Disclaimer: I don't own Everwood, the town, or its characters. I'm just a college student.
This installment uses Counting Crows' "Closer to You,"
CLOSER TO YOU
The morning came slowly; the sun peaked through the window every now and then, and Amy wished it would hurry. She didn't think she could take another moment of that night. She pulled the shade away from the window, making the light enter more freely, and blinked several times until Micah's figure came into focus on the twin bed across the room. She smiled, remembering that somehow, he was hers now. She twisted her body to let herself down onto the floor, tiptoeing down the stairs and into the living room to check on Tommy.
The couch was made up, the blankets folded neatly and placed on the back of the center cushion. The smell of coffee loomed from the kitchen, and she found herself walking toward it before realizing. He was seated at the table, reading the paper. He looked up at her and smiled, "I'm up early now," he took a sip of his coffee, "can't let a moment slip or leave a possibility unturned," his words saddened her, but she sat across from him now, taking the coffee pot and pouring herself a cup. "Did you sleep well?"
"Micah came in," she said, a sort of glow in her cheeks, "he had a nightmare," Tommy didn't look surprised.
"That's been happening a lot lately," he nodded, "did he sleep in that bed in the corner?"
"Yes," she said, proud of herself for making the right move that night. "I thought about coming to get you, but I realized you'd probably tell me to make the call,"
"Right you are, friend," he said, taking a bite out of a banana. "You don't have to stick around today if you have things to do," sincerity echoed in his voice.
"I need to speak with Ephram," she paused, sighing, "in person," Tom's eyes widened, then closed quickly, he understood. "He doesn't understand, Tom. He doesn't get it, and I really can't expect him to right now. He needs to trust me, and I think he does, but he needs to show me and not just say it."
"If I'm a bother," he began, but Amy cut him off.
"No," she said firmly, "You are NOT a bother, Thomas," she sounded like his mother, and it made him smile. She'd never called him Thomas before. "You and Micah need me, and I need the both of you. Ephram needs to understand that just because I have other people who need me it doesn't mean I don't need him anymore." He stood up to put his mug into the sink, filling it with water. The doorbell rang a few moments later. Hoping it didn't wake Micah, he moved lightly to answer. Amy remained in the kitchen.
Ephram stood with his back facing the door, as if he was unsure of wanting to look Thomas Callahan in the eye after such a long, uncertain period of time. "Can I help you?" Tom asked, not realizing who it was. Amy stepped towards the door, recognizing her love a mile away. Ephram turned, his eyes first looking quickly at Tom, the moving right to Amy.
"Why Ephram Brown," Tom said smiling. He looked different than he'd remembered.
"Tom," he said, acknowledging him before Amy walked over. Her beauty stunned Ephram, even though she'd just woken up and looked most disheveled. He looked at her with regretful eyes until she placed her arms around him and pulled him into a spectacular, earth shattering hug. "I'm sorry," he said. It was big of him, she thought, to come to Tom Callahan's and apologize.
"I didn't know you knew where Tom lives," she said, finally pulling back to look at him, a tear in his eye. Tommy looked on from a few feet away. There she was again, where she belonged, in the arms of the man who'd always had one up on him.
"I asked my Dad," he said, "I just wanted to come over and tell you I didn't sleep at all last night," he turned to Tom, still unaware of the illness that had consumed his body. When Ephram caught Tom's eyes on Amy, however, the jealousy shot through him, and although it was much lighter, it was still present. Tom noticed, and requested that he and Ephram step outside for a small talk, wanting to reassure him that he had no bad intentions for Amy.
"You know my feelings for Amy are platonic, right?" he asked, leaning against the post outside the door.
"I want to trust you again, Callahan, but the way you look at her. . . it's as if your eyes burn into her soul,"
"I know you love her, and I can tell how much she means to you. She means a lot to me as well," he said, frustration crossed Ephram's brow again, "but no matter what my feelings are, they are completely irrelevant and I would never dream of acting on them,"
"So you do have feelings for her?" Ephram didn't understand that it was nearly impossible for Tom not to feel anything for her when she'd basically become a member of his family by agreeing to take care of Micah. Maybe Tom did sort of view her as a mother to Micah, and if he was Micah's father, then it was as if they were together – but only as friends, nothing more. They were a team.
