Iris reaches for my mother’s hand. “You’re not no one. You never were. You’re Jack’s mom, and Jack turned out pretty great, so from where I sit, that’s a legacy. And from what you told me, you were so completely and desperately in love with Jack’s father that you would have done anything for him. That’s not no one. That’s someone who loves with their whole heart. Don’t let yourself think you’re no one.”
I stare at Iris. How can she find so much compassion for my mother when she hasn’t been treated well by her at all? But she does. Becauseshe’skind and compassionate and understands the sacrifices we all make for our family.
“You are very kind, Iris,” my mother says. “It’s more than I deserve.” She turns her attention to me. “When you disappearedafter our argument… I understood for the first time that your happiness means more to me than the Alden name. More than the family legacy. All I want is for you to have a life you deserve and enjoy.”
It hits me right then that I don’t think my mother has ever talked about my happiness.
“I don’t want to lose you, Jack,” she says.
“Thank you, Mother. I don’t want to lose you either. But things have to change.”
She nods. “You get to decide, not the rules now. Not just live by them like I did. Your father and I weren’t as brave as you. This is your life. Your legacy. I understand that now. And I’ll do what I can to help you. Help you both. New York society is…” She sighs. “It’s tough.”
“I can do anything with Jack by my side,” Iris says.
My mother smiles and it feels warm and more genuine than I can ever remember one of her smiles ever being. It feels like the beginning of something new. Like the shoots of a new relationship with my mother might be poking through the cold November dirt. We both need to nurture it going forward to make sure it doesn’t wither and die.
I glance at Iris. The woman who changed the entire trajectory of my life. Even my mother can see how important she is to me. Iris’s the woman I love. My future wife and the woman I’ll be with forever. She smiles at me and it’s like sunshine and I find myself softening under her gaze. I can only think the best of the world and everyone in it when she’s next to me.
It’s possible that my mother has been trying to protect me from the sacrifices she felt my father made. Time will tell whether she means what she says about the Alden name being my legacy now. But like she said, I get to decide my future. My future with Iris.
EPILOGUE
Iris
Jack has barely taken his eyes off me since we said goodbye to his mother as she headed off to the Snowdrop Inn. It’s like he thinks I’m going to bolt or something. But I’m not going anywhere.
We pull up in front of his lodge and I put the car into park. I insisted on driving after the revelations from his mother.
“We need to talk,” I say. We need to reestablish trust between us, but I know I’ll do anything Jack wants me to do.
“I should never have ended things,” he says.
“I understand why you did. You have a lot on your shoulders.”
“That’s all over now. I’m not going back to the life I had before. I know my dad’s not going to be able to go back to his life before his stroke, but I can’t just take over from him and continue things the way he’s done everything. I won’t do it.”
I sigh, trying to think about how to move forward. “No decisions need to be made today. But your family has a lot of money. That brings a lot of opportunity.”
I shift in my seat and face him. “You know how you said you liked the idea of going into businesses and solving problems, helping them grow?”
“Yeah. Like I did in business school.”
“Well, you might be able to combine that love with the resources your family have and really make a difference in the world.”
He gazes at me like I’m the most fascinating person on the planet and I stifle a giggle at how adoring he looks. I smooth my hand over his face and he leans into it like a cat being stroked.
“Think about it. You could identify a global issue that needs to be addressed. Maybe it’s the pollution of the oceans or microplastics or whatever. You could work to develop a plan to solve that problem and put Alden family resources behind it.”
His eyes widen. “The Aldens are rich, but we can’t single-handedly clean up our planet’s oceans.”
I smile at him. “No, but you know everyone there is worth knowing. You can form an alliance. Fundraise. You could create a global foundation. Maybe you just tackle one issue so you don’t spread your resources too thinly. That way you could make a huge difference.”
Jack furrows his brow like he’s confused. “You’re amazing.”
“And this is a shock to you.” I roll my eyes in mock irritation.
“I just don’t know how I got so lucky to even meet you, let alone spend the rest of my life with you.”
