Disclaimer: I don't own Everwood, the town, or its characters. I'm just a college student.
A/N: The last section of quotes, beginning with "And when Amy gets back. . . " is taken from an installment of "Warm My Heart." I assume you've all read it, since this is the sequel, but if you haven't, please go back and do so. Thanks for your time :)
This installment uses Howie Day's "Collide,"
COLLIDE
Her fingers slid into his, settling into perfection. He smiled as he looked steadily into her eyes; he could tell something was different about her, but he wasn't able to pinpoint it. She searched his eyes, wanting to tell him about what lie ahead in her future, but being afraid to scare him, she withheld.
"You're beautiful," he said as they walked along the downtown streets of Everwood. She stopped and took his other hand in hers, smiling, "Even when you're sad, you're still so beautiful,"
"And you, Ephram Brown," she touched his nose with the tip of her finger, "are trying to find out information," she smiled, proud that she was able to identify his moods.
"I am not," he said, laughing, "I really think you're beautiful, geez," he said teasing. She lowered her eyes on him, looking at him seriously while tilting her head, "okay, so maybe you do look like something's on your mind," he admitted, and noticing her frown, he continued, "but rightfully so,"
"I'm just worried about," she sighed, trying to word everything perfectly, "the future," he squeezed her hands more tightly. "That's all," She closed her eyes. How could she tell him that the real future she was worried about involved supporting a child while attending Juilliard and living in New York? How could she expect him to take on a child, if they indeed DID have a future together. When Tom asked her to watch over Micah after his passing, he never said anything about Ephram. While Amy knew it was implied if she married Ephram, she knew that it was her responsibility to care for Micah even if she didn't end up with Ephram in the future. She'd be a single mom for awhile, and that was a lot to deal with, considering she just had just recently turned her life around for the better. And so "the future," was how she would leave it.
"If I have anything to say about your future," he moved closer to her, "our future," he breathed, whispering, "then you and I have nothing to worry about," She smiled at his admittance, even though he was oblivious to the real situation at hand.
"I know," she said, kissing him quickly, "I just . . ." she hated keeping things from him, "I worry about after Tommy . . ." she couldn't bring herself to actually say "dies," and so she just stopped. Ephram understood; how could he not? "I know we haven't really spent a lot of time with him these past years, and I know things ended on sort of a bad note with he and I, especially since I left without saying goodbye or finding out what happened with his father, but I. . ." Ephram encouraged her to continue. "I hesitate to say this, Ephram, because I'm afraid of how you will read it,"
"Say it," he said, smiling, "Please,"
"And I'm sure he's just as scared to live his last months wondering how life will be," he stopped; Amy was right, it was difficult for him to say, "once he has to leave you,"
"Well he has Kate," she said smiling, "I hear he likes her very much. Or so Micah told me,"
"You're different than whoever this Kate person is," he said seriously, "Even though it hurts me to say this, I will always share a part of you with Tom, because he will always love you," Amy frowned, pulling her hands away from his and looking down.
"Ephram,"
"No," he said firmly, "I know he will. I see how he looks at you, I watch how he acts and how he moves when you're near him. Now Amy, I love you with all of my heart, but Tom is dying," He said, sadly, "and he's in love with . . ."
"Kate," she said.
"No, with you," he said, hurt in his voice.
"Stop it," she said, tears flowing, remembering they were in the middle of downtown, "stop saying it like you're talking about the weather," her sensitivity was to be expected.
"I'm sorry," he said, hugging her, "Its not my place, I guess,"
"Ephram, I love you. Everything is your place. You're my comfort, Eph, you're my everything," he kissed her softly then took her hand in his again and they began walking, as she wiped away her tears.
Tom dialed Kate's cell phone number slowly, his hands shaking and moist. He cleared his throat in extreme nervousness, "Hello?" Kate said sweetly on the other side of the line.
"Hi, Kate?" he said softly, "It's Tom Callahan. How are you?" he felt very high school.
"Oh, Tom," she sounded excited, "I am well, how are you?"
"I'm okay I guess," he said honestly, "I just thought maybe you needed a break from being mommy for awhile," his throat was dry.
"The only break I get from being Mommy, is when you watch both our kids,"
"What if I told you my mom offered to be babysitter for the night?" he asked, with hope.
"Are you . . .?"
"Asking you out on a date?" he finished her sentence, then wondering if maybe that was a bit over the top. "Well, yes I am," he finished, "Tomorrow night?"
"It has been awhile since I've actually been out with someone, you understand. I'm used to being 24 hour mommy, and I . . ."
"You'll be perfect," he said honestly, "so will you?"
"Yeah, that sounds fun," she said smiling.
