Power’s Fall (Trinity Masters: The Spaniard #1)

Chapter 20

Chapter Twenty

V adisk knew it was bad luck to whistle inside, but damn if he wasn’t tempted when he walked through the door of their hotel suite. Following the relative success of their mission—they’d revealed the blackmailer and identified a new threat to the secret society—the Masters’ Admiralty had put them up at the Four Seasons in Istanbul at the Bosphorus.

“Damn,” Montana murmured. “What a place.”

“I think our societies might be feeling a wee bit guilty about putting us in so much danger,” Dahlia mused as she ran her hand along the back of one of the couches.

Following a debrief about their mission via speakerphone with Eric, the Grand Master, Nikolett, and a handful of other people, a limousine drove them here for what Eric referred to as a “real fucking honeymoon,” one without crazy people trying to blackmail, arrest, or blow them up.

As such, they’d been given an all-expenses paid stay in the Atik Pasha suite, complete with whatever spa treatments they wanted. Vadisk, who’d grown up in a lower-income family, hadn’t been able to resist doing a quick internet search to see what the suite cost on the way here. While he hadn’t gotten his answer, he knew it had to be a hell of a lot because it wasn’t even listed on the website. It was one of those “call to request rates” rooms, which to him, screamed “keep looking, asshole, because you can’t afford it.”

In reality, he probably could afford it. Being a security officer paid well; he just never had time to spend any of the money.

Looking around at the mahogany furnishings, floor-to-ceiling windows, full marble bathroom, and abundance of fresh flowers, the nightly rate he’d guessed before arrival went up substantially.

“I’m okay with their guilt,” Montana said, popping his head out from the bathroom. “You should see this bathtub. It’s shaped like an egg.”

Dahlia followed, peering in. “Damn. We’re not all going to fit in there.” She glanced over at Vadisk with a mischievous grin. “If we tried, we’d look like Vadisk in that laundry cart.”

Montana snorted, pulling out his phone and flashing it in Vadisk’s direction. He’d made the picture he’d snapped in the back of the laundry van his screensaver just to fuck with him. “Might be fun to try.”

Dahlia laughed. “We’d flood the entire room.”

“You know, I’m seriously thinking we should use this photo for our Christmas cards this year,” Montana mused. “Or maybe our wedding announcements.”

“Keep it up,” he warned. “Pretty sure I promised some retribution for that.”

Montana rolled his eyes. “Isn’t it cute how our hubby thinks that’s a threat?”

“Hush a minute. I need to think.” Dahlia tapped her chin with one finger. “I’m trying to decide if I want to be on the giving or receiving end of that revenge.”

Vadisk crossed his arms. “You think you get a choice?”

“Of course I do,” Dahlia said, as if it was a foregone conclusion. “I didn’t take the picture.”

Vadisk laughed, then pulled her in so he could kiss the side of her head. “Fair point. I’ll let you decide.”

Dahlia walked over to one of the couches, limping slightly. She’d gotten medical treatment for the gunshot wound. Fortunately, the bullet hadn’t caused any serious damage to her calf, the wound not requiring more than a dozen stitches. Not that Vadisk hadn’t still lost ten years off his life when he’d jumped onto that boat, looked down, and seen Dahlia’s eyes closed, her leg bleeding.

She patted the spot next to her, which Vadisk quickly claimed, just narrowly beating his husband to it.

Montana gave him a friendly punch on the arm, then took a nearby chair. “How’s your leg, Dee?”

Vadisk was amused by the way Montana insisted on shortening their names. They’d become V and Dee somewhere over the past couple of days, and he liked it. A lot.

“It’s fine, Tana ,” Dahlia said, stressing the abbreviated version of “Montana” she’d decided to use to tease him. “It’s a little bit tender when I put weight on it a certain way, but that’s all.

“I’m sorry you were hurt.” Vadisk had offered that apology countless times.

So many that Dahlia merely rolled her eyes. “Not your fault. You didn’t pull the trigger.”

He opened his mouth to argue, but she cut him off.

“And before you start spouting all that stuff about how you should have protected me better, don’t. Just don’t. I’ve heard it all before, and honestly I love you for it, but the truth is…I’m not mad about the wound. I mean, how badass will I sound when I tell people I was shot on a catamaran while holding a Crimean blackmailer hostage. My street cred just went through the roof.”

