Forged in Texas Fire

Chapter 1 Sunrise on New Beginnings

I can't remember a time this sun rise didn't take my breath away. However this morning, it couldn't be more perfect. The sun danced it's way up across the flat, dry land and cut across those enormous steel beams of the pump jacks, burning the most beautiful shade of red. It flooded my mind with the memories of the drying dead roses Jeremiah had picked up at Buc-ee's gas station last week that lie right behind me, underneath the bench seat of this old Chevy. I dug through the radio, past the stations of morning news and weather finally stumbling upon a George Strait classic.

I cross my heart, and promise to
Give all I've got to give
To make all your dreams come true.

The smile stretched even further across my face hearing those lyrics and and I felt my shoulders shrug up in warmth and from my knees to my toes draw up in excitement knowing this was going to be my future. Happiness. I had been sitting here behind this dusty steering wheel deeply inhaling the scent of grease, sweat, and Jeremiah's cheap cologne for hours already but it felt like only moments since he kissed my lips and his rugged voice whispered out, "Hold 'er down for me, babe."

I should be anywhere but here. I should be rolling out of bed, heading off to my English class with Mrs. Kinnucan, the sweetest teacher on the Junior hall at Odessa High School. I should be hearing my aunt yelling that my breakfast getting cold as a drug my feet down the hallway like every other 16 year old girl but the rolling butterfly feeling in my swollen belly quickly jolted me back to reality. My son would be here in just three short months and I knew, just like the rest of my life, my reality would be nothing like the girls I grew up with who constantly pushed me around. Yet I don't think there's anything in this world that could make me more gleeful. I felt like I was floating on those clouds overhead that were now bouncing off gorgeous hues of pink and yellow.

See, I tried to stay in school, I really did. My high school made it pretty apparent that 16 year old pregnant girls weren't part of the image they were striving for the last time I found myself sitting across from the principal, Ms. Warren. "We truly wish you the best in this..," she flipped her hand toward my barely noticeable belly, "this, new situation, Ms Brinlee. We really do! However, I feel it would be extremely beneficial for you to have all you options presented to you." She pushed a pamphlet across her shiny new oak desk that smelled like fresh lemon oil and hand sanitizer. I glanced down at the paper staring back at me with bold blue letters across the front that said "AIM- Educational Center for New and Expectant Mothers." The way her eyes dropped down at me and her lips pursed  like an old crow she may as well have just came out and told me to get the hell out! See, in Texas, all that matters are the points on that score board under those Friday night lights. Now once a small town found its way to big time by taking home enough wins, all of a sudden everyone's concerned with image. Never mind the fact that half the girls in the senior class could be found on their knees under the bleachers after practice all week long, if you wind up pregnant, get out your Scarlet letter and locate the cave in which you'd like to be locked away within. While it would be an understatement to describe me as a hot head, my mama always taught me never to bother with the thoughts of anyone but myself and I was in love. In love with this baby growing in my belly, and breathtakingly in love with Jeremiah. "Thank you so much, ma'am! I will definitely take a look at it," I squeaked as I pushed in my chair and headed for the parking lot as I dialed Jeremiah's number. I could but my tongue, but I damn sure wasn't going back in there today.

As I waited for that Chevy to come roaring up the long dusty stretch of road, I could feel my mind going to battle with my heart. I was losing what felt like everything. No Senior prom, no Senior year spring break down to Corpus Christi, no running the flags at football games. I never was much for school or sports myself but Jeremiah was. He was the picture of perfection when he graduated three years earlier. He was the star running back and while he wasn't very studious, he weasels his way by in the grades department by battling those thick dark eyelashes that framed a set of eyes as stunning as the bluebonnets in March. Someone was always there to hand him a polished book report and teachers were always willing to give him a few extra days to scrounge one up because he was the ticket to the state football championship that year. While his muscles were long and lean from years of working the fields with his daddy, Wayne, I couldn't help but get weak in the knees seeing him in pads and that uniform, along with every other female in the county, young and old. Unfortunately that big state champ game didn't quite go as we all had planned. Our team was up 21 to 7 at halftime, yet the very first play of the third quarter changed everyone's plans. Jeremiah dipped his shoulder and took off like bulldozer but after only making it about 4 yards and what seemed like only half a second, his blood curdling scream was enough to stop traffic for miles. A player from the other team came from his left and took a low shot driving him to the ground. Medical staff rushed to his side and within a few minutes he was being hurried away in an ambulance. I remember the look on Wayne's face when the doctor spilled out diagnoses and works like ACL and MCL and compounded fractures. It wasn't long before the college scouts stopped calling even though his coaches assured he would make a great recovery. It wasn't long before my wild eyed knight in football pads went from a handful of beers on a Saturday night to double fists of liquor bottles on a Tuesday afternoon. None of us wanted to give up on him, but he was the first to give up on himself. I could still find ways to praise him due to his unfaltering work ethic though. I can't remember a day since he graduated, he wasn't up before the sun at the oil fields and working until long after it set back on his daddy's ranch.