Epilogue
Six months later
Ker
He opened his eyes only to find he was staring at Ash. That certainly brought a smile to his face.
“Hey, handsome,” Ash said, smiling back at him. “We should probably get up.” They were in Ash’s bed on a beautiful Sunday morning.
“Snuggles first, then we’ll get up,” Ker said, turning over so that he could be the little spoon. He loved it when Ash wrapped his arms around him. It made him feel safe.
“Okay. I guess we have time. Any thoughts on what you’d like for breakfast today?” Ash asked as he hugged Ker tightly against his chest and nuzzled his neck.
“Is there any of that sourdough bread left? I was thinking we could have French toast.”
“That sounds good to me.”
Safe in his cocoon, his mind drifted, thinking about everything that had happened since he had left rehab and all the things that he was looking forward to in his, no, their future.
It was late summer, and soon he and Ash would celebrate the one-year anniversary of their meeting. They’d talked about it a little and wanted to do something special to commemorate the occasion. When Ash learned that Kim Moberg was playing at a venue on Cape Cod in September, he made reservations at a B and B near the place so they could make a weekend of it.
All in all, things were going well for them. Ker sometimes got antsy, but then he would call his sponsor, Bob, to chat. Or he’d talk to Ash. And then those feelings would lessen, and life would go on. He’d also become really close to Muriel. She was like a second mother to him. Sometimes he’d stop by to say hello, and they’d talk for hours about everything and nothing. It felt so good to develop that kind of relationship with a parental figure.
His mom had come to visit the previous month. His father wasn’t happy that Irene made the visit, but for the first time Ker could remember, she stood up to his dad and drove to Hawthorne Bluff anyway, saying that she refused to turn her back on her son. She stayed for just one night, at Muriel’s house, of course. They had a lovely time together, and Ker knew that he’d be able to continue seeing his mom even if his dad was too stubborn to change. That was his dad’s loss, and Ker wouldn’t waste any more time worrying about it.
“Okay, before you fall asleep again, get your butt in gear.” Ash poked his ribs, bringing Ker out of his reverie. “We gotta have breakfast, and I’d like to do at least one load of laundry before we head to Mom’s for dinner.” Dinner at Muriel’s was part of his new weekly routine, and Ker loved it.
After staying at Ash’s house for a couple of weeks when he had first left rehab, he now spent weekdays at home and weekends with Ash. He had decided he liked living with Ash, even just part-time, and planned on talking to him about maybe making it full-time in the not-too-distant future. He could always rent out his place in Plymouth.
While he was preparing the batter for the French toast—he’d become quite proficient in the kitchen under Ash’s tutelage—Ash sat at the counter checking his emails.
“Hey, I know we missed out on seeing The Lord of the Rings trilogy back in January,” he said.
“Um, yeah, we were a bit busy, weren’t we?” Ker responded.
“Well, it seems they’re doing it again in October. We absolutely have to do it this time.”
“Yes!” Ker said excitedly. He added the sliced bread to the long dish and carefully poured the milk and egg mixture over it, then set it aside to soak for a few minutes.
He walked over to Ash and kissed him. “I love you.”
“I love you too,” Ash replied.
Yeah, being addicted to Ashton was exactly what he needed.