"Good," he smiled, "I'll be there around seven, pick you guys up, drop the kids off at my mom's, and we can head out,"
"Thank you, Tom," she said sweetly, "I wondered how long it was going to take us to do something other than baby-sit each others' children," she laughed. They talked a few more minutes, both ending the conversation on an excited note.
Micah looked up at his father, who had just hung up the phone, "you're going out with Kate?" he frowned.
"I thought you told me you never really listen when I'm on the phone," he nudged his son with his elbow.
"You talk loud, Dad!" he laughed.
"Yes, Kate and I are going out tomorrow. Why the frown?"
"Nothing," Micah said, walking out of the room. Tom knew what the problem was. Micah had always been able to detect the connection between Kate and his father, and had secretly always but up a barrier and avoided getting too attached to Kate. He feared he'd lose Kate, much like he had with Amy for awhile. Now that Amy was back, however, Tom was opposed to even liking Kate. He'd decided long ago that the only girl that he ever wanted to associate with was Amy, and that his Dad should follow suit. It didn't work that way, however. Nothing ever worked the way Micah had planned.
"Even the best fall down sometimes
Even the stars refuse to shine
Out of the back you fall in time
I somehow find, you and I collide
Don't stop here
I've lost my place
I'm close behind"
"I'm really glad Amy's home," Micah continued.
"I am too," Tom said smiling, "she makes things a lot more comfortable around here," Tom then thought back to before he and Micah had their own home. His mind twisted to that night in the hotel over Christmas, four years ago. He looked at his son, remembering each detail:
"Even the best fall down sometimes
Even the wrong words seem to rhyme
Out of the doubt that fills your mind
You finally find, you and I collide
You finally find
You and I collide
You finally find
You and I collide"
A/N: The last section of quotes, beginning with "And when Amy gets back. . . " is taken from an installment of "Warm My Heart." I assume you've all read it, since this is the sequel, but if you haven't, please go back and do so. Thanks for your time :)
This installment uses Howie Day's "Collide,"
COLLIDE
Her fingers slid into his, settling into perfection. He smiled as he looked steadily into her eyes; he could tell something was different about her, but he wasn't able to pinpoint it. She searched his eyes, wanting to tell him about what lie ahead in her future, but being afraid to scare him, she withheld.
"You're beautiful," he said as they walked along the downtown streets of Everwood. She stopped and took his other hand in hers, smiling, "Even when you're sad, you're still so beautiful,"
"And you, Ephram Brown," she touched his nose with the tip of her finger, "are trying to find out information," she smiled, proud that she was able to identify his moods.
"I am not," he said, laughing, "I really think you're beautiful, geez," he said teasing. She lowered her eyes on him, looking at him seriously while tilting her head, "okay, so maybe you do look like something's on your mind," he admitted, and noticing her frown, he continued, "but rightfully so,"
"I'm just worried about," she sighed, trying to word everything perfectly, "the future," he squeezed her hands more tightly. "That's all," She closed her eyes. How could she tell him that the real future she was worried about involved supporting a child while attending Juilliard and living in New York? How could she expect him to take on a child, if they indeed DID have a future together. When Tom asked her to watch over Micah after his passing, he never said anything about Ephram. While Amy knew it was implied if she married Ephram, she knew that it was her responsibility to care for Micah even if she didn't end up with Ephram in the future. She'd be a single mom for awhile, and that was a lot to deal with, considering she just had just recently turned her life around for the better. And so "the future," was how she would leave it.
"If I have anything to say about your future," he moved closer to her, "our future," he breathed, whispering, "then you and I have nothing to worry about," She smiled at his admittance, even though he was oblivious to the real situation at hand.
"The dawn is breaking
A light shining through
You're barely waking
And I'm tangled up in you
Yeah"
A light shining through
You're barely waking
And I'm tangled up in you
Yeah"
"I know," she said, kissing him quickly, "I just . . ." she hated keeping things from him, "I worry about after Tommy . . ." she couldn't bring herself to actually say "dies," and so she just stopped. Ephram understood; how could he not? "I know we haven't really spent a lot of time with him these past years, and I know things ended on sort of a bad note with he and I, especially since I left without saying goodbye or finding out what happened with his father, but I. . ." Ephram encouraged her to continue. "I hesitate to say this, Ephram, because I'm afraid of how you will read it,"
"Say it," he said, smiling, "Please,"
"I
just don't like think ing of a future where I'll never be able to see
him or talk to him again," a tear dropped onto the ground.
"I'm open, you're closed
Where I follow, you'll go
I worry I won't see your face
light up again"
Where I follow, you'll go
I worry I won't see your face
light up again"
"And I'm sure he's just as scared to live his last months wondering how life will be," he stopped; Amy was right, it was difficult for him to say, "once he has to leave you,"
"Well he has Kate," she said smiling, "I hear he likes her very much. Or so Micah told me,"
"You're different than whoever this Kate person is," he said seriously, "Even though it hurts me to say this, I will always share a part of you with Tom, because he will always love you," Amy frowned, pulling her hands away from his and looking down.
