Epilogue
Two years later
Simone
“What do you mean Mikey and Aaron split up?” I asked Flynt, shocked by the news. “I can’t believe it!”
“I guess there’s been some trouble between them. Mikey was excited when he heard Mr. Walker moved back to White Pines. He told my dads that he’s going to make another go at him,” Flynt replied with a shrug.
“That’s insane! Cliff came back here with Brighton. You know—his boyfriend of nearly two years!” I exclaimed.
“April Fools!” Flynt replied, a mischievous smile on his face.
Once my brain caught up to the fact that it was April 1st, and Flynt had fabricated the breakup story, I sighed with relief. Then became annoyed. “Flynt Tilson, that was not funny. You don’t joke about things like that.”
Adam rounded the corner of Cliff’s kitchen just in time to hear my admonishment. He squeezed Flynt’s neck from behind.
“Ow. Child abuse much?” Flynt complained.
“Are you doing more inappropriate April Fools pranks?” Adam didn’t wait for a response. He turned to me. “Flynt had Josh convinced this morning that he and Aiden are eloping this weekend.”
“Hmph.” I huffed. Flynt was experiencing his first love with a boy from school named Aiden. Flynt had brought him into the diner a few times, and they were adorable together. “I think Aiden has too much sense to get married at seventeen. I hope you do, too, Flynt.”
“It wasn’t for real,” Flynt reminded me. “You should have seen Josh’s face, though. It was hysterical. When I told him not to say anything to our dads, he went into a panic. He didn’t know who to betray—them or me.”
“That’s not something to brag about,” Adam snapped. “You’re only proving you’re not mature enough to get married yet.”
Flynt sighed. “Again, made-up story. And apparently, nobody around here understands the spirit of the holiday.”
“Which is what? License to be a little asshole?” Adam asked.
“Whatever. Where’s Josh, anyway? Mr. Walker said he and I could play tennis on his courts while all the old people gab in his sunroom.”
Adam sighed, then turned to me. “Only a few more months before he’s off to college. Apologies in advance for the noise you’ll hear from the fireworks that Myles and I will be setting off to celebrate.”
“You’re both going to be bored without Josh and me at home. You’ll be begging for me to come back to visit the first weekend of the school year,” Flynt countered.
That made Adam laugh. “Only to see your expression when you realize we’ve turned your bedroom into a theater room and set up a cot for you in the basement.”
Flynt rolled his eyes, leaving the room to search for his brother.
“He’s right, though. You and Myles will miss him and Josh,” I pointed out with a grin. “Who are you going to tease when Flynt’s away?”
Adam approached with a smile, touching my protruding belly. “Maybe this little guy when he arrives.”
Ezra had proposed to me the same week Mitch had asked Keller to marry him.
That was a couple of weeks after filming ended for Cliff’s segment of His Choice.
Mitch and Keller had waited a year to get hitched, but Ezra and I wed six months into our engagement.
It was a beautiful winter evening wedding at the White Pines chapel.
The church had been decorated for the season with real candles and greenery, and we had been lucky enough to avoid a snowstorm—that had happened a couple of days before.
The interior and exterior scenery had been magical.
Late last summer, I found out I was pregnant.
When Ezra and I learned the sex of the baby, I wasn’t at all surprised.
All my best friends were male, so it seemed God had blessed me with what makes me happiest. We had decided to name the baby Adam after my best friend and my child’s godfather-to-be.
Cliff, Ezra’s cousin and friend, was to be a second godfather in lieu of a godmother.
Ezra was over the moon to have a boy, too. He had already bought a Red Sox onesie uniform, and packed our garage with sporting equipment we wouldn’t be able to use for years.
“Don’t go traumatizing your godson, Adam Tilson,” I warned.
Adam smiled. “Never. Besides, even if I tried, you know Myles would be on me like a swatter on a fly.”
I chuckled. “Not a great analogy. Myles couldn’t hurt any living creature. When he admonishes, he just sweet talks you so that you feel like you’ve been wrapped in a comfy warm blanket only to realize it’s covering the shame that Myles discreetly laid bare.”
“True. And it works,” Adam pointed out.
“Don’t I know it! I fully intend to steal his technique to use on little Adam,” I assured him.
Adam rested his forehead against mine. “If you parent like Myles did with Josh, you’re going to have one super kid. Throw in the fact that he’s going to have the nicest mom in all of White Pines, and he’ll be one lucky boy, too.”
“Thanks, Adam.”
