7. Dove
7
DOVE
SIX WEEKS LATER
I reach for my phone before my eyes are fully open.
The screen lights up. Twelve new emails. None from Ellie.
“Damn it,” I mutter, tossing the phone onto the mattress. I stare at the ceiling, jaw clenched tight.
It’s been two weeks since she left for Uganda. Two weeks with nothing but a brief message when she landed in Entebbe. My last connection to her.
She talked about limited internet—I get that. But she also mentioned setting up pre-written emails. Was that just flirty talk? My chest tightens with pressure that no amount of rationalization can ease.
After weeks of constant contact, this silence is wrong. Something deep in my gut tells me it’s wrong. I drag my hand over my jaw, the prickly surface scratching my palm.
Enough. I have work to do. Important research that can’t wait for me to sit here brooding. I force myself up, my feet hitting the cold floor.
Ellie is fine. She’s a professional who knows what she’s doing.
I just hope this knot in my chest is nothing but the worry of a man who’s never felt this way before.
Two weeks later, I still haven’t heard from Ellie, and the knot in my gut is nearly killing me. But my research is finally complete, and it’s time for me to return to the world beyond this vast white continent. On the charter flight away from Antarctica, I stare out at the cloudless sky and calculate the thousands of miles between myself and Ellie.
I have a marathon of travel ahead—Antarctica to Punta Arenas, then Santiago, then a series of connections that will eventually deposit me halfway across the world in Entebbe, Uganda.
Not home. Not even close to home.
But I need to find her.
The journey is brutal. Hours upon hours of recycled air, cramped seats, and endless waits in airport terminals for delayed connecting flights. Somewhere over the Atlantic, my body revolts against something I ate, adding fever and nausea to my exhaustion. I spend too long locked in an airplane bathroom, sweating and cursing whatever bacteria has decided to wage war inside me.
It doesn’t matter. Nothing is stopping me from getting to her.
By the time I land in Entebbe, I’m running on caffeine and pure determination. My legs are wobbly, but my mind is clear. Find Ellie. Make sure she’s safe. That’s all that matters.
At the hotel, I take my first shower in what feels like days, then spend hours on the phone. Bwindi Impenetrable National Park isn’t a place you just walk into. I need permits, clearance, and a guide. The earliest available permit is next week—unacceptable. I pull every connection I have. Finally, someone relents. Tomorrow morning. Six AM. A guide will meet me at the park entrance.
Morning comes after a restless night. My guide, Aadan, is lean and serious, with eyes that miss nothing. He listens carefully as I explain why I’m here, describing Ellie and her photography assignment with the mountain gorillas.
“And this woman, she is your wife?” Aadan asks as we climb into his mud-spattered jeep.
“Not yet,” I say.
Aadan smiles, pulling onto a rough dirt road. “I do not recall seeing a woman matching her description. But we will find her.”
We drive for what feels like endless hours through the rough terrain, stopping whenever we cross paths with other people. I describe Ellie to everyone—her height, her hair, her camera equipment. Nothing but shakes of the head and apologetic smiles.
As the day stretches on, Aadan suggests we park near an area where gorillas are sometimes seen and continue on foot. The vehicle can only take us so far into this dense, jungle-filled region. We need to cover more ground, and despite my urgency to find Ellie, we have to move carefully through the landscape.
The air is thick with humidity as we push through the dense foliage. My shirt clings to my back, soaked through with sweat. Aadan moves with ease, while I focus on not tripping over every root and vine that crosses our path.
We emerge into a small clearing and freeze. A family of mountain gorillas rests in dappled sunlight, a massive silverback watching us with intelligent eyes while juveniles play nearby. The sight is arresting, but it’s not what captures my attention.
On the far edge of the clearing stands Ellie. My Ellie. My gorgeous girl. Her camera is raised, her body completely still as she documents the gorilla family. She lowers the camera, and our eyes meet across the space between us. The shock on her face is unmistakable.
She gestures firmly for us to stay where we are, then carefully makes her way around the edge of the clearing toward us. Her movements are deliberate, respectful of the wild creatures sharing this space.
With each step she takes toward me, the knot in my gut vanishes.
My heart pounds against my ribs as she approaches. Her hair is pulled back in a messy ponytail, her face smudged with dirt, her clothes worn from weeks in the field.
She’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.
When she reaches us, she embraces me, laughing softly. “Dove? What are you doing here?”
“I was worried about you,” I say, my voice coming out rough. “I haven’t heard from you in weeks.”
She shakes her head, still smiling. “I told you I might not be able to contact you. Did you fly all the way to Uganda because you were worried?”
“I couldn’t stop worrying. I had to see you.”
“Aw. Dove. I’m fine. More than fine, actually.” She breaks into a grin. “The assignment is going really great. I’ve gotten some amazing shots. These mountain gorillas are incredible to observe.”
