Tia

The next morning, while Em is showering, I ask my other husbands if they will join us today, as we head back to the farm.

“You don’t think it will be too much for them?” Salinger asks.

“I think Emerson needs to know that as a family, we’re by his side.” Then smiling, I add, “And I didn’t think anyone would let him take me back there alone.”

“Got that right,” Fallon says with a laugh. “No way in hell am I letting you leave again.”

“So, you’ll all come?” I ask, my voice filled with hope, knowing this will make Emerson so happy to show off his childhood home. “It’s only for two days.”

“I can call into work and tell them I have family business to take care of,” Giles says, wrapping his arms around my shoulders from behind. He kisses my cheek. “This is a good idea, Tia.”

“That works great, actually,” Banks says, surprising me. “ I really wanted to collect the flower samples myself, and I’d like to sit down with his mother and discuss her experience with it.”

Huxley asks how soon we plan on leaving, and tells us he’ll meet us at the docks. He needs to run to the shop first if he’s going be out for so long. The rest of my husbands all agree too, and soon they are making arrangements with work and packing their bags.

When Emerson walks into the kitchen thirty minutes later he asks where everyone went.

“They’re coming with us,” I tell him, handing him his morning coffee. “I already called your mom and let her know.”

“All of them?” His brows rise.

“Yep.”

“Do you think that’s a good idea?”

“You don’t want them to go? I thought you’d like to show them where you grew up. You should be proud--”

“I am.” He takes a sip of his coffee. “Just not sure the others, especially Banks, will appreciate country life.”

“I think you’ll be surprised.”

He gives a small grunt, and I see a flash of insecurity in his gaze before he sighs and says, “Then I guess I’m going to have to tell my mom to make up the barn.”

I choke on my coffee. “The barn?”

“You didn’t think we’d all fit in the house?” He winks, then turns and walks away, and I’m not sure if he’s joking.

As we sail toward the island, the salty sea air fills my lungs. I breathe it in, letting my hair blow in the breeze. The boat ride has taken several hours, but by noon we see his parents’ coastal farm come into view. Emerson begins to navigate the boat he’s rented to the shore.

“Feeling okay?” Salinger asks, wrapping a cardigan around my shoulders.

“I am,” I say, pushing my arms into the sleeves. “I don’t know if it’s the fresh air or the fact all of us are here together, but I feel really good.”

“Listen, I wanted to tell you how sorry I am about all the stuff we learned about your dad yesterday.” He drapes an arm around my shoulder as the boat nears the dock.

I shake my head. “I don’t want to think about all of that right now. I want to be happy, Sal.”

He pulls me closes and kisses my head. “I know, Tia. But I spoke with my mom.”

Hope flares in my chest. I may be safe right now, but all those women at the labs aren’t.

“She’s sending an investigative team down. Today.”

“So soon?” I ask, my voice revealing everything.

This means the world to me, that Salinger moved so fast. And the fact that it wasn’t about his desire to keep me safe, happy, and alive says so much.

Salinger is changing before my eyes.

“Look at you,” I tease. “Who would have thought the brothel owner would become so honorable.”

“I’m just glad my mother believed me. Trusted me. Before you came into my life my relationship with my parents was so broken, but then... you changed me, Tia.”

“You’re a good man, Salinger.” I tilt my head to the side, taken aback by how much I love him.

He runs a hand over my hair. “I’ve missed you,” he admits.

I swallow. “I know. I miss you too.” I exhale, pulling him into an embrace as the boat comes to the dock. Looking up at him I ask, “So, what happens next, with your mom and her team?”

“The hope is we crack the case wide-open. Make it a worldwide issue. Countries are still fighting for her list. And unless something happens, something major... then no woman is safe.”

There is still so much work to be done. “Let’s go pick some flowers then, and then we can get back to work.”

“After Em tells Mason that he’s his father, right?” Salinger asks. I know the fact that Emerson hid this from everyone was a shock to him. To all of them.

I nod, as the solemness of what Em has to do hits me.

“Right. After that.” I kiss Sal softly then turn to look for Emerson.

Salinger may be working on saving the female species, but right now, Em is preparing to break his son’s heart.

Lunch is served around the big farm table, and there is plenty to go around. Emerson’s brothers are gone on a fishing trip at the moment, but Grace and Charles welcome us all with open arms.

It’s clear that my husbands immediately warm to the place. How could they not? The food alone would warm even the coldest of hearts. Hearty bowls of beef stew are served with thick slices of homemade bread, fresh butter slathered on each piece.

“What a treat, having you all here,” Grace says, carrying in a freshly baked cherry pie, with a jug of sweet tea to go with it.

“This is the real treat,” I say as she hands me a generous slice.

Mason pipes up. “She was running around all morning after you called. Even told me to quit the farm chores for the day, so I could help her in the kitchen.”

“Well you must have been a good helper,” I tell him. “ Everything is delicious.”

“Ma is the best cook on the island.”

