Page 69 of Margins

He and Elijah had recited their vows to honor each other, but there was no small amount of love set aside for the couple who should have been able to do the same just as loudly.

“What do you want to do today?” Elijah asks after another minute. “When you’re okay again.”

“Other than the shower I already suggested?”

“Other than that, yeah,” Elijah laughs.

Alex thinks about it, then tips his head to the side. “We could go for a walk around the neighborhood.”

“A walk, huh?” Elijah says, suspicion lifting a single eyebrow. “Not looking for any garage sales, are you?”

“Would it really matter if I were? Pretty sure the biggest flirt around here already managed to con me into buying some used books. What else could I possibly need?”

“Oh, I’m the biggest flirt?” Elijah snorts. “That’s cute coming from the guy who couldn’t resist telling me to keep the vinyls and buy a record player before he came back to see me again on day two.”

“Okay, mister ‘I have plenty of charm all the time.’ Please, tell me more.”

Alex pushes up from the patio chair and hurries to take his mug into the kitchen before Elijah can respond, though he's really only succeeded in trapping himself inside, Elijah right behind him when he reaches the sink, his voice low against Alex’s ear.

“I want to go for a walk with you this morning.”

“Okay,” Alex says, turning in Elijah’s arms so he can read the secret forming in Elijah’s eyes. Something else is on his mind, and Alex knows it won’t go unspoken for long. “What else?”

“I want to call out of work tonight,” Elijah murmurs. “It’s a Saturday night—won’t be hard to find someone to cover for me.”

“Okay,” Alex says again. “Why?”

“I want more memories. Good ones. We were never going to be able to change any of their story, but we’re still writing ours.”

“Okay,” Alex smiles, one last time, because he already knows the answer to his next question. “Where are we going?”

“San Diego.”

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