13. Epilogue
Epilogue
Victor
One year later.
Jared attempts to tie his necktie but throws his hands up in defeat. “Do I have to wear this thing?”
I smile at him. “You can skip the tie if you want.”
He grimaces. “And face the wrath of Mom, Aunt Margo, and my soon-to-be stepmother? No way.”
Our eyes meet and we burst into laughter. “We do have some formidable women in our lives, don’t we?”
“I’ll say. But to be fair, they did put a lot of thought and effort into every detail of this wedding. Mom designed this necktie just for me—so I suppose I ought to wear it.”
“You’re wise beyond your years, Son.” The word son passes my lips before I can rein in it. I glance at Jared nervously. We’ve developed a real relationship over the past year, and we share a deep bond and connection now. But this is the first time I’ve attempted to call him son .
He freezes in place and a guarded expression crosses his face.
I suppress a sigh. Two steps forward and one step back? “I’m sorry, Jared. I know I have no right to call you that. I missed out on your entire childhood, and I had nothing to do with shaping the man you’ve become. It’s my deepest regret.”
“That’s not true,” Jared says quietly. “Genetically, I’m half yours. Besides that, you’ve really been there for me from the moment you knew I existed. And we’ve grown close this year. I’m—” He sucks in a breath as if steadying himself. “I’m proud to be your son, Dad.”
Tears sting the backs of my eyelids. “Thank you for saying that, Jared. Need help with that necktie?”
He laughs. “Yeah. Besides Mom’s wedding, I’ve never worn one.”
I raise an eyebrow. “I’ve seen your prom picture on your mom’s fridge.”
“That was a clip-on,” Jared says with a laugh, handing me the tie.
I finger the silky fabric, admiring the design. From a distance, it appears to be a classic paisley, but up close, you can see that it’s festooned with great blue herons. “Your mother really outdid herself.”
“Wait until you see Cara’s wedding dress. Mom has a gift.”
I chuckle as I loop the tie around Jared’s neck. “I hope you don’t think less of me when I blubber like a baby.”
“No promises!” Jared says with a grin. “Speaking of babies… you and Cara would be great parents. And I’d be an awesome big brother. Just saying.”
I chuckle. “We plan to try. But Cara’s nearly forty, and I passed that mark a few years ago, so it may not be in the cards for us.” But I really, really hope it is.
***