break the window

A Christmas Homecoming in Everwood: Chapter 6

Almost One Year Later.

“Is all your homework done?” Amy asked Ben when he came into the kitchen and grabbed a juice box.
“Yep!”
“Okay, then let me see it.”
“Do you have to see my homework every time?
“Yes, Benjamin, it’s either me or your dad. Ever since you pulled that stunt of handing in some first grade version of your biography report of Thomas Jefferson, yeah, we will check your homework. I can always have your dad check it and you know how loves to use his red pen.”
“Fine.” Ben sighed and walked slowly back to his room.
“Oh and I want to see the paper now, not when you’re getting ready for bed and you’re too tired to even keep your eyes open. Your dad and I have fell for that one too many times.”
“Yes, mom.”
I always loved showing my homework to mom and dad, this behavior must be an Ephram trait Amy thought to herself when answering her phone.

“Hey, Ephram, I was just thinking about you.”

“Good thoughts I hope.’

“Depends, did you always show your mom or Andy your homework?”
Ephram scoffed. “No way, who does that?”
“Then our son definitely gets it from you.” Amy sighed, giggling a little.

“He’s being secret about his homework again?”

“Yep. He’s supposed to be bringing me his homework like now…you can talk to him about that when you get home.”
Ephram smiled. “I love that we get to do that, talk to our child about his homework.”
“Yep and he’s only in the fourth grade, it’s just the beginning. Lots of opportunities.”
“Maybe he’ll grow out of it.”
“Hmm, maybe.”
“So, you up for a little trip?”
Amy caught a chill with just the thought of going out into the cold weather. “Ephram, it is below freezing outside.”
“It’ll be worth it, I promise. Bring Ben along too.”
“What is this short trip all about?”
“You’ll see. Meet me at 1419 Ashburn Street.”
“We’ll be there. You just made Ben’s night since this is a complete diversion from reviewing his homework.”

“Bring the homework with you, Ben should know he cannot escape reality.”
“Good, you can tell him that when he has that cute little pushed out bottom lip look on his face when we arrive to wherever this Ashburn Street is.”
“It’s not far.”
“See you in a bit!”

Before Amy could get Ben’s name out of her mouth, he was already dressed in his winter coat, gloves and his shoes put back on.

“Are you excited to be going somewhere, Benjamin?”
“Yep, sure am! Do you want me to get your coat for you?”

“Yes, that would be nice.” She made a face at her son who was being suddenly polite. “Ben, your dad said to bring your homework with you, something about not escaping reality.”
“Okay, I’ll go get it!” He spoke loudly when running to his bedroom.
“What happened to the son I just had no more than five minutes ago?” Amy thought out loud.
“Okay, I’m ready.” Ben smiled brightly up to his mother. Ben grabbed onto Amy’s hand. “We have to go, the snow is supposed to start soon.”
“Okay, okay. It’s not a race, Ben, we have time.”

“No, we don’t!”

~*~

Amy’s GPS located her to Ashburn Street. Hmm, this house looks oddly familiar. She thought ot herself when turning the car off. Before she could unfasten her seatbelt, Ben was halfway to the door.

“Ben, knock first, I don’t know where we are.” She called out to her son but he had already bust through the front door. Amy smiled when she heard a little faint Ben, walk! voice come form inside the house and knew it was Ephram. Well, that solves one part of the mystery, now on to part two. Amy thought again.

Amy knocked softly on the front door and let herself in. Ben charged into the house so fast the door didn’t shut all the way. The living room was decorated with a table with three chairs and a pizza from Dominos.

“Ephram, I assume you had something to do with this?” She called out to an empty room and began to walk around. “Oh, Ephram Brown…pizza is getting cold. You hate cold pizza.”
He appeared around the corner, a childish grin on his face. “I was thinking, forty people can fit in this living room for Christmas…what do you think?” He took her hands in his, bringing her into a soft kiss.
“Wow, forty people? Do we know forty people and Christmas isn’t for two months.”

They worked themselves into each other’s arms dancing around the room.

“Do you remember this house?”
She looked up at him, confused. “No, should I?” Ephram kept looking down at her and the memories finally came to her. “You mean the one Hannah sent us on that bogus delivery thing or something?”
“Yeah, delivery that the restaurant didn’t even offer and we both fell for it.”

“Yeah, I remember now. But why are we here?”
“Well, Ben mentioned something about wanting a back yard and my house has less of a yard than a tiny apartment. So, Ben and I were looking around the neighborhood and found this house…and it was, oddly enough, never put on the market.”
“So you and Ben were house hunting without me?”
Ephram twirled Amy around and she floated back into his arms. “Yeah and Ben wants the room that faces the back yard. He likes to see the snow, reminds me of the city.”
“Ephram, this is insane. We haven’t even talked about moving, yet.”
“But we’ve talked about having more kids.” He nodded with Amy and continued. “We’ve talked about getting married,” he nodded with Amy again. “I want us to build a life together, in Everwood…in this house.”
“I know nothing about buying a house, but isn’t there some process of talking to someone.”
“Ben is a pretty savvy negotiator.”
Amy stopped immediately. “What did Ben do?”

