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As she trudged into the shop some moments after Bernie had stormed inside after he told off Ember and Wade, Cinder braced herself for a smaller version of his anger focused on her. It wasn't long in coming. He roughly put down the small lantern containing the part of the Blue Flame to have been used in the ceremony and turned towards her. He bellowed, "How! How is it that you keep this from me! You do reading for them—Flame knows how—and you do not tell me this? From Ember, from you—this hiding!" He turned his eyes skyward. "What have I done to earn this treatment from you?"
Cinder collected herself. "Bùrdì, I am sorry. I admit that this was not ideal. I thought it should be Ember to tell you, not me reporting on her. She is an adult now. I even mentioned it to her once after the reading—'Ember, you must tell your Àshfá this. He deserves to know.' But she said, 'Mom, don't worry. It's over.' I start to speak and she just says, 'Forget about it, Mom. It's not gonna be a problem now.' Well, I have to give up. So I figure, well, if she's broken up with this guy, then it's over and we turn the page. That's why I didn't say anything. But then, tonight, he comes back…put his heart into her hands…and she rejects him—then I had to say what I said."
Bernie regarded Cinder; then exhaled. "It is hard to say, but I see why you did as you did." After a moment, he said, "But—Water? It makes no sense. What can they ever be to each other, we can't even touch—" "He said they did. And Ember didn't say, 'No, you're lying'. And neither of them look injured, so—they touched." Bernie opened his mouth as if to say more, but he realized it must be true, what Cinder was saying.
They both heard the firecycle's engine start outside and quickly drive off, and turned towards the sound. Ember, both thought. After a moment, Cinder continued. "Bùrdì, the young, they are different than parents are. They see different life because they have lived less of it than parents. Things important to parents, not so important to them. Things important to kids, parents could care less. Do you remember when we were courting, Bùrdì? How wildly we flamed for each other? How we weren't sure what our parents would think…that we were terrified someone would object?" Bernie smiled at the memory. "Ah…yes…we were so brave…and also scared out of our minds!" They both laughed at this.
"And then, after we got married…and we were starting the shop and…" She saw Bernie wince a little, knowing what was coming up in the story. "…storm came, and singled us out. How devastated we were. And Ember on the way. And we made that hard, hard decision, we leave Fire Land to come here." She paused. "And then—your Àshfá. What he thought about it. He wouldn't hear anything we had to say. He just didn't want to know about it. And then even at the end, he would not return your bà ksô. I know what pain that etched into your heart." Bernie had let his head droop a little as he relived that painful time. He now looked up and asked, "I am sorry, but, there is a point—?"
Cinder quickly replied: "Was he right? Do you think he was right? We gave him good reasons for doing as we did. Did he listen? No. So: all these years later, do you think he was right?"
Bernie's mouth had dropped open as he listened to these questions. Where is she going with this? "No, of course not! I wish he could have seen what we have made here. I wish…"—and here his voice dropped—"he could have met Ember."
"So," Cinder continued, "it's just possible that the young can know better what they should do than their parents, no?"
Bernie stopped and absorbed this. She's right. At length he spoke softly and affectionately. "Ah, Síddèr, my flame. You see things very clearly. One of the many reasons I fall in love with you all those years ago." Gently resting their heads together, they enjoyed this tender moment, their soft flames casting caustics on the walls of the shop.
Speaking softly, Cinder said, "You remember how severe your Àshfá could be, and how we dreaded telling him about leaving, even though we had all our reasons straight in our minds to tell him." Bernie nodded. "And you know what a good girl Ember has always been. She is always working hard for the shop. You remember how her teachers in high school noticed how good she was with glass making and were suggesting to her and us she go to art school. And she wouldn't hear of it! 'I'm going to take over the shop! I don't have time for art school!' Ember knows how important the shop is in the family, and that it continue, through her running it. She has her flame to the grindstone. She never even has boyfriends, dates. No time, she tells me." Absorbed, Bernie listened to his wife's words.
"And now: through whatever means, she has somehow met this Water guy." Sharpening her tone somewhat, she continued: "And she doesn't tell you because she knows how you feel about Water." Bernie looked down, slightly embarrassed. "Now you can imagine our Ember, she's a tough customer, she's not going to have her head turned by any sweet talk. We raised that girl right. And through whatever beginning they had, now she loves this guy, Bùrdì. And he is crazy about her. I did their reading the other night, when you gave Ember the new sign. They are perfect match. I never see anything like it."
Bernie exclaimed, "How…how did you do this reading? How did he light his flame?"
