EPILOGUE
Burke
Five weeks later…
This day had come so fast. The time at home with Eli had been amazing and frustrating in equal measures, but they’d made it to today.
Burke wasn’t sure how both of these big things were happening at once, but he wasn’t going to question it either.
He had a feeling Cisco Jackson had something to do with it.
The one thing Burke had gotten good at over the last few weeks was cooking.
When he’d brought Eli home from the hospital, he’d made a list of his boyfriend’s favorite foods and had scoured the internet looking for recipes.
He still felt like he’d failed to protect Eli the day he’d been shot, so feeding him and nursing him back to health was his way of making it up to him.
Since it was a special day for both of them, Burke had gotten up early to make them a huge breakfast. There was fresh fruit; strawberries, raspberries, and blackberries along with Eli’s favorite breakfast, waffles and home fries.
The berries were artfully arranged in bowls at their places at the kitchen table. The home fries were crisping up in the pan, while the waffles were being kept warm in the oven. The only thing missing from this scene was Eli.
“Babe? Breakfast is served.” Burke called out. He pulled the waffles from the oven, putting two on each of their plates. Next came the perfectly done potatoes. Then glasses of orange juice. Last on the table was the ketchup and maple syrup.
There was no response from Eli. It wasn’t like him to drag his feet when it came to food. It also wasn’t like him to be late. Where the hell was he?
“Coming!” Eli called out. His running footsteps echoed through the house.
Burke sat down at the table, laughing when Eli ran into the kitchen. “Where’s the fire?”
“Didn’t want either of us to be late on our big days.” Eli walked right past his place at the table, pressing his lips to Burke’s. His left hand came up to cup the right side of his face.
This made Burke want to throw Eli over his shoulder and drag him back to bed. Another time though. They both had things to do today. “Sit, your food is getting cold.”
“Mmm, but your lips are so warm.” Eli kissed him again.
Burke started to laugh, giving Eli’s chest a small push.
He could see the puckered scar from the bullet where his uniform shirt gapped and couldn’t help shivering.
It never got easier seeing the physical reminder of how close he’d come to losing Eli forever.
“I think I outdid myself with these potatoes.”
“Okay, Julius Child.” Eli rolled his eyes before moving to sit in the seat at the head of the table. Reaching for his napkin, Eli stopped. There was a black velvet box sitting next to his juice glass. He looked up at Burke who wore an innocent look on his face. “What is this?”
Burke shrugged. Everyone knew what a black velvet ring box held. “It’s for you.”
With shaking hands Eli pried the lid open. Sitting against the velvet was a brushed platinum ring. “Burke, I can’t believe it! It’s gorgeous.”
“When you were in the hospital, you told me we were getting married. I never really responded to that. I am now.” Burke had been regretting that for weeks now.
He’d bought the ring a week ago when he’d gone out for groceries.
Not popping the question on the spot had been hard.
He was smart enough to know the right opportunity would present itself. That day was today.
“Yeah,” Eli laughed. “You really are.”
Burke’s heart was pounding. This was it. The moment he’d been planning for. “These last five weeks with you have taught me so much about you, about our relationship, and about myself. I wasn’t ready to set a date that day in the hospital, but I am now. Will you marry me, Eli?”
Eli’s blue eyes moved back and forth between the sparkling band and Burke’s eager, dark eyes. He took a deep breath and reached out to Burke, setting his fist on top of his lover’s shaking hand. “Under one condition.”
“I’m proposing marriage and you have a condition?” Burke couldn’t believe his ears.
“I do.” Eli winked at Burke. He flipped his fist over and opened his fingers. Sitting in the palm of his hand was what looked like a matching platinum band. “I’ll marry you, Burke, if you marry me.”
“Oh, Eli!” Burke couldn’t take his eyes off the band. It was perfection. He finally pulled his eyes away to look up at Eli. “On the count of three?”
Eli nodded. “One!”
Burke laughed. “Two!”
“Three!” They both shouted. “Yes!”
Burke watched with stunned eyes as Eli slid the ring on his finger. It was a perfect fit. He pulled Eli’s ring out of the box and slid it onto his finger. “We’re a matched set.”
“Partners for life.” Eli leaned over to press a kiss to Burke’s lips.
There was so much ahead of them. So much to look forward to with Eli going back to work and Burke starting the academy. Now, they’d do it all together. Side by side. Inseparable.
After Burke was finished planning their wedding, he was going to start designing the nursery.
The End