Epilogue
February…
Hernán’s hands shook as he read through the single sheet of paper. He looked up at Sofia, afraid to believe. Her smile was joyful and blinding.
“Does this really mean…?” he tried to ask, and she nodded.
“Granted, yes. You’ve got asylum, Hernán.”
He hugged Sofia fiercely, not caring if he wrinkled her neat suit. David beamed behind her, so Hernán released Sofia to grab him too. His face felt wet and he knew he was crying.
David hugged him back quickly, and said, “It’s odd but we’re lucky in a way, that Lonnie Heath came after you. The publicity persuaded USCIS to give you a hearing faster than normal, and it even supported your claim of being targeted for your sexual orientation.”
Hearing from Lonnie that Cuernos wasn’t pursuing him in the States had lifted an unbearable weight from Hernán’s soul. The lightness and freedom that followed carried him up to skies as clear as he could see from Colin’s plane.
There’d been some concern by the police and ICE that Cuernos members in the States would interfere with the prosecution of Lonnie and his gang, all U.S. citizens. Since they’d gone rogue, though, apparently Cuernos took no interest. Lonnie Heath was in federal prison in Kansas.
“Thank you. Both of you,” Hernán said roughly. “You put so much work into this. Into me.”
Sofia rubbed his back as he read the paper aloud again: “It has been determined you are eligible for asylum in the United States.”
“Do you want to phone Colin?” Sofia asked.
Hernán shook his head as he swiped a thumb under his eyes. “I’d like to tell him in person.” He glanced at his watch. “He should be at the center.”
“I’ll drop you off,” David offered. “We go right by there on the way to the office.”
Hernán climbed into the back seat of David’s BMW sedan, and Sofia sat in the passenger seat. She rotated slightly to talk to him as David navigated his way from Virginia into DC. “Now that you have permission to be here legally we can get you a work permit. Come by the office next week and we’ll get the paperwork squared away. And I think you want to talk about whether there are any options to help your sister come from El Salvador?”
Hernán agreed absently. He couldn’t take his eyes off the paper in his hand. Everything was wrapped up in a single document—His health. His future and the possibility of returning to college. His safety from Cuernos.
His love.
His eyes burned again as he tried out ways in his head to tell Colin. Hey, guess who’s no longer undocumented? Or, Hi sweetheart. Just thought I’d let you know I can work legally now so you don’t have to keep me afloat. No. How about Thank you, Colin. You changed my life when you brought me to Washington. Better but still not right.
David pulled to the curb outside the center’s building. Hernán leaned forward between the two seats. “I want to celebrate. Can you both come to Mata Hari this evening around seven? And Brandon too, please.”
Colin and Brandon had talked more after they’d returned from Provincetown. Brandon was hurt Colin had lied to him by omission, but their friendship seemed to be mending slowly. Still, Hernán took any chance to get them into the same room.
After the lawyers agreed to the party, Hernán climbed out. He raised a hand in farewell as the car pulled away, and then retrieved his cell to call Rudy.
“Hi Nán,” his cousin said brightly. “Can’t talk long. I’m unloading inventory.” Away from the mouthpiece, Rudy said, “Mal, can you put the fresh Flying Dog keg in place?” A voice grumbled assent in the background. Returning to Hernán, Rudy asked, “What’s up?”
“I’ll tell you later but I want to ask, can you reserve one of the side rooms in the bar for a private event this evening?”
“Sure,” Rudy said. “It should be a quiet night so I don’t see any problem with closing one of them off. You won’t tell me now?”
“Tonight.”
Rudy signed off to get back to work.
Hernán was so happy for him. Once Lonnie and the rest of his rogue crew had been hauled away by the police in November, they’d said goodbye to Melody, Nick and Jaime. The next day, Colin flew Hernán and Rudy back to Washington to resume their lives.
After a few weeks of Rudy job-searching, David mentioned a local gay bar named Mata Hari needed a new manager. Rudy applied, David and Brandon vouched for his character and his skill set, and the owner gave Rudy the job.
