Page 118 of A Much Younger Man
Epilogue
Some TimeLater
Just before Christmas, Beck and I took my parents to the resort for dinner. On an average day, the resort was truly lovely, but at Christmastime, it was known for its number of decorated trees and outdoor spaces lit with twinkling fairy lights that illuminated the pathways and special seasonal tableaus with nondenominational messages of peace and hope for a bright new year.
We walked hand in hand behind Mom and Dad, who marveled at every little thing they saw. My mom’s cheeks were flushed pink from wine and the cold, and her eyes sparkled with happiness that I knew was in part because she’d not only made peace with my decision to pursue a life with Beck, but also, because in the ensuing months, she had fallen just as deeply in love with him as I had.
“Oh, Beck, look.” She pointed out a flurry of twinkly angels hanging from the boughs of a fir tree. “Take our picture, will you?”
Beck lifted his phone and captured Dad giving Mom a none too discreet smooch.
“Got it. Sending it to you now.” Beck’s thumbs went to work, and Mom’s phone chimed.
Mom looked at the picture. “Oh, it’s wonderful. Look, honey.”
We left them to look at her phone and—I was certain—send the image to all their friends.
I took Beck’s hand. “Oh, your hands are so cold, sweetheart. Here”—I pulled my gloves off—“wear these. I don’t know why you never wear the gloves I bought you.”
“Because I like them prewarmed.” He lifted his eyebrows. “Feels like I’m putting on a skin suit.”
“Creepy.” I pulled his hand into the crook of my arm. “I have had a wonderful evening. What about you?”
“Me too. I really enjoy it here.”
“How do you feel about our Christmas gift from Mom?”
“It’s awesome.” His eyes widened. “I can’t wait to get a couples massage with you! How about you? You looked strange when you opened it.”
“I’m looking forward to it. It’s just that my mother gave it to me. Awkward.”
He shrugged. “But nice, huh?”
“Yeah.”
He looked toward the ocean, which glittered in the moonlight past the garden’s edge. “I honestly never believed she’d come around.”
“It just took her a minute to warm up to the idea of us enough to let you into her heart. Believe me, it was a foregone conclusion. I love you, and I’m her mini-me, ergo—”
“I’m just glad they like me because they’re stuck with me.”
I kissed the top of his head. “Let’s walk that way.”
“Okay.” As always, Beck let me take him by the hand, content to follow wherever I wanted to go.
Who knew blind faith would be so precious to me?
Who knew that of all the successful, mature men I’d dated, I’d fall for a boy who, on the face of it, was neither?
Beck’s old friend Tug had understood me better than I’d understood myself. He’d identified me as a sure thing—a sugar daddy to be used for whatever Beck could get—but labels weren’t my style at all, and I knew what Beck felt for me was real.
I had blind faith in him too.
I indicated to my Dad that we were heading down to the beach. He knew why. I hadn’t told my mother because I knew better than to ask her to keep a secret. If I had trouble hiding things from Beck, she would find it impossible.
“Come on,” I said after reaching the bottom of the stairs. “There’s something I need you to see.”
Beck let me lead him to one of the big rocks scattered at the bottom of the cliff.