“Oh, he bought the house with his allowance. Had the broker get rid of the escrow fee and everything.
“What!? That doesn’t make any sense.”
He placed a quick kiss on her lips, clearing his throat. “I made an offer.”
“You didn’t?” The color in Amy’s face was draining quickly.
“Yeah, I did.”
“But this is a house, Ephram.” She let go of his hands and walked around the empty layout. “This is a house.”
“With windows and doors and three bedrooms and it’s perfect for us.”

“But you squirm if I tip our waiter more than thirty percent at a restaurant and you made an offer on a house.”
“We do have thirty days…”
“No, don’t you dare.” Amy spoke with excitement before kissing him on the mouth. “I love this house…I do, it’s just…a house! I know I keep saying that, but it’s just a lot to take in.”
“That’s why I had to show you.”

Ephram leaned in for a kiss and heard their son’s voice.

“Dad, you ready?”
Amy let go of the kiss, giggling. “Ready for what?”
“You’ll see.” Ephram walked towards the steps. “Come on down.”
“What’s going on?” Amy looked at both of them.
Ben cleared his throat and stood tall. “I wrote a story for class and I want you both to hear it.”
“Oh, okay, was this the homework you were going to show me?”
“Nope, this was for extra credit.” He smiled at his dad and went back to his paper.
Amy looked at Ephram, “so you planned this?”
“I helped, the story is all Ben.”
“Then, I’m all ears.”

Ephram and Amy sat on the table, across from Ben, as he started his story.

Dear Santa, My name is Benjamin Andrew Brown. I’m named after my dad and my grandpa, but you probably already knew that. I’m from a town called Everwood, that’s in Colorado. But I wasn’t born there. I was born in a place called New York City. I got to see you every year at Christmastime, Santa, and it was great. My mom did tell me that sometimes you have Santa helpers to say hi to kids like me when you are really busy during the holidays and that’s okay. I know you always know what I want every year for Christmas. I haven’t asked for anything this year, because there’s nothing I really want. But I’m writing to you because there’s something my dad wants to ask my mom, and he's kind of nervous about it..

Amy looked up, tears brimming her eyes. She and Ephram smiled at each other and stayed silent as Ben continued his story.

[I]My dad has known my mom for almost their entire lives. He told me, and you probably know this too, that he’s loved my mom since the day he saw her. He’s never stopped loving her. I know my mom has always loved my dad because she always talked him about when we lived in New York and I hadn’t met him yet. I don’t know why that was, Santa, and that used to bother me, but now it doesn’t. I love my dad, he’s the greatest and I love my mom, she’s the best. So, Santa, when you get this letter, get a message to my mom. My dad wants to ask my mom to marry him and is kind of nervous about it, or so he says. Oh, and [I] wanted to send this to you from my new address so you’ll know where to send the presents. P.S. I sent you another letter what the stuff I want. Merry Christmas, Ben.”

Amy looked up, wiping her tears on her napkin to only see Ben leaving with two slices of pizza. “Where are you going?”

“I have a game going on upstairs, and dad said I could eat up in my room.”
“Oh, okay.” Amy fought back the tears that kept forming in her throat.
Ephram waited until Ben was out of sight and reached into his pocket and pulled out a velvet box. “I want to ask you something.”
Amy sighed, exhaling slowly. “Okay.”

“Amy…Nicole…Abbott.” He spoke softly, smiling. “That letter, although accurate, doesn’t do the justice of how much I love you. I love everything about our story together, and honestly, I wouldn’t change a thing.”
“Yes.”
Ephram had a surprised look, smiling. “I didn’t ask you yet.”
Amy was so excited she was almost fidgeting. “Okay, ask me.” She started smiling.
Ephram opened up the box, then bought his eyes back up to Amy’s gaze. “You’re best friend, the love of my life and I want to spend the rest of our lives making every day better than the day before.” He took the ring out of the box, placing it on her left finger, asking. “Will you marry me?”
She nodded quickly, finally able to say, “yes…”

~*~

Ephram closed his red pen, sliding the paper over to Ben, who was sitting at the counter.

Ben was smiling. “No red ink?!”
“Nope, this is a good paper, bud. I think you have your mom’s talent for writing.”
Ben had a sigh of relief. “Whew, thank goodness that's over. Now I can go play games.”
“Ben, it’s almost ten, time for bed.”

“But there’s no school until Monday.”

“Yes, but someone wanted to get a Christmas Tree Tomorrow.”
“Oh, yeah, I better get good sleep, then.” He hugged both his parents. “Night mom, night dad!”
Amy was looking at the inscription of her engagement ring before putting it back on from washing dishes. “What does Te Amo Semper mean?”
“It’s Latin for I Love You, Always. My dad had that inscribed on there.”
Amy put it all together. “This is your mom’s ring, isn’t it?”
“Yeah, it was.” Ephram’s voice fell a little.
“I see the way Andy talks about Julia, how much he loves her and still loves her.”
“Yeah…I think she would’ve liked you.”
“I think sometimes that we would’ve been friends.”
“She was friends with everyone, everyone liked my mom. She’s the reason I met you.”
“Maybe I’ll get to thank her some day.”
“Maybe.”

Ephram turned out the lights in the living room as they both went upstairs. A little glimmer of light illuminated the center of the living room where their table was.

Your welcome, Amy. Take care of each other, Te Amo Semper.

Ephram came down the steps again. “I thought I turned off all the lights?” He looked round to see darkness and shrugged. “I guess I did.”

Welcome Home

~*~

[THE END]