“Hey. FYI, Dee, I’m pretty sure you can’t brag about the wound. What we did falls under the category of secret mission.” Montana finger-quoted the words secret mission .

“Don’t harsh my buzz,” she growled.

Vadisk wanted to join in, wanted to joke around with them, but he was too hung up on something else she’d said. “You love me,” he repeated.

Dahlia grinned. “One of us had to say it first.”

Montana laughed. “Of course, she beat us to it. Something tells me we’re never going to be able to keep up with our woman, V.”

“That doesn’t mean I’m not going to enjoy the chase.” Vadisk reached out, gripping the back of her neck to pull her in for a soft kiss. “I love you too.”

“Hell yeah,” Montana breathed. “It’s finally out there. Ditto all around from me.”

Dahlia and Vadisk shook their heads, chuckling at Montana’s decidedly romantic-less declaration.

“Should we…” Vadisk jerked his head toward the bedroom, surprised when Dahlia shook her head again.

Dahlia hesitated, then said, “Um… Not yet.”

The fact that neither Dahlia nor Montana seemed ready to take things into the bedroom struck Vadisk as strange and concerning. Hadn’t they just shared a moment?

Even more strange was the way Dahlia’s smile faded, her eyes creased with…fear? Apprehension?

“What’s wrong, Sonechko ?”

Dahlia toyed with the fringe on one of the couch’s throw pillows. “I know this is all new. And I know that our feelings for each other are sincere, but successful relationships require a lot more than love.”

“What are you talking about?” Vadisk asked.

“I think we should at least begin to have the talk.”

Vadisk didn’t need to ask her what talk she meant. He had worried that part of their debrief would include giving their leaders an answer in regards to where they wanted to live and which society they would belong to moving forward. Fortunately, that had only been mentioned at the very end, when the Grand Master scheduled a follow-up call for a week from now, when they’d discuss their trinity’s future plans.

Montana nodded slowly. “We can table it until later, but I suspect… We need to know…”

Vadisk couldn’t interpret the look Montana gave Dahlia. It felt as if he was missing something. “Know what?”

“Vadisk…” Dahlia started, rubbing her palms on her thighs nervously.

What the hell was going on? How did they move from “I love you” to this sudden tension in mere seconds?

“Are you in love with Nikolett?” she asked so quickly, he almost didn’t catch the words.

“What?” Vadisk fell back against the couch, gobsmacked. “Why would you think that?”

“The way you talk about her,” Dahlia said, as if that was all the explanation that was necessary.

Actually, it was.

“She’s my admiral. She gave me a new life with the society and an important position within it, one that fulfills me, one that I love. She offered me her trust, which isn’t something she gives easily.”

“I get that,” Dahlia started, “but it just feels like?—”

“She needs me, Dahlia. She’s in danger,” Vadisk interjected. “She’s survived numerous assassinations attempts in just the past six months. It’s why I work so hard to protect her.”

Montana’s eyes widened in alarm. “Assassination attempts? People are actively trying to kill her?”

Vadisk nodded.

“Why the hell isn’t the Masters’ Admiralty doing more to protect her?”

Vadisk sighed. “Each territory is responsible for themselves. It’s our job, my job, to keep my admiral safe. No one outside of the Hungary territory even knows about it.”

“That makes no sense. Why wouldn’t she tell the fleet admiral? Or ask for help from another territory,” Dahlia asked.

“Phone a friend,” Montana added.

“It’s a complicated situation.” Vadisk didn’t say more, his loyalty to his admiral still coursing strong through his blood.

“Complicated,” Dahlia repeated quietly.

“I care about Nik. It’s my job to…” Vadisk stopped talking, mentally replaying the things he’d said about Nikolett, the way he’d talked about her. He had a bad habit of believing his admiral walked on water. Because in his eyes, she did. Not because he was in love with her but because he respected her, because she stood up for the things she believed in, and because she put her people first, even if it meant putting herself in the line of fire. Keeping her safe these past couple of years had been important to him because Hungary needed her, desperately.

Then something else flashed through his mind.

Grigoris…with Nyx.

Vadisk had been worried for Nikolett while he was in Crimea because he’d known her safety would come second to Nyx’s when Grigoris was her bodyguard. That wasn’t because Grigoris was bad at his job but because his heart wouldn’t allow him to risk his wife’s life, not even for his admiral. Grigoris would stand against the entire world to protect Nikolett, take a million bullets to shield her, but if Nyx was in the line of fire too…

Fuck.

