Special Forces - 22. Epilogue

Three years later.....

Joseph Martel!

Sam, Jorge and I clap and whistle as Joseph strides across the gymnasium’s stage to receive his high school diploma. Also in the cheering section are the Williams, their daughter Wendy and her husband. The Mulrainey’s, including their two older kids, are there cheering too.

At the end of the summer, the Joseph and Tyler will be moving into our house while they attended University of California San Diego. We’d had the basement finished with one large bedroom, a decent bathroom and a ‘family room’ type of open space. The boys will be sharing a queen size bed. Parents and caregivers have given their blessings. The boys are trustworthy and mature enough to handle the responsibility of a relationship.

Joseph will only be attending the university part-time. The other facet of his education will be pilot training. From the very first time he’d flown down to visit us, he’s nurtured a dream of becoming a pilot. Sam and I are determined to help him achieve that goal. It’s going to be expensive, but Sam and I can manage it.

Sam has become a partner in the boat sales business. Looking to semi-retire, the owner, Gary, invited Sam to buy into the business. Sam was by far the best salesman he ever had. We used part of our nest egg for the down payment, and the bank was more than glad to finance the balance. The company is doing very well, and Sam’s income has increased manyfold.

Maria is longer with us, although she’s remained a dear friend. She married and moved to Chula Vista and is now expecting a child of her own. She and Jorge talk on the phone frequently, and we see them regularly. Jorge is excited about becoming an uncle.

Maria’s replacement (not that Maria could be replaced) is a shy girl. She’s very good with Jorge and Gregory but doesn’t say more than a few words to Sam and me. At first we were concerned about homophobia; that she’d unconsciously transmit that to Jorge, but that wasn’t the case. She’s simply a very shy person, an introvert. At any rate, she’s a calming influence on the household.

Sam and I now enjoy cordial relations with our siblings.

My brother had apologized to me for ‘being an asshole’ explaining that he’d struggled with his medical training. He’d gone into medicine to please dad but was under constant stress to survive the rigours of medical school, graduating near the bottom of his class. It was only with dad’s partners’ influence that he’d landed a residency in trauma medicine. At first he feared failing at that, but after a while something clicked. It became less about studying and more about doing. His skills improved, and he began to see he was helping, making a difference. As his self-confidence improved so did his attitude.

Sam’s brother-in-law accepted a position with a resort complex in La Quinta (just south of Palm Springs). They’d left his fundamentalist church, although Mike still takes the children to an Episcopal church on Sundays. Serena completed her master’s degree in clinical psychology and works at a clinic in the Coachella Valley. We see them several times a year, because they now live only a 3 hour drive away.

Slide. Slide has been sober for four years. He cut way back on his smoking and now only ‘vapes’ occasionally. He’s almost got the PTSD beat too. The Borg helps him when he asks for it; Slide isn’t someone who accepts charity. But through them he’s got much nice accommodation and a fancy sports wheelchair. He plays basketball three days a week. He also works out and has gained weight. Once his face filled out, a lot of the wrinkles smoothed over, and I must admit he’s pretty handsome. And his new girlfriend thinks so too.

He’s still giving guitar lessons to Jorge, Gregory and Alex, and those boys worship the ground Slide walks on. All three of them are dedicated and constantly improving.

Alex still suffers from the occasional nightmare and still doesn’t like to walk alone on the street. But otherwise he functions well. Thanks to guitar playing he has regained almost 100% use of his right arm and hand. His college grades are excellent. He’s spent a lot of time talking to Serena and thinks he might like to become a clinical psychologist.

Cyril is still in prison. That’s all we know, and all we care to know.

Somewhere along the line Jorge dropped the ‘Papa’ and ‘Papi’ and now calls us both ‘dad’ or ‘daddy.’ Somehow we all seem to know which ‘dad’ is being addressed. He still has a placid nature, but seldom retreats into his own mind anymore. The stubborn streak remains, and he’ll will dig his heals in occasionally. We’re trying to teach him to suggest alternatives, or choices, rather than simply refuse to do something. At eight years old he speaks three languages and plays the guitar well. He’s also into soccer and baseball. What can I say? He’s the perfect child. Well, almost...if we could just train him to lift the toilet seat before he pisses, then he’d be perfect.

Sam and I get up every morning at 5 am to exercise. We alternate running and weight training so someone’s always on the property for Jorge. I find running the easier exercise due to my lanky build, and Sam finds weight lifting easier due to his more muscular stature. The last half hour is always free weight training where we spot for each other. With all this exercise Sam is still very much the hunk that I met almost five years ago.

Most weekends we spend on the boat. Our range is a bit limited, so we putz around in Mission Bay a lot. For longer trips we go to Catalina Island, Ensenada or Los Angeles. We often see Jerome, Rob and their twin boys. Jerome and Sam still fiercely debate the merits of sail versus power.

My art ‘business’ continues to grow. The main thing is focus and discipline. I can’t sell art that’s still inside my head. But I don’t have to do as much marketing as when I started out, because I’m now part owner of a gallery. It’s just off Market in the Gaslamp quarter. We pick up a lot of tourist trade. And I also sell a lot of pottery through the Guild’s store. As my reputation builds I’m getting more and more orders from my website too. I’ve never had a moment’s regret about quitting my banking job to follow my dream.

Luckily, after the Alex incident, there haven’t been any major dramas. No murders, no shootings, no homeless waifs, no unsolved mysteries. (Sam, however, keeps up his martial arts and firearm skills just in case.) We’re operating as a normal, busy family. Two working parents, an active child, an extended family, and dear friends.

Sam lifts the toilet seat before he pees, so he is perfect. Perfect partner. Perfect friend. Sexy as hell. Perfect lover. Perfect father. Everybody’s hero. Okay, I’m biased, but I swear to God it’s all true. He lights up my life.

Nick Poulos is a very happy camper....

And to think, it all started with a serendipitous meeting in an elevator.