A grown man didn’t usually take particular notice of a teenage girl. Oh, they all pointed out the pretty creatures to each other with hissed desires and lewd intentions, but there was no real aim. A young man might pay for a tumble in town, or keep some wanton trim around with whispered sweetness. Marriage and children were inevitable burdens that came upon the careless and mature. For the most part, they didn’t think beyond getting to that moment of little death with a woman.

Ethan had been no different before Lily. After knowing what he had done, been responsible for, he had grown beyond his peers. He didn’t mourn his childhood friend, only mourned the countless times he could have stopped the monster in his tracks. ‘If only…’ became the constant undercurrent of his thoughts.

Lily’s capacity to forgive her attacker and accept, even embrace, her fate amazed him. Her peace and serenity became an elixir. Ethan didn’t love her at that time. Didn’t lust for her. But he knew, without a doubt, that she was a thing of grace and power, and his life would be sorely lacking without her.

His stomach churned and his hands shook as he watched her amble absently away.

He set his lips grimly and strode to into the house. His mind was nimble and soon he saw his path laid out before him. There would be hell to pay on several fronts, and he was sure as spit this was no start to a happy ending, but he was a Cobb. They did the right thing, and they did it together.

The afternoon was spent gathering his planet-side brothers at his parent’s home. The evening was filled with cups of brew, harsh realities and even harsher words. As it is with brothers, heated words became rough shoves. Rough shoves led to one thrown punch and one black eye. That black eye led to Abby’s ancient wooden spoon being slammed on a table and a loud feminine reminder of who was still in charge of the Cobb clan. Softer, more dignified, conversation followed.

As evening waxed toward late night, one by one they let their arguments fall to the floor and shook their heads affectionately at Ethan. Acceptance was granted in the time-honored traditions of ruffling a baby brother’s unruly blond hair and rough claps on his broad shoulders. By the time the clock struck midnight Abby and Devon had retired to their room and left their brood in various drunken states about the house.

The wives arrived about the time the sun began stabbing the Cobb boys awake. There were no reprimands from them, as they knew it must have been something colossal to have kept them all night. Children were underfoot and babes were handed off to woozy fathers as the cooking began in earnest. The extended family was enlightened as to the previous nights events and decisions over breakfast. This resulted in a resounding smack to the back of head from one bride to the purveyor of Ethan’s black eye.

“You do know, I bought that place because I yearned for it, don’t you Ethan?” Nathan, second youngest of the Cobbs, rubbed his sleep gritty eyes. “Had big plans for it. Get me one of them wives I keep hearing so much about…” He reached out and playfully grabbed at the nearest passing sister-in-law.

“Nate, you know you ain’t even here two months out of a cycle.” Ethan pushed food around with his fork, avoiding his brother’s gaze. “It’ll be real close to Momma and Daddy, and it’s got that whole unfinished section off the side.” He raised his gray eyes to their mirror image in his brother’s face. “I gotta do this, on so many levels, I just…I gotta.”

Nathan searched his brother’s face deeply, his piercing stare softening in realization. “Heh, you gotta because of who you are. You’d chase her till your ruttin’ heart burst, you damn fool. It’ll burst on you yet, you know…”

“She’s a good girl, Nate!” Ethan hissed angrily. “I’m not a fool, and neither is she! She don’t love me, but we get on just fine, and she’s gonna hold her head up. I know gorram good and well what I’m getting into, so my heart ain’t set up to break, and I won’t toy with hers…”

“Whoa. Easy there, Nelly, don’t go getting the vapors and huffs.” Nathan interrupted blandly. “I didn’t say your heart would break…said it’d burst…two totally different things.”

*********************

Lily’s heart was full to bursting. She lay on her back in the grass behind her parent’s house. She’d been there some hours now, staring up at the ‘verse before her. Fingers danced lightly over the small swell at her belly, mind drifting like the galaxies above. She found it peaceful to be alone at night. Never one for unnecessary fears, she’d found comfort in the darkness. She thought on that as she spoke quietly to her baby.

“You won’t be afraid of the dark, you know. Or nothin’ else either. I won’t raise me a useless girl, my dear! No, ma’am!” Lily smiled to herself. “Gotta name all picked out for you already. It’s very special. Just you wait and see, you are going to be rare thing indeed, love. Can’t wait for you to meet Nana. Wanna know what she said? She says to me today ‘Lily girl, I’m gonna show that baby girl how to sharpen her own knives! She gonna learn how spit-whet a knife proper!’. I almost fell over…I did! Don’t need to rely on no one if you know how to spit-whet a knife, that’s what she said! You’re gonna love her fiercely, just like I do.”

She wore Ethan’s coat to ward off the early spring chill. She’d kept if after he brought her home. Still had a stain or two on it, but it was comforting. Strange, that. The coat didn’t make her think on what had happened at all. Made her think on him carrying her all the way into town. His steady stream of babble that had kept her grounded while her soul went spinning. She’d never known him before that day. Oh, she knew the Cobbs. Everyone knew the Cobbs. But she hadn’t known him. Just a man that worked out at the mines, like all the rest, but with arms that could cradle a shattered spirit.

At some point her meandering thoughts became dreams and the coat became a blanket, warm and comforting. The blanket enveloped her completely, then burst out, becoming shelter. The wavering fabric around her solidified into walls and ceiling. The compact room was warm and inviting, a small fire in a crude hearth burned cheerily. There was no chimney, but no smoke. The fire smelled of musk and fresh air, patience and enthusiasm. Floating, her arms and legs languid things, suddenly pulled together and held fast. The scent became intoxicating in strength, and she craved it. Drinking in its uplifting solace, it brought her up from the depths of sleep…she opened her eyes.

“Ethan?”

“Aw hell, Lily! Was trying not to wake you up. What the hell you doin’ out on the damn wet grass in the middle of the morning?” He carried her easily, again. She buried her head against his neck and breathed deeply. Her cry of surprise brought him up short.

“Lily? What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.” Her eyes closed, head pressed against his collar bone, she inhaled again.

“I come to talk to you ‘bout something…” He stopped as the slow smile spread across her face and she threw her head back laughing. “Lily? Lily?! What the hell you doing? What are you smellin’ at girl?”

Words are powerful. They are fast. They can break the strongest man yet empower the babbling child. The word flew to her, almost physically impacting with her mind. With one more inhalation, it ran jubilantly through her brain and down across her tongue. On a wave of laughter it broke free.

“Home!”

“What?”

“You’re Home…”

Ethan didn’t know what she was talking about, but as he took in her expression of wonder, the tension flowed out of him. An amazing creature. He couldn’t have kept the smile off his face if someone had a gorram gun pointed at him.

“Funny you should mention that, Lily. See, I’ve been doing some thinking and I conjured up this idea, maybe as would suit ya…”

*********************

Sometimes, twenty-two year old men think they know everything. They can ride the universe bareback and walk home again to sleep peacefully and rise again the next day. No one will ever have more energy, more passion, more ahead of them, ever. This truism leads to actions that will forever alter their lives. Frantic learning experiences that have no place after maturity arrives.

They tend not to think things through and get caught up in the consequences.

*********************

Mostly, fifteen-year old girls want to be told that their lives will be things of wonder. They believe they will find meaning in families or work. Passion will fill their hearts and lead them on journeys they can’t fathom.

They tend to be silly creatures of shifting moods who end up disgusted with the drudgery that encompasses daily life.

*********************

Once in a very great while, two souls meet and they make their decisions pragmatically. They follow through thought processes and weigh decisions carefully. They want. They expect. They know disappointment and fear. They don’t expect a damn thing…and end up getting what they never knew they were looking for.