Page 65 of Adored

Poe nearly laughed at the word‘stressed’. In all of his life, he only recalled one other time where he felt like this. It was when his brother died.

“I have to take a trip into town for a little bit,” he admitted. “I have to sign the paperwork to get my parent’s bodies back. They need to be sent to the mortuary, and be prepared for burial on the grounds.”

Oh, well, that explained the tension lines around his mouth, and the bad dream that pulled him from sleep.

Been there.

Done that.

For a second there, Gamble was worried that he was stressed over him, and that was the last thing he wanted to happen.

Lifting his head when his man said nothing, Poe focused on Gamble.

“I don’t know if I can do it,” he whispered with tears in his eyes.

Yeah, Gamble understood why.

Saying goodbye and seeing the violence that was done to someone you loved was always difficult. When it had been time to make arrangements for Storm, he’d simply had her cremated, and Elizabeth Blackhawk had stepped in to have her remains handled.

His daughter…

He did that himself.

She was a victim to her mother’s selfishness, and deserved a grave where she could be visited and loved.

Elizabeth handled that for him, after he went and viewed her body one last time. Then, he was whisked away to Chartres a broken mess.

“I can do it for you,” he said. “I saw the painting of your mother and father, and I can view them for you, and I can pick out the things for their burial to save you that.”

At his words, Poe wanted to sob. That was the sweetest offer anyone had ever done for him. That he’d carry that burden…

Yeah, he loved this man.

“I don’t want to make you do that for me,” Poe admitted, even though he knew he couldn’t do it himself. In his head, he remembered how his parents looked before they were murdered.

Was it so much to not have to view them shot up?

Honestly, it wasn’t good for his mental health, and that was crystal clear to Poe.

Because he loved him, Gamble lifted his chin.

“If it were my parents, what would you do?” he asked, already knowing it.

That was easy.

“I’d handle it for you.”

Gamble said nothing, as he waited for Poe to get it. They were a couple. When you loved someone, you did the things that were difficult for them.

To help them.

To carry them.

To love them.

“Thank you, Gamble,” he said.

What Poe wanted was all of this over with, so he could move on with Gamble. The mere idea of having to look at his parent’s dead bodies…