Fall was over, just as fast as it had begun. Spencer pulled the boxes out and opened them. He stared into the abyss of autumnal decor.
Was he sad to see fall go?
Maybe.
Patrick once said that fall was a season built on nostalgia, and despite their rough patch in October, this had been a fall for the ages for Spencer.
He smiled and gave the candles and knickknacks a grateful nod.Thanks for bringing us together.
Spencer wondered where they’d be next August. Wherever it was, as long as he was with Patrick, everything would be all right.
He popped open the lid of Pumpkin Apple. It had been burned down to a thin layer of blackened wax. He inhaled what remained of its scent. He could smell faint whiffs of spiced sweetness that filled his soul with warm memories.
“I’m thinking of making you a shirt with a picture of Jake Gyllenhaal fromBrokeback Mountainthat says ‘I wish I knew how to quit fall.’” Patrick stood in the doorway.
Spencer wondered what he must’ve looked like. On his knees hunched over a box overflowing with fall stuff while smelling a candle.
He was Patrick.
“I’m just making sure these boxes are packed well, so they don’t get too dusty.”
“Sure. Okay. Let’s go with that,” Patrick said.
Spencer shook his head. “What have you done to me?”
Patrick shrugged, playing dumb and innocent.
In that moment, Spencer found his answer. Patrick had done something to him. He had opened him up, made him feel whole and a part of something special. It hit him like a ton of mason jars.
He stood up and cupped Patrick’s face in his hands. He was both terrified and incredibly confident.
“Patrick, I love you.”
Patrick’s green eyes sparkled at him. No snarky comeback, no jokes.
“I love you, too.”
Their lips met with a quiet fire. Spencer saw stars.
“Are you ready to put up the Christmas tree?” Patrick asked.
“You mean the fake Christmas tree?”
He was. He couldn’t wait to celebrate Christmas with Patrick. He couldn’t wait to watch Patrick realize just how awful Chicago winters were. He couldn’t wait to go on bike rides with him in the spring. He couldn’t wait to have Patrick rooting him on at volleyball games next summer. He couldn’t wait for Patrick to become a bundle of excitement once the countdown to fall began again. He couldn’t wait for any of it. He had infinite moments to look forward to with Patrick.
Spencer closed the fall boxes, slid them under the bed, and followed the man he loved into the next season.
THE END
