Epilogue
When they got back home, they both showered and then Jethro confined Hollis to their bedroom while he got things ready. She was happy to wait, happy to anticipate something pleasant rather than fear the worst. She sat down on the bed, facing the headboard Jethro had made for her. She loved it. Every time she saw it, she had a feeling of joy, knowing that Jethro had made it for her, that he had made a bed for them to share. It was a sign of all that she had.
Slowly, Hollis slid over to the headboard and ran her hands over it, enjoying the clean lines and the sentiment behind it. Thinking about the life she had kept her from dwelling on that terrible time she'd spent cuffed to the bed.
The door opened and she jumped a little bit.
"Ready," Jethro said.
Hollis got up and followed Jethro down to the basement (of course). He'd set up a place for them to eat. No cheap Chinese food this time.
"Burgers?" Hollis asked.
"Yep."
"I'm okay with that," she said.
They sat down on the floor and ate hamburgers together, not speaking at all, but sitting very close to each other, taking comfort in the close proximity. When they were done, Jethro pushed the bags and paper to the side and helped Hollis up. They went to the boat and started to work on it. It was almost done. They'd waterproofed it and all that really remained was to finish the varnishing. Jethro had taken the time to demonstrate the proper technique. Given her lack of skills overall, it was a good thing Jethro was patient. There were parts of the boat that weren't quite perfect, some rough patches that Jethro had refused to fix. As long as it didn't compromise the integrity of the boat, he had let it stand as she did it. In a way, she hated seeing them because it showed her ineptitude with boatbuilding. ...but somehow, she was also proud when she saw them because it meant that Jethro hadn't just been pretending she could help and then really doing all the work. They had both been working on this boat. Together.
When they finished, by unspoken consent, they walked beside each other and admired the finished product. They had fans going to keep the fumes from overwhelming them, but otherwise, it was silent in the basement.
"We're done," Hollis said.
"One more thing to do."
"What's that?"
"Have to put a name on it."
"And?" Hollis asked, looking at the boat. "The last boat of yours I saw..."
"Kelly. My daughter."
"What are we going to call this one? Leroy?"
Jethro smiled. "Can't do that. Boats are female."
"You sailors," Hollis said with a smile.
"That's right. Holly."
"Oh, no. Not me," Hollis said. "We built it together. It can't just be my name."
Jethro turned Hollis to him.
"Then, how about Cherie? After your mother."
Hollis smiled, even as she cursed the fact that she actually felt a little weepy again. She nodded.
"I like that."
"Good. I'll put the name on it after the varnish is dried. Then, we can take her out. You ready for bed?"
"Just one thing, Jethro."
"What?"
"You put me off the last time I asked, but now, we're married and I helped build this thing."
Jethro started to grin.
"How are we going to get this out of the basement?"
Jethro leaned over and kissed her until she felt like she'd melt.
"Happy anniversary, Holly."
"Will you tell me, finally?" Hollis asked. "As my anniversary gift?"
"If you put it that way," Jethro said.
He pulled her close and leaned over so that he could whisper in her ear.
"This is how I do it..."
FINIS!