Page 122 of Where We Ended

That burning sensation in my chest that I got when I considered that very thing about Laura, flared to life. Red had said almost those exact words to me. Grief tangled with the pride I had over being with Laura. Over her choosing me and wanting this life.

“I’m going to ask her to marry me.”

Gravel crunched as we walked, until we stopped at my truck. I was about to open the door for my mom when I saw a tear fall down her face.

“I used to wonder if I’d miss all this…these moments of yours. When you’d find the one, fall in love and start having children. I would be stuck in one of Fable’s houses, doing some mundane chore, and I would imagine what you’d smile like. How you’d laugh, or blush. I’d think of what you must look like standing at the altar, waiting for her.” More tears fell from her lashes.

“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.”

My heart split open, my mind going back to that day when I was nine years old. The very last time I saw her. The grief I carried over losing her, and I pulled her into my chest, hugging her as tightly as I could.

“I love you. I used to look at the stars and I’d pray you’d somehow come back to me.” My throat began to grow tight as my own tears began flowing.

She hiccupped into my chest, until we had both stood there for a long while, just crying and existing. Once we pulled away, she swiped at her face.

“Fable once talked about how his son had gotten lost, and fallen in love with a star. I thought he was drunk, but it’s odd that she was the reason I was able to come back to you. It’s as if the stars listened to you, Killian and delivered me home.”

I gave her one last hug before helping her into the truck, and then glanced up at the sky.

Whatever the reason was, I wouldn’t take it for granted.

Bloggers Against Bikers:

Motorcycle Mayhem Hits Rose Ridge Once Again

Article by ENdVi0lence56:

It should be no surprise to any of you that I’m writing yet another piece regarding the biker gangs of Virginia. It seems our letters to the senate, and even the president have gone ignored. We’ve even gone as far as taking things into our own hands to rid our cities of this plague of bikers, and yet they continue to thrive.

Here is yet another reason we need to come together and ban their clubs from gathering.

As you can see in the photo pictured below, the small town of Rose Ridge was flooded this weekend with hundreds, if not thousands of bikers. The streets were packed with the headache-inducing sounds of their loud exhausts, and when so many of them are together, it caused windows to rattle, and small children to stay indoors.

Many people reported an inability to access roads. Routes to the grocery store, gas stations and even the hospital were blocked because of how many bikers were traveling together. While we’re somewhat used to seeing the local Stone Riders traveling in groups from time to time, this instance was concerning because various clubs from around Virginia were seen.

Mayhem Riot from New York was seen with at least a few hundred riders. The Death Raiders, being led by someone new, from what we’d last gathered. We will have to look into that in our next article because it seems several of these clubs are under new governance. Sons of Speed was also seen in attendance, a new president leading their group as they entered city limits. Lastly, The Chaos Kings from Richland were seen with well over four hundred members traveling through town. Their arrival created a traffic jam that lasted nearly an hour for locals.

We try to avoid these bikers at all costs because as you know, they each wear what’s called a one percenter patch, meaning they live outside the law of our land, and use their own governing rules to live by. It creates violence and other disorder that isn’t needed or respected in small towns like ours. However, for the sake of the story, we did grab one person for a direct quote on why the mass gathering.

According to Harris Kline, of the Stone Riders, he said, “When a great man dies, it creates a ripple so strong in the community, that there’s only one choice but to show up and pay tribute. Especially when he dies twice.”

We aren’t sure who exactly has passed away, or what he’s referring to that would give us any indication as to how long these bikers will be in town, but I urge everyone to be on high alert.

We can end this biker era together if we stay strong and continue to fight.

Callie

This felt like deja vu but in the most sickening way possible.

I was standing in the same cemetery, nearly the same clothes, and staring at almost the same exact scene. Except this time, I was front and center, not on the fringes of the crowd.

My father passed away exactly two months and one day after my son came into this world. We had the most beautiful eight weeks together, where I got to watch him hold my son, sing over him, and smile down at his little cherub face. He’d hold him in his arms while he sat on his bike, even if it wasn’t turned on, he’d sit there and talk to him about riding.

He talked about how to lead.

How to protect and how to love.

Wes gave my hand a gentle squeeze as the preacher started a new prayer for everyone to join in on. This time, the preacher wasn’t a dig at my dad, whereas during his last funeral I’d done it just because I wanted to. This time, it was at Sasha’s request because my father had found God during his last few months on earth.

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