65. Epilogue

Davis made a cup of tea, something he had taken to sipping on in the evenings as it got colder, not only because it heated his core and made the evening feel a bit more cozy, but because the warm beverage always reminded him of Jeremy. It turned out that he loved mint and herbal teas, just not black tea. Another thing he learned about himself.

He flicked the back porch light on and headed outside, pulling a beanie onto his head. Settling into his rocking chair, he pulled the crocheted afghan over his lap— something his grandmother had won at the church festival back when they still allowed you to gamble at church— and pulled out his e-reader. It had been a gift from Phoebe, mailed to Davis’s cabin after he had spent the weekend down in Vanberg. While at a bookstore, Davis had unintentionally shared about how reading was a struggle for him, how the letters sometimes danced around on the page and didn’t form into sounds in his brain. The message that accompanied the thin device from Phoebe told him that there was a setting on this e-reader for a font that was supposed to help people with dyslexia.

On second thought, it probably hadn’t been unintentional that Davis shared something he was self-conscious about with Jeremy’s friends. Because they were his friends, too. Just like how Yesenia and Alex were Jeremy’s friends, along with Alex’s new partner, a younger ranger who was hired to assist on the outreach program. On day one, they had introduced themselves as “Sam, she/they,” and Yesenia and Davis had shared a knowing look as Alex’s eyes had turned into cartoon hearts instantly. Sam had encouraged Davis to attend the national forest’s LGBTQ+ employee resource group. And even if Davis still left his camera off and didn’t say much in meetings, it was nice to know that he had other rangers like him in a digital connection.

At seven fifteen, Davis’s phone lit up with a FaceTime call. He swiped to answer it, and his heart was full. He’d never get tired of seeing Jeremy’s face on the other end of the phone.

“Let me see my girl” was how he greeted Davis.

“What am I, chopped liver?”

“Show me Mary Anne,” Jeremy demanded. Laughing, Davis turned the phone to face the dog, rolling his eyes at the way Jeremy cooed and praised Mary Anne.

“You know, you could get a dog of your own.”

Jeremy scoffed. “It wouldn’t be the same. It’s not Mary Anne.”

“How was your day?”

Jeremy filled Davis in on the minute details of the day, which centered around an exhibition opening. He had dropped down to part time at the University, working there Monday, Wednesday, and half days on Friday. Rinci Consulting was taking off, enough that Jeremy was able to bring on a paid intern. Which was good, because Rocky Mountain National Park had contacted Davis, asking for the contact information of the new visitor center’s exhibit designer.

Davis wanted to share that news in person, though.

“And yours, baby?” Jeremy asked. Then it was Davis’s turn to share, about the youth group he had led on a hike today, the way the kids had introduced themselves with pronouns without a second thought. How Sam was applying for a grant with OUTdoors, an organization that helped queer youth explore nature.

“Can I join their programs?” Jeremy asked jokingly.

“Nope, it’s only mountain biking.” Jeremy pulled a face, having still refused to get on a bike that moved out in the mountains. For his part, Davis refused to spend money on a bike that went nowhere.

“Talk tomorrow?”

“Can we do six?” Davis asked. “There’s a band playing at the bar that Yesenia wants to go see.” Because every day, somehow, they saw each other’s face, whether it was a FaceTime call or a selfie taken in the evening. Keeping their respective homes, their separate paths for careers, was what worked for Jeremy and Davis. Jeremy was searching for an electric car to make the drive cheaper, and Davis had traded in his truck for a hybrid for the same reason. Perhaps not the most efficient or economical, but at this point, Davis was happy. Jeremy was happy. They were happy together.

“Of course, baby,” Jeremy said. “I love you.”

“I love you.”

“I was talking to Mary Anne.”

“Sure you were.”