Vadisk ran his hand over his beard, tugging at it when he realized he was compromised the same way Grigoris was. As he looked at Dahlia and Montana, he knew there was nothing he wouldn’t do to keep them safe. They were his, and he loved them.

If he had to make a choice between Nikolett, or Dahlia and Montana, he’d choose his spouses.

And the admiral needed someone who would choose her , put her first.

His silence must have lingered too long because Dahlia misinterpreted it.

“I understand,” she said softly.

Vadisk shook his head. “No, you don’t.” Something that had been tugging at the back of his brain ever since he’d met his spouses finally made its way to the surface. When he looked toward the future, the one he wanted to build with Dahlia and Montana, he could only see one way forward.

“I think we should move to America.” Vadisk reached for Dahlia’s hand as he spoke. “I’ll join the Trinity Masters.”

Montana was leaning forward, his elbows resting on his knees. “Vadisk,” he said, his tone too serious. “If you have feelings for her, running to America isn’t going to solve the problem.”

“I’m not moving because I’m in love with her. I’m moving because I’m in love with the two of you, which means…” He raked his fingers through his hair. “I can’t do my job efficiently anymore. For one thing, if it came to your safety or Nik’s, I’d choose you. I can’t lose you.” His gaze drifted down to Dahlia’s leg, to the white bandage. His response wasn’t something he’d even thought about. Protecting them at all cost was now written into his DNA, and it wasn’t something he’d ever be able to control, the instinct one that was now as natural as breathing.

“Vadisk,” Dahlia started.

He wasn’t finished. “Ever since joining the Masters’ Admiralty, the society and my admiral have been my top priority. Hell, they’ve been my only priority. I work long hours. Very long hours. And when I’m not working, I’m thinking about work. I could do that because there wasn’t anyone waiting for me at home. I don’t want to live for work anymore.” Vadisk squeezed Dahlia’s hand, then shifted forward enough that he could reach for Montana’s too. “I want to live for you.”

Dahlia lifted her free hand, wiping away a tear. “I’m just afraid you’ll resent us if?—”

“Stop. Don’t say that. Don’t even think it. You’re not asking me to do this. I’m making the choice. Because it’s the right thing for us.”

Vadisk dropped to the floor, kneeling between the two of them, taking Montana’s and Dahlia’s hands in one of his, holding them together. They hadn’t had a wedding ceremony. They hadn’t even spoken anything resembling vows. Instead, they’d been introduced via a video call, informed they were a trinity, then sent into Crimea together.

He’d thought that was enough because they all knew the score. They’d joined their societies with their eyes wide open, but now, Vadisk wanted this to be something more than the three of them simply following orders.

“You’re right, Sonechko . Successful relationships do require more than love. They require time and commitment and trust. I’m offering all of that to the two of you. Along with my heart. I promise you that from this day forward, you will have me…all of me. Forever.”

Montana dropped from the chair to the floor, kneeling next to Vadisk. “I promise to give you the same, and I won’t ever hold back,” Montana said, squeezing their joined hands. “Not my hard truths, my painful secrets, or my nerdiness. You’re gonna get it all, for better or worse.”

Vadisk chuckled. “Sounds perfect.”

The tears Dahlia had been trying to hold back flowed freely, as she gave him the sweetest smile he’d ever seen. “You guys are making me cry. I hate crying,” she said with a choked laugh as she dropped to the floor with them, wincing just slightly.

Vadisk recalled her saying the same thing to Montana their first night in the villa. He hated that he’d made her cry that night. He’d been an ass at the beginning, and he was fortunate they’d been so forgiving, so willing to give him a second chance to make things right.

These tears didn’t evoke that same guilt in him. Instead, they felt like a warm spring day after too many years of bitter cold winter. He would never apologize for putting happy tears in her eyes.

Dahlia swiped at her eyes with her free hand, sniffling. “I love you. So much. And I always will.”

She leaned in, cementing that promise with a kiss, first with Vadisk, then with Montana.

When Montana and Dahlia parted, Vadisk was there, waiting to offer Montana a kiss as well.

“Now can we go to the bedroom?” Vadisk asked, smiling widely when, this time, his lovers were on their feet within seconds, dragging him up, both of them anxious for the next part.

