Epilogue 1
EPILOGUE 1
METAPHOR IN REAL LIFE
ZOE
I just got back from a six-day mission in Morocco and Ledger just got back from five days in Finland . Neither were comms blackout missions, so we were able to talk every night. Still , though, we’ve been dying to see each other. And it’s my turn to pick the date, so right now, we are on the top of a cliff overlooking a valley.
“ Okay ,” I say as we both drop our bags of paragliding equipment on the ground. “ For today’s challenge, we have to get our equipment set up and strapped on.” I point out across the valley toward a small lake in the distance. “ See that outcropping of rocks just before the lake?”
Ledger steps up behind me, and he nuzzles my neck before saying, “ The ones with the tall grasses by it?”
I nod, leaning my head into his. “ Yep . That’s our target destination. ”
Ledger puts the tip of his finger in his mouth, then holds it up in the air. “ Wind is going the right direction.”
“ It is.” I know, because I checked wind maps when I chose this location and again an hour ago.
Ledger and I have had just as many of our individual missions cross over and found ourselves at the same place at the same time just as much over the past six months as we did in the year and a half before our joint mission. We’ve even gone on a second joint mission with both our agencies.
Ledger’s tally board at the CSA has changed, though. Instead of listing which one of us “wins” each mission, it has morphed into a list of which one of us wins our “date night challenges.”
And right now, Ledger is up by one. I’m hoping that changes by the end of this date.
I turn around to face Ledger and grin. “ And we’ve got ten minutes to jump off that cliff, starting now.”
“ Ten minutes, huh?” Ledger says, wrapping an arm around my waist and pulling me in close. “ That means we have time to spare.”
He brushes his knuckles along my jaw, which always drives me crazy. Then he cups his hand on the side of my face, cradling it, like I am more precious to him than anything. I accepted long ago that his feelings are true, but it still takes my breath away to know that I am so fully loved by this man.
I rise up on my toes, put my arms around his neck, and press my lips to his. He moves both hands to my back as we kiss, and I soak in the feeling of being held by Ledger . I will never tire of this. I don’t think Ledger will, either— we are both just as crazy for each other as we’ve always been.
I once thought that if we were in this exact scenario except with a real mission on the line, Ledger would spend the entire ten minutes talking to whoever was on the cliff with him about something other than the mission, right up until it was time to jump off the cliff, not even getting his paragliding equipment ready. Just jumping with the hope that he can get his equipment on and ready during his fall. It had annoyed me.
Now , though, I get it. I understand how he works and why he prioritizes relationships with people— it’s one of the things I love about him. And I have to say, I’m okay with him spending ten minutes not preparing for the mission if it means kissing him this much.
Well , mostly. I do still want us both to survive this.
But we can definitely take kissing time, too. Of course, I’ll always say yes to any time with Ledger . Or with Ledger and any of his family.
Over the past six months, I’ve gotten to go to so many of his family dinners. I had forgotten how great it feels to experience that feeling of family. I’ve even gotten to meet more of his family. Like his dad’s parents— his grandparents— who are the nicest people. They’re like TV show grandparents. The kind who show up to spoil their grandkids, have a great time, enjoy lots of laughs, and make cookies. I’m talking real, made-from-scratch cookies. I’ve even met a couple of aunts and uncles on his dad’s side, too.
And I’ve met Reese , who is Miles’s best friend. I’ve even met her bees, which is a whole thing. I’ve gotten to be good friends with Charlie , Ledger’s almost sister-in-law, Mackenzie , and Mackenzie’s friend, Livi , who I now consider to be my own friend. And I’ve made friends with so many other people through Ledger . I even got to play a game of hurling with Evan , the ambassador’s aide friend that Ledger made on our plane trip to Dublin . Our life will never be void of people because Ledger is so good at making friends with everyone.
I care greatly about all the relationships I’ve formed. Especially my relationship with Ledger . He has added more to my life than I ever thought one person possibly could.
I’ve also had more “family” in my life than I ever imagined. I love them all, and I know they love me, too. I hope that one day they will officially be my family. When Ledger and I are ready. Which isn’t something I ever really thought I’d be hoping for.
I sigh into our kiss and pull back just a bit, even though I leave my arms around his neck. “ As much as I would love to continue kissing you until long after the sun goes down, we better get moving if we’re going to jump off this cliff before neither of us can win a point for this challenge.”
“ True ,” Ledger says, then gives me one more kiss. “ We better get moving.”
We both race to strap on our harnesses, making sure each other’s is secure, then put on our gloves and helmets. Then we each lay out our own canopy and connect it to our harness .
As we are doing our last-minute checks, I look at my watch. “ Thirty seconds.”
Ledger grins. “ One thing I know for sure is that our life is never going to be boring.”
I shake my head. “ No , no it is not.”
Then Ledger whoops loudly as we run toward the small clearing, and then we both leap off the cliff.