“I wish I would’ve realized sooner. I wish-”
“We can wish upon all the stars in the world my boy, but it won’t change a thing. The good thing, the most beautiful thing, is you realize now that grief isn’t about punishment. It took you time, and for a second I had thought that I lost my son for good,” she pauses, losing the battle of fighting back the tears, “but Iknew, I always knew you would see the clearing. And once you did you would be struck with a clarity.”
“I see it now, mom. I see the peace I thought would never come. And I found myself a love I thought I wasn’t worthy of. A love that taught me how to heal. A love that taught me how to live.”
She smiles up at me so proudly. “Love heals all wounds, my boy. I’ve always told you that. Love is the strongest weapon we have, and we will do anything to keep it.”
“I’m sorry for continuously disappointing you all these years. But know I’m never going to disappoint you again.”
“You’ve never disappointed me. Not once in your life have you disappointed me. I’ve just missed you, my boy. I’ve missed you terribly.”
“I’ve missed you, too.” We embrace once again, tears falling on both of our ends.
She presses another kiss to my cheek, her eyes marveling up at me. Then, she peers over my shoulder and her eyes widen with glee. Letting me go she closes the short distance to the woman who has changed my life.
Because my mom has a heart of gold, and shares the same optimism as my woman, she welcomes Grace in her arms with a heartwarming smile. “You’re even more beautiful in person,” my mom gushes.
On cue, Grace’s skin flushes and her smile turns shy. “Thank you, Ms. Barrington.”
My mom rolls her eyes while smiling. “Nonsense, my dear girl. Call me, Annette, or Anne. And perhaps soon you can call me mom.” She winks at me and Grace’s face reddens further. Even though my mom is teasing in a gentle way I have no reason to correct her. One day I do plan on making Grace more than just my Old Lady. One day my ring will be on her finger. One day she’ll carry my last name.
“It’s really wonderful to meet you, Anne,” my mom smiles brightly at her using her nickname, “you’ve raised the best man I know.”
When Grace says shit like that it makes my heart beat wildly in my chest. She makes me feel like I’m a God.
“I see he’s been a true gentleman to you, but I do sure hope my boy isn’t a gentleman all the time.” My mom winks at Grace and I groan from embarrassment.
“Mom.”
“Don’t ‘mom’ me, boy. I may be old but I was young once. And I’ve waited years for you to bring a girl home to me. And this one, this one I just know is the one.”
Not being able to withstand another second without her in my arms I pull her in front of me, flushing her back to my front and rest my hands on her hips. She melts against me like butter. And when she sighs with content I feel my heart swell.
“You’re wrong, mom.” My mom quirks an eyebrow at me. “She isn’t just the one, she’s everything.”
“Then you don’t know how happy I am that you found her.”
“She found me, mom. She found me.”
My mom’s eyes become misty once again. “Well then, welcome to the family, Grace. Now come inside, the both of you. I have so many photos of my dear boy to show you.” She takes Grace’s hands and leads her inside the house that was once my home.
As I follow behind them, hearing them both talking warmly with one another, I feel the rightness in my bones.
And we stay for hours. Reminiscing about my childhood. Mom telling embarrassing stories with even more embarrassing photos that Grace wants copies of to have as her own, I watch as Grace and my mom form a tight bond with one another. My mom gaining another daughter, my woman gaining a mother.
It’s beautiful. It’s bliss. It’s what life is about.
This is my world now. Grace is my world. And if anyone dares to threaten her I’ll kill them before they have the chance to act.
Oak
Three Weeks Later
“Do you think you’ll participate tonight?” Grace asks me softly, her head resting against my bare chest.
After vigorous rounds of sex we lay in her bed at her home outside of Hollows Point. I woke her up in the early morning, before the sun could even kiss the sky, with my head between her thighs, and decided to have my fill of her. Six orgasms later and I still want more of her.
If there is one thing I know with absolute certainty is that I will never have my fill of Gracie Mae Vale.
