"Carla?"
"Yeah?"
"I'm proud of you.For going back to school.For chasing your dream.For not letting what happened with Randall define you."
Randall's court-martial was swift.He's serving ten years at Leavenworth for assault, attempted kidnapping, and a host of other charges that Jonah's evidence made stick.His buddies took plea deals.I haven't heard from any of them since.
And I'm okay with that.
"I'm proud of me too," I say."For the first time in my life, I'm proud of who I'm becoming."
"You should be.You're incredible."
"You're biased."
"Doesn't make it less true."
I close my eyes and let myself feel it.The safety.The love.The future stretching out in front of us.
***
THREE WEEKS LATER,we close on the house.The movers come the next day and transfer all our stuff from the apartment.It doesn't take long.Neither of us had much.
But now we have space to fill.
We spend the first night in the new house on a mattress on the floor because our bed frame hasn't arrived yet.We order pizza and eat it sitting on the kitchen counter.
"This is surreal," I say.
"Good surreal or bad surreal?"
"Good.Very good."
"Wait until we start picking out furniture.Then you'll see bad surreal."
I laugh."Are you one of those guys who hates shopping?"
"I'm one of those guys who likes to know exactly what he wants before he goes to the store."
"So you're going to make lists."
"Extensive lists."
"Of course you are."
He grins and pulls me close."You love it."
"I do."
We spend the rest of the night unpacking boxes and arguing about where things should go.Timothy wants the couch against the far wall.I want it under the window.We compromise and put it at an angle.
By midnight, we're both exhausted.We collapse on the mattress and stare at the ceiling.
"This is home," Timothy says.
"Yeah.It is."
"No more running."