"I remember I looked at him like he was an idiot. I thought, 'I can't wait to see this…like I hear the kids say, epic fail.' And then he stand up in front of Ember and lift his shirt…" Bernie's eyes widened at this; "…and without saying anything to Ember, he focused her light through his body into a pinpoint, and it ignited the stick." Noting Bernie's surprise, she paused a moment. "It was beautiful, this idea that he had. I had no words. I nearly start crying. And then I watch the smoke curl up the chimney in a perfect pattern, as beautiful as his idea about lighting the flame." She paused, clearly moved by the memory. "Bùrdì, that boy, I feel—I feel he would really walk through flame for our Ember. You know—that he would die defending her from any danger."
Both could feel lava forming in their eyes in tears. Yet at the same time, Bernie felt an old disquiet stirring within. "This…this is so hard for me, Síddèr. You know how badly we have been treated by Water. It is hard for me to believe this will be okay, this guy and our Ember." Cinder replied, with some heat, "Bùrdì. You know how Ember loves the shop and loves us and loves our heritage. She rejected him tonight, though I know she loves him. She reject him for us. So that we are happy. So she thinks. We want to make our girl miserable so we can be happy and keep distrusting Water? Is that what you want, Bùrdì? Because it's not what I want." Bernie's eyes widened. "It doesn't make me happy to distrust Water. Some Water is okay, and some is trouble. Just like everybody else. We have had trouble with Water, yes; but we are here in Firetown all the time and we just never run into them very much. Can they all be really that terrible? This Wade, he seems like a nice boy to me, and his heart…it burns, Bùrdì, for our girl. Yes, burns. Ember is not a girl who want to water down Fire. You know this, Bùrdì. And yet she loves this boy with all her heart. She will not betray Fire…but she wants Fire and Water to—somehow be happy with each other. Is this such a terrible thing, Bùrdì? Your Àshfá thought we betray Fire by leaving Fire Land. Did we betray it? I say no, we strengthen it: now there is little piece of Fire Land right here. Ember does not betray Fire by loving this boy—Fire has strength, and Water has strength. Imagine their strength together! If you believe Ember would ever let anyone take away who she is…then, we do not know the same daughter."
Bernie was speechless. This was not a subject they had ever really spoken about, and Cinder's passion about it surprised him. Since they hadn't spoken of it, he just figured she felt the same as him. Perhaps this had been true before. It wasn't now. Looking inside, he wondered if he really still felt the same as he did before. Cinder was the love expert in the family. If she is saying this Wade is true in his love for Ember…then…there is Water that…that is not trying to water us down? Something else came to mind as well. And…you have seen this change in Ember lately…you say so yourself. That was why you finally decide to retire: you thought Ember was finally ready. Is it… He inwardly flinched momentarily, as the alien thought ran through his mind; but its emotion was insistent, and its logic was sound. Is it possible that…she changed because of…loving him? Because of him…loving her? She burns…brighter…because of Water?
After a moment, Cinder pressed on. "So, Ember loves the shop and loves us. And she also loves this Water guy with her whole heart. And she is so torn up! She thinks, 'how can I have both of these dear things? My àshfá is so angry about Water, and about his daughter seeing a Water guy…I can't hurt my àshfá. But I also love this Wade'…oh, Burdì, don't you remember when we decided to get married? Could you imagine the death your heart would have felt if you were going to have to give me up?"
His eyes wet, Bernie replied, "Oh, Síddèr, don't make me think of such a thing."
She replied gently, "Then you know what our girl is going through right now. You saw that she told him to go away. That she didn't love him, which is maybe the only lie she's ever said. She chooses you and me over this…love of her life. And now she's out there somewhere wandering around thinking, 'I've lost everything. My àshfá hates me now…and I just told Wade I didn't love him, so I guess I've lost him too…' Two really important people in her life suddenly torn away. I can only imagine our girl's pain. So much pain. And she's not trying to hurt anyone, she wants everyone to be happy…and her family first of all. She push away this tìshók' for us. This love...that she has never felt in her life." Here, Cinder broke down in tears, and Bernie leaned his head against hers and wept as well.
After some time Bernie murmured, deep in thought, "Oh, Síddèr, I never stop being thankful that you are with me in life. Your…wisdom always…tends my flame." Then: "I will talk with Ember when she comes home." Brightening slightly, he continued, "Why couldn't she run shop and be with this Wade, after all? What is important is that she is happy. Wade, he makes her happy? Okay then! We will have very unique grandchildren!", and laughed heartily.
Cinder smiled and replied quietly, "Yes, the very best ones," and rested her head contentedly on Bernie as he continued chuckling.