My eyes meet Emerson who looks down at his plate as his son speaks freely. My heart aches for him. Mason will have no idea this is coming. Emerson’s parents seem to understand our unease because Charles asks if my husbands would like to be put to work for the afternoon. I know he’s just looking for a reason to get them out of the house.

When they all agree, I tease Banks and Salinger. Those two men only ever wear suit coats and slacks. “Someone better take photos of this.”

“Don’t worry, Tia,” Giles grins. “I’ll be sure to get a few for blackmail purposes.”

The men all head out and Emerson, Mason and I clear the table as Grace directs traffic. Soon we’ve cleaned the meal and Mason is asking if he is to go do farm chores, too.

“Not right now, sweetie, Dad will be back any minute and we need to talk with you.”

Mason frowns. “I’ve been inside all day.”

“I know. But can you go into the living room?” Grace asks. “We’ll meet you there in a moment.”

After Mason leaves, grumbling, I turn to Emerson. “Maybe I should leave. Let you guys...”

“No,” Emerson says, adamant. “I want you there.”

Grace wipes her hands on a dishrag, then looks at Emerson. “How did Helene look?”

Emerson doesn’t answer, just turns to look out the window.

Finally, I answer for him. “She looked tired.”

“Poor thing,” Grace says with a sigh. “She’s never had it easy.”

“And she’s set on only making things worse,” Emerson mutters.

“Do you think she’d really come back here though?” Grace asks, anxiety in her words.

“When it comes to Helene, I don’t think anyone knows what she might do,” Em mutters.

The back door opens and Charles walks in, kneeling down to take off his work boots.

“You really married to all those men?” he asks with a grin, looking at me. “How in the hell do you keep them all in line?”

I feel a blush on my cheeks, but Emerson saves me from embarrassing myself. “She uses the recipe book Mom sent her, makes them pies and casseroles. Besides, isn’t the saying happy wife, happy life?”

“Suppose it is, son,” Charles says, squeezing Em’s shoulder, then dropping his hand. “Now, anything we should know before we go in there?”

Emerson shakes his head. “No. I got this. I know what I want to say.”

We follow Em into the living room where Mason is playing a handheld video game.

“Could you put that up, buddy?” Em asks him. “We wanted to talk to you for a second.”

Mason switches it off without complaint. Emerson’s parents have done a great job raising him.

“What’s going on?” Mason asks. “You’re all acting weird.”

“It’s kinda a big thing, actually,” Emerson tells him. “What we want to talk to you about.”

“What is it?”

I sit on the plush couch next to Em, and Grace and Charles situate themselves in the armchairs flanking the fireplace, all of us looking at Mason, knowing his entire world is about to shatter to pieces. But if he doesn’t do this now, if Helene gets here first... no, that isn’t an option.

It’s best this way.

Emerson clears his throat, and I look at him, impressed how well he is handling this. He may not have a formal education, but he is wise beyond his years. I am so proud of him at this moment. The sacrifices he’s made have made him strong.

“Here’s the thing, Mason,” Emerson begins. “Sometimes life forces us to make hard choices. Decisions we wouldn’t have made under different circumstances. And sometimes those choices chew us up inside.”

Mason scrunches up his face trying to follow.

Emerson, with a steady voice, keeps going. “I had to make a choice once that I didn’t want to make. But it was one of those times, you know, where you have to do something you don’t really want to do.”

“Like when Dad had to shoot Pepper after she broke her leg and got sick?”

“Yeah, buddy. We all loved Pepper. She was a good horse. And we loved her, so much. So, while it was a hard decision, we knew it was the right one.”

“It didn’t chew us up though, inside,” Mason says. “It was the right thing to do for her.” He looks at Charles for confirmation and I see Em’s dad nod. Grace, though, is already blinking back tears.

Emerson presses his knuckles to his lips, nodding. “That’s what I wanted to tell you about, Mason. A time when I had to make a hard choice, but one that I knew was right.”

Emerson takes a deep breath as if bracing himself, then he tells the truth to his son. Explaining what happened the day he was born. Who his mother is. That he is his father.

Emerson tries to explain why they did what they did. That it was all to keep him safe.

“But I’m not a child anymore,” Mason says, anger flaring up in him. “You all lied to me.”

“We love you, Mason,” Grace says. “We never wanted to hurt you. We wanted to--”

But Mason is shouting at everyone, unable to reason. And I understand. His world has just been rocked.

“You suck at being a dad, you know that?” he hurls at Emerson. “I thought you cared about me, that you were my big brother. But really, you’re just a big, fat fake.”

Emerson shakes his head, reaching out for the boy. “Mason--”

“No, I don’t want to talk to you. You made them lie,” he says, pointing at Charles and Grace. “Lie to me. All because of you.”

“Hey,” Charles says. “We made the choice together. Emerson isn’t to blame.”

“Yes, he is,” Mason defies. “He’s the one who broke the law. You just wanted to protect your kid even if it meant hurting me.”