The Heart of the Jungle, стр. 77
Disbelieving, squinting to be sure the vision was not some kind of mirage, he felt tears of joy swelling in his eyes. "Like a dream," he finished, almost breathlessly.
Heedless of the reporters, heedless of the questions pursuing him down the marble stairs, he ran and swept Chris into his arms, laughing and crying all at once.
Chris reached up, clasped the back of his head, and drew him close, tears of his own flowing liberally down his cheeks. Their lips met in a passionate, hungry embrace.
When they finally separated, Jason didn't trust himself to speak as he held Chris at a distance, drinking in the sight of him. How he had longed for this moment. The months and distance had been an agony.
"I thought on it," Chris finally whispered. "I kept it." His eyes were serious as he said, "Some things are just too precious to throw away."
Jason's heart soared as the meaning in those words struck him. He had said the same thing to Chris the last time he had seen him. Does he really mean it? "Are you sure?"
Chris stared back, his own eyes reflecting the aching emptiness he'd endured for far, far too long. "More than I've ever been," he answered.
Frank imposed his bulk between them. "Knock it off, now, none of that fluffy shit." He made a sound of disgust. "I'm starving, and you two are killing my appetite."
They all laughed as Brianna tugged on Jason's pant leg. "Hey, I'm hungry too."
Jason swept her into the air and spun her around, eliciting a peal of childish giggles. At a withering look from Chris, who obviously knew what was coming, he chuckled and said, "I'm hungry three." His smile was radiant, overflowing with love and supreme happiness.
Chris groaned. "You people and your food. I swear."
"Can I have ice cream?" Brianna asked hopefully, sensing an opportunity.
Frank took her from Jason and started walking away. "I know a place where they serve some ice cream that'll put hair on your chest, little red," he promised her as they went.
She looked at him solemnly, noticing the tufts of hair peeking out from his unbuttoned shirt collar. "I think you been there a lot," she replied.
"A time or two."
"I don't want hair on my chest," she said seriously, her little nose wrinkling in distaste. Frank chuckled.
Jason grabbed Chris's hand and started dragging him after the retreating pair. "Come on. We'd better keep up, or he's bound to corrupt your daughter."
Chris flashed a beatific smile at him, and together, laughing, filled with hope and promise, they hurried to catch up.
About the Author
JEREMY PACK is a bundle of contradictions; pragmatic but given to flights of romanticism, liberal mindset with old-fashioned sensibilities, intellectual but often bumbling. Raised in the exotic wilds of southeastern Idaho, he narrowly escaped the potatoes and religious majority intent on a stake-burning and set off for adventure in the wide world---living the high-life in such far-flung ports as Maui, Las Vegas, New York, and the Oregon coast.
Jeremy now resides in the beautiful Pacific Northwest with his partner, Jason, and their precocious (but weak-in-the-knees cute) daughter, Elise.
He works in the video game industry by day, bows to the demands of his dictator-offspring by night, and spends free time building things, writing things, and fixing things that "don't work".
You can find him on the web at http://www.jeremy-pack.com
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