Page 85 of Red Mountain Burning
Philippe and Henri, who had been staring at Elphaba jealously from the floor, raced to Remi’s side.
“House chickens,” he said, petting the dogs. “We have house chickens now. Fellas, I think she’s finally lost it.”
Margot stroked the chicken’s back. “She wanted to come spend some time with her mama.”
“That is one lucky bird.” He looked at her coffee cup. “Can I get you a refill?”
“Sure.” As he turned to the kitchen, she called out, “I have something I want to read to you.”
“Oh, yeah, what’s that?”
“You’ll see.”
Once he’d topped off her coffee, he sat in the seat beside her. “That’s good coffee this morning.”
“I put a little extra love into it.” Still stroking her hen, she set down her coffee and picked up a piece of paper she’d printed out. “I want you to know, Remi, that I’ve been a little lost lately. Maybe for a long time. That ends today, though. I’m not going to joke about Margot 2.0 and 3.0. It’s not like that; it’s much more than a new me. It’s the real me. Everything seems so clear now.”
Remi grunted. “Dare I say you’ve had an…epiphany?”
Margot hit him. “Why didn’t I think of that? That’s exactly it.” She reached for the piece of paper on the table. “So I woke up and raced down to see if I could find this little bit of writing. Do you mind if I read the whole thing?”
He rested his mug down on his thigh. “Please.”
She straightened the paper and read, “I don’t know what kind of woman I’m looking for. All that I do know is she’s out there. I’ve spent my life looking for love in all the wrong places. I’ve spent most of my life misunderstanding love. Not the love that I have for my daughter. I do understand that love. I mean the kind of love that you share between partners. After a lifetime of doing it wrong, I finally know what love means. Love is something we do as an offering, expecting nothing in return. Love requires trust. Love takes everything you have. Love isnota lusty affair. Love is a commitment beyond any others, an action that takes every ounce of effort you have. I’m looking for a woman who will allow me to love her with everything I have.”
Margot looked at the man she’d chosen to love for the rest of her life. “Do you know who wrote that?”
“I did. That was myMatch.comprofile.”
“Yeah.” She reached for his hand. “From this moment forward, I’m going to be that woman. I don’t know why I’ve been so afraid to let myself go, and I don’t know why I’ve ever doubted you…but no more. You have all of me.” She looked down at her body and smirked. “And I mean all of me.”
“You don’t think I know that, Margot? I’ve never doubted you for a moment, and I definitely never gave up on you.”
She let go of his hand. “Thank you.”
They sipped their coffee together and laughed and fell back into being the couple they used to be.
When Jasper came down, he sat at his Steinway and filled the house with beautiful sounds. Margot loved that he could say more with his music than anyone could say with words, and each note seemed to tickle her soul.
Carly followed shortly after. “Good morning, everyone.” She approached her father and kissed his head. Margot couldn’t help noticing Carly’s head was free of the hoodie and any other material. Her long brown hair even appeared to be washed.
“You’re up early,” he said.
She knelt down to say hi to the dogs. “If I’m not too late, I thought I’d cook breakfast for everyone.”
“Not too late at all,” Remi said in shock.
Margot tried not to make a big deal out of the offer and said casually, “Yeah, I’m starved. Haven’t eaten in weeks.”
As her future stepdaughter turned to the kitchen, Margot realized how similar they were. Carly wanted her dad back in her life and to know that she never wanted to feel abandoned by him again. In Margot’s case, all she’d wanted was to know that Remi wasn’t too good to be true and that she hadn’t made up this fairy tale in her head. In these past hours of self-clarity, it had become evident that Margot’s lack of faith in him was her own insecurities coming to life. He wasn’t returning to his ex-wife, nor did he have any skeletons in the closet.
Like Carly, all Margot wanted was to know he would hold her tight and never let her go.
Looking back at the man she loved so intensely, she took his hand. Why had she ever doubted him? He was one of the good ones, and for some wild reason, he’d decided that Margot was his soul mate.
Carly’s obvious change of heart had hit him hard. He was fighting tears. Margot wanted to tell him to let them fall. He’d just gotten his daughter back. There still might be some bumps along the way, but he’d been given a second chance. What could be better than that?
Forget the past. Forget the fear of the unknown. Forget the fear of what she looked like. Margot’s old self was as much in ashes as the gown and hoodie in the driveway.
With her love spilling over for her new family, she thought a good unwavering hug was all any of them needed, and Margot decided right then and there that she’d never let any of them go.
