And then the door opened.
“Amara, honey is that you?” Her mom’s voice was quiet, uncertain, old.
“Mom, are you OK?” Amara asked.
“Oh my, oh my, it is you. Thank the heavens.” Her mom threw open the door, the fly screen banging out of the way as she dashed forward, her arms outstretched.
Amara crumpled. Only Kane’s arm supporting her kept her on her feet. Her emotions were too jagged for her to think straight. So many questions wanted to spill from her mouth that in the end nothing came out, but when her mom enveloped her in her arms, she knew no words were needed and her fears about coming home were unfounded.
“I thought we would have to wait two years; I can’t tell you how we’ve worried about you. Your dad hasn’t been able to forgive himself for what happened.”
“Where is he?” Amara asked, looking past her mom and into the house beyond.
“He’s not here. The boys have some extra work over on The Rise and he goes and helps them most days. He’s too old, but he can’t bear to be around here without you. So they work ’til late, he comes home exhausted, eats, and then goes to bed. Then he begins again. They are trying to raise the money to pay off your contract. Many of the others in the village are helping too, an extra shift here, an extra hour there.” Her mom swallowed a sob. “I’ve been so worried about him,” she whispered.
“There is no contract,” Amara said. “He won’t have to work any longer.”
“Oh, Amara. I can’t believe you are here,” her mom sobbed.
“Do you mind if we go and meet them? Do they come home the usual way?” Amara asked.
“Uh-huh, I’ll go put some extra steaks on.” Her mom pulled her close again, hugging her as if she never wanted to let her go. “I can’t believe it; your dad will be so happy about you being home. I mean, truly, I thought he had lost the will to go on.”
“Well, I’m here now, Mom, and I can’t wait to see him.” Amara pulled back, wanting to see her dad and tell him none of this was his fault.
“You will forgive him won’t you, honey. He still can’t work out what happened,” her mom said, tears in her eyes.
“There’s nothing to forgive, Mom. I’ll tell him that,” Amara said. “Coming, Kane?”
“Kane, oh, I never … this is your mate?” her mom asked, as if seeing Kane for the first time. “He is your mate, not the owner of the contract come to ask for money?”
“He is my mate,” Amara said. “Although it was his uncle that owned my contract. But like I said, the contract is paid. Let’s put it behind us.”
“You mean he isn’t one of us?” her mom asked, her eyes narrowing suspiciously.
“Yes, he is one of us. Look, it’s a long story, why don’t I go meet Dad and the boys and then I’ll tell you all about it,” Amara said, eager to go to her father. It meant so much to her to be able to tell him none of this was his fault, that he didn’t cause the problem, but was in some way a victim too.
Amara hugged her mom again, barely able to let her go. This was her home, and standing here with her mom made her feel safe.
“Go. I can wait,” her mom said, and stood by the door while Amara and Kane walked back down the path, away from the house.
“Oh, we brought a friend with us,” Amara said, suddenly remembering Frasier, who was sitting in the truck with the engine running still. “Can he come in?”
“Send him in. If he helped bring my daughter home, then he is welcome,” her mom said.
“OK. He’s a bear, by the way,” Amara called, as she went round to the truck and opened the door to talk to Frasier.
“If he brought you home, he is welcome,” her mom repeated, followed by, “even if he is a bear.”
Amara smiled. It was good to be home.
“My mom will feed you, Frasier. We’re going to meet my dad and my brothers,” Amara said to Frasier, who switched off his engine.
“You mean I get to spend the evening stuck in the lion’s den,” he said, but looked relieved everything was OK.
“Don’t worry, my mom won’t eat you. Her name is Mara, be polite, please,” Amara said wickedly and then shut the door and took Kane’s hand. “Come on, this way.”