A Symptom of Love (GERI Labs #1)

35. Epilogue

35

Epilogue

I t’s perfectly fitting that she finds herself in Aiden’s lap. He’s not a stranger anymore, yet they’re at an international airport again, on their way back from Spain, together, where they presented the results of their shared work—their groundbreaking findings on the role of epigenetics in the development of autoimmune diseases, which received raging success and even a tenure-track position offer for Eleanor to start her own lab at GERI.

Their next destination is to visit her family back home, together. Because the entire Benjamin and Friedman clans have been dying to meet the man who rocked Eleanor’s world, her man. Especially now that they’re engaged, something that Aiden kicked off one day when they were both standing at the top of the GERI staircase. It started with:

“ I changed my mind. This boyfriend-girlfriend thing, it’s not going to work for me.”

Followed by Eleanor’s shocked and aggravated, “ WHAT?”

And Aiden’s, “A husband-wife thing, now that’s a little better.”

“Andrew Aiden Kowalski! Are you attempting a marriage proposal in GERI’s stairwell?!” was Eleanor’s dumbfounded reaction. “Because if you are, I think it’s totally awesome.”

“I’m not. This was foreshadowing. I’m planning to shout it from the rooftops.”

Yes, he did mean that literally…

Because he had to make a point out of it and do the whole thing in front of the entire Kowalski and Harrington labs, on the roof terrace of their GERI building, just to make sure Eleanor had absolutely no doubt, that he wanted everyone to know about them.

So, here they are. At an airport. Again. Her bare thighs—yes, she’s wearing shorts again, well-prepared for the Israeli weather—are resting perfectly on his jean-clad thighs, her side leaning against his wall-of-a-chest, basking in his scent, in his warm embrace.

She wasn’t running this time, just fast-walking to an outlet to charge her phone when Aiden pulled her into his lap despite the vast number of empty seats at the terminal.

“Going to keep you right here,” he whispers fondly and pulls out a portable charger from his back pocket. “Here,” he says. “But I think GERI would survive if you took some time off from emails,” he says, making a point with his lips on hers, breathing her in.

“I was actually planning to text my mom,” she chuckles, “to let her know our flight is planned to leave on time for a change. And that thanks to you, we’re in the right terminal, also for a change.”

“Already texted her.” Aiden flashes his phone.

“Always one step ahead, Professor Kowalski.” She steals another kiss.

His phone buzzes and he takes a quick glance. “Why is your mom asking what food to bring to the airport? Aren’t we meeting them at home? Or is that code for something?”

“Uh, no, not a code. And not waiting for us at the airport would go against tradition,” Eleanor laughs. “And that tradition typically includes food, even though their house is less than thirty minutes away.” He’s in for the full family airport surprise.

“Noted,” Aiden’s lips curve up, looking gorgeous as ever. “Now, smile,” he says, leaning in, “your mom wants a selfie.”

So back to the epic rooftop proposal—of course Eleanor said yes. Even before Aiden finished his heart-swelling, sexy little speech, because this man has completely transformed the meaning of love for her, and there’s nothing she wants more than to spend her life with him by her side. Professor Harrington’s new hypothesis may have been correct. Aiden and her together—inside the lab and out – they’re unstoppable.

And speaking of hypotheses, there’s one Aiden-driven hypothesis Eleanor now abides by: This love between them is irreversible. Permanent. So not choosing each other is NOT an option. And those symptoms? Just her own Aiden-specific symptoms of love .