Wes:Good luck!
Me:Thanks! I’ll let you know how it goes.
Wes:You better!
I smile at that. I miss my friend, although he’s not too far away. I get to see him periodically during school breaks when he’s not working. He’d come home to Cannon Beach, and we’d play catch-up. But I appreciate his constant support.
Wes still hasn’t found anyone who meshes with him, so he keeps on trying. I’ve told him more than once that it’s going to happen for him when he least expects it. One day, he’ll find that perfect person for him, like Aaron and I have, when he’s not searching. If he’d stop being a playboy long enough…
I couldn’t have asked for a better life. It was only two years ago when my life felt like it was falling apart, but Mike helped put me backtogether again and made me more whole than I’ve ever been. To say I’m lucky would be an understatement.
Not only do I have Mike in my life, but my non-profit organization is really taking off. It took a while to get there and to save enough money. The grants came through, and I finally built something I can be proud of.Ecola Environmental Warriorsis what I’ve called it. The kids are desperate for attention and direction, dumped into the foster care system, which generally overlooks their care. The foster system is just underfunded, and it’s hard to find quality homes to deal with possible mental health problems.
I call them warriors to give them something they can be proud of. To show that they have a purpose in this world other than just living or surviving. I hired a recent graduate, who’s a psychotherapist, to join my staff to help with kids who need it. I also have another educator like myself, who teaches kids all there is to know about the environment, and how we all should live in symbiosis together with the wildlife and fauna.
I’ve also recently brought in a survivalist and former nurse, who instructs them on how to survive in the wild and teaches them basic triage in case of an accident. That was my idea after losing that kid almost two years ago.
I have a total of fifteen students, ranging in age from ten to sixteen, with more on a waiting list. My program is starting to gain traction, but I need more staff to accommodate more children. For now, it’s been a success, and the kids are beginning to thrive. You can see the excitement on their faces, their dim lights shining brighter. With my help, I hope they can succeed in school and maybe even go to college.
I stand in the wet grass at Ecola State Park, overlooking the ocean and mountains, all covered in a fine mist. It’s breezy and cold, but I’m dressed warmly enough that it doesn’t affect me too much. Sunny, cloudy, rainy… It’s all beautiful to me.
As I reflect on my past and achievements, I’m looking forward to my future even more—a future I’m about to redirect, and I can’t fucking wait.
“I got your note,” says the deep voice behind me. I would recognize it even in a crowded room.
I smile without turning around, yet my stomach twists with nerves. “Well, it wasn’t exactly hard to find, pinned to the refrigerator and all.”
An amused grunt escapes him. “‘You know where to find me’ is kind of vague, don’t you think?”
“Yet here you are. You always find me.”
Mike wraps his arms around me and presses his solid body against my back before kissing my cold cheek. “And I always will.”
I close my eyes and lean my head back against his shoulder. I’ll never get tired of his presence. And he has a big presence, whether he likes it or not.
“So, mind telling me what we’re doing out here, freezing our asses off?” he says softly in my ear.
My stomach dips again, and my heart races. I shouldn’t be nervous. This is Mike we’re talking about, my forever person. He turned me away once, so long ago, but I know he won’t this time. Still, I haven’t bared my soul like this since that day by the bonfire nearly six years ago.
“Den?” he says, pulling away and turning me around to face him when I say nothing.
I stare up into his stormy blue eyes, full of concern. Instead of answering him, I dig into my coat pocket, pull out the box, and open it before dropping onto one knee.
“Oh God,” he mutters, quickly figuring out what’s going on, not that it isn’t obvious.
With a deep, shuddering breath, I take his hand and make the speech I’ve rehearsed countless times in my head. “The moment I slipped on that rock when I was twelve and you caught me, I knew right then you would always be it for me. You’re my soulmate, Mike. I justknewit. It’s why I’ve loved you for so damn long—for over a decade now. Some may find that pathetic, but not me. Loving someone the way I love you is never pathetic. You deserve love and understanding. You always think of everyone else first, but you deserve to be taken care of, too. I hope I’m that for you. You and I share a connection that can’t be broken. We know each other so well, it’s almost visceral. The day you first kissed me… It healed a piece of me. You were like this long-lost puzzle piece, and I’d finally found you.”
“Like one of those pieces hiding between couch cushions with the dust and old crumbs?” His eyes are wet, and he’s trying to suck in his trembling lip to hold back the emotions.
I snort a watery laugh. “Never that. Can I finish, babe, before I flub this?”
“Yeah…” he rasps.
My eyes water along with his, and it’s kind of hard to breathe. The intensity of my emotions is almost suffocating, but not in a bad way. It’s just that loving Mike is all-consuming. “Back then, I never dreamed I’d be on one knee, right here and now, but I know I’m in the right place at the right time. I know we’re in this together for the long haul, but I really want to make this official, if you’ll have me.” With one more deep breath, I finally ask him. “Will you marry me, Michael Tanner?”
The words have barely left my mouth before he pulls me to stand and yanks me against his solid body. “I would love nothing more than to marry you, Dennis Holbrook. You’re fucking everything to me, too. We grew up together, and if I have my way, we’ll grow old and gray together, too. It’s impossible to imagine a life without you in it. You’re a part of meas much as my beating heart and my breathing lungs. You’re my fucking soul, Den.”
Tears finally start spilling from my eyes, streaming down my face. Mike gently wipes them away with his cold thumb as his own eyes continue to leak.
