LUNA COCKER

Carmen walks onto the back porch where I’m drinking coffee, my boot on the table and a frustrated sigh on my lips. She follows my gaze to Sofia Sol splitting wood with a hatchet.

“Now what’s she doing that for? It’s not even Fall.”

“Blowing off steam.”

In loose-fitting dark jeans and a brown t-shirt, Carmen sits in one of the old rocking chairs and we watch my daughter beat the hell out of that pine for a good ten minutes. “She’s not tired yet?”

“Won’t stop until her body quits on her. I think that’s the point.” Setting down my empty cup I pick at the frayed hole in my black jeans. “Three weeks since he left and she’s fixed every bike we have, washed the ones Scratch left behind, and cleaned the bathroom!”

Carmen’s soft brown eyes go wide. “She cleaned?”

“I know, right? Oh, and mowed the lawn, but we already talked about that.”

“Her riding all over the property on that industrial mower for six hours almost blows me away more than cleaning the bathroom!” She holds her finger up. “Almost!”

“I saw her going crazy down there by that oak tree, see the farthest one?” I sigh, staring at Sofia’s hatchet swing. “She was circling the same spot like the grass couldn’t get short enough. I’m guessing that’s where they…”

My raised eyebrows finish the sentence.

Carmen stares at it, then shakes her head. “Wow, I bet you’re right.”

“You notice how she’s treating Atlas?”

“Like he doesn’t exist.”

“I’m still trying to figure out why he did it.”

Carmen tucks her bare feet under her, smoothing her t-shirt over her belly. “He and Luke are so close, it makes no sense.”

“You have a hard time believing it was for the club, too?”

She nods, eyes flicking to the screen door as it clatters the arrival of Meg, carrying a fresh pot of coffee and two cups, red hair in a messy bun over comfy jeans and a light sweater. Carmen and I watch her eye Sofia before she gets to us and pours two, and refills mine. Sitting down she glances again to my daughter.

“Thank you,” Carmen smiles, lifting her cup.

Meg gives us a guilty look. “I saw you from the kitchen, and I’ll be honest, I wanted to know what you were talking about.”

I shrug, “Can’t blame you. And I needed more coffee anyway. But you probably already know.”

“Yep.” She blows on her cup, steam billowing up. “I’ve been keeping my mouth shut but…I think she’s in love with him. What do we do?” She’s directing the question to me since they’re our children.

“Has Luke called?” I ask.

“Me? Just once. Barely spoke. He’s angry at us.”

“I would be, too,” I sigh. “I know he hasn’t called Sofia, she barked something about him needing to answer his damn phone, before she tossed hers across one of the parlors. Screen’s a mess now.”

“You were with her?” Carmen asks. “What did you say?”

“Didn’t have to be with her. Could hear it from the next room.” My friends side-eyeball me. “Yes, I was eavesdropping! Don’t act like you’ve never done it.” Taking a sip I mutter, “If I was Luke, I wouldn’t talk either. I remember when I left this house before Jett and I were officially together. This was before your time here, Meg. I’d never been around a place like this, and I ached for Jett, ached for this house, the family it could provide for me after years of…a fuckin’ nightmare.”

Carmen chews on her lips. “I remember that. God, it was so long ago. I wished so bad that I could help you find your way back. I was a baby then. No clue.”

We sit in silence. Sofia swears loud enough for it to travel to us as she throws the hatchet with what’s left of her strength. Her shoulders slump and she sits on the ground, hugging her knees, exhausted, stacks of split firewood scattered around her.

Meg absently sips her coffee, deep in thought. “We need to do something.”

“I’m open to suggestions.” Throwing my boot on the table I tell them, “Been waiting for a job to come in so she can take her mind off of him. She needs to work again, that always makes her feel good.”

“What if she can’t? What if even that wouldn’t do it?”

Carmen blinks from Meg to me. “I’ve been thinking the same thing, Luna.”

I set the coffee down, no longer have the stomach for it. “I think we made a mistake. But Jett and H.B. are a couple of stubborn beasts.”