"I've always been in love with Amy. You know that, I know that, she knows that. You have to trust me when I say that I mean no harm, Eph. I'm in love with Kate too,"
"Who the hell is Kate?" Ephram asked, irrationally, and how can you be in love with two people at once?"
"A single mother who takes care of Micah sometimes when I have places to go. And to respond to your second question, I remind you of when you'd broken up with Madison and yet pined for Amy,"
"So now Amy's just a number," Ephram said, as if he knew, disregarding the comment about Madison. He hadn't thought of her in years.
"Amy's the most important adult in my life, Ephram. I'm sorry if you can't accept that, but it's always been that way. It will never change. I know that," he raised his voice. Amy could hear the argument unfolding and she rubbed her forehead in disbelief. She never saw herself as worthy of men arguing over.
"I thought you promised to be out of our lives!" Ephram yelled back, "I thought you said you'd let us be, and let us be happy!" Amy had opened the door now and stood in the frame, watching the two men argue.
"Yeah, well I will be soon, so you can just get your dam party hat ready! I'm sure half the town of Everwood will be right there with you!" Tom yelled back, this time he became dizzy from working himself up too much. Sometimes, although it seemed impossible, he forgot that he was sick. He touched his forehead and leaned up against the side of the building, steadying himself. Amy walked over to him, "you should go inside and have some water," she said, helping him walk in and sitting him down on the couch. Ephram stared in amazement. She walked outside with Ephram quickly, shutting the door behind her,
"I hope you're happy, Ephram," she said, obviously very upset. She knew she had no right to be angry with him; he didn't know that Tommy had cancer.
"What, is he so in love that he's dizzy when he sees you?" he shot back.
"Listen to yourself," she said, tears falling angrily down her face, "and listen to me, Ephram. I love you, damn it. I don't know when you forgot that, but I love you more than life itself," she gasped for air, her tears making it harder to speak. "If you can't respect me enough to trust me, then I don't understand how you think we have a future together. I can love you until I explode, I can tell you it over and over again and watch you look like you believe me, but what I need from you I'm not getting. I need you to honestly have faith in me and in us, Eph. You talk about how we have this wonderful future ahead of us, and then you lack the most important step to getting to it – trust. Tommy was diagnosed with lung cancer, okay? He has about a year left." Her face was beet red now, and Ephram's face showed that he felt like a complete ass, just as she had expected. He listened closely as she continued, "You and I, and his doctors are the only ones who know,"
"I . . ."
"I didn't know," Ephram said, pulling her into a hug, "I'm sorry," he apologized once again. "And I do trust you, and I shouldn't have asked you to not be friends with him . . . I need to apologize to Tommy . . ." he said, turning the door knob and entering. Inside, Micah had woken up and moved downstairs to watch TV with his dad. Ephram hadn't forgotten about Micah, but it hadn't hit him that Micah would be fatherless in a few short months. He looked back at Amy, who looked at the floor, then Ephram took a deep breath and walked up to Tom.
"I'm sorry, Tom," he shook his hand, "I overreacted back there. I guess I just get overprotective of Amy sometimes because she's my world and I finally have her back. Anything I can do to help," he said, stopping, realizing that Micah was in earshot, "You know the number,"
"Thank you, E," he shook his hand once again before Micah ran up to Ephram with a huge smile on his face.
"Hey Micah," he bent down, noticing how grown he was. "How's it going?"
"Ephram!" he shook hands with him, just as his father had, "its going good," he smiled, "Are you here to pick up Amy?" Ephram was surprised at how cooperative Micah was being about his father and Amy not being together.
