He would take it.
If only for a little while.
Many hours later, after they’d kicked the day into high gear, getting the kids moving, feeding them, then cleaning up the mess they’d created during the week, Gage’s thoughts drifted to that letter. The one Travis had in the top drawer of his desk. After he’d learned about it, he had pulled it out a couple of times. Never opening it because he hadn’t been ready for that, but today he was.
“You look like you’re lost in thought.”
He turned to see Travis standing in the doorway, shoulder pressed to the doorjamb. Gage put up the coffee mug he’d just pulled out of the dishwasher.
“You still wanna read the letter?” he asked, not looking at Travis.
“I do.”
There was so much conviction in Travis’s tone, Gage had to look over at him.
“I asked my parents to come pick up the kids,” Travis continued. “Told ’em we needed some time to ourselves but we’d be there for dinner.”
Time to themselves? Gage had forgotten what that even meant.
“Pop’ll be here in half an hour. We’ll get them off and then we’ll read it.”
Gage nodded, reaching back in the dishwasher to pull out another clean cup. “Okay.”
Half an hour.
Funny how thirty minutes could feel like thirty years.
By the time they helped Curtis get the kids loaded up and off down the road, a full hour had gone by. But even additional time hadn’t eased Gage’s anxiety a single bit.
“We can do this,” Travis said, his tone once again reassuring, stronger than it had been in a while.
Gage looked at him, wondering if he was imagining it or if they really had made progress last night.
When Travis took his hand and tugged, Gage had no choice but to follow. Into the living room, sitting on the couch. His mind blanked as Travis took a seat beside him. And then there they were, shoulder to shoulder, the sealed envelope in Travis’s hand.
They stared at it for the longest time. Gage traced the gentle sweep of Kylie’s handwriting with his eyes over and over again.
“We both know it’s not gonna get any easier the longer we wait,” Travis said, his voice gruff.
No, it wouldn’t.
Shoring up his nerves, Gage took the envelope from Travis’s hand and slid his finger under the flap, tearing it open.
Travis pulled a single sheet of white paper from inside. For another brief moment, they stared at it until finally Travis unfolded it.
Gage’s chest hitched when he saw a page full of words written in that same lovely handwriting.
Knowing he couldn’t put it off any longer, Gage started reading.
Dear Travis and Gage,
If you’re reading this, it means I’m no longer of this earth, and I have to hope it’s after we’ve lived a long, happy life together. After my babies have grown up, graduated high school, college, gotten married. But if for some reason it’s not, then you should know that every second I had with the two of you and the five of them made for a life more complete than I ever thought possible.
If there was some unfortunate event that took me from this world, then there are some things I need you to do for me. Things that might be difficult because, if nothing else, I know exactly who my men are. I know how you both think, I know how you both love. And I know without a doubt that the two of you will retreat because you think it will benefit the other in some way.
First of all, that’s complete nonsense and you should move forward remembering that every single day. While I have never doubted for a single second how much I am loved by both of you, I also know how much you love each other. If I have a say in the matter, Travis, you won’t be stubborn, and Gage, you won’t let him be. You will both suck it up and move forward, hand in hand, where you belong.
Provided these still make sense, here are the things I need you to do for me:
