Epilogue
“One hundred sixty kilometers?!” Sally yelled for the tenth time. “He’s biking one hundred sixty kilometers?”
“Yes,” Caleb said, eyes scanning the bikers zooming by them on the path. “I know it’s far.” Their group was gathered on the side of Madeira Drive, near where Jamie would finish the race.
“But…” Sally chewed her bottom lip. “He’ll be okay, right?”
Her girlfriend, Julia, rubbed her back. “He’ll be okay, love.”
“Sal.” Caleb turned and squeezed her shoulder. “I have his location. He’s fine, he’ll be here any second.”
“I see him!” Mike screamed from Caleb’s right. His gaze shot to the bike path.
“That’s not him, you dolt.” Caleb heard Bri smack Mike playfully on the arm.
“Oh. Well, that guy had curly hair, too!”
Caleb kept his eyes on the path as a big smile spread across his face.
It was sweet that Bri and Mike made the trip all the way out here.
And even nicer that Jamie had helped them coordinate it as a surprise.
Maggie and Pippa were somewhere in the crowd as well, holding ridiculous signs to get Jamie’s attention.
The Chelsea summer camp ended last week, and Caleb missed the kids already. They had been some of the best, most exciting months of his career, but also some of the most stressful.
Applying to medical school was not easy.
But Jamie had sat through it with him, took on most of the cooking and cleaning, and even recruited JB to read over his applications. The Frenchman was annoying, but he did have an English degree from Cambridge. Now Caleb just had to wait to see if anywhere accepted him.
Jamie already agreed to move wherever Caleb got in. He focused mostly on applying to schools in the Midwest and California. With his father’s passing, Caleb felt like it might be kind of nice getting to live near his sisters again.
“Okay, I think that’s actually Jamie!” Bri yelled over the noise. “He’s wearing the green helmet, right?”
“Yep.” Caleb squinted his eyes and searched the sea of cyclists. It didn’t take much, though—he could pick his man out of any crowd.
There he was, rounding the corner, face scrunched up in concentration. Even from this distance, Caleb saw the slight tilt to his lips, the flush of his cheeks.
Jamie looked happy. And that was all Caleb cared about in this world.
As he got closer, their group exploded with excitement. Cheers of Go Jamie! and you got this! drowned out the noise around them. Jamie’s eyes darted to their group, a big smile spreading over his face, before he fixed his eyes back on the road and zoomed by.
“Okay, let’s go!” Bri led the way through the crowd, using her phone to navigate to the street where they’d meet Jamie at the finish line.
Caleb trotted up next to Sally. “How’s the new coach?”
Julia snorted as she slipped her arm around her girlfriend. “Way fucking better.”
Sally nodded. “Yeah, she’s awesome. A million times better than Halcombe, and she’s badass.” She smiled. “We love her already.”
Caleb’s heart expanded in his chest. He hadn’t met Coach Davis yet, but he itched for the season to start. Summer camp was awesome and super fun, but he was ready to get started with his players. After all, if he got into med school, this might be his last season here for a while.
That thought didn’t bother him as much as he would’ve expected. If the past few months had taught him anything, it was that it didn’t really matter where he was, as long as he had Jamie with him.
Jamie should’ve known that Mike and Pippa would be trouble together.
They were currently taking the piss out of each other while they were supposed to be helping Jamie set up chairs.
“Wanna go to the Josie shore?”
“I do not say Jersey like that!”
“Yeah, you do, Josie boy!”
“Fine. To the Jersey shore. After some tea and crumpets, yeah?” Mike’s British accent was atrocious.
Off to the side, Bri and Tay sat quietly, catching up. Trying not to pry, he kept an eye on them in his peripheral vision. Bri arrived last week to surprise Caleb and watch Jamie’s bike race, while Tay came in just yesterday.
He was over the moon that they were both here to celebrate with him and Caleb. Setting up the last of the white chairs facing the garden, Jamie felt a strong hand land on his back.
“What have I told you about lifting a finger on your wedding day, mon chéri?”
Jamie turned to see Jean-Baptiste, overdressed in a cream linen suit, one hand casually in his pocket.
“JB, you can’t dress nicer than the grooms,” Jamie said, pulling him into a hug.
“I could never.” JB waved the ridiculous thought away as he stepped back, his mouth curving into a smug grin. “You look spectacular. And your American will also look divine, I am sure.”
Jamie smiled, even as he felt his cheeks heat. “I’m sure he will.”
He glanced around. The garden was ready for the “ceremony”—a loose term for the small gathering of friends he and Caleb had decided would be their wedding.
It was hot today, even for May, but when they arrived back in London with rings on their fingers, both of them had agreed they couldn’t wait a moment longer.
They just wanted to be married already.
After a long conversation about venues and flowers and guest lists, they’d tumbled into bed together and realized they didn’t care about any of it. As long as the people they cared about came, that’s all that mattered.
Life was too bloody precious to wait.
“Mister Jamie!” He turned to see Freya running through the grass in a puffy green dress, her mother trailing behind.
“Hey, Freya!” He intercepted her at the last second, crouching down and scooping her into his arms. She was getting big.
Her head swiveled around. “Where’s Mister Caleb?”
“Well, he’s getting ready in the house.”
She turned back with a huff. “Isn’t he your husband? Shouldn’t you be with him?”
Angie pinched the bridge of her nose. “Freya, we talked about this…
“Actually, Freya,” Jamie said with a smile, “he’s not my husband yet.
That’s why you’re here, to watch us get married.
” He lowered his voice conspiratorially.
“But if you want him to come out here a bit faster, here’s what you’ve got to do…
” He set her down, watching her eyes widen as she leaned in.
“Go inside and tell Mister Caleb that Uncle Jean-Baptiste is out here with me, okay?.”
Her brows furrowed, unconvinced.
“And mention that Uncle JB looks handsome.”
“Okay!” She bolted into the house, leaving Jamie to pull Angie into a quick hug.
“That was cruel,” Angie snorted.
Jamie shrugged. “He’ll have to get used to it if he’s marrying me.”
Her brown eyes softened as she nodded. “Oh, Lord, I’m emotional already.” She wiped away a stray tear. “I’m just so happy for you two.”
“Oh, Ang—”
“Hey!” Caleb burst from the house. “Where’s Jamie?” he asked Pippa and Mike.
Jamie simply stood and stared. Bloody hell, Caleb looked… devastating. His grey suit hugged his frame, his fresh haircut sharpening his jawline. Jamie pushed his glasses up his nose, feeling his face flush.
Caleb’s eyes scanned the garden before landing on him. Concern melted instantly into relief as he crossed the yard. His eyes raked shamelessly from Jamie’s face, down his torso, and back up.
“Jamie, you look…” He wrapped an arm around Jamie’s lower back, pulling him into a kiss. “God, you look good.”
He kissed him harder, leaving Jamie breathless when they finally pulled apart. Panting, he spluttered. “You’re not—aren’t we supposed to—erm, not see each other?”
His whole body felt hot.
Caleb must have seen the complete bamboozlement on his face, because his dimples appeared. He shrugged, eyes trailing over Jamie’s darker suit. “I guess not. But I didn’t like the idea of JB seeing you all dressed up without me.”
“Caleb!” Jamie smacked him lightly on the shoulder. “I am quite literally marrying you today.”
“Yeah, well, I was going to see you eventually.” He reached for Jamie’s hand, pressing a gentle kiss to his knuckles. The gold band had been on Jamie’s finger since the moment he’d asked Caleb to marry him in the shitty waiting room of that lousy hospital in Youngstown.
As Caleb held his hand up, the emerald caught the light. When Jamie shifted, the sapphire on Caleb’s finger did the same.
They both knew the engraving etched on the inside. A promise to love each other no matter what life threw their way. In every universe, no matter what, they would find each other.
Caleb lowered their hands and pulled Jamie into a hug. “You ready?” he asked in his ear.
Jamie pulled away and met Caleb’s hazel eyes as more of their guests began to arrive.
“I can’t wait another minute, love.”
Somehow, the next stretch of time slipped through Jamie’s fingers. Guests found their seats. String music drifted across the venue.
One moment, he was being led down the aisle by his mum, the next he was standing across from Caleb at the altar, his heart lodged somewhere in his throat.
Jamie was grateful they decided to splurge for the videographer because his vision was blurry for the entire ceremony.
Caleb’s vows were so beautiful, so full of love and devotion, and Jamie was lucky to make it through his at all. He’d spent days agonizing over what he wanted to say, how he wanted to say it.
Maybe a few years from now, he and Caleb could sit down and watch the wedding video together because, if he was being honest, Jamie couldn’t tell you what had actually come out of his mouth.
One minute he’d been looking into Caleb’s eyes. The next, everyone was applauding and he was apparently married.
Now, after the ceremony, their friends and family were all gathered in the garden, enjoying drinks and music and each other’s company.
Jamie ducked away from the crowd to get his bearings. Getting married at his childhood home had been Caleb’s idea, and he was grateful for it now—it felt so right to be here.
In the kitchen, he placed his hands on the counter and leaned forward.
He was married. Married. And when Caleb undoubtedly got accepted into an amazing medical school program, they would be moving to the States—
“Jamie? You alright?”
He looked over his shoulder to see Caleb leaning against the doorway, the top buttons of his shirt undone and open. His cheeks were flushed from dancing, and Jamie was so in love he might pass out.
“I’m more than alright.” Jamie smiled. “I’m amazing.”
A soft smile gave away Caleb’s relief as he swooped in behind Jamie and hugged him.
“Your vows were perfect, my love,” he said in his ear. “You are perfect.”
His hands slid down to Jamie’s arse and froze.
“What’s this?”
He reached into Jamie’s pocket and pulled out the thick, cardboard sleeve.
“Oh.” Jamie spun around, suddenly embarrassed that he was still carrying it. “When I was writing my vows, I went through my desk drawer and read all the notes you left for me.”
Caleb’s mouth fell open in shock as he carefully unfolded the small takeaway coffee sleeve. Written in his messy scrawl were the words: I love you no matter what.
“You… you kept this?”
“Of course I did. I’ve kept every single note you ever wrote to me, Caleb. They’re in mine and JB’s office.” He palmed the back of his neck. “I even, erm, wrote the dates down on the back of each.”
“But...” Caleb flipped the cardboard over in his hands, blinking rapidly. “What was so special about this one?”
“Well...” Jamie smiled softly. “It felt encompassing of how much you care for me.”
He reached forward and gently brushed the tear from Caleb’s cheek.
“And you’ve shown me, Caleb, that you do. Over and over again, you’ve shown me that you love me. No matter what happens.”
His own voice grew thicker.
“And I promise to love you through every season, every change, through medical school…”
A smile lifted the corner of Caleb’s mouth. Jamie stuffed the note into his pocket and slid his arms around Caleb’s neck, arching into his touch.
“It’s you and me now, love.”
His forehead rested against Caleb’s.
“In every universe.”
The End
Thank you so much for reading!