Epilogue - Jack

“Synthia called,” Jack said as he wandered into the kitchen. Craig was washing dishes.

“Oh?” Craig looked over his shoulder. “What did she have to say?”

“She’s wondering if we wouldn’t mind keeping Isaac this summer, too,” Jack said. “I hope you don’t mind I told her yes.”

“Why would I mind?” Craig asked.

“Because—”

Isaac, two years old and a fully-fledged terror, scampered into the kitchen, giggling. His shirt was missing. There was something glossy and wet coating his chest.

“Oh. Right.” Craig laughed. “Isaac, what did you get into?”

“Did you leave the baby gate open?” Jack asked. “I thought I heard him coming down the stairs, and if that’s the case…”

Craig went to grab Isaac as he ran by, but Isaac slipped right out of his hands. Jack opened his mouth to speak, then closed it again and shook his head.

Craig made a face. “It’s lube.”

“Yeah. I thought so.”

Isaac sped through the kitchen and promptly ran face-first into the pantry door. Jack held back a laugh. He saw Craig do the same.

“Hey, bud?” Craig asked as Isaac fell on his butt. “Running into doors probably isn’t the best idea. I think it’s time we went and had a bath, don’t you think?”

“Bleh,” Isaac said. He remained seated on the floor. There was a fifty percent chance he’d burst into tears. Jack noticed that Isaac had begun to test his boundaries, and fake crying or overreacting to a situation was his favorite way to see what he could and couldn’t get away with.

To Jack’s delight, Isaac didn’t cry. Craig helped him stand and took his hand, then father and son walked toward the kitchen door. On his way past, Craig looked at Jack and whispered, “While we’re in the bath, do you want to go make sure we still have lube for later?”

“If we don’t, I’ll make a trip,” Jack promised.

Jack waited until Craig and Isaac made their way up the stairs before he followed. By the time he’d arrived on the top landing, the bathroom door was already closed. Jack braced himself for a mess and went to investigate the bedroom he shared with Craig.

Almost two years had passed since Craig had come to stay. In those two years, Jack and Craig had grown closer than ever. What had started off as a friendship was now very firmly rooted in something more. Craig was the love of Jack’s life, and Jack felt blessed every morning to wake up next to him.

Jack opened the bedroom door. There was only a little mess on the floor. Jack was pleasantly surprised. He went into the hall closet to get a roll of paper towels and entered the bedroom again when he noticed there was something on the bed. Jack stopped in the doorway and squinted at it.

It was a tiny silk pouch.

“Weird,” Jack murmured. He knew it didn’t belong to Isaac, so it had to be Craig’s. Isaac must have tossed it around when he was looking for trouble.

Jack moved to the bedside and picked it up.

At first Jack thought the pouch was empty. It lay flat and didn’t have much weight. When he squeezed it, he knew better.

There was a ring inside.

Craig cleared his throat in the bedroom doorway. Jack spun around, heart fluttering.

“Well,” Craig said, looking sheepish. “I guess that secret’s out of the bag, huh?”

“No,” Jack said. “It’s definitely still in the bag.”

Craig laughed. “You know what I mean.”

Craig stepped into the room. Every step closer he got, Jack’s heart raced faster. He knew what was coming, but he couldn’t believe it was real.

“Since my son ruined the surprise, I guess I might as well ask you right now,” Craig said. He took Jack’s hand. The silk pouch was cushioned between their palms. “Will you marry me, Jack? I love you, and I can’t imagine spending my life with anyone but you.”

The ring was pressed between them, heated from either side by their bodies. A knot rose in Jack’s throat. “Of course I will.”

Craig smirked. “Good. If you said no, I’m pretty sure Isaac would never have gotten over it.”

Jack blinked away tears. He didn’t care what the ring looked like, or how much it cost, or even if it fit. All that mattered was the intent behind it.

Craig wanted to make him part of the family. They were going to officially be a unit. Jack was going to be a father in more than just name.

“I promise that I’m going to love you and Isaac forever,” Jack said. He struggled to keep his tears from his voice. “There aren’t two other people on this planet I’d rather be devoted to.”

“And there isn’t another person I think would be a better co-parent.”

Craig claimed Jack’s lips in a kiss. Jack closed his eyes and kissed back, letting the connection between them strengthen.

He was going to marry his best friend. He was going to be a father. He’d found his family. Jack didn’t think he could be any happier.

“I’ve got to get back to Isaac,” Craig said when the kiss broke. “Are you okay to clean up and run out if necessary?”

“Of course,” Jack said. He was glowing. He held the silk pouch firmly in his hand, feeling the ring through it. “I think tonight we’re definitely going to need to make sure we have lube on hand.”

Craig waggled an eyebrow. Jack snickered.

“All right, all right.” Jack waved Craig away. “Go tend to our son. I think it’s about time we started to lock our bedroom door.”

“Agreed. Weekend project?”

Jack felt himself light up from the inside. All of the little domestic chores they shared were dear to him. They reminded him that Craig was in it as much as he was.

“Weekend project,” Jack echoed to confirm. “And maybe after that, we can start looking at dates we might like to get married on.”

“Roman’s birthday,” Craig said with a laugh. “Just to really rub it in.”

“You’re supposed to be getting along,” Jack reminded him flatly. “Besides, I’d really like for Lane to be there. I don’t want to have to make him choose.”

“I know, I was teasing.” Craig stuck out his tongue. He walked backward out the door. “We’ll come back to this on the weekend. I love you, Jack. I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with you.”

“I love you, too.”

Two years ago, Jack never would have believed he’d be engaged to his best friend, yet here he was. He watched as Craig left the room and returned to the bathroom to bathe Isaac. Jack’s affection grew.

He’d found a place and a purpose. The life he knew was richer now that he had Craig and Isaac in it. But it wasn’t where their path ended—it was just the beginning. Every day onward would be a new adventure. And with Jack and Isaac there beside him, Jack was ready for the ride of his life.