After three days in the barn, Curtis let us move to the house. We made Zach more comfortable and got him cleaned up. He was still getting heavy doses of antibiotics, and Curtis thought it best to keep him sedated until yesterday.
And now Zach’s back. Someone I care for was on the brink of death and came back.
*
When Zach and Curtis return from the fields, they’re covered in mud from head to toe.
“Did you guys wrestle the pigs?” I laugh.
Curtis pats Zach on the back. “Thisonejust figured out how to improve the yield of my farm.”
Zach beams.
“Somehow, that doesn’t surprise me,” I say. “If anybody could figure that out, it’d be Zach.” I shoot a big smile at Zach, and he blushes.
After Zach gets cleaned up, he joins me, sitting by the fireplace. We snuggle up on the couch, and I put a blanket over both of us.
“This is like a dream,” Zach says.
“Yeah, we certainly got lucky.”
“Curtis is so nice. And this little farm he has is incredible.” Zach waves his hands around.
“It’s unbelievable he’s been able to just keep on living, almost like nothing happened. I hope he can keep doing it.”
“Me too.” Zach smiles. “This place is so peaceful. I could see living here.”
I nod and smile. “Yeah. So could I.”
And why not? The idea of finding a peaceful place where we can settle down and have a normal life. Why is that too much to ask for? But maybe that’s a dream for another day. There’s work left to do.
Zach seems to sense my thoughts. “But I imagine we need to hit the road soon.”
“Yeah.” I point my eyes downward. “But we can still wait for a few days for you to regain your strength. I don’t want to rush anything.”
Curtis comes in carrying three mugs.
“Hey, boys, I thought you might like some hot chocolate.” He holds out the mugs.
“Thanks,” we say together as we take them eagerly.
The warm mug is comforting in my hands. I blow on the cocoa, then take a sip. It’s delicious. Rich, bitter-sweet, and velvety, this doesn’t taste like something from a pouch.
“Wow, this is spectacular.” I take another sip.
“Thanks. My own recipe. I’ve perfected it after many years.”
Curtis sits in the chair across from us and takes a sip from his own mug. “Now, I wanna ask you boys a question.”
“Sure,” I reply.
“First, I wanna say I’m so happy to see you two are a couple. I kinda hoped you were, honestly. If I can be so presumptuous, that is.”
Zach blushes, then looks at me expectantly. My own cheeks warm. I smile and give him a nod. We’ve had little time to discuss our relationship and what we mean to each other. But I’m sure some bond exists.
“Yeah, we are,” Zach says, smiling.
“Oh good. I’m so glad. Finding someone special, especially now—it’s a rare thing. You two should cherish it.”
