by Ana Ashley
“Okay.” He breathed in. “Max, it won’t change anything.”
I nodded but couldn’t meet his eyes. There was no way to shorten the story so I told him everything, from living with Ryan, to the ways in which I used his house for comforts, and my time with James and Iris.
Joel sat back and looked out toward the balcony doors.
“And your parents?”
“I never saw them again. When Lucy turned up on my doorstep, it was like the past had caught up with me and I had to face everything. I saw them at the custody hearing. I realized then what I already knew but had forgotten. James was my dad; your parents were my parents. I was so lucky to have more role models in the last fifteen years than most people have in their lifetime, and now I have Lucy, too.
“I’m scared that I’ll mess things up with Lucy, but I’m also excited. She’s so great, Joel. You’ll love her.”
The tears were running in streams, and I struggled to speak between my ragged breaths.
“All these years, when I thought you were going home. When I thought you were safe. You were just surviving.”
Joel pulled me into a tight hug and sobbed. All the pent-up tension slowly left my body as we stayed locked together for the longest time.
“I’m so sorry, Max. I’m sorry for everything that happened to you in the past. I’m not going to beat you for not coming to me because I’m sure you’ve already done enough of that to yourself to last a lifetime. But I will tell you now, I swear to god, Max James, you pull another one of these again, and I will have your ass on a plate.”
I let out a half chuckle half sob.
“It was so hard going through all that without you,” I said. “I wanted to tell you more than I did, but I wasn’t ready. I love you so much, Joel. I have a new sister, but you’ve been my brother since day one.”
We talked for longer than we had in the last few years about anything and everything. I hadn’t realized how much I’d missed Joel until then.
“Now tell me what’s going on with Isaac.”
“I messed up, Joebug. He made us come here so I could talk to you. He’s been telling me for ages that I needed to come clean, but I was so afraid, and I let all my anger out on him. Now he’s gone to Alex’s and I don’t know if he’ll come back home with me.”
“Do you want to know what I think?”
“Go on.”
“I don’t know Isaac very well, but I know enough to know he’s a great person. He’s been there for David in the same way you’ve been around for me. I think he may be hurting a little but that he wanted to leave you to do this on your own so you can start again with a clean slate. The question is, how are you going to start?”
I could have asked for forgiveness, but even if everything was okay between us, there was still the unanswered question of what he was going to do after Dorian and Jean-Paul got back home. Could I persuade him to stay? Hadn’t he already said he wanted to stay? After the way we’d separated at the airport, I wasn’t so sure anymore.
The idea came to me like the last piece of a jigsaw puzzle fitting in to complete the picture.
“Joel, I’m going to need some help.”
“Anything.”
“First I’m going to need to catch some sleep, and then I’m going to need to find a glassmaker.”
I was so tuned in to Isaac’s presence, I saw him as soon as he walked through the revolving doors into the departures area of Lisbon airport.
Alex saw us before Isaac did and acknowledged us with a nod that went unnoticed by Isaac, which gave me a few extra seconds to compose myself.
Isaac knew me better than I knew myself, so I was afraid he’d see everything that was in my heart before I was ready to reveal it.
His blue-green eyes were bright and shiny as he stared into mine full of uncertainty. I couldn’t reveal my plan, but hell if I was going to stop myself from taking him into my arms.
He let out a sigh when I planted a kiss on his forehead and pushed his curls back to look at his beautiful face.
“I missed you,” I confessed.
“I missed you, too.”
“Ready to go home?”
He nodded and closed his eyes, leaning into my touch.
We said our goodbyes and went through security. I turned back for a final wave and caught Joel giving me a big thumbs up while David and Alex high-fived each other. I chuckled.
“What’s funny?” Isaac asked.
“What? Nothing. I’m really tired; I think I’m going to sleep the entire flight.” I lied because there was no way I’d be able to catch a wink when the most important moment of my life was only a few hours away, but Isaac didn’t react to my statement.
It was the longest flight of my life. If I’d thought the flight to Lisbon had been painful, I was wrong. The flight back to New York was downright excruciating. Between pretending to sleep and pretending to have a headache, I went from worrying that Isaac would know what I was up to, to worrying that he was worried about me and my sudden indisposition.
As soon as I could, I turned my phone on at the airport and checked for messages. I asked Isaac to wait for me while I went to the bathroom so I could buy some time until I had the all-clear. For goodness sake, I would not cut it as a spy.
As soon as the text came in, I went back out and grabbed Isaac by the hand to lead him toward the arrivals area. Fortunately, we only had two small suitcases, so it was easy to navigate around the other travelers.
I looked around and picked the best spot. Isaac looked at me like I was growing an extra head, but I ignored him. I took the box from my suitcase and stood face-to-face with Isaac.
Everyone around us could hear my beating heart and knew what I was going to do, I was sure of it.
I was staring at the box like it contained all the answers and the courage I needed. Isaac put his hands on mine, his brows furrowed.