He’d taken to running the gay piano bar like a pro. “Well, I should know what to do,” he’d giggled to Hernán. “Lord knows I’ve spent enough time in bars looking for a man. I think I can figure out how to keep this place going smoothly!”
By January, Rudy had found an apartment in Virginia for himself and moved out of the condo.
“You know you’re welcome to stay,” Colin said.
Rudy wrapped an arm around his shoulder. “Oh, I know. You’re both adorable and sweet and all. The problem is, my earplugs aren’t doing a good enough job. Until I find myself a man of my own, I don’t think I can keep listening to the two of you going at it.”
“What about Jaime?” Hernán asked teasingly. “He’s been down twice from Boston to visit.”
Rudy’s eyes sparkled. “I do like the big, mysterious types. But we’re just having fun. Normally I’d be all up in the fantasy of a bodyguard as my soul mate. But if I’ve learned anything from you, primo, it’s to hold out until I find real love.”
“Hi Hernán.” The voice of one of his ESL students brought him out of his reverie.
“Esteban,” he said, clouting the man on his shoulder. They entered the building together and rode the elevator up, chatting about the class.
“Are you teaching today?” Esteban asked but Hernán shook his head.
“I took the day off. I’ll be back tomorrow though, and the rest of the week.”
“Good,” Esteban said grimly. “Nancy is fine but your lessons make more sense to me.”
Pride filled Hernán’s chest as he said goodbye and made his way to Colin’s office. His boyfriend faced his computer but rotated around in his chair as Hernán entered.
“Hola, mi ángel,” Colin said brightly, his blue eyes glinting up at Hernán through his glasses. “Did you have a good session with Dr. Fleming?”
Hernán had almost forgotten he’d told Colin he was going to see his therapist. She’d helped him get Abuela’s voice out of his head and come to terms with the many things that had befallen him. Mostly, she’d guided him to understand that he deserved love.
Closing the office door behind him, he leaned against it. “I may have told you a little fib.” Colin raised an eyebrow but said nothing. “I didn’t really have an appointment with Dr. Fleming. I went with David and Sofia to pick up my ruling.”
He held out the piece of paper but with the smile stretching across his face, Colin didn’t need to read. He jumped out of his chair and gathered Hernán into his arms.
“Oh, Nán. That’s wonderful. Asylum?”
Hernán nodded. “Yes. Sofia said we can file for my work authorization next week.”
“It’s the best news I’ve ever heard. We have to celebrate.”
“My thoughts too. I already called Rudy to get a private room at Mata Hari tonight, and invited David, Brandon and Sofia. We should invite a few more people. Maryanne for sure.”
“She’ll be so happy. Let’s go ask her.”
Hernán didn’t let Colin loose. “I set this up for seven o’clock.” Colin nodded, puzzled. “And it’s only two in the afternoon. So I was hoping we might get some private celebrating in before the party.”
Light dawned in Colin’s eyes. He grinned wickedly. “I’ll tell Maryanne I’m taking the rest of the day off.”
Fifteen minutes later, they entered the apartment. As soon as Colin set his keys down, Hernán pulled him close for a passionate kiss. Colin melted into his embrace, sagging in Hernán’s arms. Their lips moved against each other’s, confidently, lovingly.
Hernán knew every inch of Colin’s body, even through his clothes. He couldn’t wait to peel them off, to expose Colin’s pale skin and smooth chest. To stroke his fingertips down Colin’s neck and across his nipples. To go to his knees and take firm hold of Colin’s beautiful dick. To bring its wet and salty tip to his mouth while Colin’s eyes burned down at him.
His own hard cock pressed achingly against his trousers, and Colin’s erection burned against his hip. Hernán paused the kiss reluctantly. Colin flushed already, his eyes glazed with lust and love, making Hernán’s heart beat wildly in his chest.
“Mi amor,” he whispered. “Thank you.”
“You did it all,” Colin whispered back. “You and Sofia. I just helped a little.”
Hernán shook his head. “It’s so much more than just help. You didn’t give up on me in Provincetown when I was an ass and pushed you away. You didn’t give up on me when I couldn’t touch you without flinching. You let me take everything at my own pace, and waited patiently for me to come to you. You found wonderful lawyers who believed in me and got me asylum. You cared for me when I got the news about my HIV. You gave me shelter and helped me find a purpose. You fought for me when it put your own life at risk. I love you so much.”
Colin’s eyes gleamed and that time he kissed Hernán, his lips salty with tears. He tugged Hernán to go up the stairs with him to their room. They stretched on their bed, still partially dressed, kissing and rubbing their bodies together, driving themselves higher and higher.
“I need you, Nán,” Colin finally gasped. They stood to help each other undress. Hernán straightened from removing his briefs to see Colin gazing at him in wonder. He put his hands on Hernán’s bare, muscled shoulders and slowly, reverently, ran them firmly down his body.
“So beautiful,” Colin whispered. They stepped close together again, Hernán’s hands curling around the small of Colin’s back. Their cocks pressed together between their bellies, bodies aligned like they were made to fit.
Hernán caught Colin’s eyes. “When everything happened back at the end of October and we were running, you said something that came too early.” Colin immediately flushed; he remembered. Hernán’s heart began to thump against his chest as he continued.
“It’s been almost six months since I found you in the harbor, Colin. To some people, that isn’t a lot of time, but I was waiting for you all my life. I didn’t know what you looked like or where you were, but I knew you were there. I missed so much of your life, and I don’t want to miss another minute.”
The trembling he could feel in Colin’s arms, the pride and love in his face, filled Hernán’s heart to bursting. He already knew the answer, but he wanted very much to ask the question.
Hernán licked his lips, and then said softly, reverently, “Colin Felton, will you marry me?”
Colin put a hand around Hernán’s neck and pulled forward until their foreheads touched. Voice low, eyes threatening to spill over, he said, “You saw things in me I didn’t know were there. You shook my family out of the habits of decades to make them really look at me. You call me a warrior, but if I am it’s what you brought out. If I ever run for public office, I couldn’t do it without you by my side. You are my friend, and my love. You are my very soul. Yes, I would be proud to marry you.”
He whooped then and swung them around in a circle, Hernán laughing in his arms.
Every step of Hernán’s journey from San Marcos to Provincetown and then to Washington had carried him, all unknowing, to the man he’d dreamt of. He buried his face in Colin’s shoulder, overcome.
Colin nuzzled his ear, and then said, “We’re going to fly Albert and Andrea and their family in for the wedding. They should be there.” He kissed the corner of Hernán’s mouth. “And Isela, if we can find a way. Brijith. Your tío, if he’ll come. Anyone you want.” His eyes were wet and Hernán stretched to kiss the tears away from his lashes. Surprisingly, Colin chuckled softly.
“What?” Hernán prompted.
“My mother is going to go crazy over this. She’ll want to throw the biggest summer wedding anyone in Nantucket has ever seen.”
“Oh Lord, Rudy is going to be right in there with her, egging her on. It’s lucky they all got along at Christmas.”
“Would you mind, if she goes over the top? Because I’m warning you, she’ll be booking the band the minute after we tell her.”
Hernán chuckled. “I’d marry you in the smallest government office or in the biggest church you can find. There’s only one thing I care about, and that’s being able to say, ‘I’d like you to meet my husband Colin.’”
“And I’d like to introduce you to the bravest man I know, my husband Hernán.” Colin said it with a smile, though his eyes brimmed with tears.
“My husband,” he repeated in an awed whisper. “We met when he threw himself into Provincetown Harbor to save me. He saved me at work too, when I was convinced of my limitations. He saved my family when my parents didn’t even see how much pain they inflicted.”
“I think we saved each other,” Hernán said fervently. “We were both lost in different ways, cariño. I was drowning in fear, you in loneliness, and we didn’t even know it. Then you offered me your hand for no better reason than to help a stranger. Your light cleaned away the shadows. You never pushed, only waited for me to find my way. How you could ever doubt yourself confounds me, because I’ve never met a stronger man.
“This country gave me asylum, Colin, but you are my heart’s true home.”
The End