Page 56 of Last Call Lindy Hop

“Here,” I said softly. “This is for you.”

He accepted it with a smile, but instead of unwrapping it he got up and strode to his suitcase. A moment later he returned with a box about the same size and set it in my hands.

“What’s this?” I asked.

“Your present… well the one that matters. The rest I sent to your parents’ like you said I should.”

I turned the box over, wondering what was so important that he wouldn’t send it ahead.

“I guess…” Eli said. “Shall we?”

I stared at the box in his hands, the one from me, and nodded. “Yeah.”

I watched as Eli tugged the small bow loose, then carefully peeled back the paper. He playfully peeked inside without a big reveal of the contents.

Eli started laughing, and a stone formed in the pit of my stomach.

“Eli?” I asked.

He shook his head and waved off any concern as he continued laughing. “Open yours.”

I blinked, then slowly unwrapped his box. As soon as I saw the key lying on a small bit of tissue paper I started laughing as well.

We each held up our respective keys and burst into louder fits of laughter.

It was several minutes before we were capable of speech again.

“Lance,” Eli said softly, taking my hand in his. “I was worried that it would be a step too fast, but I guess not.” He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Lance. I love you. I’d like for you to move in with me, if you’re ready. If not, I still want you to be able to treat my place as a second home, so I got you a key.”

I laughed even as tears streamed from my eyes. “Eli? Will you move in with me?”

He laughed and leaned in to kiss me. “Sounds like one of us is moving.”

“Or,” I started. “We could both move, make a new place together.”

He grinned. “I like that, but we have plenty of time to decide. In the meantime,” he curled my fingers around his key, and held the one I’d given him close to his heart, “we know we’re on the same page, and I couldn’t ask for anything more.”

I smiled and kissed him.

He was right, we had our whole lives ahead of us.

Together.