Page 51 of From the Flames
“So you see us together at Grant’s graduation?” Kevin asked.
Willy put the knife down on the chopping block and lifted his gaze to Kevin. “When I close my eyes, I see us at April’s first dance recital. You’re the one going nuts with the camera. And I see us together as you teach April to swim. I have the camera that time. Then there’s Grant’s soccer games and high school plays. Graduation and college follow, until it’s just the two of us. Then I see us together, gliding down a river in Europe or sailing off to Australia to get on with our lives while our kids are changing the world.”
Kevin came up behind him and slipped his arms around Willy’s waist. Willy leaned back slightly, pressing to Kevin’s solidity. “Is that what you really see?”
“Yeah. Maybe it’s just what I want and I’m jumping way ahead, but yeah. That’s what I see. What about you? What do you want?” Willy stayed still.
“When I close my eyes, I see you in bed, eyes shining, watching me. You’re as beautiful as you are now, with a few gray streaks in your hair that make you look every bit thedistinguished professor. Your eyes are just as bright, but there are tiny wrinkles around the edges that make you look wise. But it’s the way your lips part slightly that completes your heated look.”
“So you see me old.” Willy wasn’t so sure how he felt about that.
“I seeusold—sexy old.”
“You’re only digging the hole deeper,” Willy warned playfully.
Kevin spun him around and kissed the breath out of him.
“I supposed as long as you kiss the me with gray hair and wrinkles like that, I can forgive you.”
Kevin held his gaze like a magnet. “I will kiss you like that forever.” He didn’t say anything more, and they simply started at each other. “So don’t worry about a little time now. I’ll be here, and once the kids are gone and we’re both in our dotage, I’ll still be here. So what’s a few months to figure a few things out?” He kissed him again, only this time it was more the kind of kiss that lit a fire and then let it settle into the kind of warmth that could last for hours.
“Good.” Willy slipped his arms around Kevin’s neck, resting his forehead against Kevin’s. “Because I want the river cruiseandfor you to still see me as sexy when I’m old. I want all of that, two kids, a house full of dogs, and you. Everyone I love.” He swallowed hard as Kevin’s gaze grew heated.
“Yeah. Me too. Especially the love part.” Kevin held him as the kids seemed to realize where they were and joined them. Grant jumped up and down, and Kevin picked him up as Willy did with April, the dogs milling around their legs, looking for attention as well. It was the beginning of a new life and their new family.
Epilogue
“THANK YOUfor the cookies, Miss Ellen,” Grant told the landlady after Willy had explained their future plans. They had been in the apartment for almost nine months, but their time here was coming to an end.
“Yes, thank you for everything. You came through for us when we needed it most.” He was so grateful to her.
“I’m glad we could help. And you were good tenants,” she said with a smile. “I have new renters coming in ten days, and I wanted to make sure that you’d be finished moving.”
“We’ll be getting the last of the things moved today, and I’ll be back over tomorrow to clean up. I can give you the keys then so if there is anything you want to do before the next tenants move in, you’ll have time.”
“That’s great,” Ellen said, and Willy thanked her again for all her help before she left.
“Go check your room to make sure all of your things are out of it, okay?”
Grant hurried away while Willy gathered the last of the boxes and carried them out to the car. He still had a few things in the one bathroom, and he boxed them up before taking that to the car too. Grant came down with a few things that had been missed, and Willy loaded them up before walking through what had been their home for nearly a year. Once he was done, he got Grant buckled into his seat and they headed north of town to their new home.
Kevin had sold the house he had, and Willy added the money he’d saved. Together they bought a newer home. It had a large fenced-in yard for the dogs, and there was a place for a playstructure. The kids each had a room of their own, and the house had a finished basement that they were turning into a family room, complete with a place for all the kids’ toys. The house was big enough so that when Willy’s parents came for Thanksgiving, there was enough room for everyone.
Willy pulled into the driveway. Grant got out of his seat and ran up the walk to the front door. Kevin came out with April in his arms, the dogs racing out to greet them. “Did you get everything done that you wanted?”
“Yes.” He leaned in for a kiss. “The place has all working smoke detectors, and the fire extinguishers are hung. I also finished getting this one’s room set up. Grant’s is pretty much done as well.” He smiled as Grant ran around the yard, the dogs giving chase. He fell on the grass, and the dogs gathered around. Willy hurried over, but the dogs got there first, licking Grant until he giggled at the top of his lungs.
Kevin set April down, and she joined her brother.
“Come on. Let’s get the last of this unloaded and inside.” They had been working for two weeks to get the rooms painted and the furniture moved in and set up, and now that had nearly been completed. The front of the house had an office, and Kevin had set it up with a desk for him and plenty of shelves for the books that Willy tended to collect. Kevin lifted the biggest box, his muscles bulging. Willy got a smaller one and followed him inside.
“Come on,” Willy called. The dogs all raced inside with Grant and April right behind, laughing as they called to one another.
“April’s birthday is coming up in a few weeks,” Kevin said. “I marked it on the calendar.”
“It’s during my spring break. I was going to plan a party for her….”
Kevin tugged him into his arms. “I can get that same week off, and I was thinking that we should take a trip with the kids. My mom would love to come on a trip and help babysit.”
