Page 7 of Elemental Love
“Because that’s the way it has worked since the beginning of time.”
Evrain grinned as his parents bickered, seemingly forgetting he was on the other end of the line. He cleared his throat.
“Still here, folks.”
“Oh, sorry, sweetie.” His mum found her thread again. “What are you up to today? Doing anything special?”
“I’m driving out to Grandma’s for lunch. Gregory and Coryn will be there too. It’s a beautiful day so I’ll probably take a walk while I’m out that way. There are some spectacular waterfalls not far away from the cabin.”
“Sounds perfect. Give our love to everyone and you listen carefully to what your grandma has to say, okay? It’s a special day.”
“You’re being as cryptic as she is, but I’ll be on my best behavior, I promise.”
“Good boy. Your sisters send their love. There should be cards in the mail if we’ve managed to time it right. Overseas post is so unpredictable.”
“I’ll look out for them, thanks.”
“We weren’t sure about a gift, son.” Evrain’s dad managed to get a word in. “I’ve transferred some money into your account so you can buy something you want. Make sure you use it for something special, memorable, you know?”
“I will and thanks. The gift is perfect. I’d not have been impressed if you sent me one of those awful souvenir champagne flutes.”
“That’s in the mail as well, son.”
“Right.” Evrain laughed. “I’ll treasure it.”
“Oh, you two!” Evrain’s mum scolded them. “Enjoy your birthday, Evrain. We’ll talk to you again soon.” She made kissy noises down the phone.
“Bye, son.” His dad stuck to simple words and no sound effects.
“Bye, thanks for calling. Give my love to everybody.” Evrain replaced the receiver in its cradle. A wave of homesickness rolled over him but it was soon gone. Scotland was part of his soul and he missed his family but he was determined to make Oregon his home and make a success of his new job. He headed for the bathroom to get ready for his day out.
Evrain dressed in boots, jeans and a thick, black rollneck that was soft against his skin. He couldn’t bear itchy fabrics and rarely bought anything that wasn’t constructed from natural fibers. Polyester gave him hives. The Indian summer was warm enough that he didn’t need a jacket. He locked up his apartment and took the lift to the basement garage. When he reached his assigned parking space, he looked around in confusion. Thesmall blue hybrid that normally occupied his space was gone and in its place sat a gleaming red convertible. There was a note under one of the wipers. He plucked the piece of paper from beneath the blade and unfolded it.
He read the words written on it aloud. “Happy birthday, Evrain, this is yours for the day. Don’t dent it! G and C.” He chuckled and stroked the bonnet of the sleek machine. “Wow, it’s good to be me.” He searched around for keys and eventually found them under a rear wheel arch. The roof was already down, so he settled into a bucket seat that gripped his hips, holding him in place. He adjusted it to gain a bit more legroom and grasped the leather steering wheel. The ignition fired smoothly, its low purr sending gentle vibrations through his body. He put the car into gear and pulled out of his space with care. He waited until the security gate had fully risen before driving up the ramp and out into the street.
It was a perfect day for driving with the top down. Evrain knew the route from his apartment building to Hood River well. Once he was out of the city, it was simple enough to follow the I-84 east. The road followed the path of the river and it was a lovely, scenic route. Evrain concentrated on enjoying the car rather than his surroundings. He stuck to the speed limit, knowing that his flashy car would be a magnet for traffic cops. Even at a relatively sedate pace, the drive was a pleasure and Evrain was almost disappointed to reach the end of the narrow lane leading to his grandmother’s cabin. He parked the car behind Coryn’s rental and flipped the switch that brought the roof over. He made sure that there were no trees overhead to drop berries or so that roosting birds could use his sweet ride as target practice. He didn’t want to come back to red with white polka dots rather than plain red paintwork.
He strolled along the lane to his grandmother’s place, Hornbeam Cottage, his feet crunching in the fallen leaves. As achild he had loved to gather piles of leaves in the woods near his home in the Highlands and jump in them. He and his sisters had spent many happy autumn days doing just that, then gathering shiny conkers. He used to soak his in vinegar to harden them. Threaded on old shoelaces, they became effective weapons and he’d suffered many a bruised knuckle at school in drawn-out conker tournaments.
He whistled as he walked. The breeze whipped the leaves into eddies around his ankles. Evrain glanced at the sky through the trees, wondering if the strengthening wind was a sign of rain. He had no coat and didn’t want to get caught in a sudden storm. Where before there had been patches of blue, the sky was now a bruised purple. Evrain hurried along, breaking into a jog. As he reached Agatha’s porch, sure enough the heavens opened. He shoved open the door, which she never locked, avoiding the first heavy drops by seconds.
“What’s with the weather today?” Evrain exclaimed, as his grandmother and godfathers turned toward him from their seats around the fire. “I swear I left Portland in the most glorious sunshine but I seem to have dragged a storm along with me.”
Coryn and Gregory exchanged glances. Agatha rose from her chair and came toward him, holding out her arms.
“Give your old grandma a hug, birthday boy.”
Evrain bent to accept Agatha’s embrace. He kissed the top of her head. She smelled of nutmeg and ginger, the scent familiar and comforting.
“Happy birthday, Evrain.”
“Thank you, Grandma.”
Coryn and Gregory queued to take their turns for hugs.
“Did you enjoy the drive over?” Coryn asked, his eyes twinkling.
“I did. Thank you both, so much. It was a great gift and a brilliant surprise. I could get used to driving around in that.”
