Epilogue

The auditorium was packed with graduates and guests, and while Blake typically hated crowds, he’d waited years to be a part of this one.

“Get ready,” he said. “Mom’s class is up next.”

Beside him, Zandra held her camera up. “I’m a go. My new lens should make for perfect shots from up here.”

“Don’t pay any attention to him,” his sister Lily said as she leaned across him. “I swear he acts like he’s the one graduating.”

“Right?” Zandra chuckled. “He’s been kind of nervous about all this.”

“Hey, I have a lot riding on this, too,” he said, grinning.

Zandra captured his gaze. “I know.” She raised a hand and stroked his cheek. “You’ll be up there getting your diploma before long.”

His smile broadened, and he rubbed his hands together. “Yeah.” And he couldn’t wait.

But all things happened in their own time.

In the two years since he’d taken a chance and flown to Guam, Zandra had traveled the world, sometimes able to incorporate her assignments with a visit to where he was posted. It hadn’t been easy, but they’d found a way to make their non-traditional relationship work despite the distance and time zones between them.

It’d been worth it, though. Her photographs had earned her recognition, and Blake couldn’t be prouder. Watching Zandra pursue her dream only made him more determined to pursue his.

“Constance Monroe.”

His mother’s name rang through the auditorium, and Blake stood and whistled, clapping his hands alongside his sister. True to her word, their mother looked in their section and waved.

“Got it,” Zandra said, lowering the camera and scrolling through the shots. “I think there’s some good ones in there.”

“No doubt,” Lily said. She opened her purse and grabbed her keys. “I’ll head to the apartment and get the food ready for Mom’s grad party.”

“We’ll be over as soon as we can get her to leave,” he told her.

Blake looked at the floor of graduates, a swell of pride coursing through him. There. It was done. Everything his mother had worked toward all these years summed up in a walk to retrieve a piece of paper. She was on her way…and now it was his turn.

He leaned toward Zandra as other graduates were called to receive their diplomas. “You know,” he began, his stomach a collection of nerves, “I’ve decided to leave the Army in a couple of months, just as I’d planned.”

“Yeah, you’ve mentioned that,” she said, scrolling through her camera gallery.

“Well, I have something very important to ask you.” Nerves or not, he had to dive in and do it.

“What’s that?”

“I love that you’re doing what you want because I wouldn’t want it any other way. But I wondered…would you move in with me? I know you’ll be gone a lot, but I figured that maybe I could be your home base.” His mouth dried, and his heart hammered like it was determined to beat out of his chest. He sucked in a deep breath and tried to calm the hell down.

Zandra stopped, set her camera on her lap, then turned to face him. She blinked as if processing what she’d heard, then her face formed into the smile that Blake would never tire of seeing. “Because I love you, I have to give you the only logical answer to that question.”

“And that is?” he prompted.

“Yes.”

“Well, okay then.” He sucked in a deep breath and grinned, and his heart finally settled, slowed to a pace where he knew he was at peace. Yeah, it was the most logical answer all right. And that’s when he also knew the best was yet to come.

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