Chapter Eighty One
I woke up in my own bed and was overwhelmed by panic for a second. Reflexively I reached for my necklace. The small butterfly charm with the heart attached to it was already hanging from it. I exhaled in relief. My brother must have put it on my necklace for me.
“Hey kiddo, whatcha doing awake?” Tray asked me as he stood at the threshold of my doorway.
“I was thinking…”
“Should I duck now or later?”
“I’d throw a pillow at you, but honestly I don’t have enough strength to take one out from underneath my head. So, fair warning, I’m issuing you a rain check…” I offered comically.
“‘Pillow-tossing-revenge-rain-check’, duly noted and tossed quickly – into file 13,” he replied and I could hear the smile behind the words.
“Don’t think I’ve forgotten about my question I’m gonna ask…”
“And don’t think I’ve forgotten about the fact that your birthday was technically over two hours ago…”
I wrinkled my forehead in frustration. I didn’t realize it was so late. I was still blissful and elated though. So I had no idea when I would be retrieving my head down from the clouds.
“Here…” Tray stated as he walked into my bedroom and handed me another giftwrapped box.
“You’ve already given me my birthday gift and I adore it, by the way,” I explained.
“Please, open it or do I need to do it for you?? I wouldn’t want you to mess up those perfectly painted fingernails…” he stated jokingly.
“Ha-ha,” I replied sarcastically as I thought about my purple mess from earlier.
I untied the ribbon and then, ripped the paper away from the box. I opened it and found four loose note cards resting on top of another box. The index cards read: Education – House – Car – IN THAT ORDER!
I stared at my brother, totally confused.
“You gotta open it Little Girl, if you want to understand what the cards mean…”
I opened the box and I found a checkbook inside. I pulled it out, looked at the register and then, felt my heart skip a beat from being so stunned. The check register read $216,016.16! I got lightheaded and grabbed his leg to steady my suddenly shaking body.
It’s lucky that I was lying down when I looked at it…
“I had to remove a few thousand in order to arrive at that particular figure,” Tray stated and I looked at him speechless from the shock.
When my brother realized I couldn’t speak, he took the checkbook out of my hands and laid it on my nightstand.
“I’ve been saving since we’ve been on our own. I intend to give you the best education money can buy…”
“How?” I managed to squeak out the word and felt like I was having an out of body experience again.
“I’m sure I explained this already. You take care of the household stuff and I take of care our finances…”
I had a million questions swimming around my head all at one time. I frantically wished that I still had on the cunning ribbon. That way Tray would realize what a monster he had just created inside my mind. I was his exhausted creation now though – those questions would simply have to wait. I had barely enough energy for one more question, so I used every ounce of my reserve to ask it.
“What about you and Willow?”
“Oh Willow, I’m in love with her,” Tray stated matter-of-factly and made my mind go swirling again with the force of a tornado.
At least, it spun up some extra energy with it…
“Does she know?”
“Yes, she’s always known…”
“Does she love you?”
“That’s not mine to answer – you’ll have to pose that one to her…”
I started drifting again – against my will. I felt like I was losing a battle against some crazy drug induced trance.
“Stay – please – lay down beside me…” I muttered softly as I felt Tray getting ready to leave my bedroom.
“Sure, Little Girl, anything you want…” my brother stretched out on top of the covers beside me.
“I want…” I asked and then drifted as I searched my mind for what I wanted.
“Yes?”
“To hear my story…tell me my story…” I requested – I had found what I wanted.
“What story is that?”
“My story – the one you made up for me. You know the one…” I requested as I floated around inside my mind.
“Ember, I’ll feel a little silly telling you that story now…” Tray stated and he suddenly sounded all twisted up with deep emotions.
“Please, you said anything…” I reminded him and asked to put my hand over his heart.
I felt him shiver like he was trying to suppress something.
I wanted to hear him tell me my story…
My inner fire gently warmed my body as it waited for Tray to begin…
Ember Rising Light (Book One) Page 85
