None of this went over well with Natalie. She spent the morning crying after Mr. Clairborne stormed out of the house. Charlotte was so upset by it all she skipped school. I sat on Porter’s bed and watched him pack. My heart was breaking in ways I never knew it could, yet it had been mended in ways I never thought possible. I knew this wasn’t goodbye, but it didn’t make it any easier letting him go.
Porter carried his bags and mine to his truck. He had to pass through Mobile on his way out anyway. Though Natalie invited me to stay through the weekend, I felt like I needed to go. I had a feeling it wasn’t going to be a fun place to be. My heartbreak had nothing on Natalie’s, and she would be taking it out on her husband, of that I was sure. She held Porter to her and sobbed into his chest in the garage.
Porter shed his own tears. “Te amo, mamá. I love you, Mom.”
Natalie only clung tighter. Her son had finally come home to her, and now he was leaving.
Charlotte and I both cried, too.
“This is your home, mijo.” Natalie kissed his cheeks. “Don’t ever forget that.”
“I won’t,” he promised.
Charlotte was next, but she smacked his arm first before he pulled her in for a hug. “I love you, Cee Cee. Use that ticket I bought you.”
“Okay,” she cried.
“I’ll come back for your graduation.”
“Make sure you bring me a good present,” she teased. Well, maybe not.
He laughed and kissed the top of her head.
“I love you, big brother.”
I got my hugs from Natalie and Charlotte with promises of lunch dates in Mobile and weekends here whenever I wanted them. They had no idea what that meant to me.
Porter and I were off for our last hour alone for at least a month. As Porter drove by the Clairborne, he slowed down.
“Do you want to stop and say goodbye to your dad?” I asked.
He shook his head. “He doesn’t want to see me.” His voice cracked.
“I don’t think that’s true.”
Porter shrugged. “I’ll never be good enough for him.”
I didn’t know what to say. All I could offer him was my hand. He took it and we said goodbye to Paradise together.
The drive to Mobile was much like the one when we left there almost two weeks ago—quiet. I think there were so many things we both wanted to say but we knew we loved each other and that was enough for now.
When we pulled up to my apartment building, Porter had the same reaction, he grimaced. “I don’t suppose you would let me pay for a better place for you to live.”
I didn’t even have to answer. He knew I would never let him.
“I at least insist on walking you up to your apartment.”
“I’ll even let you carry my bag.”
He chuckled and came around and opened my door. His smile was gone, though, when he reached for my hand. “How am I going to leave you again, Holland?”
“We can do this.” I held back my tears.
He kissed the inside of my hand he held. “Like I said before, you’re stronger than me.”
“I’m stronger because of you.”
He helped me out of the truck and wrapped me in his arms. “You are the best thing that has ever happened to me.”
Oh, the feeling was mutual.
~*~
Sharon peeked her head into my office. “Can I give you a ride home?”
“That would be great, thank you.”
She walked in, amazed. She came and felt my forehead with the back of her hand. “Are you feeling all right?”
“Never better. Why?”
“Six weeks ago, you would’ve never taken me up on my offer.”
“Six weeks ago, you threatened to kick me out of this program.”
“And you’re welcome, by the way. I’ve never seen you this happy.”
I set the pen down I had been using to write a note on one of my many sticky pads. “Thank you, Sharon.”
“You don’t have to keep saying that.”
I felt like I did. I owed her the world. Unbeknownst to her, she brought love and friendship back into my life. I actually had more friends now than I knew what to do with sometimes. Between lunch dates with Natalie, Charlotte, Jaycee, and even Sharon on occasion, I had to learn to be more social. For an introvert, that wasn’t always easy.
I stood up and hugged my mentor. “Do you mind if we leave soon? I have a date tonight.”
She leaned away from me and wagged her eyebrows. “What do you do on those Skype dates?”
That was none of her business.
I hurried up the stairs to my apartment to avoid the horrid something-died-under-the-stairs smell and so I could change into Porter’s favorite dress. The floral gray sundress. I set my laptop up before I got ready in case he called early. I couldn’t believe he’d already been gone a month. And it would be another month before I could see him face-to-face. He was coming back for Charlotte’s graduation, though things were still tense between him and his father. They still hadn’t spoken. From what Natalie said, she and Mr. Clairborne weren’t communicating all that well right now either. But she talked to Porter every few days. Porter and I communicated every day by phone and text.
Tonight, he said he had something he wanted to show me, so we were Skyping. I couldn’t wait to see his handsome face. I only hoped the Wi-Fi in my apartment didn’t act up. It wasn’t always that reliable, like the plumbing and the heating and air conditioning. Two more years.
After I slipped into my dress, I threw my hair up in a messy bun. For fun, I threw on some mascara and lip gloss. If only Porter were here to kiss it off. Speaking of Porter, he texted me.
Give me a few more minutes, I’m still working on something. Love you.
I wondered what he meant by working. He’d been acting cryptic about our Skype date. But it never got old seeing the words, love you. Nor did it get old saying them back. Love you.