“Take off your clothes. Now.” Vadisk walked over to the bed, roughly ripping the bedspread down until it gathered by the footboard. He smiled as he glanced toward the door to the balcony, the curtains wide open, bright sunshine streaming in.

There would be no more hiding, no more limitations. Dahlia and Montana were his. To touch. To kiss. To show off to the whole fucking world.

Dahlia seemed to understand his smile. “We’re free,” she whispered. The constraints put on them in Crimea finally gone.

“Um…” Montana drew their attention to him. “Did you two not get the memo? Our real honeymoon is starting right now.”

Vadisk laughed when he saw his husband was completely naked. “How the hell did you undress so quickly?”

“Oh God. You were the kid who unwrapped all his Christmas gifts in three minutes, weren’t you?” Dahlia teased.

Montana put his hands on his hips. “Never understood the point of dragging it out.” He pointed his finger at the two of them. “So, chop-chop. Get naked so I can play with my new toys.”

Dahlia rolled her eyes, but Montana had a point. Vadisk drew his shirt over his head, then quickly unfastened his pants. Dahlia lifted her sundress, tugging it off in one quick sweep, revealing the sexiest, tiniest pair of panties he’d ever seen. She hadn’t been wearing a bra, a fact that distracted Vadisk from the task at hand.

With his pants hanging open, he stepped over to her, reaching out to cup one of her firm tits in his palm.

Montana had already staked his claim on the other, dipping his head down to suck her nipple into his mouth.

Dahlia gasped, tossing her head back when Vadisk pinched her other nipple. “God.”

He slipped one finger under the elastic of her panties, tugging them down. Dahlia shimmied her hips to help, the barely there material dropping to her ankles. She stepped out of them, even as Montana continued to suck on her nipple, squeezing her breast until she was panting for breath.

“Bed,” Vadisk said, grasping Dahlia’s hand, intent on getting them where he wanted them.

Dahlia climbed on, crawling to the middle of the large mattress, wiggling her ass while watching them over her shoulder.

Goddamn, she was a sexy minx.

Vadisk reached down, stroking his cock a few times, just to try to alleviate some of this painful need.

Once Dahlia reached the center, she crooked her finger at them. “Why aren’t you here with me?”

Vadisk started to climb onto the bed, but he was stopped by Montana’s firm grip on his upper arm. “You haven’t been with our wife yet,” he said. “You go first.”

He considered Montana’s offer, then shook his head. “We go together.”

Dahlia sat up, a slight look of alarm on her face. “Um…I’m not sure…”

Vadisk quickly finished undressing and crawled next to her. “Not that way, Sonechko . I have something else in mind this time.”

She kissed him on the jaw, giggling when his beard tickled her. “I wasn’t taking it off the table forever.” She was indomitable, fearless. His.

Vadisk chuckled. “Duly noted.” He glanced over his shoulder at Montana. “I thought you were in a hurry to play with your toys.”

Montana grinned, crossing the bottom of the bed to crawl in on the opposite side. “What’s the game plan, V?”

Vadisk lay down next to Dahlia, gesturing for Montana to do the same. “We play with our wife. I’m thinking she needs to give us two orgasms before we take her.”

“Three,” Montana countered.

Dahlia groaned. “You guys are going to kill me.”

“I want to make sure you’re prepared for me,” Vadisk said. He wasn’t exactly a small man, and more than a few lovers had struggled to accommodate his wide girth. There was no way he wanted Dahlia to recall pain during their first time.

He and Montana worked together then, words unnecessary as they drove Dahlia to the height the first time with just their fingers, Vadisk pinching and pulling on her nipples, then stroking her clit, as Montana fucked her with two of his fingers.

The second time she came was on their mouths, Montana sucking on her nipples, her earlobes, kissing her senseless, while Vadisk went down on her, teasing her clit with his teeth before fucking her to completion with his tongue.

The third time, they got more creative, testing some boundaries as they flipped her onto her hands and knees. Montana stroked her clit and finger-fucked her as Vadisk used her own aroused juices to open up her ass. Her pussy provided enough slickness that he was able to drive one finger in deep. Her back arched on that final climax as she screamed their names.

Yeah. They were definitely exploring double penetration in the future. Anal turned their wife on. Big-time.

But not tonight.

