Page 26 of The Men of Summer
Maybe I didn’t grovel enough, but I still got the guy!
With his best impersonation of Miranda Priestly, his hand gestures my way. “That is all.”
I don’t miss the young couple’s amused faces at our banter. At least, that took the edge off of Susie’s low spirits.
“As I was saying, I lost out on six years of Zayn’s life because of my own sheer stupidity…” I shake my head, then look at him. “Later, my demanding career prevented us from visiting his sister in Italy or exploring France.” No need to mention his parents. “Whenever I was away, I felt exactly like Susie… Missing out on so much… because of my job. I mean, spending time at the studio was awesome, and so was touring, but…”
“Come on, Father… It’s your job and also your passion. You love everything about music… and you’re a rock star. Remember how Tricia almost fainted when she recognized you?” He recounts his first encounter with Emily in kindergarten before his eyes bore into mine again. “But to me, you’ve always been a star, just likePapa, because you’re my dads, my family. And thanks to you two, I had the luxury of graduating without debt.” We all chuckle at that. “If you’d stayed in Seaside rather than followPapato Palo Alto, I might’ve never found my one true love.”
Hands on either side of her face, my son—our son—unabashedly French kisses the hell out of his significant other, not giving her time to refuse. She doesn’t fight it, but breaks it too soon for his taste if his grunt is any indication.
Nonchalantly, he ruffles her short black hair with dark blue streaks, messing her previously groomed pixie, and she swoons. “I’m serious, Dads.” He glances at us alternatively. “I owe you two so much. If you hadn’t raised me as your own, I wouldn’tbe where I am today… sitting next to this wonderful woman who did me the honor of agreeing to be my wife.” I guess the engagement announcement made them more emotional than they admit. He stares at me. “Listen, I wouldn’t change a single thing about my life. Yes, you weren’t around every day, but you were never out of reach.” Then, he tilts his head to Zayn. “Right,Papa?”
“And we could see him on the front page of tabloids at every newsstand. They couldn’t help selling your dad’s fans a faux romance with Brea Sandora!”
Damn, I wish he had forgotten about that!
As if I’d ever cheat on him, with my duet partner at that. Thankfully, she found Gael, and I eventually found the courage to publicly come out. “Pictures are important for everyone: fans, photographers, and families.”
“See!” Zayn interferes, his chest heaving with pride. “I knew you’d thank me later for insisting we print the pics instead of just storing them in the cloud.”
“Indeed… Exactly like Susie said… filling in the gaps.”
She nods and mouths a thank you my way. “I hope it won’t sound creepy, but to me, loving someone is wanting to get as close to them as you can, learning their idiosyncrasies and swooning at them, because you get that person like nobody else does.” Her voice trembles, yet is laced with resolve. “Discovering what makes them tick, accepting their quirks, and being satisfied by the mere knowledge that they’reyourperson… To me, that’s what love is. I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with you, Jay.” A silent tear runs down her makeup-free cheek, and a chortle escapes her lips.
“Amen to that!” Jeremy leans her way and engulfs her in a hug, one of his hands stroking the back of her hair. Her breathing settles.
Once he releases her from his loving embrace, her face tells me that she’s about to apologize, which is completely unnecessary, so Zayn insists, “It was vital for me to keep memories of my loved ones as well as snapshots of what Dante might have missed over the years.” I purse my lips, wondering why he’s getting all worked up over nothing, but apparently, we all are, and he blurts out, “Sue me!”
At once, his hands press down on the ottoman to stand, but I don’t give him the opportunity. In a flash, Zayn stands before me. My gaze cages his, making him blush at its intensity. Enthralled, I let his lean body stand between my legs. My body goes lax when his thumb and index finger capture my chin.
I murmur between clenched teeth, “Calm your tits, will you?” I tip my face towards his.
His lips welcome mine for a chaste kiss, which isn’t the norm for us. We wouldn’t want to make a big production in front of the youngsters. We aren’t the young and foolish couple we once were,at least not in public. We’re the parents, so we let our son be the impulsive one and play the role of the responsible adults.
I wink at my man. “Nobody’s blaming anyone. Quite the opposite.”
Startling us all, Zayn takes a step back and clasps his hands together. “Tell you what,” he starts, his tone barely containing his excitement, which makes me question his upcoming suggestion. “Susie, you mentioned the parts of Jeremy’s life that you weren’t part of. I have an idea to make up for lost time…” Zayn’s mischievous grin widens. “Dante, why don’t you make some iced tea while we go hunt through the attic.”
I pour the cold beverage into glasses and set the glasses on coasters on the coffee table. Watching my family approach from afar, I smile at my good fortune. Engrossed in conversation, each of them carries a few dusty shoeboxes.
“Nooow…” Zayn stretches the word for effect. “Who’s happy that I’m a neat freak and meticulously sorted the pictures by year and theme?”
“You’re the best,Papa.” Jeremy’s right, yet my heart tightens with a pang of envy. I was never the best dad. I remind myself that it isn’t a competition. We each gifted our son with parts of ourselves, and like he said, it made him the man he is today.
“Let’s take a trip down Memory Lane,” I suggest as we resume our previous positions and hand Susie the oldest box. She hesitantly takes the top off. I catch my breath, then encourage her,
“Dig in!”
*** THE END ***
