Page 25 of Saved By the Mountain Man

Lining up the last pane, I get it straight as Ryan grabs the electric drill. Using two of his tiny little hands, he struggles to lift it, so I help him and pop the screw in the drillbit.

“That’s it, bud,” I say encouragingly. “Now press the button and watch the screw hold this timber in place.”

“Bye bye screw,” Ryan giggles.

We stand back and press our hands to our hips. My side-kick, a four-year-old mini-me, beams with pride. A long fence runs the length of the yard, right up to the edge of the forest, encasing our cabin in a safe area for my two children to play in.

Ryan is excited, but Audrey is only nine-months-old, too little to understand just yet.

“You gonna test it out?” I ask, waving my finger at the big yard.

Ryan smiles, his eyes shining bright blue. Just like his mothers. He speeds off with a burst of pace, spinning in circles and enjoying the freedom of a safe, enclosed backyard.

My chest puffs out with pride.

The tall pines act as a natural border now, their branches swaying gently in the breeze. It’s the perfect sanctuary for our children to grow up in. Ryan’s swing set is set in one corner, the wooden sandbox he helped me build sits nearby, yellow trucks and shovels waiting to be played with.

We have everything we need on the mountain. Emma has taken over the vegetable garden and it’s blooming with amazing produce. She’s got a knack for decorating, even lining the garden beds with colorful flowers and plants I would never have thought to put in.

“Oh, the fence looks wonderful,” Emma says, sneaking up behind me. “Nice work, Daddy.”

I spin to face my beautiful wife, my hands instantly dropping to her swollen belly. Our third child is due in a few months, and with two ratbags already keeping us on our toes, I’m doing my best to ready the yard for our growing family.

I love being a father. It’s the best thing to ever happen to me.

Play time in the backyard, hikes up the mountain and teaching lessons of survival. I love it all. Even the dirty diapers and cranky bedtimes aren’t as bad as I imagined.

Before Emma came knocking on my door, I was living close to the edge. Reoccurring tremors, flashbacks that wouldn’t go away. The deep depression that gripped me meant every day was meaningless, there was no purpose to keep me going. For someone who was used to spending every damn day, fighting to protect something, someone, returning home to retirement just sent me into a world of darkness.

“Daddy, look! Watch me!”

But now, I have lights that shine so bright, I’m never looking back.

Ryan picks up the axe by the wood splitting log and both Emma and I shout out. I’m quick to run over and grab it from him, sending him in the opposite direction.

“I guess there is still work to do to make it safe,” I joke to Emma, watching Ryan skip off to play with his trike instead.

Emma shakes her head at me, and I pull her in for a cuddle. We make a great team. I’m completely smitten by this girl. Seeing her body grow my children, the way she’s handled each pregnancy and the labor that comes with it.

She’s the strongest woman I’ve ever met.

Emma has turned the beaten-up old cabin I left behind into a beautiful family home. We’ve honored her family too, helping her heal from the scars of losing both parents so traumatically. Memories of her mother and father are everywhere, including the tiny ball of energy speeding fearlessly around the yard on his trike.

“Hawk and Grace called. They will be on their way soon,” Emma calls out. “They’re bringing some hot dogs for dinner.”

I smile. “Sounds great.”

We’ve made some great friends on the mountain, and Hawk and Grace are a great couple who have been through similar things to us. Turns out my old military buddy was driving the Ranger vehicle that sped past us that night all those years ago. He was on his way to a rescue nearby to his cabin. He saved Grace and, well, I won’t go into it right now, but it’s a great love story.

“Audrey is down for a sleep,” Emma whispers in my ear, sliding a teasing hand up my chest. “We could set Ryan up for some quiet time, and perhaps catch a minute alone…”

“God, I love your pregnancy hormones.”

Emma giggles and calls out to Ryan. After some convincing, she takes him inside and reappears by the back door, her golden skin glowing like my perfect angel. She’s wearing a white sundress that flows in the breeze, her blond hair falling messily around her shoulders.

Grinning, I pick her up and carry her to the woodshed. We place the baby monitors to one side, and I kiss her.

“How long do you think we have?” Emma asks, giddy with playful naughtiness.

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