Share the Moon, page 16
She leaned her head out her window as the warm air blew over her. The air still smelled of smoke, but the density had thinned.
Twenty minutes later, she eased the car into her designated parking space in the quaint apartment complex that housed fifty units. She threw the car in park and let out a deep breath. It was over; they were safe. Kali wrapped her hand around her neck and pulled her to her lips. The adrenaline that was still surging through her body played out in the hard and passionate kiss.
When they finally broke, Vic whispered, “Let’s get settled in.”
Kali nodded as she turned to Jamie. “Let’s go.”
Jamie blinked and unbuckled her belt. She looked around and in a far-off voice asked, “Where are we?”
“We’re at my apartment.”
Jamie nodded.
Victoria peeled herself from the car and stood in stunned disbelief as she looked at her SUV from under the parking structure’s fluorescent lights. The silver paint had all but burned off, deep scratches down the side looked like a rabid werewolf had attacked, the entire car was pockmarked as if they’d drove through an unimaginable hail storm, and the windshield might as well have done a faceplant into a brick wall. They were damn lucky to be alive.
Kali flung her backpack and Jamie’s purse on her shoulder. “Come on, let’s go get cleaned up.”
✥ ✥ ✥
Jamie scooted out of the car. She had a headache from the combination of crying, screaming, and smoke inhalation. The entire drive on the freeway, she’d thought of nothing but Ruth, and right now, she felt like her entire lifeforce had been sucked out of her body. She shuffled, one foot in front of the other, as she followed and gave no thought to the direction as they walked up a flight of stairs. Moments later, she flopped on Vic’s couch in the small, sparsely furnished, one-bedroom apartment. She looked around the room yet saw nothing. She was stuck in a dream-like state, waiting to wake up.
Kali sat down next to her and in a faraway voice, said, “I’m going to send Kate a text letting her know we are safe.”
Jamie nodded, at least she thought she did, but she wasn’t really sure. Reality still played out in a foggy way in front of her. Vic flipped on the TV. The unfamiliar voices of the reporters rattled off sections of the area that were in the fire zone. According to the news, their vineyard was probably engulfed in fire. Jamie leaned into Kali and sobbed.
An acoustic guitar strummed from Kali’s phone. “It’s Kate,” she said as she swiped the screen and hit the speaker. “How are you? How’s Ginger and Buddy?”
“We…it…out…over at…”
“Kate, you’re breaking up really bad. Can you repeat that?”
“The…road…trailer was almost…but we’re okay.”
The line went dead, and Kali’s multiple attempts to call back failed.
“She said she was okay, so until we hear back from her, let’s go with that,” Kali said as she tossed the phone on the coffee table. “For now, who wants a shower?”
Jamie felt a hand slip under her arm and lift her up. “Come on, let’s get you in first.” She stumbled alongside Kali into the bathroom. She blinked and jerked her head when Kali hit a switch, and the bright light assaulted her.
“Hands up,” Kali said in a soft voice.
Jamie automatically did as she was told until she felt the coolness of the room against her naked body. She shivered but didn’t make a move to do anything about it. Eventually, the steam from the running water slowly warmed her skin.
“Let’s get you in.” She guided Jamie into the shower.
As soon as Jamie placed her head under the water, it broke her dream-like state. A vision of Ruth smiling danced before her. “Ruth,” Jamie whispered, and her heart sank. She had no idea what they would return to once they were cleared to go home, but she feared Ruth would not be there. She placed her head in her hands, slowly sank to the floor of the shower, and curled up in a ball. As the water sprayed over her body, she let it carry her tears down the drain.
After three days, the authorities announced the fire was eighty percent contained, and by the fifth day, the local sheriff’s department declared that the blaze was completely out. The area still needed to be checked for downed power lines, but there was a hotline with up-to-date information on when residents could return. The sheriff’s department also warned that everyone should be aware that the burned debris could be a toxic hazard and that they should be cautious as they began returning to their land.
