Epilogue
Jamie
Eight months later
Now, if you’d told me a year ago that I’d run off to live in the forest, I would have laughed in your face, but some things in my life still surprised me.
Living with Autumn at Camp Starlight had been many things but especially a learning curve.
Who knew you couldn’t get food delivery at all hours of the day unless it was from a guy named Herb in his nineties-era Dodge Neon, if he wasn’t stoned?
Or that you could scream at the top of your lungs with no one noticing?
That one was a little nerve-racking. A lot had changed since I’d moved away from Seattle.
I’d found myself going on adventure after adventure, and Autumn was always game.
I’d put in my notice the second I’d touched Seattle soil.
Clint and Margaret were more than surprised at my leaving.
They’d likely thought I was losing my mind when I opened with “I’m running off to live in the wilderness,” or something to that effect, but they’d been supportive, even offering to refer some Oregon clients to me when I was ready once they learned I was opening my own firm.
I hadn’t even researched taking the Oregon State Bar Exam before quitting.
That was how unprepared I’d been. But I’d jumped, and Autumn had been prepared to catch me.
I had to remain at the firm for three long months to finish my cases and sell my condo.
It hadn’t been lost on me that we’d had to do long distance again during this process.
I’d been grateful that she took a month off to help me settle affairs, so we got to spend time together, alone and happy.
The other two months were difficult, but still less of a struggle than when we were teenagers.
While it was nice having her with me through that process, it was clear where we belonged.
I’d had my fill of Seattle, and she wasn’t meant to live there.
Autumn was like a baby bird who’d left the nest and fell right into a puddle of water, getting out and shaking the liquid off before waddling away all disgusted.
I knew I’d made the right choice.
Once I moved to Oregon, I spent my time studying for the bar exam around the clock.
I’d be taking it in July, but I was already getting inquiries about the firm I planned on opening.
There was a lot of interest because, it turned out, there weren’t any lawyers in the sticks.
I anticipated having clientele coming from all over, and planned to expand my repertoire to include land disputes and agricultural business pursuits, as well as general law.
I avoided giving legal advice, but I did help a particular camp with its expansion.
Another thing that had changed? The amount of time I spent with my family.
It took a little over an hour to get to Portland, so I did it frequently.
Watching my niece and nephew grow up from a short distance away was the icing on the cake, especially since I’d barely been there for the first years of their lives.
I loved being an uncle, and even though there were stressors from starting anew, I still found time to spend with them.
They’d even come to stay at Camp Starlight for a few days this spring.
But my favorite moments had been with Autumn.
When I moved to Wildwood, she offered me one of the other counselor cabins until the new season, but I’d spent so much time at her place, I was basically moved in already.
We’d spent our days getting reacquainted, but the more time we had together, the more it felt like things had never ended between us.
Every day, I was still just as excited to see her, and living with her only made it better.
Eight months together went by quickly, and I learned how much I loved taking in the seasons with my girlfriend.
Winter found us cozy, huddled happily under her patchwork blanket, sipping cocoa at the bonfire and cheering on Leo’s shenanigans until our sides hurt from laughing.
Spring was a whole other beast. Autumn increased her time working with Jack and his small team to finish the next round of cabins—which were to be opened this week.
There were many nights she came home sopping wet, dirty, and happy, and I loved to see it.
Meanwhile, Jack had been a bit of a workhorse to meet his timeframe, and it wore on my girlfriend.
She’d told me she was worried about him being down, that he hadn’t been the same lighthearted guy she’d known, but she attributed it to the deadline, assuming that he’d come back around to his old self once camp restarted. I hoped she was right.
Today, I was touring the building I planned to operate out of.
It was a small location with a single back office and space for two small desks in front, and it fit me perfectly.
My future office was nestled between Beans and Beans, my favorite Mexican/coffee shop hybrid, and Wildwood’s craft store Sew Cute.
It was also right next to the bench I’d done some important thinking on, and now I couldn’t wait to spend lunches sitting there and looking at the forest.
The realtor had just walked away when Ren called. I sat down at a squeaky chair and hit answer.
“How was your trip?” he asked.
“Good. How was yours?”
He and Grant had gone to the San Juan islands for a getaway. They’d been together nearly as long as Autumn and me, but they’d started out the normal way, meeting each other for dates instead of moving in a month after connecting, which was progressing pretty slow, if you asked me.
“It was amazing. The water was as blue as Grant’s eyes, I kid you not. And we saw whales, Jamie. Real whales. They’re the cows of the sea.”
I didn’t think he realized “cows of the sea” kind of downplayed the wonder. “That’s really cool.”
“How’s my favorite ax-wielding blonde?”
“She’s good. I’m excited to see her, but I had to stop by the new office first.”
“Always got that nose to the grindstone.” There was no real judgment in his tone. He knew I was pushing myself to the limit, but he was always there to remind me that things would work out. I wiped a layer of dust from the desk where my future assistant would be working. “You’re one to talk.”
Ren had been studying for his LSATs, and we had regular calls for me to help him practice. He had continued working at our firm and was gelling with his new associate. I was so happy for that (mostly) seamless transition.
“Hey, I have my reasons,” he said. “For one thing, Grant gives me sexual favors if I answer enough questions right.”
“There’s a joke in here about Pavlovian responses,” I started.
Ren cackled. “It’s definitely training me to enjoy work.”
It was hard being away from him, and there were times I felt that four and a half hours of distance, but he and Grant were planning on coming back for another summer session in a month, so I had that to look forward to.
