15. Epilogue

Epilogue

Six months later

Outside of the house would be cold—Tasmania could be freezing in winter—but inside was a snug and safe haven. The frigid southerly had brought icy winds and pouring rain over the past week, but this morning was bright and clear. The bare branches of a tree that had dropped its last leaf weeks ago, scratched on the window in the slight breeze. Owen made a note to get out in the garden and prune it back. Not today though. Today was an inside day. He had plans for Sebastian and those plans didn't involve them leaving the house—better still, maybe he could convince Sebastian to spend most of the day in bed. He smiled at the thought.

This time of the morning was always special. Owen loved waking up under the same roof as Sebastian, and it was even better when Sebastian was beside him. In fact, they hadn't spent a night apart since that fateful day back in January, all except the first night when the doctors had insisted on keeping Sebastian in hospital overnight for his head injury, and then a second night after his arm was repaired. Actually, they hadn't even spent those nights apart. Owen had spent the nights tossing and turning in a cracked vinyl reclining armchair, never leaving Sebastian's bedside, unable to let him out of his sight for even a moment.

He rolled over and looked at Sebastian's empty side of the bed, the dip in the pillow where his head had laid. The sheets were cold beneath his fingers, but given the sounds coming from the kitchen, that was no surprise. Sebastian was definitely a morning person and had obviously been up for a while. The clattering of utensils gave a pretty big clue he was preparing breakfast. The strains of a ballad—Sam Smith—floated down the hall, the sound of the song further brightening the day. Owen stretched as he listened to Sam sing about not being the only one, enjoying the pull of his muscles, and grateful he was Sebastian's only one. He had a fleeting thought of how corny that was as he snuggled back into the bedclothes, enjoying the warmth.

Owen was just drifting off again, his eyelids heavy with sleep, when Sebastian roused him.

"Hey, you." He placed a laden timber tray on top of the dresser and sat on the side of the bed. "Did you sleep well?"

Sebastian leaned over and Owen reached up and wrapped an arm around his neck. "You know I did." He smiled and pulled Sebastian down for a kiss. "Mmm. You taste like coffee."

Sebastian nodded. "You will too if you sit up to have your breakfast."

"Mmm. I need some caffeine. Thanks, babe." Owen levered himself up, scooting his butt back and propping a couple of pillows behind his back. Once he was comfortably leaning against the headboard, Sebastian straightened the covers before bringing the tray to rest on Owen's lap.

Owen's eyes opened wide. "Wow. You've excelled yourself. This looks magnificent." And it did. The toasted sourdough topped with sliced avocado, lime juice, little red rings of chilli, and a scattering of coriander leaves, was one of Owen's favourite ways to start the day. A bowl piled high with seasonal berries that must have cost Sebastian a fortune, given it was completely the wrong season for the fruit, was topped with a large dollop of yoghurt. Owen couldn't resist and dragged a finger through the creamy goodness. He moaned at the taste. "Honey and cinnamon. My favourite."

"I know." Sebastian chuckled.

Owen smiled and accepted the mug of coffee Sebastian lifted from the tray, taking a sip and enjoying the warmth and flavour of the drink.

Sebastian sat, tucking his legs up and sitting cross-legged on the side of the bed, and together they shared breakfast, not talking much, just enjoying the food. The soft music still wafted from the kitchen and the sun shone through the window, bathing the doona and Sebastian in golden light. He looked good. His hair was sleep-tousled and dark stubble graced his jaw, but Owen was partial to the growth, loving the rasp of Sebastian's whiskers against his own. Sebastian's brown eyes shined with happiness as he smiled at Owen.

"What?" Sebastian asked. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"No reason. Just thinking how gorgeous you are."

Sebastian's expression clouded slightly as his hand moved to his face, automatically touching the smooth, pink patch of skin high on his left cheekbone. Owen followed his movement, using his own fingers to brush over the area. "You are beautiful."

Sebastian's response was a smile that lit his whole face. Although he had scars on his cheek, a few on his torso, and a large scar running the length of his forearm from surgery he'd needed to correct the break, he'd recovered well. A couple of sessions with a psychologist was all he'd needed before letting Owen know he'd dealt with the frightening events of the tsunami. The psychologist had agreed so Sebastian had gotten on with his life.

Things hadn't been so easy for Owen. His own health problems were still persistent and the addition of some nasty dreams brought on by the tsunami hadn't helped the sleep situation, but after a few weeks, they'd tapered off and he hadn't had a nightmare in months. And the shoulder surgery had done wonders too. His joint wasn't completely back to normal and occasionally flared up, but with regular physiotherapy, he'd come ahead in leaps and bounds. No more painkillers, and much better sleep. Owen didn't know whether it was the better quality sleep and lessening pain, but he found he wasn't as angry and frustrated as before. However, his heart told him the real reason for this change was his improved outlook about his relationship, and that came from talking to Sebastian, and trusting in Sebastian's feelings.