“Isaac, it’s been nearly a year since I let you go through the security doors of this airport on your way back to Lisbon. Our time together had been so short that, after a while, my brain started telling me it was all a fantasy, a dream, that it hadn’t really happened.”
Isaac’s eyes were shiny with unshed tears, and I wanted to kiss him so badly.
“Before you left I gave you a present.”
“The My First Christmas in New York tree decoration.”
“Do you remember what you said?”
His voice broke. “I… I said that the message would assume there would be a second Christmas.”
“I said it then and I’ll say it now. I wish for nothing more than for that to be true. So… I know it’s a little early, but I have a present for you.”
I pulled the box up to my chest and then gave it to Isaac. He cleared his tears before taking the box from my hands and opening the lid.
As soon as he opened the box, he knew what was inside, and his smile put the sun to shame. He leaned for a kiss.
“Wait,” I said. “Can you read what it says on it?”
Isaac carefully took the glass decoration from the box and turned it until he could see the message.
He gasped before he repeated aloud the words that had been engraved.
41
Isaac
“Isaac, will you marry me?” I read the words for a second time just to be sure.
Max ran his hand through his hair like he always did when he was nervous and didn’t make eye contact with me.
So this was why he’d been so weird on the flight. I’d known we wouldn‘t have a proper conversation until we got home, but I’d wanted to know if he’d shared his past with Joel. I needed to know if he was ready to face the future together with no secrets from those he loved the most.
I was glad for the very small difference in height between us because it didn’t take much to get him to look me in the eye as I got closer.
“Max, there is no situation, no lifetime, no universe in which the answer to that question would be no.”
“You don’t t
hink it’s too early?” he asked.
“I know we’ve only been together a few months, but I’ve loved you for a year. Even when I was mad because I thought you’d given me the wrong email, I still loved you. It is most definitely not too early.”
His face lit up, and in a split second, his mouth was on mine. The people dragging suitcases around us disappeared, the noise of the PA system disappeared, and the entire world disappeared. In that moment, there was only Max and I saying with our kiss all the things for which words came up short.
A loud cheer of whoops and claps brought us out of our bubble, and I nearly dropped the box I’d been holding with the glass Christmas decoration.
Despite the noise that had pulled us apart, my eyes didn’t leave his as our mouths separated.
“We’re getting married,” I whispered.
“Today, baby.”
“What?”
Max gave me a small peck on the lips and turned my face to where the loud cheers had come from. There, at the airport arrivals area, were Alex, Joana with Sofia in her arms, David, and Joel.
“Oh my god, Max, what’s happening? What are they doing here?”
My question went unanswered because the group came over and took us in a massive hug.
Between the congratulations, I heard someone say, “Come on, guys. We’ve got to get a move on. Cars are waiting outside.”
They ushered me with Max into a fancy car that had its own driver and big seats at the back. The rest of the group shared another car that had been parked in front of ours.
“Max, did you say we’re getting married today?”
“We’re getting married today,” he confirmed as he put his hand around my neck to pull me in for a kiss.
“How? Where?”
“We’re going to Jojo’s house in the Hamptons. Lucy, Diogo, Fernando, Micah, and Peter are already there making everything pretty for us.”
I would always have said yes to a proposal from Max, but I didn’t think it would happen so soon, like today. I also thought we needed to talk about the last few days.
I was so happy I didn’t even know how to quantify how much, but this was on the back of my mind, and if we were really getting married today, we needed to talk first.
We were getting married today. Fuck. I chuckled.
Max turned to me, crossing one leg under the other on the leather seat of the car, and reached over to press a button that made the partition between us and the driver go dark.
“Wow, I thought that only happened in movies,” I said.
“Isaac, we are getting married today.” He said it and then repeated it as though even he was suddenly realizing it. His hand came up to put some stray curls behind my ear, and he let his thumb caress my skin and trace my lips.
“We have an hour until we get there.” For a moment, I thought he meant we were going to make use of the large comfortable seats of the car to make out, but Max drew out a breath and started talking.
“You have no idea how much I want to lay you down on this seat and make out until we get to the Hamptons, but we need to have an important conversation first.”
I took Max’s hands in mine. “I know, Max, I’m so sorr—”
“No, baby, please let me speak first,” he said. “I didn’t handle it in the right way when you told me about this trip, but you were right, I needed to tell Joel.”
“I’m still sorry I pushed you,” I said.
“Don’t be. I spent so much time hiding that secret from him that I forgot that he is family and loves me as such, and for the record, so are you. Family, that is. You and Lucy, you are my family now.”
“That’s good, because Dorian called while we were in Lisbon to say they decided to stay in Paris for the next year so Jean-Paul’s mom can be part of Stephanie’s upbringing. I guess you’re stuck with me.”
“Baby, I’m marrying you because I want to be stuck with you forever.” He chuckled, but then his face took on a more serious note. “Are you sure you want to stay in Manhattan? The Rainbow Foundation is your life. I don’t want you to feel you have to give it up. I speak Portuguese; I don’t mind moving to Lisbon.”