Tonight, Vadisk was feeling a bit greedy. He wanted both of his spouses coming for him, and he knew exactly how he was going to get it.

Once Dahlia recovered from her orgasm, they gently twisted her to her back.

“I don’t think I can take any more,” she panted. “You two go on without me. I’ll watch.”

Vadisk shook his head, giving her a soft kiss. “Not an option.” Before she could argue, he gently gripped her uninjured leg by the ankle, tugging her down the bed until her head was a few feet from the headboard. They would need room for what he had in mind.

Vadisk pushed himself over her, caging her smaller frame beneath him. She lifted her hands, resting them on his shoulders.

“Come inside me,” she whispered.

Best words ever.

Vadisk guided his cock to her opening, pressing until just the head was inside. She was drenched from the three orgasms they’d given her, so he slid in easily, just as he’d planned.

“God,” she said, when he continued to drive in, not stopping until he was fully buried inside. “So big.”

Unable to resist, Vadisk thrusted in and out, her inner walls clenching so tightly around him, he saw stars. He had to force himself to stop moving, but fuck if it wasn’t hard. His cock was all in for a hard and fast ride, but that wasn’t his plan. Not this time.

“Straddle Dahlia’s shoulders with your knees, Montana,” Vadisk instructed. “And bend over. Our wife is going to suck your cock, while I fuck her.”

Montana’s brows lifted in appreciation, and he quickly assumed the position.

Looking down, Vadisk caught sight of Dahlia cupping Montana’s balls. His husband moaned with pleasure, then guided his dick to her mouth. Dahlia’s hand disappeared. Vadisk assumed she was now using it to stroke the base of Montana’s cock. Where Vadisk was wide, Montana was long…very long.

While Vadisk preferred being the top, he couldn’t deny he was looking forward to the day his husband claimed his ass with that long dick. His own dick got thicker as he imagined it, something Dahlia must have felt because she shifted her hips upward and gasped.

Once more, Vadisk couldn’t resist stealing a few more thrusts before he pulled out completely. Her hands appeared around Montana’s hips, seeking him, clearly intent on drawing Vadisk back inside.

“Not yet, Sonechko .”

He drew his fingers along her wet slit, wiggling his thumb against her clit before driving three fingers inside her. Dahlia gasped, prompting Montana to look over his shoulder, curious about what Vadisk had done.

Before Montana could turn away, Vadisk pulled his fingers out, wiggling them for his husband to see. A flush covered Montana’s cheeks.

“Please,” he breathed.

Vadisk pushed his cock back into Dahlia, slowly thrusting. No more stopping. He physically couldn’t.With his wet fingers, he prodded at Montana’s ass, which was displayed so perfectly right in front of him. He pressed one in to the hilt, aware Montana wouldn’t be able to move as fully as he wanted, not with his dick in Dahlia’s mouth.

When Vadisk pushed a second finger in, Montana growled.

“I’m fucking Montana with my fingers,” Vadisk said to Dahlia, aware she couldn’t see what he was doing to make their husband tremble with the need to come.

“Next time we do this, we’re setting up mirrors. So all of us can see everything,” Dahlia said.

“Fuck.” Montana’s curse was low, guttural, a sign that he wasn’t going to last much longer.

Time to fuck his spouses, his lovers, his forever.

Vadisk let the reins slip free and he began to pound deeper and harder into Dahlia. She lifted her legs, wrapping them around his waist, tilting her hips, greedy for even more.

As he fucked her, he drove a third finger into Montana’s tight ass, enjoying the way his husband shook.

“God. Dammit,” Montana said through gritted teeth. “Between your fingers and Dahlia’s mouth… I can’t… I’m…”

Montana exploded around them, his climax striking fast. His body tensed for a moment before his muscles slackened, his strength deserting him.

Dahlia came next, her back arching off the mattress like she’d received one of those shocks from an AED. She cried out, her sounds no longer muffled by Montana’s cock.

Her pussy pushed Vadisk over the edge, quivering around him until he had no choice but to dive. The world went black as her body sucked in every drop of his come.

The image of him putting a baby inside her flashed behind his closed eyes. He knew it wasn’t possible, but that didn’t stop the desire to see her stomach grow and swell with their child.

He’d never imagined himself as a father. Now he couldn’t imagine himself not being one.

