Four more days in San Francisco. A proper bed. A city he loved. And Finn, right beside me. Yeah. This is exactly where I want to be.
After they had lunch, Maurice followed Finn, David, and Theo out to the curb where their Uber waited, the late-afternoon breeze carrying that unmistakable mix of bay salt, diesel from the ferries, and the faint sweetness of waffle cones from the pier vendors. San Francisco always smelled like a city that couldn’t decide if it was a postcard or a construction zone.
As the car pulled away, the city opened up around them—not in some generic skyline way, but in that San Francisco way Maurice remembered: steep hills stacked like dominoes. A cable car bell clanged somewhere up the hill, followed by the grinding rumble of its tracks, a sound that always felt like the heartbeat of the city.
Finn pressed his face to the window, eyes wide. “It’s so different from Boston. Everything’s… brighter.”
Maurice smiled. “Yeah, it’s got its own vibe. Charlottesville’s quieter. More trees. More space to breathe.”
Finn turned toward him, still half-leaning on the glass. “Tell me about it. I can’t wait to see where you live.”
Maurice blinked. “You do?”
“Yeah,” Finn said, as if it were obvious. “Right after this trip. I want to visit Charlottesville.”
That hit Maurice harder than he expected, but in a good way. Warm, steady, as if someone had just handed him something fragile and important.
“Well,” Maurice said, trying to keep his voice casual, even though his chest felt too full, “I’ll buy your ticket. Make sure we’re on the same flight. Seats close together.”
Finn’s smile softened. “I’d like that.”
From the row behind them, Theo leaned forward between the seats. “Wait—if Finn’s going to Charlottesville, I want to visit David too.”
David laughed. “You’re invited, babe.”
“I’ve got four weeks off from school,” Theo added proudly.
Finn perked up. “I should call my job. See if I can get more time.”
Maurice felt a ridiculous splash of happiness at that—Finn wanting more time with him, wanting to see his world, wanting to stretch this trip into something bigger.
Maurice caught himself imagining Finn walking down Charlottesville’s pedestrian mall, or sitting on Maurice’s porch with a coffee, or meeting his friends. The thought didn’t scare him. It felt… right.
After climbing out of the Uber, they wandered to Powell Street after a climbing out of the Uber. A cable car clanged its bell, the conductor calling out destinations with the confidence of someone who’d been doing it for decades.
Finn grabbed Maurice’s hand. “Can we ride one?”
Maurice squeezed his fingers. “Yeah. Let’s tour the city.”
And as they climbed aboard, the wind whipping around them and the city stretching out in all its crooked, colorful glory, Maurice realized he wasn’t just showing Finn San Francisco. He was imagining showing him everything.
Chapter Thirty
Finn
Finn met Theo inthe hotel lobby the next morning, both of them buzzing with the kind of energy that only came from a day dedicated to fun shopping. Theo had already pulled up a list on his phone titled Pride Parade Essentials, complete with emojis.
“Okay,” Theo said, linking his arm through Finn’s as they stepped outside. “We need outfits that scream queer joy but also say we didn’t try too hard.”
Finn laughed. “So… wigs?”
“Obviously wigs,” Theo said. “And makeup. And something rainbow. Preferably sparkly.”
They wandered through the Castro, ducking into a thrift shop that looked like it had been curated by a drag queen with a sense of humor. Finn held up a rainbow crop top.
Theo gasped. “You would look adorable in that.”
Finn grinned. “I would own up to my name, Rainbow Flirt.”