"I actually just stopped by to say hello to her. She can stay if she wants to," he said turning back to her and smiling, "I get to see her a lot, and I know you haven't seen her in a very long time,"
Amy was yet to drop the news of her mothering Micah after Tommy's departure to Ephram. She wanted the perfect time, but she didn't want to hold off for two long, making it seem like she was hiding it and lying. Ephram was touchy about the smallest of things, and this certainly wasn't small.
"Actually, I think I will go home for a bit," she smiled and took hold of Ephram's hand, "but I will be back later, if you'd like," she said, looking from Tom to Micah.
"Yes," Micah said, sipping his water and watching TV, "but only if you have time, of course," he said seriously.
"Alright then," she said moving to give Micah a giant hug, "I will see you soon, okay?" it felt good being able to hug him and think of her future, even though she knew it would be both financially and emotionally difficult. Micah nodded, and then she moved to Tom and gave him a kiss on the top of his head like a mother would, "you stay put now, and if you need Ephram or I, you call, promise?"
"I do promise," he smiled, "now go have fun," he winked, "I'll see you soon, Amy." The words left his lips and he smiled again. It felt wonderful knowing that she was only a phone call away, and that the picture on his nightstand wasn't just a dream or a memory in the past.
Amy and Ephram left hand-in-hand and the Callahan's went back to watching television. Tom reached for the phone, ready to dial Kate's number, but his fingers shook as he held the card with which the number was written on. It had been awhile since he'd been so nervous around a girl.
This installment uses Counting Crows' "Closer to You,"
CLOSER TO YOU
The morning came slowly; the sun peaked through the window every now and then, and Amy wished it would hurry. She didn't think she could take another moment of that night. She pulled the shade away from the window, making the light enter more freely, and blinked several times until Micah's figure came into focus on the twin bed across the room. She smiled, remembering that somehow, he was hers now. She twisted her body to let herself down onto the floor, tiptoeing down the stairs and into the living room to check on Tommy.
"come a little closer if you can
just forget your fears
come to me
cause where I want to be
is closer to you"
just forget your fears
come to me
cause where I want to be
is closer to you"
The couch was made up, the blankets folded neatly and placed on the back of the center cushion. The smell of coffee loomed from the kitchen, and she found herself walking toward it before realizing. He was seated at the table, reading the paper. He looked up at her and smiled, "I'm up early now," he took a sip of his coffee, "can't let a moment slip or leave a possibility unturned," his words saddened her, but she sat across from him now, taking the coffee pot and pouring herself a cup. "Did you sleep well?"
"Micah came in," she said, a sort of glow in her cheeks, "he had a nightmare," Tommy didn't look surprised.
"That's been happening a lot lately," he nodded, "did he sleep in that bed in the corner?"
"Yes," she said, proud of herself for making the right move that night. "I thought about coming to get you, but I realized you'd probably tell me to make the call,"
"Right you are, friend," he said, taking a bite out of a banana. "You don't have to stick around today if you have things to do," sincerity echoed in his voice.
"I need to speak with Ephram," she paused, sighing, "in person," Tom's eyes widened, then closed quickly, he understood. "He doesn't understand, Tom. He doesn't get it, and I really can't expect him to right now. He needs to trust me, and I think he does, but he needs to show me and not just say it."
"If I'm a bother," he began, but Amy cut him off.
"No," she said firmly, "You are NOT a bother, Thomas," she sounded like his mother, and it made him smile. She'd never called him Thomas before. "You and Micah need me, and I need the both of you. Ephram needs to understand that just because I have other people who need me it doesn't mean I don't need him anymore." He stood up to put his mug into the sink, filling it with water. The doorbell rang a few moments later. Hoping it didn't wake Micah, he moved lightly to answer. Amy remained in the kitchen.
Ephram stood with his back facing the door, as if he was unsure of wanting to look Thomas Callahan in the eye after such a long, uncertain period of time. "Can I help you?" Tom asked, not realizing who it was. Amy stepped towards the door, recognizing her love a mile away. Ephram turned, his eyes first looking quickly at Tom, the moving right to Amy.