Montana was the first to shift, dropping heavily to Dahlia’s right side. Vadisk pushed himself off her, sitting briefly on the edge of the bed, willing his strength to return. Once it did, he walked to the bathroom to clean up.

When he stepped back into the bedroom, he grinned, aware his husband and wife had both fallen sound asleep.

He stood at the foot of the bed for several minutes, simply watching, drinking in their beauty and the pure joy of knowing they were his.

“Where will we live in America?” Vadisk asked as the three of them cuddled in bed a few hours later. They’d woken up after a short nap, discussing the idea of scheduling massages. They’d dismissed the suggestion almost instantly, deciding that for the rest of today…and probably tomorrow…the only place they wanted to be was wrapped up in each other’s arms in bed.

Montana stretched on his side to face them. “I share a house with my fellow Warrior Scholars in Boston, so my place isn’t really an option for us.”

“I have a small apartment just outside D.C., in Arlington. I use it more as a closet and an office, because it’s basically where I keep all my stuff and work on putting my documentaries together between trips. It would be pretty cramped with all of us there.”

“Are you tied to Arlington?” Montana asked.

Dahlia shook her head. “Not at all. I’m assuming you’d want to stay in Boston while you finish up your dissertation?”

Montana nodded. “I would.”

“Boston,” Vadisk said aloud. “That’s on the Eastern Coast, yes?” He needed to brush up on the geography of the United States.

“It is. I think you’ll be okay though,” Dahlia said. “Because Boston winters are a lot like the ones in Ukraine. Cold as shit, snowy.”

Vadisk grimaced. “Maybe we should pick a hotter state.” He didn’t know the names of all the states, but he was familiar with the main ones. “Texas? Florida?”

Dahlia and Montana both said, “No!” in unison.

Vadisk lifted up, resting his weight on one elbow. “Okay. Does Selene live in Boston?”

Montana chuckled. “No. According to Tate, Selene and her partners live in Georgia.”

Vadisk made a mental note to see how far Georgia was from Boston.

Dahlia ran her hand over Vadisk’s chest, toying with one of his nipples playfully. “What do you think you might like to do for a living, Vadisk?”

Vadisk knew exactly what he planned to do. “As long as you’re traveling, I plan to go with you. To keep you safe.”

Her bright smile let him know she didn’t have a problem with that. “But there must be something you want to do for you , something you’ve never had the opportunity to try.”

He stroked his beard. He didn’t even need to think about his response because it was something that had always been there, tugging in the back of his conscience. “I like to cook.”

“What?” Montana asked with a grin.

“I love cooking. I always thought…in a different life, I’d like to be a chef.”

Dahlia sat up, clapping her hands excitedly. “Oh my God. I can totally see you doing that. Going all Gordon Ramsey on your sous chefs.”

“I’ve got mad knife skills,” he joked.

Montana was as excited about his revelation as Dahlia. “Cambridge School of Culinary Arts is literally only a five-minute subway ride from Boston. You could study there.”

“It’s just an idea,” Vadisk said, even though he was touched by their support, by the way they were encouraging him to chase a dream he never expected to realize.

“One you’re going to pursue once we’re set up in Boston. I have spoken and it is so,” Dahlia said regally.

Montana had hit the nail on the head. Their wife was definitely going to keep them on their toes.

“I’ll need to call my landlord and get out of the lease, and you’ll have to let your roommates know,” she said to Montana. “We’ll need to start looking at houses. As soon as we’re back in the States, I’ll call a real estate agent. Maybe you can help us narrow down good neighborhoods around the city, Montana.” Dahlia started ticking things off on her fingers. “We should probably make a list. We have so many things to do once we get back home.”

Home.

Vadisk let that word sink in deep. He hadn’t called a place home since he’d joined the military. He’d lived in the barracks, then a shitty apartment in Kyiv, that he left when he took over as Nikolett’s bodyguard. Since then, he’d kept a room in Hungary’s headquarters.

Now, as he looked ahead, he pictured more than four walls and a roof. He saw Dahlia in front of her computer working on her documentaries, Montana flipping through a stack of albums as he tried to decide what to play next, fights over the remote control, a couple of cats—he prayed Dahlia and Montana weren’t dog people—cooking dinner together as their kids did homework at the kitchen table, family vacations to the beach, and climbing into bed and kissing these two incredible people good night every night for the rest of his life.

Home.

He couldn’t wait to get there.