Page 74 of Masquerade Mistake
“It’s us,” I breathe, peering closer.
“It’s the moment we met,” he says.
“How?” I ask. “Where did you find this?”
“My friend Brayden posted it to his Instagram the other day,” he explains. “He posted a bunch of photos from the grad party he threw back then, and this was one of them.”
I study our youthfulness, the innocence of this moment. “We had no idea how much that night would change our lives,” I muse.
This time, Ethan is the one to close the album. He cups my chin in his hand, looking into my eyes. It makes me think of that night, and I feel the same spark as I see myself reflected in his iris. He presses his lips to mine, and I sink into him. We only stay there a moment though. He gets up and takes my hand, helping me to stand before leading me to my bedroom. As he closes the space between us once again, his skin melting with mine, I realize for the first time that this is what forever feels like.
I’m ready for it.
Chapter 30
One year later…
“Can I get the double bison burger with fries?”
Finn points to it on the menu, and I cringe at the description of heavy meat and cheese, but nod my head.
“For your birthday, you can have anything,” I say, taking his menu and stacking it with the rest.
“All right, one of those too,” he says, pointing to a blended daiquiri at the next table over.
“You have a few more years before that,” Ethan says. “But how about a regular milkshake? I’ll have the crew add a few cherries on top.”
“Thanks, Dad,” Finn says with a grin.
“How about you, Mom? You ready for the meatiest burger of your life?” Ethan turns to the slight woman sitting next to him, and she nudges him.
“You know I won’t eat that stuff,” Stacy says, crinkling her nose as she points to a salad, no meat, on the menu.
Stacy has quickly earned a special place in my heart. The first day she met me and her grandson, Stacy turned on her maternal charm and we’ve been close ever since. She’s even succeeded in feeding Finn vegetables—since every meal at her house is vegan—and her fake cheese sauce actually tastes like cheese.
Ethan signals to Jordy, one of the waitresses on deck tonight, that we’re ready. But I put my hand on his arm, holding up the text on my phone.
“Wait a few more minutes, she says she’s almost here.”
I glance at the entrance as the waitress approaches, and Ethan explains that we’ll need a few more minutes, but asks her if she can get a milkshake started.
“With lots of cherries,” Finn pipes in, and she salutes him.
“Sure thing, boss,” Jordy jokes. It’s what she always calls Finn, just like she calls his dad, who’s now co-owner of Hillside Brewery as of three months ago. Ethan’s boss is getting ready to retire and sold half the business to Ethan while he trains him up. Once Pete officially retires, he’ll sell Ethan the rest, fulfilling Ethan’s dream of owning his own bar.
It’s not the only exciting thing going on in our lives. Around the same time, Ethan and I closed on our own house together—one that’s just a short walk to the beach and almost twice the size of my last home.
It’s not normal for two people our age to be able to afford a house and a business in Sunset Bay. Truthfully, we have Ethan’s father to thank. Well, thank may be too strong of a word. Ethan will never forgive his dad for walking out on him. When we found out he passed away, Ethan refused to grieve. He did spend the whole day playing songs about shitty fathers; “Father of Mine,” by Everclear, “Had a Dad,” by Jane’s Addiction, “The Story of My Old Man,” by Good Charlotte. Plus, he accepted the inheritance that came his way—enough that he could invest in the restaurant and a down payment on our house.
“She’s here,” Ethan says, nodding toward the entrance. I look up in time to see my mom, a wide smile on her face as her eyes land on Finn. My son gets up from the table and runs to her, and she envelops him in a hug.
For as long as I live, I will never get over this. The change in my mom. The relationship they both share. The way my mom’s smile reaches her eyes, her cheeks are filled out, and her words are now clear.
“Hi Judy,” Ethan says, leaning in to give her a kiss and a big hug. She pats his cheek with her hand, and I’m moved by their obvious care for each other. She sits down next to Stacy, who wraps an arm around my mom’s shoulders, then she leans across the table toward Finn.
“Tell me, kid,” she says, “what’s good here?”
As Finn goes over the menu he’s memorized, I glance at the table next to us, at the huge daiquiri still sitting half full amongst a pile of abandoned dishes. We’ve been here a few times since my mom got sober, but I still worry if it affects her.