Her smile is effusive as her cheeks blush and her lips purse. “I don’t care what we do, as long as we do it together.” Swinging our hands back and forth, she rocks her hips.
“Pool it is.”
“Is this a couple’s thing or. . .” Yale’s words trail off as he moves eyes around my face.
Looking over at Starla, she shrugs her shoulder and smiles. “Come on, Dick,” I say, ticking my head for him to follow us.
I didn’t mind who’s around me, as long as Starla is one of those people.
She found her way into my world, into my home, and into my heart.
I know deep down that as long we have love, no matter where we were, we’ll be happy.
For the first time ever, my life feels complete. Nothing is missing, I don’t feel empty and cold.
I have everything I never wanted, and it’s amazing.
Epilogue
Starla
Six months later
“Where are we going?” I ask, pulling on my jacket and wrapping a scarf around my neck.
It’s getting colder outside, the trees are starting to shed their leaves and you can almost taste winter in the air. Everything is starting to change around me, making me wonder where I’m going next.
The internship is basically over, which means my time at the brewery will be ending soon. I have a week left, that’s it. I’ve been trying not to think about it. It’s scary to not know what’s coming next.
For the past few months, everything has been perfect. Bolt’s parents are opening up to me, actually making an effort to get to know me and my family. Turns out my grandfather and Bolt’s grandfather actually went to school together.
His father dug out an old yearbook when we made the connection, and finding their pictures only pages apart was wild. After a little research and coaxing, my grandfather admitted to having a drink or two with Brandon Sheckler at some underground bar back in the day.
“For a walk.” Bolt’s smile licks my insides and I immediately feel my stomach tumble. The way he looks at me will never get old. I feel his eyes, I feel his emotions as they pour over my body. It’s an amazing feeling. “You ready?” he asks, flipping up the collar on his coat and dropping his phone into his pocket.
“Yeah, I’m ready.” Bolt holds out his arm, guiding me out the front door of his condo. I stop, waiting for him to lock up his place. “Which way are we going, left or right?” I ask, looking up the sidewalk in both directions.
“Neither, we’re going this way.” Twisting, he starts through the field beside the condo.
“This way?” Lifting my feet high over the grass, I start to follow him through the thick weeds. “Why are we walking this way?”
“There’s a quiet little place just over that hill, it’s not too far, and not many people know about it.” Stopping, he bends down and pats his shoulder. “Here, get on.”
“What?” Giggling, I cup my hips. “You’re going to give me a piggyback ride?”
“Yeah, climb up.” Pressing his fingertips into the dirt, he bends his shoulders forward more. “Come on now, I can’t stay in this position all day.”
“Alright.” Curling my arms around his neck, I wrap my legs around his hips as he stands up quickly and holds my ankles. “Wow, look at all the colors in the leaves, it’s beautiful.”
Bouncing, he shifts my body higher and looks back at me over his shoulder. “You’re beautiful.”
Kissing his cheek, I tuck my face into the crook of his neck. “I love you.”
“I know,” he says as he starts walking. “And I love you.”
When he says it, I know he means it. His words aren’t forced, they’re real, they’re sincere, they’re heart felt and warm.
Bolt carries me through the small field, up the hill and down the other side. I offer to walk on my own, but he refuses to put me down.
“Up there—” nudging his head towards the peak of the hill, he asks, “Can you see it yet?”
“The pond?”
“Yeah, pretty isn’t it?”
“It is.” Bolt stops and drops me to my feet. Tangling our fingers together, he walks towards the water. “There’s a bench up here we can sit on. I spotted it one day from my kitchen window, but I haven’t been out here in a long time.”
Reaching the bench, we sit down, and he wraps his arm around my shoulders. I’m looking out at the water, watching the surface ripple as a light breeze blows. Snuggling closer to him, a duck starts swimming toward us.
“Oh, look at that, here she comes.”
The duck climbs out of the water, waddling our way, and it’s not until she’s a few feet away that I spot the five little ducklings following closely behind her.
“Awe, how cute, look at the babies.” Pointing, I lean forward and watch them scavenge the grass. They’re all making muffled quacks as they pluck strands of grass free from the dirt.