"Why Ephram Brown," Tom said smiling. He looked different than he'd remembered.
"Tom," he said, acknowledging him before Amy walked over. Her beauty stunned Ephram, even though she'd just woken up and looked most disheveled. He looked at her with regretful eyes until she placed her arms around him and pulled him into a spectacular, earth shattering hug. "I'm sorry," he said. It was big of him, she thought, to come to Tom Callahan's and apologize.
"put your little hand into my hand
throw off this disguise
come to me
cause I just want to be
closer to you"
throw off this disguise
come to me
cause I just want to be
closer to you"
"I didn't know you knew where Tom lives," she said, finally pulling back to look at him, a tear in his eye. Tommy looked on from a few feet away. There she was again, where she belonged, in the arms of the man who'd always had one up on him.
"I asked my Dad," he said, "I just wanted to come over and tell you I didn't sleep at all last night," he turned to Tom, still unaware of the illness that had consumed his body. When Ephram caught Tom's eyes on Amy, however, the jealousy shot through him, and although it was much lighter, it was still present. Tom noticed, and requested that he and Ephram step outside for a small talk, wanting to reassure him that he had no bad intentions for Amy.
"You know my feelings for Amy are platonic, right?" he asked, leaning against the post outside the door.
"I want to trust you again, Callahan, but the way you look at her. . . it's as if your eyes burn into her soul,"
"I know you love her, and I can tell how much she means to you. She means a lot to me as well," he said, frustration crossed Ephram's brow again, "but no matter what my feelings are, they are completely irrelevant and I would never dream of acting on them,"
"So you do have feelings for her?" Ephram didn't understand that it was nearly impossible for Tom not to feel anything for her when she'd basically become a member of his family by agreeing to take care of Micah. Maybe Tom did sort of view her as a mother to Micah, and if he was Micah's father, then it was as if they were together – but only as friends, nothing more. They were a team.
"I've always been in love with Amy. You know that, I know that, she knows that. You have to trust me when I say that I mean no harm, Eph. I'm in love with Kate too,"
"Who the hell is Kate?" Ephram asked, irrationally, and how can you be in love with two people at once?"
"A single mother who takes care of Micah sometimes when I have places to go. And to respond to your second question, I remind you of when you'd broken up with Madison and yet pined for Amy,"
"So now Amy's just a number," Ephram said, as if he knew, disregarding the comment about Madison. He hadn't thought of her in years.
"Amy's the most important adult in my life, Ephram. I'm sorry if you can't accept that, but it's always been that way. It will never change. I know that," he raised his voice. Amy could hear the argument unfolding and she rubbed her forehead in disbelief. She never saw herself as worthy of men arguing over.
"I thought you promised to be out of our lives!" Ephram yelled back, "I thought you said you'd let us be, and let us be happy!" Amy had opened the door now and stood in the frame, watching the two men argue.
"Yeah, well I will be soon, so you can just get your dam party hat ready! I'm sure half the town of Everwood will be right there with you!" Tom yelled back, this time he became dizzy from working himself up too much. Sometimes, although it seemed impossible, he forgot that he was sick. He touched his forehead and leaned up against the side of the building, steadying himself. Amy walked over to him, "you should go inside and have some water," she said, helping him walk in and sitting him down on the couch. Ephram stared in amazement. She walked outside with Ephram quickly, shutting the door behind her,
"I hope you're happy, Ephram," she said, obviously very upset. She knew she had no right to be angry with him; he didn't know that Tommy had cancer.
"What, is he so in love that he's dizzy when he sees you?" he shot back.