Pride swells in my chest. I turn to Aadan, extending my hand. “Thank you for your help. I really appreciate it.”
He clasps my hand firmly. “No worries, man. It is good to see you two together.” His smile widens. “Now you can get married and live the rest of your life in happiness.”
I laugh, a bit sheepish, and thank him again.
“It is okay to leave you now?” Aadan asks.
I turn back to Ellie. “Is it okay if I stay for a while? Or will I be in the way with your assignment?”
She bites back a smile. “I don’t know, Dove. I only have a small tent. It’s pretty cramped in there.”
I find a spot at the edge of the clearing where I can watch without disturbing the gorillas or interfering with Ellie’s work. Her camera is an extension of herself as she moves from position to position, capturing images with purpose and focus. Every now and then, she glances over at me and smiles, a quick flash of connection across the space between us.
I don’t mind the silence. After weeks of worry, just seeing her safe and doing what she loves is enough. That painful knot that’s been living in my gut has completely disappeared.
I’m in love with her. I’ve known it since before she left Antartica, but not until this moment have I fully understood how deep that love goes.
The gorilla family begins to stir, the silverback rising to his feet with a grunt that signals the group to move on. Ellie takes a few final shots as they disappear into the dense foliage. She packs her equipment and joins me, her face glowing with satisfaction.
“Ready to see my humble abode?” she asks.
The hike back to her campsite takes nearly an hour, the narrow trail winding through dense vegetation. As we walk, we fill the gaps of the past weeks.
“How did your research turn out?” she asks, ducking under a low-hanging branch.
“It went well. I can show you some of my notes later, if you’re interested.”
“I’d love that,” she says, smiling at me.
“What about you?” I ask. “The gorillas seem comfortable with you around.”
“It took time. The first week, I barely got any usable shots. But now...” She gestures with her hands, searching for words. “I’ve watched them play, fight, care for their young. It’s incredible.”
I learn that she’s been up before dawn most days, hiking to different locations where the gorilla families might be found. Sometimes waiting hours for the perfect moment. Sometimes coming back empty-handed. But her voice is full of satisfaction despite the challenges.
We emerge from the jungle into a small clearing where several tents are set up in a rough semicircle. A couple of tourists nod in our direction.
“This is base camp,” Ellie explains. “Most people just stay a night or two, but I’ve been granted extended access for the assignment.”
She leads me to a small tent at the edge of the campsite. “Home sweet home. The shower facilities are over there.” She points to a simple wooden structure nearby. “It’s just cold water, but after a day in this humidity, it feels amazing.”
After we both clean up, I join Ellie in her tent. The space is tiny, just big enough for her sleeping bag and supplies. Her camera equipment is carefully stored in weatherproof cases along one side.
She pulls out a couple of packets of camping food. “What are you in the mood for? I’ve got pasta or beef stew.”
I look at her, hair still damp from the shower, face clean and flushed. Raw need surges through me, hot and demanding. My body tightens with the force of it. I want to make her my wife, watch her belly swell with our babies, give her everything she could ever want in this beautiful life. I want it all. Anything less won’t be enough.
I lean in to kiss my girl, and she smiles as my lips press against hers. A soft moan escapes her and she drops the packets of food to grab ahold of my shirt. We fall back onto her sleeping bag, the fabric rustling beneath us as our hands move to undress each other.
“I missed you so much, Dove,” Ellie whispers, her hips arching against me.
I groan, my cock straining between us. “Sweetheart, you have no idea how hard it was to be away from you.”
“I do. I know exactly how you’ve felt.”
“Are you telling me you’re in love with me?” I growl, tearing her panties off. “Because I’m obsessed with you.”
She draws in a quick breath. “Say that again.”
“I’m in love with you and I’m obsessed with you.”
She laughs, a delighted sound that fills the interior of the tent. Then, with tenderness, she kisses me softly and says, “Dove Callahan, I’m obsessed with you and in love with you, too.”
To hear those words spill so easily from her lips unravels me to the core. I need to be inside her. Need to feel her come apart around me.
But more than that, I need her bound to me. Forever.
“Marry me, Ellie.”
Her pupils dilate. “What?”
“Marry me. Be my wife.”
For a long beat, she looks too stunned to speak. Finally, she blinks and says, “This is crazy, Dove.”
I shake my head. “It feels like I’ve waited my whole life for you. You make the world feel…brighter. Softer. Just so much damn better . The rest of my life won’t make any sense unless I exist with you.”
She looks like she might cry. “Really?”
I nod, brushing my thumb over her cheek. “So will you marry me, Ellie?”
She nods, and the smallest, sweetest tear spills from the corner of her eye. “I will. Yes. ”