He took my hand. “Did Flynt get all the food into the refrigerator you brought over from the diner?” I nodded, then he led me from the room. “Come on. Everyone’s been gathering in the sunroom. We need to be there to hear Cliff’s engagement announcement.”
“We don’t know that’s why he invited everyone here…”
Adam rolled his eyes. “Yeah, sure.”
We walked down the hall to the sunroom that was filled with everyone I loved.
I sat next to Ezra, who pulled me into a side embrace as he continued his conversation with Myles.
Cliff, Brighton, Mitch and Keller were laughing at Aaron’s sour expressions after Cliff shared with him and Mikey that Daryl and Dani still worked for him in his Boston club, and they had become boyfriends.
Apparently, Daryl had moved his way up to head of security, and he found he often had to shield Dani from unwanted advances.
That must have fed into Dani’s desire for a protector and Daryl’s need to be valued.
Cliff had also shocked Aaron by telling him that he’d heard Ted and Alex not only were still together, but had apparently married and moved to Syracuse, where Alex was on a hospital’s surgical staff.
Aaron then told everyone about the commercial that they had just cast him in.
Aaron had been getting enough acting jobs that he had been able to quit his engineering position at the local tech company.
The latest television role required him and Mikey to move to New York City where, fortunately, Mikey had been able to land another business manager job.
Cliff had offered them his guest cottage to come home to for whatever weekends Aaron wasn’t filming something.
They had become so enamored with White Pines and their friends, they had readily accepted.
Adam took the empty chair next to his husband. As Myles listened to Ezra’s story of how he’d painted the nursery the wrong shade of green, he placed his hand on Adam’s thigh. At one point, Adam leaned over to kiss Myles’ cheek. Their affection was as strong as the day they’d married.
At that moment, my boss, Clem, and Ms. Walker entered the room.
Even after all these months, I found it hard to believe the two were dating.
They seemed so different from each other.
But I had never seen Clem happier—or spiffier with his clothes.
One of the benefits of their relationship had been Ms. Walker convincing Clem to modify the diner dress code.
Keller, who still worked there part-time while finishing his college degree, was thrilled to lose the bowtie and nineteen-fifties grease for his locks.
I no longer had to pull my hair back into a ponytail either.
“We’re here!” Ms. Walker announced. “Let the party commence!”
Cliff glanced at his watch. “It’s not a party, and we’ve all been here for twenty minutes.”
Clem went to shake Cliff’s hand in greeting. “I’m sorry we’re late, Cliff. Your mother couldn’t find jewelry that looked good with her outfit.”
Cliff eyed his mother. “Clearly.”
Ms. Walker kissed her son on the temple. “Hello, darling. So grumpy. Has Brighton been holding out because of that pimple on your chin?”
Brighton laughed. He seemed to enjoy Ms. Walker’s humor more than her son did. Cliff nervously touched the spot she had referenced. “That’s just a small bump from the razor.”
“Hmm. If you say so.” Ms. Walker kissed Brighton’s cheek, then surveyed the room. “Where am I supposed to sit?”
Mikey jumped from his chair. “You can take my seat, Ms. Walker.”
“Actually, Mikey, would you help me bring in another couple of chairs from the sitting room?” Cliff asked.
As the two men went to grab extra seating, Ms. Walker took the place Cliff had vacated.
“So, Brighton, how’s Clara?” she asked.
“Marvelous.” Brighton beamed whenever there was an opportunity to talk about his daughter. “She can’t wait to transfer to Burlington College.”
We had all learned a few months earlier that Brighton’s ex-wife, Katie, had been promoted to vice-president of marketing for the international company that employed her, which required a move to New York City.
Faced with the prospect of Cliff, Brighton, and Clara being across the Atlantic from her anyway, she’d changed her mind about her daughter going to school in Vermont.
After two years in London, Cliff had been able to come home for good.
Brighton had been fine with the plan. Although he still had modeling assignments, he had taken an interest in horses.
He and Cliff were going to repurpose part of their massive White Pines property where Brighton could manage the rental of stables and care for peoples’ horses.
“She’s such a lovely girl,” Ms. Walker told Brighton. “I miss being with her in London. Clara is the best shopping companion I’ve ever had. Her taste is even better than Cliff’s.”
Brighton laughed. “You spoil her. Don’t get me in trouble with Katie.”
“What’s my mother doing now?” Cliff asked as he and Mikey re-entered the room with two more chairs.
Ms. Walker pursed her lips. “Brighton was just suggesting that Clem and I move out of my apartment and live here with you.”