"Ephram,"
"No," he said firmly, "I know he will. I see how he looks at you, I watch how he acts and how he moves when you're near him. Now Amy, I love you with all of my heart, but Tom is dying," He said, sadly, "and he's in love with . . ."
"Kate," she said.
"No, with you," he said, hurt in his voice.
"Stop it," she said, tears flowing, remembering they were in the middle of downtown, "stop saying it like you're talking about the weather," her sensitivity was to be expected.
"I'm sorry," he said, hugging her, "Its not my place, I guess,"
"Ephram, I love you. Everything is your place. You're my comfort, Eph, you're my everything," he kissed her softly then took her hand in his again and they began walking, as she wiped away her tears.
"Even the best fall down sometimes
Even the wrong words seem to rhyme
Out of the doubt that fills my mind
I somehow find, you and I collide"
Even the wrong words seem to rhyme
Out of the doubt that fills my mind
I somehow find, you and I collide"
Tom dialed Kate's cell phone number slowly, his hands shaking and moist. He cleared his throat in extreme nervousness, "Hello?" Kate said sweetly on the other side of the line.
"Hi, Kate?" he said softly, "It's Tom Callahan. How are you?" he felt very high school.
"Oh, Tom," she sounded excited, "I am well, how are you?"
"I'm okay I guess," he said honestly, "I just thought maybe you needed a break from being mommy for awhile," his throat was dry.
"The only break I get from being Mommy, is when you watch both our kids,"
"What if I told you my mom offered to be babysitter for the night?" he asked, with hope.
"Are you . . .?"
"Asking you out on a date?" he finished her sentence, then wondering if maybe that was a bit over the top. "Well, yes I am," he finished, "Tomorrow night?"
"I'm quiet, you know
You make a first impression
I've found I'm scared to know
I'm always on your mind"
You make a first impression
I've found I'm scared to know
I'm always on your mind"
"It has been awhile since I've actually been out with someone, you understand. I'm used to being 24 hour mommy, and I . . ."
"You'll be perfect," he said honestly, "so will you?"
"Yeah, that sounds fun," she said smiling.
"Good," he smiled, "I'll be there around seven, pick you guys up, drop the kids off at my mom's, and we can head out,"
"Thank you, Tom," she said sweetly, "I wondered how long it was going to take us to do something other than baby-sit each others' children," she laughed. They talked a few more minutes, both ending the conversation on an excited note.
Micah looked up at his father, who had just hung up the phone, "you're going out with Kate?" he frowned.
"I thought you told me you never really listen when I'm on the phone," he nudged his son with his elbow.
"You talk loud, Dad!" he laughed.
"Yes, Kate and I are going out tomorrow. Why the frown?"
"Nothing," Micah said, walking out of the room. Tom knew what the problem was. Micah had always been able to detect the connection between Kate and his father, and had secretly always but up a barrier and avoided getting too attached to Kate. He feared he'd lose Kate, much like he had with Amy for awhile. Now that Amy was back, however, Tom was opposed to even liking Kate. He'd decided long ago that the only girl that he ever wanted to associate with was Amy, and that his Dad should follow suit. It didn't work that way, however. Nothing ever worked the way Micah had planned.
"Even the best fall down sometimes
Even the stars refuse to shine
Out of the back you fall in time
I somehow find, you and I collide
Don't stop here
I've lost my place
I'm close behind"
"I'm really glad Amy's home," Micah continued.
"I am too," Tom said smiling, "she makes things a lot more comfortable around here," Tom then thought back to before he and Micah had their own home. His mind twisted to that night in the hotel over Christmas, four years ago. He looked at his son, remembering each detail:
"And when Amy comes back you aren't to call her Mommy. You
call her Amy, just as you always have,"
"You kissed her," he said in a mocking tone. He was too young to understand that kisses weren't grounds for making fun of; often they were grounds for envy.
"Nothing's changed," he sighed, "Amy is our friend, and that's how it stays,"
Micah began crying, "Love her!" he yelled loud enough for Amy to hear outside the door.
"I can't," Tommy explained seriously.
"You kissed her," he said in a mocking tone. He was too young to understand that kisses weren't grounds for making fun of; often they were grounds for envy.
"Nothing's changed," he sighed, "Amy is our friend, and that's how it stays,"
Micah began crying, "Love her!" he yelled loud enough for Amy to hear outside the door.
"I can't," Tommy explained seriously.
"Even the best fall down sometimes
Even the wrong words seem to rhyme
Out of the doubt that fills your mind
You finally find, you and I collide
You finally find
You and I collide
You finally find
You and I collide"