Page 65 of Seamus: Unconventional

He takes a deep breath. “I always think the military are crazy with the specialties but they have purposes I think I overlook. Brinks knew.”

I nod. “Protocols that are ingrained, like the chain of command, makes great soldiers but command not allowing free thinking can get them killed. It’s always the same. Greed kills more than the US military ever will. We just don’t keep track of those numbers.”

He looks at Jack then Ranger getting nods. Falcon smiles at him. “I remember saying the same thing at a getaway around a fire pit.”

Cort shakes his head. “I’m a dickass.”

“You’ve mentioned that before, Boss.” I point out, relieved when even Cort laughs at that.

It’s a good night that stays that way then rolls to the new day.

Epilogue

Two weeks

Maestro Club

I wake up and smile. Katie is watching me. “That should be weird but I can’t feel anything besides happy and closer.”

She shakes her head at me. “Closer?”

“To you, love, closeness, home.”

She burrows closer wedging her face into the crook of my neck. “I feel it too. I never expected happy. To tell you the truth, I wondered when loneliness would start losing to purpose.”

My breath stalls and arm tightens around her. When I can breathe again, I tell her. “Never a question you have to wonder about again. We got kids, partners and Clubs making sure we’re never part of the lonely.”

She giggles pulling her head back.

I kiss her nose and wipe her tears before she can answer. “My partners kept me alive right at first so I’m not telling you it didn’t hit me too, but I saw a way to keep going then they showed me new reasons. Everyday I’d get hit with more. More reasons, more people showing me I’m not alone, more purpose, it all gave me a drive to leave my mark on the world.” I smile and kiss her head. “Then you fell into my lap.”

She giggles again.

“I didn’t feel it so it took me a minute.”

Now she laughs right outat me but I smile and keep going. “I didn’t know I needed you until it hit me that I could lose you. We started as friends in the same boat. My partners invited you to anything I forgot.” I feel her shaking but know she’s holding in her laugh. “If anything worked on us, we’d have been together already. I may be zipped up the back, but even I recognized that if we’d have been together as whole people, maybe the fact that we’re different, hurt by the difference and struggling for more than old man and maiden status is just blinders I put on myself.”

She burrows back to my neck with a nod.

“Meant to be doesn’t always mean because we’re perfect.”

Her head raises and she leans her forehead against my lips. “Meant to be is how I felt but I wore the blinders too. It’s because of what is different. I think we landed the only place in the world where different just means different. We don’t have to be perfect here. We don’t have to be like everyone else and I’m proud to have found you, love you and commit to a life of different with you, your boys, your partners and all the crazy people that keep showing up. The fact that they keep showing up proves that they love us no matter how different we are. There is not broken here.”

I kiss her smart head. “Nope. If you look deeper, you see they’re just people like us that are happy and relieved that we love them and their differences. The Bits, Partners, giants, Kristos, Mil. K-9s.”

“Oh, Stella is deaf. Nagíla’s gloves talk for her. Faith was kidnapped. Lots of the women were. They really do love us too. They’re planning a wedding. I don’t need it but how do you say no to love like that?”

Perfect! “You don’t. We let them plan and do their crazy and get a week away at some lagoon. It’s been years since I’ve been to a lagoon. The partners and boys will love the vacation and we get time to revel in our different.”

She laughs at me but stops when Shadow and Fairy bound in.

I put a hand up signing it but say the word when they don’t stop. “No,” I say it, getting no reaction or compliance. “No!” I try again then roll Katie away just before he pounces. “You Bloody Jowly Faced Beast!”

Katie giggles away as if this is fun. Of course, Mark and Vinny have to come investigate with Light. The boys laugh.

Fuckin’ woman, kids and partners. I laugh and scrub the jowls of my jowly faced beast before Light pulls him off me with a huff.

The boys sit on the bed as if this is a new tradition. Their smiles say it may very well be.

Different will be fun for life.