Epilogue
Elijah
One year later
“What time will Ellie get here?” I eyed Bonnie as she was bent over, pulling rolls out of the oven, wondering if we had enough time to fool around before our guests started to arrive.
It was our first Christmas hosting, and Bonnie was going a little crazy about it.
We had spent the past year growing in our relationship, moving forward.
It was slow at first, a new learning curve, rediscovering trust and rebuilding, but it was worth it.
It might have taken a year, but it felt like we were exactly where we were always meant to be. Here. Together.
“She should actually be here by now. You know, she’s bringing that guy she’s been seeing on the down-low.
I’m so excited to meet him. Maybe I should text her.
” Bonnie was flying through her words at a hundred miles an hour, which she did when she got overwhelmed.
I found it adorable, even if it did take my brain a few extra seconds to catch up with her.
The front door opened, and in came Ellie. Bonnie’s face lit up at the sight of her friend, but then frowned when she realized she was alone. “Hey…where is…”
“Something came up.” Ellie looked anywhere but at us when she answered, and that had Bonnie’s frown turning into a downright scowl at the look her best friend had on her face. “El…”
“I don’t want to talk about it, okay? It’s Christmas. I want to be here, with you guys.”
Bonnie gave her a look, but didn’t press the issue, just giving a curt nod in understanding. She moved on to the next part of the evening. “Our parents should be here soon, but I figured we should give each other our gifts before they get here.”
“That sounds like a good plan,” Ellie told her. I was pretty sure she would agree to anything as long as we dropped the topic of her showing up alone.
“Let me go grab yours,” Bonnie told us as she raced upstairs. She was the worst at waiting to give gifts, always excited to see if she finally got something we wanted. Her excitement was the best thing about it for me.
“How’s the new job? Are you bored yet?” Ellie asked, eyeing me curiously.
While she may have forgiven me, and even played a role in me getting Bonnie back, she had made it very clear that I was always on thin ice with her.
Every single one of our interactions seemed to hold a layer of calculation from her, like she was just daring me to make a mistake again.
“Actually, I like it more than I thought I would.” And that was the honest truth.
I never knew I would love being an instructor, but I did.
Flying became something I enjoyed again, not something that sucked the life out of me.
I was home every night. I spent weekends at home with Bonnie.
We had joined a bowling league. It was everything I wanted.
“I actually got you something,” she told me, and I couldn’t help but look at her, shocked.
Usually, only she and Bonnie exchanged something.
Ellie walked over to one of the gifts she had set down by the door, picked it up, and brought it over to me.
Just in time for Bonnie to make it back down the stairs.
“Oh! That was nice!” Bonnie beamed at her friend, and I swore I saw a brief flash of guilt cross Ellie’s face. Worry churned in my gut, but I opened the gift anyway.
“What…What is this?”
“Oh my god! Something is seriously wrong with you!” Bonnie scolded Ellie.
“Hey! That was expensive. I got it especially made for him, with his dimensions and everything!”
“Tell me you did not somehow find a way to get a tarp specially made with specific dimensions. Tell me you didn’t go through all that trouble…”
Ellie had the decency to look somewhat sorry.
“Bon…”
“You got me a tarp? For my own body?” I clarified, because she would.
“Just as a reminder.”
“That’s pretty amazing, Ellie, and a bit terrifying.”
She smiled at me and gave me a rare chin nod, which I took as passing some kind of unknown test.
“And I have one gift I wanted to give you before the rest of the guests arrive,” I said to Bonnie, and pulled her to me.
“You do? I thought we did all those things this morning…You know.”
“I love you,” I mouthed at her, and she mouthed it right back.
“Yuck, I am right here.” Ellie pointed to herself.
“Then go somewhere else,” Bonnie told her, and kissed me hard. “Give me my present, please.”
I pulled out a little pink collar from my back pocket with a name tag.
Charlie.
“Let’s get started on that family.”