Page 106 of Into the Mountains
“I know,” she says like it’s a fact she’s known all her life. If anyone were to ask me, it is one.
We are in my—our—bed, half clothed, which is something I plan to change in the next few minutes.
“So you’re moving all of your stuff in here tomorrow, right?”
“Pretty much as soon as it is physically possible,” she mumbles. After the party and the cleanup, which the family stayed behind to help with, Charlie is almost dead to the world from exhaustion. She created the perfect day not only for Ethan, but for me too. I was more than stressed about the party and she made it so I didn’t have to worry about anything.
“I love you, Charlie.”
Something that sounds like a mumbled “I love you too,” comes from her lips, which I had plans for, but they can wait.
The small pitter-patter of dozens of feet has me lifting my head, waiting to see the small stampede that is about to infiltrate our room. Their leader follows closely behind, looking down to avoid stepping on any of them, Hobbles and Gimli safe in his arms.
“Hey bud,” I whisper as he starts helping the kittens up on our bed to settle in. “Everything okay?”
“Yeah.” Once all six cats are up, he carefully crawls in between Charlie and I, settling himself under the covers. Charlie moves over to make room for him, seemingly not waking up.
“You don’t usually come in here. What’s going on?” I whisper.
“I called CharlieMaearlier.”
“I know.”
“Is that okay?”
“Did you mean to call her that or was it an accident?”
“A bit of both? I meant to ask her first. I don’t want to call her mom, but she’s like a mom to me so I thought ma would be okay. I meant to ask first though and then it just kind of slipped out in front of everyone.”
I can hear the panic in his voice as he lets it all out in one breath, getting louder as he keeps talking.
“Did she say anything about it?”
“She hasn’t. I don’t think it bothered her. If it did, she would’ve brought it up.”
“Is it okay with you?”
I kiss the top of his head to reassure him. “If it’s something you are ready for, I want you to do that, okay? She isn’t going anywhere and if you feel like you want to call her something other than Charlie, that’s fine by me.”
“It’s fine by me too,” a rough voice comes from Ethan’s other side.
“Really?” he asks, turning toward Charlie.
“Of course it is, Ethan. Like your dad said, I’m not going anywhere.”
“You mean you two are getting married?” he yells excitedly, startling the kittens. Ears are perked, heads shoot up, and a few run to the other side of the bed.
Charlie and I make eye contact above Ethan’s head. We hadn’t even told him she was moving in here yet. And I think both of us already know marriage is a step we are going to reach in the not so distant future.
She nods at the same time I say, “Yes.”
EPILOGUE - ELIAS
“You ready?”
“With you? Always.” We grab our packs and start heading toward the mountain trails the town boasts about constantly. The last two months living together have been absolute bliss. Waking up in bed together warms my chest in a way I never thought it would again. Us, Ethan, the cats; everything feels like it’s finally in place. My world is put back together with Charlie.
“Should we escape into the mountains together this time?” I ask, holding out my hand to grab hers. She doesn’t hesitate and reaches for my hand, but before she can lace her fingers with mine, the sun glints off of something sitting in the palm of my hand.
