Epilogue
Felix--5 Years Later
I f you told me ten years ago that I’d be planning on forever with the man I loved, I would have thought you were crazy. But some time in the past five years, I’d started to believe in that kind of shit. Kellan was an unwavering supportive joy in my life. When things got rocky, and they had several times, he’d always been steadfast.
When I’d been reluctant to officially move in together, Kellan had taken it in stride, continuing to pay for his house even though he spent most of his nights at mine. We’d finally made it official just about a year ago, and while his house was currently empty, he was looking for new renters, as he liked the extra income.
Kellan had secretly researched for months before bringing me information about a service dog. When I balked and dismissed it out right, he let that wash over him, and quietly and patiently laid it all out. I eventually agreed to meet some dogs, and he never said “I told you so” even though it was in his eyes. And he didn’t gloat when I told him he had been right.
Shasta made my life easier. He was a big bruiser of a Great Dane who was specifically trained to help with balance, retrieve items, and move my wheelchair. He was cool, calm, and collected, and was missing the scaredy cat gene some Danes possessed. He laid at my feet, even though I’d released him from work, as I took in the chaos that was my adopted family.
At some point, it had become tradition for a Labor Day family event to take place at Black Dog Inn. Dana still cooked all sorts of barbeque for the guests and there was still a bonfire by the cabins at night. But a few years ago, the Mulligans and Caldwells, as well as those of use who’d been adopted in, started gravitating indoors to the dining room for part of the evening, where we had our own celebration.
I looked forward to it every year.
It was a chance for us all to reconnect. And this year especially, we needed that. Mary had a scare this summer with breast cancer, that thankfully turned out to be a ductal carcinoma in situ. Basically, yes, it had been a cancerous tumor, but it had been removed with clean margins and she was cancer free. Regan had gone to get checked immediately, and their scans came back clear. Nic and Dana had been hovering close to Regan ever since, which none of us acknowledged since whatever the heck they were doing was their own business.
Hell, even Caitlin had managed to take the weekend off and come spend some time with her children. She was currently cozied up to Ma, because for some reason the two got along like a house on fire. From the snippets that I overheard, Ma was grilling Caitlin on a new man in her life. Caitlin kept trying to steer the conversation to Harper’s upcoming senior year instead.
The kids had grown so much. Harper was seventeen, drove her friends everywhere, and insisted she wasn’t dating until she graduated from medical school. There had been a time there when Charlie had been worried about her. She’d gone through a rebellious stage a couple of years ago, ready to dismiss everything that tied her to her parents. But she’d come out the other side more dedicated to helping than ever.
Marlie had two dogs now and, at fifteen, volunteered at Bark Avenue. Soon she’d be able to work there and to hear her tell it, Landon had a job all ready for her. She could do anything she wanted—that girl was insanely smart—but she wanted to work with and train dogs. That had never wavered.
Tristan, for his part, was still as wild at eleven as he’d been at six, but he also had a gaggle of friends he led. Law was constantly on their cases making sure any mischief they got up to was harmless and not too crazy. He was a good kid though.
I was enjoying watching them grow up and turn into the adults they were going to be. With this family around them, there was no doubt they’d been good people. I was surprised, actually, how invested I was in their future. I’d never wanted kids of my own and that hadn’t changed. Kellan was the same, loving his students but glad he could leave it all at the end of the day.
We were compatible in more ways than I could count and it seemed like every day, even five years later, I was still finding some new way every day. Our lives were more settled than I could have ever imagined. And certainly more than I expected.
Kellan looked over from where he was having a very animated conversation with Dana, judging by the wild hand gestures. Those two were as thick as thieves and it seemed like they were always plotting something. He cocked his head to the side, blew me a kiss, then said something to Dana that made her laugh. A second later, he loped across the room and when he got to me, leaned into my space.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
I kissed his cheek. “I love you.”
That, too, had been a long time coming. He’d been ready to say it the day we went to his childhood friend’s wedding, but it had taken me the better part of a year to voice it. I had to ignore it for a good long while before I trusted those feelings inside me. Kellan understood that.
His face lit up, the way it always did when I said it, and he was quick to say it right back. “I love you, too. In fact I—”
Steve woofed and lifted his head, causing us all to look in the same direction. He was gray in the muzzle and a lot slower than he used to be, but he was still the best dog. Cricket was out on patrol, her years not yet affecting her.
The door opened and suddenly, the weight in the room became oppressive. A man stood there, early twenties if I had my guess, and he looked nervous as fuck. Considering the way the Mulligans and Caldwells went still, whoever he was, his presence was a shock.
“Who is that?” Kellan muttered.
“Amos,” Oak said, voice shaking a little. He took two steps forward, and Law was immediately at his side. I glanced back and forth between the newcomer and Oak.
“Oak’s brother is my guess,” I whispered back. The resemblance was uncanny, even if Oak was a lot brighter than his brother.
“Hi, Oakl…Oak. Um. I.” Amos entered the room but stopped before he got too close. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly, then shoved his hands in his pockets. His voice was shaky when he spoke, but his words were clear. “I’m sorry for interrupting. And I know it’s crappy of me to show up unannounced. You can kick me out if you want to. But, um, I just wanted to say that I’m sorry for being silent all these years. It took me a long time to understand what was wrong. I’ve…deconstructed. And I wanted to see you. And Grams and Gramps and Uncle Teague and Au—Regan. And hopefully we can talk, if you want to.”
The silence was heavy for a good long minute. Then Oak touched Law’s cheek as he pulled out of his husband’s hold, took a step, and then ran across the room and into his brother’s arms. The two men hugged for quite a while and everyone started talking again. The room exploded into life, Tris asking loud questions, and Mary taking her turn to hug the stuffing out of her grandson.
I turned to Kellan and he was crying. Smiling wide as hell, but tears were leaking out. My man had a soft heart, and it was understandable why the reunion would make him emotional. I laughed, partly at him, as I wiped the tears from his cheeks. Damn, but I loved him.
“My squishy man,” I cooed at him, and he sputtered a laugh. He gave me a gentle shove on the shoulder that had Shasta lifting his head to check on me.
“Ass.”
I nodded. “Yours is mine later.”
He shook his head and turned away from me, being nosy and trying to listen in on what everyone was saying. He’d give me the whole scoop later and I’d listen because he’d want me to. To me it looked like a lot of catching up and Amos certainly appeared overwhelmed.
Welcome to the family, kid. It’s always like this.
Ten years ago, I’d had the perfect life. Or so I thought. Until it had all come crashing down. Piece by piece, I’d put myself back together. First by myself, healing from my injuries and learning to live with my disability. And then, with Kellan’s help and love, he’d restored the rest.