your heart with me and it will allow me to live once more.”

“I see flowers and think of your heart. Soft, resilient and beautiful, and I pray that no wind will come through and uproot you from my life. Yet I know, even in separation in this life, or death itself will not keep me from chasing you. Because the wind may try to take you, but I am vaster than the sky. So I will chain the swells of storms, I will blind the sun and bind the ocean if it means I get to keep you. I will ruin this very earth if it means you’ll be mine.”

“I had a feeling Red might like these as much as you do.”

“This is where it ends, Caelum,”

“No, baby. This is where we begin.”

“I nearly messed things up to the point where your mommy didn’t come back. But thankfully, your dad, he was a smart one, and never moved on. Not for seven years, can you believe that? He waited for her…and then when I faked my death, she was forced to come back. So really, it’s me you’ll have to thank for this beautiful life you have. And, Ford, it is beautiful. You have so many people who love you, and you’ll be the oldest out of all these kids that will be born, after little Connor that is. You’ll be a leader just like him, so be sure you lead with honor, grace and grit. Never be afraid to do the hard things. Never be afraid to be firm. And never be afraid to help someone in need.” Simon’s gaze slid up, clashing with mine.

“The Stone Riders may go to you someday, Ford. If they do, lead with your mother’s heart and your father’s determination and will…and always remember that you’re surrounded by people who will be in your corner in a single heartbeat.”

“For whatever reason, you’ve found me worthy enough to be here, and witness this. I just want you to know I’m grateful. I’m so honored to be here, with you son. To get a chance to maybe meet my grandchildren, if you and Laura are so blessed with that. To get to see you happy like this, it's been the greatest joy of my life.”

“I love you. I used to look at the stars and I’d pray you’d somehow come back to me.”

“And be sure to wear your property patch, so everyone knows exactly who you belong to.”