Darling Wildfire (Red Rabbit #2)

16 YEARS AGO

25

THERON

“Do you believe in God?”

Cole asked.

His feet were kicking back and forth above the water where we sat on the dock. I had no idea what was going on in his little ten-year-old brain to provoke such a question.

“I’m not sure,”

I said honestly. “Why?”

“Tommy says God is in charge,”

he said. “Does that mean even you and mom have to listen to him?”

I smiled. “I’m not sure if I trust someone I can’t prove is real.”

“Tommy said that’s called faith,”

Cole said sagely, his blue eyes turned up to look at me.

“What do you think?”

I asked him.

Cole was quiet as he looked back out over the lake. “It’s kind of fun to think about someone creating all of this.”

He gestured to the serene lake in front of us and then back behind him, encompassing the woods and our family cabin situated up a small slope. It was beautiful and peaceful.

“Maybe this is what heaven is like,” he said.

“Maybe.”

“I don’t like thinking we just disappear once we die,”

Cole said.

“Why are you thinking about dying?”

He shrugged his small shoulders. “Tommy said if I don’t believe in God, I won’t go to heaven.”

“Tommy says a lot of things, doesn’t he?”

I grumbled.

“Well, his dad is a pastor,”

Cole said, grinning at me and making his dimples pop.

“I think religion is a great comfort to people who are looking for that sort of accountability and structure in their lives.”

I put my arm around him and pulled him into my side. “But you can believe whatever you want, son. That doesn’t make you any less of a good person.”

Cole seemed satisfied with the conversation and nestled into my side more. I squeezed him to me and kissed the top of his head. I reveled in these small moments with him. I’d been deployed during much of the twins' younger years and now spent every moment I could catching up on all the time I missed.

Movement in the water caught my eye.

“I think you have a fish!” I said.

Cole stood up and grabbed his pole, excitement lighting up his face as he reeled in the line.

“It’s heavy!” He said.

I came and stood next to him, ready to lend a hand if he needed it.

“Easy does it—pull the pole back and then reel the slack in,”

I instructed.

I saw the flash of silver scales as the fish thrashed against the surface and then it was in the air as Cole reeled it up onto the dock.

“I caught a fish!”

He exclaimed, jumping up and down.

I laughed and grabbed it, carefully taking out the hook.

“And a nice sized one too.”

I handed it to him by the mouth and showed him how to hold it.

“Hold that up,”

I said. “And let me take your picture.”

“Emy is gonna freak!”

Cole giggled as the fish whipped its tail, splashing water on him. I pulled out my phone and framed the picture.

“It’s nearly as big as your head,”

I grinned. “Do you want to release it or eat it?”

Cole seemed to consider it seriously before crouching down at the edge of the dock and gently dropping the fish back into the water. He stood up as he watched it splash away and I put my arm around his shoulders.

“I don’t want to take him away from his home,”

Cole said.

“Fair enough,”

I turned us towards the cabin. “Let’s go see what the girls are making for dinner.”

“I hope it’s not fish!”

Cole laughed and ran up the hill towards the house calling for his twin sister. “Em! Wait till you see the fish I caught!”