Jamie called the hotline. A robotic voice rattled off several all-clear zones, then proceeded to say that if their property was not mentioned, they were not allowed to return. Unfortunately, the vineyard was not in the zone, so they had no choice but to wait. Jamie tossed her phone on the coffee table and placed her head in her hands. The agony of waiting was excruciating. She was exhausted but couldn’t sleep. She went for walks around the complex when the silence of the night was more than she could handle. And when Victoria or Kali offered her food, she had to force it down. She was in a state of limbo, living in a void where time was frozen, as were her feelings. She was in a state of nothingness.
It was not until the following morning that they finally received the all-clear. Kali called Kate to let her know and said she should continue to keep Buddy and Ginger with Carmen until they knew what the damage was.
“Ready?” Kali held her hand out to Jamie, who took it as she stood from the couch. In just a few days, she had become a shell of her former shelf. In the mirror, dark circles discolored the skin under her eyes, and her clothes hung a bit loosely on her frame. The depression she’d suffered as a teenager and young adult was nothing compared to the emptiness she now felt. She couldn’t imagine what life without Ruth would be like, but she was about to find out.
“Ready,” Jamie said as she walked out the door. They didn’t know what they would be going home to, but more than that, they didn’t know whom they would be going home to.
Victoria followed in silence until they stood facing the SUV. Fortunately, the insurance company had sent someone out to replace the windshield, but repairs to the body would take time.
“Let’s go home,” Kali said.
Victoria drove, Kali sat beside her, and Jamie took the back. As they merged onto the freeway going south, Jamie looked out the window, and some tears escaped down her cheek. Ruth had to be okay, she just had to, but Jamie closed her eyes and prepared herself for the worst. With the turn of a card, both the vineyard and her love could be gone. Can a ghost die again? And if so, would this be Ruth’s transition? Would Jamie lose her to the one thing she said she always wanted…to leave the land? To finally rest in peace? Jamie selfishly didn’t want Ruth to transition. Although deep down, she would feel happy that Ruth finally left the land, Jamie feared she would never recover from the loss. She dried her cheek as she inhaled a shaky breath. Prepare yourself.
Vic turned down the same road that had almost taken their lives. The cute little houses that once graced the hills were nothing but charred remains. Vegetation, black and dead, surrounded the pavement, and the trees that had tumbled to their death on the road had been cut into pieces and moved to the side. The fire was gone but would be forever felt in the scars of the survivors.
As they traveled deeper into the hills, a strange scene emerged. Sections of land and clusters of houses sat untouched next to scenes from a warzone. The fire had hopscotched its way indiscriminately, leaving both destruction and relief in its wake.
The initial reports claimed that five people had lost their lives, ten thousand acres were destroyed, and over a hundred structures had burned. Statistically not the worst wildfire California had seen, but the most personal for Jamie. The vineyard was where she’d not only found herself, she’d found love. It was the place where feeling the early morning breeze could transport her to the past, and a simple stroll through the grapevines could make a bad day turn good. This land held within it the magic of memories. This was the place and community that grounded her. And right now, her heart felt as destroyed as the land looked.
“Damn,” Victoria said in a soft voice as they slowly made their way toward Chanadoah’s Winery. Sections of that vast acreage were charred while others were left intact. Unfortunately, the iconic stone and wooden structure built generations ago that housed a tasting room, restaurant, and massive gift shop, had been burned to the ground. They drove by in silence, staring, transfixed between the memory of what had been and the reality of what was, the scene too eerie and upsetting to give a word or emotion to.
“Hopefully, they’re all safe,” Jamie whispered and made a mental note to check in with Mick to see how they could help. Fifteen minutes later, the SUV crested the hill that brought them to their property. “Holy shit,” Vic said as she turned onto the gravel driveway. “Holy shit.”
Miraculously, their vineyard stood almost entirely untouched. The entire southwest section was blacked and burned, but the fire had spared the majority of the land, house, and barn.