"I'm so lucky to have you," Owen said, his hand still cupping Sebastian's cheek.

Sebastian leaned over the tray and placed a gentle kiss on Owen's mouth. He straightened, his expression suddenly serious. He picked up the tray with its now empty dishes and moved it to the dresser before sitting back down. "Promise me if we ever start having problems that we'll talk about it. I mean really talk. You know, that thing where we say how we feel and we listen to each other, discuss what's wrong and find a solution."

"Talk, huh?" Owen smirked and hauled Sebastian to him. He collapsed on to Owen's chest and Owen whispered against his ear. "What if I don't want to talk? What if there's something else I want to do?"

Sebastian levered himself up and met Owen's gaze. His big brown eyes were warm. "Owen."

"Yes, baby?" Owen stopped with the teasing. "I promise to always talk to you." His voice was solemn and from the look on Sebastian's face, he trusted in Owen's vow.

Owen met Sebastian's mouth for another sweet kiss. Sebastian whispered against his lips, "Thank you."

When they finally separated, Owen tried to lighten the mood. "I agree. Talking's good. And I don't think waiting for a tsunami is the best approach," he said with a chuckle. They'd decided to talk and joke about what had happened, rather than treat the subject as off-limits. It helped to deal with the traumatic feelings rather than bottling them up.

"Oh, God." Sebastian choked out a laugh. "We'd never resolve our issues if that was the case because the chance of another natural disaster is hopefully non-existent. At least it better be. I don't think I could live through something like that again."

"I was so worried about you." Owen tugged at Sebastian, pulling him back into a hug.

Sebastian nodded against Owen's chest. "I know."

Owen manoeuvred them in the bed so he could pull the doona up over Sebastian, keeping him tight next to him. They lay there quietly for a while, Owen simply enjoying the feel of Sebastian against his body, the soft puffs of his breath against his neck.

"Do you regret fixing the house up and coming back here?" Owen asked. They had spoken about this before they'd started on the mammoth job of cleaning up, then getting things repaired and replacing their belongings, but Owen wasn't sure if Sebastian had any doubts now the work was complete, and they'd come back to stay.

"No." Sebastian lifted his head and looked at him. "Why? Do you?"

"Not at all," Owen reassured. "I just wanted to make sure you didn't have any regrets."

"I think it was important to come back here. What happened to us, and to the other people affected by the tsunami, was awful, but it was a once-in-a-lifetime event. I know we can't be totally sure it will never happen again, but we can't live our lives worrying about what could—but most likely won't—ever happen. Plus, the people of Bruny Island deserved us coming back to help rebuild the community."

Owen ran his fingers down Sebastian's cheek. "Always the smart one."

"And some good did come out of all of this."

"You mean forcing us to talk more?"

"I meant, Howard. He's a great guy and I've enjoyed getting to know him these last few months."

"Me too," Owen agreed. The older man had become a good friend to them both. Owen was thankful he'd had Howard's help back on the day of the tsunami, and grateful to have him in their lives now.

Sebastian flopped down again, his head resting on Owen's chest. Owen drew lazy circles over the small of his back on the thin strip of exposed skin above his waistband.

They'd taken additional precautions when they'd repaired the house. They couldn't stop a tsunami, and they didn't want to sell their land, but they could minimise the risk. Owen wanted to demolish the house and start again but Sebastian had been insistent they leave things as they were. It was almost by leaving the house where it was located and not raising it higher off the ground, that Sebastian was showing his confidence that an inundation of water wouldn't happen again. And if Sebastian was happy then Owen was happy. That didn't stop him putting in safety glass in the replacement doors and upgrading the old windows. They'd cleared the vegetation out the back, making sure there was a clear path to the high elevation land behind the house. They had also drawn up a tsunami emergency plan, plus one for bushfires, figuring you could never be too careful.

Sebastian was right. There was no point worrying pointlessly. Owen sighed in contentment. They were safe and together. All was good in his world. As if to reinforce that thought, little sparkles of light glittered on the ceiling, bouncing and dancing over the expanse of white like faraway stars. "Look."

Sebastian rolled onto his back and looked up to where Owen was pointing. "Pretty."

The sun was reflecting off the glass bowl that had pride of place on the new low cabinet that was built in under the window, replacing the old one. Owen glanced at the bowl with its orange and yellow swirls and remembered the story of its inspiration—the fire of life and new beginnings.

That fragile bowl had withstood the enormous force of a terrifying tsunami and so had they. This was his and Sebastian's new start and Owen was going to grab it with both hands, making the most of every minute.

His heart swelled with love and he held Sebastian closer, warming further at the thought of the small black box resting in the top bedside drawer—the next step in their bright future together.

Thank you for reading Riding The Waves .