EPILOGUE II

                                    

                                          
< : > : Part Two : < : >
Phoenix | Other people
                          
2 Years Later
                          
With each step that I took my throat constricted feeling like sandpaper against the heels of a man that walked the desert for thirty days and thirty nights. My stomach was nonexistent. My heart hammered against my ribs as if it was trying to escape. Every second spent in this house I felt myself aging ten years balding on sight.
                          
Never would I have thought that I would feel this nervous again. It wasn't as if this was my first time walking in the Booker's house. I've been here plenty of times. I've been here with and without Harlow. This was like a second home to me but now . . . right now, I felt like my knees were about to buckle at any moment.
                          
Nearing the last door in the hall there were no voices of chatter. Nothing to inform me that someone was in the office but I knew they were there. This is where they told me to meet them and I had less than twenty seconds to knock on the door letting my presence be known to both men.
                          
Exhaling I swallowed the rest of my Icebreaker mint not wanting anything to go wrong. Mentally going through the checklist again I was at the open door before I could check off the last item that I knew I had for sure.
                          
Knocking on the doorframe I forced myself to swallow again just as Kendall told me to come in with a welcoming smile. Taking his invitation I stepped into the all too familiar office. The walls still held the same family pictures as they did four years ago. One of him and Kendall on their tenth wedding anniversary. One of Kendall, Gavin, and Harlow when she graduated high school and my favorite of Harlow with pink and blue braces with her dads matching pajamas on Christmas morning. The diplomas on the wall were still straight and perfect. The black leather couch off to the side with a small bar next to it still held three glass cups with several drink underneath. The two matching leather chairs placed in front of Gavin's desk giving the full office look still looked new and unused.
                          
Kendall stood from the chair to my right reaching out to shake my hand. "Good to see you Nick."
                          
"You too Kendall." Turning to Gavin who now stood from behind the desk with an outstretched hand. "You as well Gavin."
                          
"Good to see you too son. Please, have a seat." He motioned towards the chair next to Kendall.
                          
Sitting as I was told I tried not to fidget. Giving off the vibe that I was cool, calm, and collected even when I was feeling nothing close to any of those emotions.
                          
Kendall angled himself towards me crossing his legs. "How are you doing Nick? We missed you last weekend at lunch."
                          
"I'm sorry again for missing it but Dylan was about to leave for football camp and I didn't want to miss it. Plus my aunt was a bit emotional."
                          
"How's she doing?" Gavin asked.
                          
This was good and well played. They were keeping the conversation nice and light. Both wearing light colors also gave me the feeling that they were opened to having this talk.
                          
"She's doing good. Cried the entire ride back home but Dylan will be home at the end of the month. She'll be fine."
                          
"That's good to hear." Kendall said. "I've been meaning to call her for a lunch date too. It's been too long since we've seen each other."
                          
Nodding at the end of the conversation waiting for the next topic to be brought up I looked over to a smirking Gavin. Leaning back in his chair chin resting on his knuckles he could read my entire body language. "You wanted to talk with us about something, correct?"
                          
"Yes." I cleared my throat. "That's correct."
                          
"Go ahead then." He nodded with a small. "Let's see."
                          
Reaching in my pocket for the box that had been burning a hole in my side for two weeks. I opened it up placing the three stone marquise diamond engagement ring on his desk.
                          
Kendall and Gavin both gasped at the diamond. 
                          
Scooting to the edge of his seat Kendall carefully picked up the black box. "Nick, this is beautiful."
                          
"Thank you. It took me awhile to find something perfect for Harlow but when I saw this one I knew it was the one." 
                          
Kendall passed the box to Gavin. "Honey, look how perfect that is for our Harlow." His voice broke at the end of his sentence. Wiping the corners of his eyes he let out a small chuckle. "I'm sorry. Don't mind me."
                          
"This is a well done choice Nick."
                          
"Thank you." Taking the box back from him I placed it on his desk rather than back into my pocket ready to ask the important question. "Mister and Mister Booker, I've known Harlow for five years now and she is the fresh air that I didn't know I needed. She always supports me in every decision I make. She's been there for me as a friend before becoming a lover. We've grown together, we've cried together, and I'm ready for us to spend the rest of our lives together but first I wanted to come to her fathers. The men that raised her to be the elegant woman that she is today and ask you both for your blessing to have Harlow's hand in marriage?"
                          
Kendall and Gavin looked at each other as my heart rose higher and higher in my throat.
                          
Gavin stood from his chair first with Kendall rising from him just a second later. I hurried to stand as well discreetly wiping my hand on my pants. "I'd say it's about damn time."
                          
"Welcome to the family Nick."

                          
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