As Victoria drove up the driveway, Jamie’s heart beat rapidly. She scanned the area for any sign of Ruth. Where are you baby, where are you?
“I don’t see…” Kali began.
“There, stop the car. Stop the car!” Jamie flung open her door. Ruth was sitting on the front porch. She popped up and ran down the steps, disappeared, then materialized next to Jamie.
Jamie flung her arms around her. “I thought,” Jamie mumbled as she kissed her. “I thought I would never see you again.” She pulled away and cupped Ruth’s face in her hands. Their relationship was going to come with a list of challenges, how could it not? But the love pouring out of Jamie’s heart right then told her the beautiful soul who stood before her was worth it. “I love you, Ruth.”
“I love you too.”
Jamie pulled Ruth into a long, passionate kiss as desire surged through her body.
✥ ✥ ✥
“Come on,” Kali said, “let’s go check out the house and leave them alone. I really don’t want to see ghost sex right now.”
Victoria chuckled as she pulled the car close to the front porch and threw it in park. Kali hopped out and put her arm around Vic’s waist and they walked up the steps and into the main room.
“It’s nice to have a home to come back to,” Kali said.
Vic leaned into her. “It sure is.”
“Hmm, looks like the electricity is out,” Kali said as she flipped the switch several times.
“I don’t doubt it.”
“I can’t believe this old place is still standing.” The charred houses of her neighbors flashed in Kali’s head as she shuffled over to their sofa. They would lend a helping hand in whatever way they could as their neighbors returned to their properties and assessed damages. Kali felt a twinge of guilt as she wondered why their place had been spared and not others, but selfishly, that thought was soon replaced with a feeling of relief. Kali pulled her phone out of her back pocket and flopped down. “I’ll call Kate and let her know we’re home.”
“Sounds good, babe,” Victoria sat next to her, pulled off her shoes, and put her feet on the coffee table.
“Kate, you’re not going to fucking believe it, but the house and barn are still standing and so is most of the vineyard. Call me.”
The screen door opened, and Ruth and Jamie walked in.
“Ruth.” Kali stood and hugged her as Jamie maneuvered past them and sat. “Good to see you again.”
“You too, Kali.” She sat next to Jamie.
“So, what happened after we left?” Victoria asked.
✥ ✥ ✥
“It didn’t take long for the fire to jump the road,” Ruth said. “I grabbed the hose and continued spraying the house. I knew I couldn’t save the vines, but maybe I could do a little something to help save a portion of the house. Then I noticed the orangish glow of the air was getting brighter and brighter. I looked over my shoulder, and the fire was already destroying the far corner of the vineyard and heading right toward the house.”
Fear and sadness had washed over Ruth as she’d watched the flames devour the vines. She had been on this land over a hundred years, knew every inch of it intimately, and as much as she’d felt imprisoned by its boundaries, she’d ultimately developed a relationship with it. She’d talked to the plants, had touched the leaves, had enjoyed eating their fruit, and most importantly, she’d made memories with those who called it home. And for the first time since her death, Ruth had realized she no longer wanted to leave the land. She wanted to stay.
“Shit Ruth, weren’t you scared?” Kali asked.
“I was. I knew deep down that when the flames reached me, they would take my soul. So I dropped the hose and walked up the porch and sat on Nora’s bench. If I was finally going to leave, I wanted to do it while overlooking the vineyard.”
It wasn’t so much that Ruth had wanted her last vision to be the land itself, but more the people and memories that this land had brought her. She’d wanted to look out and see Nora and Kate dancing naked by the firepit, and Jamie walking around and singing. She had finally found the one who completed her. Jamie had made Ruth’s journey through life and death worthwhile. Maybe this was the unfinished business Jamie had spoken of. Maybe she hadn’t transitioned because she’d needed to find true love. And now she had. The thought saddened and excited her. If she would transition in the fire, she would do so knowing she’d finally found the one thing she had always sought. But leaving that behind had been a punch to the gut.