Carmen, more romantic than I am, explains better than I ever could, “When you’re watching your children grow up, they’re your little babies. So it’s hard for you to see them as separate human beings who no longer need you to watch over them. You guys were stepping in where you shouldn’t have.” Meg and I react, but Carmen throws her hands up. “That rule was bullshit and it was meant to be broken.”

“Carmen! I thought you were going to say something poetic!”

Holding my eyes she shakes her head. “Nope.”

Meg laughs despite herself.

Leaning over, I stick my fingers in my cup and flick coffee on her.

Carmen wipes her arm and points to my daughter. “I don’t know if she loves him like I love my Tonk, or you love your husbands, but something is going on here that’s bigger than a crush.”

Our gazes drop as we stew on it, until Meg asks, “What if she does love my son as much as we love our husbands? And what if he feels the same way about her?”

“Fuck,” I whisper, running my hand over my head and leaning deeply into my chair. “We can’t tell the men to allow Luke to come back home just to see. I don’t think that’s gonna fly. Not after all the battling. Can’t just drop…the hatchet.” I motion to Sofia and her unnecessary firewood.

Meg sighs, “We need to help our men save face.”

“True.”

Carmen nods. “I love that about us.”

I ask, “What?”

She lifts the coffee pot and pours fresh steam into her cooling cup. “That we look after them. Handle their egos and male pride with kindness. I was in town recently, my day for groceries, so I took Tonk Jr. and we overheard these women bad mouthing their husbands to each other in a way that just made me sad. And you know what my son said?” We wait as she sips. “That kind of behavior can’t cultivate a happy home. He’s so smart,” she sighs. “Just wish he knew where his place was in life.”

We nod our agreement, and go back to thinking about our problem.

Meg’s blue eyes widen. “How about we be sly?”

My eyebrows rise. “I’m listening.”

“Let me think about it a second.”

Carmen and I stare while Meg’s mind churns. She shakes her head at a couple ideas, nods over one and then shakes her head again.

The screen door clatters another arrival and we glance over to Melodi walking up. “I was wondering where you girls went,” she drawls. “Have something to tell you.”

Meg shoots upright in her chair. “I’ve got it! Melodi, come here. Sit down.”

“Okay, okay, I’m not in any hurry this morning. My arthritis is kicking up. Just hold your horses.” She grunts onto a ratty cushion, hands on her knees. “What have you got cookin’ ladies?”

Meg leans forward, “Wait, what did you have to tell us?”

“Job just came in. Jett and the boys are talking about it in the main parlor.”

I start to stand up. “Oh good, I’ll give Sofia the news.”

Meg hits my leg. “Sit down! This is perfect, sit sit sit.” Interested, I land in my seat and we all lean forward as she explains, voice hushed, “When I saw you, Melodi, it all clicked together. Have Tyler call Luke and say he needs help on a mission. Then have Tyler come here first, tell Sofia Sol he needs her help on a mission, but he only needs her. Nobody else. I don’t know how you do that, but you two will figure it out. You’ll have to tell him why, let him in on the fact that we’re bringing our kids together to see how they really feel about each other, without all of us breathing down their necks.”

Melodi warily looks from Meg to me, whispering, “You know you’re playing with fire, right?”

“Have you met me?” I smirk.

“Unfortunately I have,” she grins.

Carmen covers her mouth and laughs, “I love this idea, Meg. I love it!”

“Thank you. It’ll show us all how they really feel. And if it’s just a fling, which is entirely possible no matter how much we don’t want to think about our babies doing that with each other…they can work it out away from this house. Get it out of their system.”

Mel looks at Meg then locks onto me, blonde eyebrow arched. “I don’t think it’s a fling.”

“I don’t either,” I sigh, standing up. “I’m just glad we’ll be gone when Tyler shows up. Less people around to witness it. By the time we come back, Sofia will be gone. The dice will fall where they’re meant to.”

Gathering our cups, the four of us moms walk inside, and we can’t help but stare at my forlorn daughter on the way.

Carmen’s voice is quiet as she says what everyone is thinking, “I just hope Luke feels the same way.”