While I waited, I pulled up the latest DNA sequencing report. I smiled thinking this was typically how my Friday nights went. They weren’t so typical anymore, though.
I barely got through the first few lines before his call came through. I quickly clicked the button and accepted his call.
His gorgeous face appeared on my screen. “Hey there, beautiful. Sorry I’m running late.”
“That’s okay. How was your day?”
He ran his fingers through his thick hair that I missed. “Long. But better now.” Long was frequently his response, which made me worry. I didn’t think he was unhappy, but maybe not as happy as he could be.
“Tell me about your day. I can tell you’re bursting to tell me something I don’t know.” He knew me too well.
I clapped my hands together like an excited child. “Well, today I ran across some fascinating research about cloning. Did you know that all living cheetahs are practically genetic clones of one another?”
He chuckled. “I didn’t know that. How is that possible?”
“I’m glad you asked. Cheetahs were almost wiped out by the last ice age. To save their species, a small portion of surviving cats interbred with one another.”
“I can’t wait to tell my coworkers that on Monday,” he teased me. “Everyone is amazed how smart I am now.”
“They probably think your girlfriend is a weirdo.”
“I keep a picture of you in your swimsuit on my desk, so they think you’re a hot weirdo.”
My shoulders sank. “You think I’m weird?” I would get back to the picture of me later.
“Yes.” He gave me his most charming smile. “But that’s what I love about you.”
“While I’m deciding whether I should be offended or not, what did you want to show me?”
“Get ready to be not offended.”
“This better be really good.”
“I’m not worried. I’m going to share my screen with you, okay?”
“I wish we could share more.”
“I love it when you talk
dirty to me like that. Save some for after the show.”
“Show?”
He said nothing, but before my eyes appeared the most . . . I didn’t even know how to put it into words. Beautiful didn’t seem to capture the magnitude of what he’d created.
A Clairborne Love Story, flashed across my screen. A romantic melody played in the background. This is a story about how a father and a son found the loves of their lives at the Clairborne.
The first picture was of Mr. Clairborne holding the hand of his little boy outside of the resort. That was enough to make my eyes water. The next picture and caption appeared. It was of Natalie holding Porter and reading to him. Sometimes it takes a little boy in search of a mother’s love to bring two people together, which was the case with Natalie and Beau.
More pictures flashed of Natalie, Beau, and Porter together. Each with a little snippet about their lives. The last one of them was the wedding picture where Porter stood between his parents holding each of their hands. Tears streamed down my face.
Another chapter begins, flashed across the screen. The first picture of us ever taken together popped up with the year we met and our names. I touched the screen, wishing I could reach through and touch the living, breathing Porter. And I wanted to tell that girl that everything would be all right. From there, Porter told the story of us, right down to him leaving and our long separation. The reunion was my favorite part. There was picture after picture of us. On the beach, in the restaurant kissing, on his bed—all innocent, of course. There was even one of us in the hammock together. I was sleeping in his arms. I didn’t know he took that picture. With each still frame, I could see how Porter saw me. To him I was beautiful and treasured.
I could hardly speak once the short video was over. He was right when he told me this would be something I would want to watch over and over.
Porter’s face popped back up on the screen. “What do you think?”
I took a moment to gaze at his thoughtful face. I missed it now more than ever. “It’s perfect. Have you shown your parents? I didn’t think you were still working on that.”
“You’re the first person I’ve shown.” His shoulders raised and fell. “I’m a man of my word, Holland. I told my dad I would help him, and I plan to if he’ll still take it. Though after everything, I don’t think that’s likely.”
“You’re a good man.”
I heard a knock on his door.
“Hold that thought,” he growled at the interruption.
I heard muffled voices in the background, oddly familiar. Maybe even an apology. Wait . . .
Porter returned within the minute wearing the biggest grin and some watery eyes. “Baby, I got to call you back, my dad is here.”
Stunned. I was absolutely stunned. I’d had lunch with Natalie earlier in the week and she never said a word about Mr. Clairborne going to visit Porter. I wondered how it all came about.
In fact, I kept on wondering for the next few weeks. Porter didn’t talk much about it, other than to say that his dad was pleased with the video and planned to use it, as well as implementing Porter’s website design. I knew the two of them got in some late spring skiing the weekend he was there, and they were talking frequently. And most importantly, that Mr. Clairborne apologized to his son.
I hoped to glean more information from Porter when he came for Charlotte’s graduation in a week. Not even Natalie was saying much beyond what I already knew. She was happier though. I assumed she and Mr. Clairborne had made up. And she loved that video. Last time I was with her, we watched it at least fifteen times. She cried like a baby each time.
Still living my mostly boring life, I headed for the lab early Saturday morning. There was still something to be said for having the lab to myself. I may have found love, but I would always have my love of science.
