He slumps in my lap, and I bring my hand around his back, holding him close to me. We stay like that, tangled together, until our breathing slowly returns to normal.
“Well,” Porter says, his voice muffled against my shoulder. “That was better than any movie.”
I laugh, pressing a kiss to his sweat-damp hair. “Way better. Hang on, let me grab a towel I put in here and some wipes so we can get cleaned up.”
I reach to grab the bag I packed. I was prepared. I didn’t want either of us to sit in our own release during the movie. I pull the towel and wipe him up, then do the same to myself while he uses a wet wipe.
“There’s another movie, right?” He laughs, nodding his head toward the screen.
“Yeah, I think there’s three playing tonight.”
“Cool, we can’t let all these snacks go to waste,” he jokes, grabbing a box of sour candy and shaking them as he holds it up.
I pull him into me once we’re dressed and cover ourselves in the blanket as we snack and watch the movie after opening the door to air the car out. We kiss and snuggle into each other while we look out the back window and have an amazing night together.
Having a boyfriend is the best.
EPILOGUE TWO
Porter
Five years later
I’m standing in front of a mirror in a crisp, white shirt, trying to calm my nerves.
“Porter,” Will calls from the other room. “If you try to back out now, I’m pretty sure I’m legally allowed to carry you out there.”
“I’m not backing out,” I call back, taking a breath and meeting my own reflection.
“Good, I’d hate to have to dare you to marry me,” Will teases.
Junior year, I was so convinced what Will and I had was a fluke. Something temporary. A phase for him that I’d get to enjoy the physical benefits of until he moved on. Until summer separated us, and we inevitably drifted apart.
Except that separation never happened. It ended up being one of the best summers of my life, followed by a perfect senior year.Living with his friends turned out to be more than I’d bargained for, but I wouldn’t have changed a thing.
All I know is that we must’ve done something right for our life to unfold the way it has over these last five years.
I was convinced my life after college would be full of the monotonous same-old, same-old that most people find themselves in, but with Will, life is always an adventure. And if either of us finds ourselves getting scared or hesitating, we still dare the other.
It’s how I ended up working as the social media manager for a local non-profit charity that helps support the families of hospitalized children. Right after college, we moved to Baltimore. Will got a job as a phys ed teacher, and he loves it. He’s also the school’s varsity lacrosse coach, and he spends at least one weekend a month volunteering with any of the kids who are able to make it. He wakes up excited more mornings than not, and I think that says everything about how happy he is with the decisions he made in his career, even if it was the “typical” path.
I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do when we moved, so I worked at a local coffee shop and that’s how I met my current boss. She used to come in each morning before work, and we developed a great rapport. Will was looking for places that he could encourage his students to volunteer at, so he and I checked it out. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it. Turns out when I’m not constantly stressed about money or my family, I really do like helping people, feeling like I’m contributing to make my community a better place.
Eventually, Will dared me to ask if they were hiring, and I never looked back. I wish my family had the kind of support we offer, and it feels really good to know I might be preventing another sibling from growing up with the same burdens I carried.
I know I’m lucky to have the life I do now, even if it wasn’t always easy. Will and I built it with honest conversations and a lot of checking in.
And love—real love with so many little surprises and gestures. Will did learn a lot about love from his parents, and for that, I’ll always be thankful for them. They’re completely and utterly supportive. My mom and brother are too, but I think the distance from them has been good for our relationships. I talk to my mom every week, and visit for a holiday every year, but I don’t feel the same anxiety I used to around them as though I was responsible for holding everything together. I learned that wasn’t true, and that all my mom and brother really needed from me was to just show up. I didn’t have to jump into problem-solving mode because we were all okay.
I think about the version of myself who didn’t trust that good things could last if they weren’t fought for constantly. He would not recognize this life, but he’d want it.
I step out of the bathroom and into the bedroom where Will is waiting for me. He looks up from his pacing, and his whole face softens when he sees me.
“Wow,” he says. “Okay. Yeah. I’m definitely marrying you.”
I snort. “Pretty sure you already decided that.”
“Still feels worth confirming when you look that good. Goddamn, Kitten.”