“We have at least a year to talk about it and make a decision. Besides, it’s Lucy’s decision, too.” I decided we’d covered all of the important topics, so I pulled him in for a kiss.
We’d been so engrossed in our conversation that we didn’t realize how close we were to our destination, so Max asked the driver if he could drive us around for an additional thirty minutes so we could make the best use of the fancy car to make out.
“Jesus, Isaac, I haven’t seen you for days.” He sucked my bottom lip as he pushed his hips into mine, making me gasp at the feel of our straining erections under the zippers of our jeans. “There is a strong possibility I might die if I don’t get you naked under me.”
Max was already on top of me, so I stated the obvious. “We’re one step away, baby.” I went for his sweater, but he stopped me.
“Not now or I’ll have to get the driver to take a twelve-hour detour until I’m done with you, and we have a house full of people waiting to see us get married.”
“Twelve hours, huh? I’ll collect on that,” I said as we straightened up, and I adjusted myself, silently apologizing to my neglected cock, promising all the fun later.
“I should hope so, future husband.”
The house was a hive of activity, and the second we stepped through the door, lots of simultaneous things happened.
Lucy came to hug us, to tell us off for behaving like spoiled brats, and then directed us to the rooms upstairs.
Micah and Fernando were placing a decorative garland on top of the fireplace, and Diogo was directing them and shouting at them to be quick.
Joel pulled Max into a room, and I barely had a chance to give him a quick kiss before David pulled me into the room opposite.
“You’ll get plenty of time for that later,” David said.
Getting dressed in a suit for my wedding wasn’t something I’d ever thought would happen, and here I was, with my best friend fussing over my unruly curls to make sure I looked my best for my future husband.
David was like a brother to me, so I relished the chance to do something like this with him, considering Alex would be my official best man.
“Your maid of honor is currently sleeping on her dad’s chest,” David said while straightening my tie. “Can’t say I blame her. Alex is gorgeous.”
“That’s my little brother you’re talking about.”
“So you’re saying we can’t appreciate a good specimen of the male species when it’s lying there with the cutest baby on the planet in its arms?”
I punched his shoulder. “Stop it. I’ll tell Joel.”
“What? And you think he’ll disagree?” He laughed.
“Are you happy?” I asked.
“With Joel?”
I nodded. David stopped what he was doing and put both his hands on my shoulders.
“When I used to have really shit days, I always looked forward to getting home, having a shower, and then sitting on my couch facing the window and reading or researching recipes. It calmed me down and also activated my brain in a way I felt energized afterward.”
“Yeah, I get that, too, when I surf.”
“Every time I look at Joel, I get the same feeling. He’s my home, my comfortable place, my safety net, and also the person that challenges and energizes me. So yeah, I’m happy.”
There was a knock on the door, and Alex came in to take me downstairs. I suddenly felt very nervous. I was shaking, and my hands were damp.
“Isaac,” David said before he left the room, “you and Max are perfect together, as perfect as Joel and I, Alex and Joana. Life will throw shit at you, but as long as you remember what’s at the core of your relationship, you can face it all together, and that’s all that matters.”
My brother smiled at David’s parting words and held out his arms. “I’m so proud of you, big brother. Now
, let’s go and get you married.”
There was no groom waiting for the other groom at the altar. I met Max by the double doors leading to the living room, and we walked up together toward the fireplace where none other than Judge Benson was waiting to marry us.
“You look beautiful,” Max said as he held his hand out for me.
“You don’t look too bad yourself. Still want to marry me?” I winked.
His eyes were dark but warm. “Every day for the rest of my life,” he said.
I squeezed Max’s hand as we made our way up slowly, taking the time to look at our friends and family standing on either side of the aisle.
All the faces looking back at us were full of happiness, love, and pride. Despite everything that had happened to us in the past, both Max and I had been very lucky to be the people we were today.
As we walked past Lucy, who looked so beautiful in a purple dress with her dark curly hair pinned back, one more piece fell into place in my life. I would be a parent, big brother, whatever Lucy wanted me to be. We would be a family.
The ceremony itself didn’t take long. I hadn’t been able to take my eyes off Max, and even as I said my vows and tears blurred my vision, I still held his gaze.
As soon as Judge Benson declared us married, Max took me in for a kiss amid loud cheers from everybody. Even Sofia was giggling and clapping in her mom’s arms.
Before they all gathered around to congratulate us, Max held his hands up to request a moment. We’d discussed this in the car on the way here, and it felt like the right thing to do, but I was still nervous as hell.
“Thank you all for being here today and for all your help making it happen. I couldn’t be happier sharing the moment I married the love of my life in the presence of my friends, both new and not so new.” Max looked at Joel, and they shared a smile.
“Isaac and I are very much looking forward to our life together. Most newlyweds wait some time after getting married before they make any additions to their family, but we already have someone.”
Max extended his hand to Lucy who approached shyly since she was being put on the spot in front of lots of people she didn’t know well.