I felt a surge of gratitude for my sister. She was handing me the perfect opening on a silver platter. Mom’s eyes met mine, and suddenly, I knew. This was my moment.
“Hey, Mom?” I said, my voice reassuringly steady. “Can we talk for a minute? Just us?”
Mom’s eyebrows arched slightly, but she nodded. “Of course.”
Curiosity flickered in Brenna’s eyes, but she pointed to her computer. “There’s a great little nook in the far corner. I need to place my order, so take your time.”
I led Mom to two faded but incredibly comfortable wingback chairs with a circular table between them. She set her novel on the table as we sat. My heart hammered against my ribs. I wiped my suddenly clammy palms on my shorts, buying time as I searched for the right words.
“Mom, I know you’ve been worried about the resort,” I began, meeting her eyes. “And I get it. The finances, Jules and my whole workplace-romance thing… it’s been a lot.”
She tilted her head, curiosity mingling with concern on her face. “Eli, what’s this about?”
I took a deep breath. “It’s about Jules. And me. Us.”
Mom’s shoulders stiffened, but I plowed on before she could say anything. “You said something when we talked that morning on your patio that hit me like a ton of bricks.”
That made her curious. “What?”
“You asked me if I loved her.” The memory of my painful silence, my fumbling non-answer, burned with fresh shame. “And I couldn’t say it. I choked. You were right. I hesitated. I was scared. I’ve always been afraid to fall in love. I admit that your divorce from Dad messed with my head pretty bad. I’ve always been afraid to get close.”
Her eyes clouded. “I feel terrible that it had such an effect on you kids.”
I gave her a little shrug. “How could it not? He walked out on all of us, not just you. But that’s not my point. I’ve been doing a lot of thinking since then. About Dad, aboutRussell and Lucia, about why I run when things get real. About why that word felt like jumping off a cliff.”
Then I looked her straight in the eye, forcing the fear down. “But Mom… I do. I love her. Julianne Verne. I am completely, terrifyingly, head-over-heels in love with her. I told her so last night.”
The words hung in the air, finally spoken, finally real. It felt like shedding a skin I’d worn for far too long.
Surprise rippled across Mom’s face, quickly followed by a complex mix of emotions—relief, lingering worry, and finally, unmistakable pride.
“And I know,” I pressed on before she could speak, “I know that probably scares you. Given the resort, the history, everything you went through. I get why you’re worried. And I understand why the idea of a workplace romance, especially when the resort is financially precarious, brings back awful memories. What happened with Russell and Lucia, how it poisoned everything, nearly ruined us, even pushed you and Dad further apart… that’s a heavy weight to carry. I finally understood that better when you told me.”
“Sometimes it felt like a piano on my back,” Mom agreed quietly, her fingers tracing the pattern on the armrest.
“But Jules isn’t Lucia.” I punctuated each work by tapping the side of my hand against my other palm. “AndI’mnot Russell. More importantly, Mom,I’m not Dad. I’m not going to walk away when things get tough. This relationship… Jules… she doesn’t make me want to run. She makes me want tostay. To build something real. For the first time, I actually care about budgets and profits and all that stuff I used to blow off.”
Atiny smile tugged at Mom’s lips as if she couldn’t help it. “I had noticed a change in you lately.”Then herexpression grew serious, her gaze softening.“But since the bonfire, that easy grin hasn't reached your eyes nearly as often. There have been times, when you thought no one was watching… I saw it. Honestly, sweetheart, I've been worried. Seeing you so unhappy while trying to pretend everything was fine... it forced me to take a hard look at my own part in it. It made me reconsider if my hard line was truly about protecting you, or just about protecting myself.”
I smiled faintly at her. “You saw that, huh? Yeah, things have been rough. I understand your fears, Mom. I really do. You have every right to want to protect this family, this legacy, after everything. But Jules and I aren’t a threat to that. We’re part of its future.”
I paused, gathering courage for the next part. “I need you to know something. I was so convinced there was no way forward for ushere, that I decided to leave. Quit my job at the resort. Find work somewhere else, maybe Calypso Key. I thought it was the only way to prove I was serious, the only way we could be together without defying you or putting the resort at risk.”
Mom’s hand flew to her chest, her eyes wide with shock. “Eli! You wouldn’t…”
“I was going to,” I confirmed grimly. “I went straight to Jules last night and told her my plan. I thought she’d be relieved, happy even.” I shook my head at the memory. “But I was very wrong. She flat-out refused.Shewas the one who reminded me what Sunset Siesta means, whatfamilymeans. She told me I belonged here, that walking away wasn’t the answer. She believes in this place, Mom. Believes inus, all of us, enough to stop me from making a huge mistake, even when it might have made her own life easier.”
I met Mom’s gaze again, laying my heart bare. “So Itold her I’d find a way. I love her. And I want to build a life with her,here. With our family.”
Mom was quiet for a long, stretching moment. Tears welled in her eyes, shimmering in the soft bookshop light. She reached out, not just taking my hand, but gripping it tightly.
My voice cracked as I added, “I’m asking for your blessing. Not just because I respect you and I love you, but because I want you to be part of this. Part of Jules and me. Because I’m pretty damn sure she’s the one for me.”
Mom was quiet for a long moment, her eyes becoming wet and teary. I held my breath, my heart pounding so loud I was sure Brenna could hear it from twenty feet away.
She squeezed my hand hard, then finally spoke. “Oh, son. I’ve been so afraid of what might happen, I didn’t see what was right in front of me.” Pausing, she smiled and swept her gaze over me. “I can hardly believe I’m talking to my son Eli right now. And the situation with Chase showed me that being afraid of possibilities isn’t helpful. In the process, I learned a thing or two about letting go of fear.”
I blinked, surprised. “What do you mean?”
