Spring in Paradise Island is a time of great growth. Flowers begin to bloom, some of them damaged from terrible storms and others from people not watching where they stepped. Crops are regrowing for the year, allowing for the shirtless boys to grab water cans and get to work. Sylvia and one of the other ladies are pregnant, each passing day making the Med Jacks more and more nervous. A new litter of baby goats are on the way, one set having been born already. Even if winter never really touches Paradise Island with its freezing fingers, the people seem to celebrate the warmth of spring. People do like to celebrate, after all. And after everything they've been through, they deserve to celebrate something.
Newt supposes that he is no different. He likes celebrating, although he doesn't celebrate in the same way that some of the other do. Sonya- his sister, apparently- celebrates with her girlfriend, Harriet, in a wild and rather spicy manner that Newt is thankful to know little about. Gally runs around telling everyone that Sylvia is pregnant and that they better have great gifts for the baby and not be dumbasses once their baby is born; Newt knows the last part is a waste of time, but he'll let the man dream. Sylvia seems content with petting the goats and keeping Gally out of trouble. Teresa and Brenda sit on the beach together, their hands brushing against each other's but they never seemed to pull away, nor do they do anything more. Minho is always running around, yelling about someone- it's always Aris- messing up his hair. And Thomas... Thomas is content being near Newt.
It seems that they're always together, which Newt enjoys. They have not talked any further about the fact that their hands always clasp together or the fact that they cuddle up next to each other every night without fail. They never mention the amount of times they call each other pet names; sweetheart, honey, sugar, and even sunshine are completely normal names that they call each other constantly, much to Gally's annoyance. Gally says that Newt should stop dancing around their relationship and tell Thomas what he wants- whatever that even is. Newt and Thomas are together, a team of sorts. They might not be as complex as other functioning family units the Gladers made, but they have plenty of time to start something and raise a family- even if they need outside help.
Newt has actually been thinking about family recently. It's not necessarily because Sonya remembered Newt as her brother, although it might have pushed Newt in the right direction. He has determined that he wants his family to be with Thomas, regardless of whether they look to raise a child or if they stick with goats. Newt honestly cannot imagine himself with a family that doesn't have Thomas in it; Newt doesn't want to be part of a family that doesn't have Thomas in it. They might have a couple children that roam around happily and annoy the shit out of Gally (who would obviously adore them because he's actually a softie). Then again, the two of them might just stay together without another person, since Newt is sure that there will be plenty of goats and bees to be raised. Newt cannot see himself getting super attached to the bees, for bees have no desire to form a deep and intricate relationship with a person. But right now, his family consists of just Thomas and Thomas's goats- and those damned bees.
Newt isn't actually sure how to handle or deal with any of this. Thomas does things to him, makes him feel things, that shouldn't be possible. Newt's heart was shattered, broken into thousands of tiny fragments. And yet, Thomas makes that bruised, broken heart become whole and beat to the syllables of his name. Newt's mind is filled with thoughts of loving, touching, kissing, and being with Thomas. Newt's mind, though brutally aware of the consequences of trusting a dangerous, abusive man, has already written up the fairytale ending for Thomas and Newt's happily ever after. When Newt is near Thomas, his words blur into an incomprehensible blob. He can't speak properly because Thomas causes his mouth to dry up like a desert and his tongue to weight a thousand pounds, which really causes Newt to click his tongue more than necessary.