I walked down the dingy stairwell. Now that we were into May, it was warm and humid. That only intensified the horrendous odors emanating below the stairs. More and more I missed living at the Clairbornes’. I stepped out into the bright sun. The streets and sidewalks were sleepy on a Saturday morning. When adjusting my backpack, a gleaming black truck caught my eye. I did a double take and there appeared the man that owned the truck and my heart.
“What are you doing here?” I felt like I could hardly breathe.
He sauntered my way, looking at his watch. “You’re getting a late start, aren’t you?”
“Somebody kept me up late last night talking. And I promised you I wouldn’t walk in the dark anymore.” Where had he been when we were talking? I assumed he was at home.
He wrapped me up in his arms and kissed every inch of my face. “I missed you.”
“I missed you too. But why are you here? I thought you were coming next weekend.”
“I need to look for a new place to live, and I thought you might like to help me.” He said it all as if it was no big deal.
My backpack fell off my shoulders, but thankfully Porter caught it before it hit the concrete. I took a moment to process what he’d said. “What are you saying?”
His eyes danced with the secret he’d been keeping. “Did I forget to tell you that I’m the new marketing director for the Clairborne?”
I was speechless for a moment. “Really? How? When?”
His hands enveloped my face before he pressed his lips to mine. “So many questions. I promise to answer them all, but first you need to answer a couple for me.”
I peered into his eyes, confused. “Okay.”
“First of all, if a guy were looking for an upscale apartment in Mobile, where might he look?”
“Mobile? Don’t you want to live in Paradise?”
He tucked some of my hair behind my ear. “Wherever you are, that’s my paradise.”
“You know, that might be your best line yet,” I choked out. My emotions were overcoming me. He was here. And we were together.
“If you like that one, you’re going to love this next one.” He dropped down on one knee on the cracked cement. The very few people out and about on a Saturday morning were now starting to stop and stare.
No one was staring as much as me. I watched every move he made, from carefully pulling out a tiny ebony box from his pants pocket, to how he reverently opened it to reveal a stunning diamond solitaire ring. I stood breathless.
“Marry me?”
Wow. That was quite the line. No fanfare of flowery speeches, just the way I would want it. I swallowed hard and almost began reciting the periodic table. Instead, I blurted, “Did you know that diamonds are one hundred percent carbon?”
A smile lit up his expectant face. “I did know that.”
I had to think this through some more. We had talked about getting married, but I didn’t think it was anything we would do in the near future. “Did you also know that the largest diamond ever discovered was 3,106 carats?”
“That’s fascinating, darlin’, but do you think you could answer my question?” He was starting to get a little concerned.
I looked between him and the diamond and then him again. A peace washed over me. “Did you know that I love you?”
“With all my heart,” he whispered. “Tú eres mi vida, mi alma.”
That was all I needed to hear. “Then the correct answer is yes.”
He placed the ring on my finger before standing and wrapping me up in his arms. “You get an A+.”
Those were some of my favorite words.
Epilogue
Two Years Later
“Holland Clairborne.”
That name still made me smile, especially today of all days. I walked across the platform to receive my hood, signifying I’d earned my PhD, from my mentor and friend, Sharon. She was so touched when I asked her to do the honor.
I looked out into the crowd and caught the eye of my husband, who was standing and clapping more loudly than he probably should have. There was no one prouder than him. Okay, maybe my mother-in-law, who stood next to him hollering something in Spanish I could
n’t quite make out. To me, she was more than my husband’s mother; she had become my mother too.
And the man next to her trying not to act embarrassed had become my father. The sweet memory of him walking me down the aisle—or the beach, as it was—almost two years ago popped into my mind. For so long I thought today was going to be the best day of my life, but the day I married Porter would always be my favorite. Today would be a close second.
Charlotte, too, sat in the audience. She was even more of a stunner now. She looked so grown up and ready to face New York. We didn’t talk much about her impending departure. Natalie burst into tears any time it was mentioned that her baby girl was going off to school now that she’d finished her associate’s degree at the Coastal Community College. Charlotte was ready to be the next Coco Chanel. I was wearing a Charlotte original under my gown. A soft blue A-line dress she’d designed for the occasion, free of charge even.
I turned my attention back to Sharon, to whom I owed so much. Had she not been brave enough to tell me the truth even when it hurt, this day wouldn’t have meant half so much. Being able to share it with those I loved exponentially increased the value of what I’d accomplished. And it gave me the courage to face my future. To know I wouldn’t be alone in Atlanta when I started my job at a pharmaceutical company as a program leader for their Therapeutic Area Pharmacogenomics (Cardiovascular & Metabolic).
Porter and I would begin our new adventure in a month after a very well-earned vacation, touring world museums. He would work remotely for the Clairborne until the time came when his dad decided to retire. Which wouldn’t be anytime soon. Beau, or Dad as I called him now, still had a hard time letting go of things. But he couldn’t argue with Porter’s success. The Fall in Love at the Clairborne campaign was still going strong. Revenue was up and the resort was booked solid. There was still plenty of head butting going on, but they did their best to leave work where it belonged when we were all together.
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