Total pages in book: 80
Estimated words: 76006 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 380(@200wpm)___ 304(@250wpm)___ 253(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 76006 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 380(@200wpm)___ 304(@250wpm)___ 253(@300wpm)
When he and Audrey got home, his mom and Sam were busy drawing at the dining-room table. The two of them had gotten close and hung out anytime they were having a family dinner night. He’d forgotten that his mom loved drawing, so he wasn’t surprised she’d made a connection with Sam, who also enjoyed art—not more than science, of course.
“Where’s Em?” he asked.
“Sunroom. Studying,” Sam replied.
Emerson had enrolled in the nursing program and had decided to take one class at a time to see how he felt, and so far, Rhys could tell he was enjoying it.
“Gonna start dinner,” he said to Emerson, leaning down to kiss him. He was sitting in his favorite chair, facing the garden, with his laptop open to an online chapter.
“Pizza?” he asked, and Rhys nodded. He’d already made the dough and had left it on the counter to rise before they left for the afternoon. “Perfect.”
He set the oven temperature and got started chopping mushrooms for Sam’s pie and pepperoni for everyone else’s.
Then he glanced at the newest picture Sam had taped to the front of the refrigerator—two monarch butterflies expertly colored in yellows and orange and outlined in black—and thought back to Sam’s conversation with his mom he’d overheard that day.
“And two of the butterflies stayed on the rock near us,” he’d said, recounting that day at Hawkeye Hill. “Do you think my theory is possible? It goes against every scientific probability.”
“Belief and hope can’t be measured, silly,” his mom had replied, and damn, he loved her for that. She provided Sam a perspective that neither he nor Emerson could offer. “Your parents are definitely watching over us all. Bet they even nudged me to move back here so I can keep an eye out too.”
After he slid the pizzas in the oven, he cracked open a beer and took a long swig as he leaned against the counter. Audrey was talking on the phone, no doubt to Maddy again even though they’d just left each other, and Sam was helping his mom shade in an area on some coloring page. Soon their family would be gathered around the kitchen table, eating and talking and laughing, something he’d always visualized as a kid.
He was still in daydream mode when Emerson walked into the kitchen and linked their fingers together.
“You okay? Looks like you have a lot going on in that brain of yours.”
“I do,” he replied, tapping their lips together.
Emerson arched an eyebrow. “Climbing?”
“Nope. Just life in general and how fucking happy I am.”
Emerson’s eyes softened. “Ugh, my heart. One of those smaller moments again, and I love you for it.”
It wasn’t small—it was big. Enormous. In a forever kind of way.
Rhys wound Emerson in his arms and sighed into his shoulder. “I will always love you, Emerson Rose.”
“Ew, my eyes,” Audrey said, and they broke apart, chuckling.