“But as I sat on the bench, watching the flames approach the firepit, something happened. A wind picked up, and the fire changed direction.”
“Seriously?” Kali asked.
“Yeah. I couldn’t believe it. When the sun came up, I got off the bench, and walked around. It was only then that I realized how close the fire came to destroying everything.”
“Damn,” Kali said as she started to stand. “I’m going to grab some wine. We need to make a toast.”
✥ ✥ ✥
“I got it,” Jamie said as she stood. “You stay there, I’ll grab the bottle.” Listening to how close Ruth had come to disappearing forever had caused a slight panic attack. Jamie needed to get off the couch and shake it out.
As she walked toward the kitchen, she glanced through the screen door at the vineyard and thought again about how lucky they were. The fire had spared many yet robbed many more. Jamie knew the area would slowly come together and rebuild itself, but the emotional toll would be huge. Structures could be rebuilt, but old vines and years of memories could never be replaced. They’d gotten lucky, very lucky. But as she headed into the kitchen, she wondered if luck really had nothing to do with it. Maybe Nora had been right. Maybe there really was a touch of magic on this land.
Epilogue
A year had passed since the fire, and unfortunately, Jamie had watched a handful of locals call it quits and leave for good, too devastated to rebuild. Insurance checks had been slow coming, and when they’d finally started to trickle in, everyone had complained that the amount wasn’t enough to cover the full cost of the reconstruction. People had come together, as they always did in the wake of a disaster, and organized a variety of fundraisers, marathons, and concerts featuring local musicians, with all proceeds going to the fire relief fund. The area had been doing its best to heal. It would take time, and Jamie knew that for some, the healing would never come.
Chanadoah Winery was in the process of rebuilding. Mick boasted it would be bigger and better than before, and Jamie had no doubt that it would be spectacular. Several weeks ago, when their vineyard had been harvested, Jamie came up with the idea to sell their grapes to Mick at a discount price, with deferred payment until Chanadoah got their feet back on the ground. Fortunately, the vineyard’s wedding business was going strong, and they’d all agreed that helping Mick out was the right thing to do.
They’d also expanded their family when the owner of an Appaloosa mare named C.W. lost everything in the fire and instead of rebuilding, had decided to move up to Portland to be closer to his son and grandkids. Since he was moving to a small townhouse, he’d asked Jamie if she wouldn’t mind looking after the horse. Jamie asked Kate, who graciously adopted the mare, whom she nicknamed Dubbers.
Victoria had been promoted to public relations manager of Legacy’s west coast division when Paige accepted an executive role at the company’s office in Chicago. Ten months ago, Kali had asked Jamie and Kate if Vic could become a permanent resident at the vineyard, and Jamie couldn’t have been happier. Recently, in a spontaneous move during a trip to a Las Vegas wine convention, Kali and Victoria had walked into a small white chapel on the strip and walked out married. For an extra hundred and fifty dollars, Kali had told Jamie, they could have had Elvis perform before the ceremony, but instead, they’d opted for a Cher impersonator.
Lately, Jamie noticed Victoria had been hit hard with kid fever, tearing up when any commercial with a cute kid came on and telling Kali how wonderful it would be if they had a child. Hoping to satisfy Victoria’s hormonal surges, Jamie took Kali to the animal shelter after Kali confessed that she was not yet ready to take the parental plunge. Kali had adopted a high-maintenance, codependent, five-month-old terrier mix named Kona. For now, the bribe was working.
Kate and Linda had become close friends. What had started as a standing coffee date every Saturday turned into Linda becoming a fixture around the vineyard. When Jamie filled her in on Ruth, Linda had instantly embraced her. It seemed that the more loved ones people had lost in their life, the more open they were to the idea of a thin veil separating the known from the unknown. Jamie was happy Ruth gave Linda hope that her wife was out there somewhere, running around and having a good time.
