Redemption

It was a quiet early morning in Charming, California. The warmth of the sun came and went with the occasional gusts of winds that seemed to push the streaks of amber orange and red inland to fill more of the dismal sky to light another day. The lot of Teller-Morrow garage was silent vacant of any movement and would be for some hours.

An older woman sat cooped up in the office of the garage, a jean clad leg thrown over the other as her kohl rimmed eyes scanned mindlessly over the empty lot. Her elbow rested on the arm of the chair supporting her hand as she held her head in her palm. The woman was older early into her fifty’s with a threatening class about her. Her dark hair was styled to perfection and highlighted and her outfits often included boots, jeans, lace and leather. In her world, she was the queen. The door opened and the older woman gave the dark haired girl that entered a small smile.

“Morning Gemma” the dark haired girl yawned taking a seat in front of the desk the queen resided behind.

“Coffee?” she asked motioning to her own smoky cup.

The girl declined politely.

“Jax still asleep?” Gemma questioned sipping her coffee. Black and bitter just how she liked it on mornings like this.

“Yeah” the younger girl chuckled shaking her head “That was some party last night. It was good though I needed it. Things have been crazy at the hospital it felt good to unwind.”

Gemma nodded her eyes falling back on the window as she took another gulp of coffee. Her hazel eyes flickering to the clubhouse door as it opened and closed, a figure sliding smoothly out a cigarette hanging from his lips as he moved toward the line of bikes.

The younger woman’s eyes followed the matriarch’s intense gaze out the window before taking a deep breath.

“I like a lot of the guys but Happy” she sighed before continuing “he just scares the shit out of me.”
Gemma chuckled closing her eyes “Yeah, he’s good at that isn’t he?” pulling herself up she glided to the window and peered through the blinds at the man as he rested on the seat of his Dyna finishing his cigarette, a thick arm thrown over the handlebars.

“But then again” the queen picked up turning back to the doctor “everyone has a reason. A story that makes them the way they are.”

“Oh yeah” she questioned “whats his?”

Gemma fell into the leather seat and released a troubled sigh before answering. “A sad one Tara. One you might not want to hear.”

The doctor’s dark eyebrows knitted together. Curiosity and wonder taking over her form she leaned in further.

Gemma released another breath before beginning. “His Ole Lady. She..” the woman had to pause and swallow back the thick batch of tears that clogged her throat chuckling a cough and shaking her head she began again “She was something else. Something special. And Happy knew it. She was his whole god damn world. He was so in love.”

“Who was she?” Tara pressed intrigued of the silent, deadly killer’s past.

Gemma placed a manicured hand over her mouth to hold the threatening bile at bay as her throat constricted at the thought of her. Tears glassed her vision as Gemma stared out at the man again before she took a deep breath to compose herself. The sound of his Harley roaring to life giving her the courage to continue.

“She was my daughter. My Emily.”