After our call ended, I wrapped things up with the realtor, and took my trusty notebook outside to do some brainstorming while I waited for Autumn. It wasn’t long before arms wrapped around my shoulders from behind.
“Hey there, stranger.” She kissed me on the cheek.
“Excuse me, miss, but I have a girlfriend. She runs that summer camp across the highway, and she’s scary good with an ax.”
She came around the bench and fell dramatically so that her head was in my lap. “She sounds hot.”
I ran my fingers through her hair, her murmur sending a tingle straight through me. I tried to think of other things, but it was difficult with the love of my life hovering over my junk. “She’s actually got a pretty big ego, if I’m being honest.”
She blew her bangs out of her eyes. “Which contributes to the hotness.”
“Sure,” I deadpanned.
She ran her fingers up my neck and massaged my scalp. I released a groan at the feel of her fingers on me again. It had been too long. “How was the dinner?”
I spent last night at my family’s home to avoid driving late after my sister’s birthday dinner.
I’d missed these kinds of events the last couple of years because I was working.
Back when I didn’t know how to take time off.
Autumn had wanted to be there, but she was knee-deep in preparations for the new season, which started tomorrow, and I’d planned to spend the night in Portland, so she’d stayed back.
“It was great.” Except for when I was playing with Adam and he dropped off a swing set. Thank god Autumn didn’t want kids either, because holy fuck, that feeling that I’d almost killed a child was still eating at me, and it was a complete accident. “I have something for you.”
She bounced up, reaching for the container I was pulling out of my bag. “Tell me your mother’s blueberry cheesecake is in there.”
“My mom’s blueberry cheesecake is in here.”
She kissed me hard on the mouth. I was going to thank my mom for that later, in a way that didn’t reveal just why.
Other than the swing set scare, being a more present uncle came to me pretty easily, but not as easily as becoming an auntie came to Autumn. I’d fielded questions about where she was the entire time, especially from the kids.
“Come on, let’s get some mocha-ritas,” Autumn joked, her hand warming mine. My lunchtime vice had been coffee and enchiladas while I studied and Autumn frequently met me at Beans and Beans on her lunches, which gave me something to look forward to.
Autumn spoke quickly once we started moving, waving her hands with more vigor than usual, a nervous energy I suspected was due to her starting camp tomorrow as an assistant director. I could only imagine how she’d been without me here.
“Hazel and Leo just got in yesterday.”
“Cutting it down to the wire?”
The camp directors had been getting the second Camp Starlight location up and running after I’d helped them negotiate terms with their investor.
“Yeah, but I could have handled it,” she said, more to herself than to me.
“I know you could, sunflower. You’re ready.”
“I’m ready.” Her voice was laced with humble confidence.
I didn’t think she’d had time to overthink this one, because she’d been so busy getting ready, our cabin was covered in a variety of sticky notes, and I could see the traces of her brainstorming through each activity we did, whether it was eating, snuggling with a movie, or walking through the wilderness.
There was even one time I’d been kissing down her neck and she mumbled the word “registration” as if a lightbulb had gone off.
I’d flipped her on her back and gone down on her after letting her write it on a Post-it to truly take her out of her head.
Based on what I’d learned about her new role, Autumn had been doing some aspects of this job already, just not continuously. She’d always liked taking on more each year, and Hazel and Leo were smart to put more responsibility into her hands in an official capacity.
“So my dad called today.” Autumn’s tone didn’t give anything away, but it still had me wondering if this could be good news. The mile-wide smile on her face told me it’d gone well. “He wanted to wish me luck on a new season.”
This was a first for her, and I was so glad it was happening.
She’d been speaking with her parents a lot more often than before, and they’d even joined us when my family was visiting for my birthday.
Her dad and stepmom had been surprisingly supportive of our relationship and with me starting a practice.
I’d half worried they’d take issue with me leaving my former law firm and starting something new.
But I felt brave, just like Autumn, jumping from a plane without a backup parachute, never knowing what the next day would bring.
Autumn wrung her hands together as our first drinks were delivered—surprisingly without us ordering them. My girlfriend didn’t notice, but I nearly jumped in my seat. Was I a local now?
“Things are going to be fine.” I pulled her hands apart and squeezed one of them.
“It’s just first-week jitters,” she reassured me. “I know we’re ready. The axes are sharpened. The glitter is glittering. It’s going to be a good year. The real question is, are you ready?”
“What do I have to be ready for?” I asked honestly.
“It’s a big change, going from living alone to moving in with your girlfriend to living on a campground with forty-plus people at a time. And that’s just one session.”
I took both hands into mine and squeezed. “Autumn, we may be moving too fast.”
She pulled me into her and kissed me. “You’re a little late to be giving that feedback, handsome. But if you want, you can leave it on a comment card.” She smiled that shimmery smile I’d loved since we were teenagers.
“I thought all the ones I submitted were getting thrown away.”
“Not true. I keep them… If they’re sexual in nature.” Okay, maybe I’d given her a couple of those. Ten tops. She looked at me with an expression that said “duh,” and I burst into laughter.
“Oh, so you do read them. What did you think about that pretzel thing where you… Actually, never mind. I’ll just show you later.”
Autumn’s eyes shone with happiness, and I couldn’t help getting lost in them. She took my hand in hers and squeezed. “For real, though, it’s your first summer camp season. Are you ready?”
I kissed her hand, and she melted against me. “When I’m with you, Autumn, I’m ready for anything.”