Epilogue

"THAT'S PERFECT.Now pour the batter gently into your pan. Very good. Now all you need to do is shift the pan back and forth. That way the batter will level." Reynaldo was helping someone with a pan of brownies. According to what Darby overheard, the young man on the other end of the app was trying to bake brownies for his first girlfriend for Halloween. "That's pretty good. Now did you preheat the oven?"

"Yeah. I'm good there."

"Okay. Put the pan in the oven and set the timer and you got it. Just be careful of the heat, and I'm sure your girlfriend is going to be impressed…." Reynaldo sounded completely happy before he closed the bedroom door, probably so he didn't disturb Darby.

Darby smiled as he went back to work on a bow-and-arrow sound effect. The strings just weren't quite twangy enough. It was getting there, but he needed to bump up the intensity of the reverberation. He saved his work and sighed. It was a Saturday, and once Reynaldo was finished, they planned to head out to a pumpkin patch for some fun.

In the months since Reynaldo helped him clean dog poo off his floor, through the same app with which he was helping someone else make brownies, the boundaries of Darby's world had expanded exponentially. They went all over together, and they were already planning a vacation to Niagara Falls in the spring. He could already imagine the rush of water.

The bedroom door opened and Reynaldo's footsteps came closer. Rex perked up at Darby's feet as Darby closed his apps and pushed his chair back from the desk. "Are you all set to go? I'm ready for pumpkins and apple pie." Just thinking about the homey scents to come made him hungry.

"Yup." Reynaldo sat down in the chair Darby had brought into the office just for him. "You said that there was something you wanted to ask me before we left?"

Darby bit his lower lip and then sat up straighter. He held out his hands, and Reynaldo took them. "I love you, you know that." They had shared their feelings late in the summer, sitting out back listening to the frogs and crickets. It was a moment etched deeply into his memory.

Reynaldo lightly squeezed his fingers. "And I love you," he said gently. "Tell me what has you so nervous."

"Well, I know that your lease is up in a few months, and I was hoping that instead of renewing it, you'd move in here with me. There's plenty of room, and…." His voice trailed off, the room growing silent. "Is something wrong?"

"No." Reynaldo's voice was rough.

"Do you not want to? It's okay if you aren't ready. I understand." They spent most weekends together, but it was a big step for anyone to move in with him. Maybe it was just too much or too early.

"Yes… I mean, no… I'm not sure what I'm supposed to answer. So, yes, I'd love to move in here with you. I didn't want to push you, so I've been waiting for you to ask." Reynaldo kissed him, and Darby melted against him, returning the kiss with as much passion as he could muster.

Reynaldo guided him to his feet and, without breaking the kiss, down the hall to the bedroom, where they tumbled down onto the mattress. Pumpkins and apple pie could definitely wait.