"Listen to yourself," she said, tears falling angrily down her face, "and listen to me, Ephram. I love you, damn it. I don't know when you forgot that, but I love you more than life itself," she gasped for air, her tears making it harder to speak. "If you can't respect me enough to trust me, then I don't understand how you think we have a future together. I can love you until I explode, I can tell you it over and over again and watch you look like you believe me, but what I need from you I'm not getting. I need you to honestly have faith in me and in us, Eph. You talk about how we have this wonderful future ahead of us, and then you lack the most important step to getting to it – trust. Tommy was diagnosed with lung cancer, okay? He has about a year left." Her face was beet red now, and Ephram's face showed that he felt like a complete ass, just as she had expected. He listened closely as she continued, "You and I, and his doctors are the only ones who know,"
"I . . ."
" I'm oh so tired of this awfull fight
cant get by without you
I dont know how I'm gonna be alright
But Im all messed up
ya im all messed up
ya I am"
"He needs a friend, Ephram, and as much as you dislike him and distrust him, it is important that I am here for him. I never deliberately set out to hurt you, honey, I hope you know that, but I won't stop being here for a dying friend just because you don't like him,"
cant get by without you
I dont know how I'm gonna be alright
But Im all messed up
ya im all messed up
ya I am"
"He needs a friend, Ephram, and as much as you dislike him and distrust him, it is important that I am here for him. I never deliberately set out to hurt you, honey, I hope you know that, but I won't stop being here for a dying friend just because you don't like him,"
"I didn't know," Ephram said, pulling her into a hug, "I'm sorry," he apologized once again. "And I do trust you, and I shouldn't have asked you to not be friends with him . . . I need to apologize to Tommy . . ." he said, turning the door knob and entering. Inside, Micah had woken up and moved downstairs to watch TV with his dad. Ephram hadn't forgotten about Micah, but it hadn't hit him that Micah would be fatherless in a few short months. He looked back at Amy, who looked at the floor, then Ephram took a deep breath and walked up to Tom.
"I'm sorry, Tom," he shook his hand, "I overreacted back there. I guess I just get overprotective of Amy sometimes because she's my world and I finally have her back. Anything I can do to help," he said, stopping, realizing that Micah was in earshot, "You know the number,"
"Thank you, E," he shook his hand once again before Micah ran up to Ephram with a huge smile on his face.
"Hey Micah," he bent down, noticing how grown he was. "How's it going?"
"Ephram!" he shook hands with him, just as his father had, "its going good," he smiled, "Are you here to pick up Amy?" Ephram was surprised at how cooperative Micah was being about his father and Amy not being together.
"I actually just stopped by to say hello to her. She can stay if she wants to," he said turning back to her and smiling, "I get to see her a lot, and I know you haven't seen her in a very long time,"
Amy was yet to drop the news of her mothering Micah after Tommy's departure to Ephram. She wanted the perfect time, but she didn't want to hold off for two long, making it seem like she was hiding it and lying. Ephram was touchy about the smallest of things, and this certainly wasn't small.
"Actually, I think I will go home for a bit," she smiled and took hold of Ephram's hand, "but I will be back later, if you'd like," she said, looking from Tom to Micah.
"Yes," Micah said, sipping his water and watching TV, "but only if you have time, of course," he said seriously.
"Alright then," she said moving to give Micah a giant hug, "I will see you soon, okay?" it felt good being able to hug him and think of her future, even though she knew it would be both financially and emotionally difficult. Micah nodded, and then she moved to Tom and gave him a kiss on the top of his head like a mother would, "you stay put now, and if you need Ephram or I, you call, promise?"
"I do promise," he smiled, "now go have fun," he winked, "I'll see you soon, Amy." The words left his lips and he smiled again. It felt wonderful knowing that she was only a phone call away, and that the picture on his nightstand wasn't just a dream or a memory in the past.
Amy and Ephram left hand-in-hand and the Callahan's went back to watching television. Tom reached for the phone, ready to dial Kate's number, but his fingers shook as he held the card with which the number was written on. It had been awhile since he'd been so nervous around a girl.
"dont you wish we were younger
these things go to fast
come to me
because I used to be
closer to you
Oo come to me cause
I need to be
closer to you"
these things go to fast
come to me
because I used to be
closer to you
Oo come to me cause
I need to be
closer to you"