Epilogue

One year later…

LAUGHTER ECHOEDthrough the backyard as Leo ran across the lawn, followed by his best friend, Jamie Prescott. Jamie’s parents, Dane and Maya, had become close friends of Ryan and Dylan over the past year, and the boys were thick as thieves. Ryan remembered what Noelle said to him almost a year before about mixed kids recognizing each other. That was certainly the case with Jamie and Leo. From their first day of school together, the two were inseparable.

Along with Jamie’s parents, Rebecca and her boyfriend were there, chatting with Lisa and her wife. Dylan’s parents, now known as Grandpa Kevin and Pop Pop, were sitting on the dock with Mrs. Lieu and Mr. Croft, their neighbor from across the street, who’d become a frequent visitor and spent a lot of time in Mrs. Lieu’s kitchen—and, as Ryan and Dylan had recently discovered, nights in Mrs. Lieu’s cottage. Jason brought his guitar over and was strumming his latest song while Joy, Thanh, and Thanh’s husband, Milo, sang along.

Jason and Joy’s neighbor on the other side, Stellan, joined them as well. They were still getting to know the quiet, serious young man. Dylan instantly recognized a kindred spirit, understanding Stellan was also an outcast in his family. Ryan was happy they’d been able to convince him to join the celebration. It seemed like Stellan was always at his stepmother’s beck and call and didn’t have a lot of time for fun.

They’d all gathered together to celebrate Leo’s one-year anniversary being cancer free. Ryan couldn’t think about the day he’d sat in the doctor’s office, Dylan’s hand gripped in his as the doctor confirmed the engraftment of Dylan’s bone marrow was a success, without tearing up.

Dylan came over and wrapped his arm around Ryan’s waist. “Are we ready for cake?”

“I think so.” Ryan snagged Dylan’s wrist when he moved away. “Stay for another minute.”

Dylan returned to his side, their fingers laced together as they watched their friends and family enjoy the celebration.

Ryan had gone from living a cold, colorless life in an equally cold and colorless mansion to a new life in a house filled with color and an eclectic mix of vintage furniture and brightly upholstered pieces. There was laughter and sometimes tears, because life wasn’t perfect.

The tears came in therapy where Ryan unpacked years of suppressing his feelings. Anger, hurt, and shame—he was still processing his feelings about his parents and sister. They were strangers to him now. He hadn’t interacted with them directly since that day in the boardroom. Dylan had been by his side when the news came out about the indictments against his parents and Stephanie. It turned out what they’d attempted to do to them was the least of their crimes. Bribing a senator and insider trading were much bigger crimes. It was Mrs. Lieu who walked Ryan down the aisle at his wedding, as it should be. Over the last year, Ryan learned that his ties to his found family were stronger than those to the people he shared DNA with.

Dylan also went back to therapy, dealing with a bout of survivor guilt. Ryan was so proud watching Dylan learn to accept that he was worthy of the love and affection from the people around him. Arlene and Clay didn’t take Ryan’s threat seriously. It was Dylan who came to him and said they had no choice but to follow through with exposing them when they tried to file for custody of Leo. But before they could take appropriate steps, another former student came forward with a claim against Clay that unlocked the floodgates, and at last count there were five women who’d brought sexual assault claims against the venerated football coach. Arlene and Clay packed up and fled to a small town in Arkansas as the wheels of justice slowly ground. They wouldn’t interfere with Dylan’s happiness ever again.

Blackstone Technologies was a different company now, focusing on money management software for small companies and nonprofits. Long days at the office were a thing of the past. Now Ryan kept a strict schedule, his workday ending at 5:00 p.m. He’d instituted a four-day workweek during the summer months so his employees could take advantage of long summer days. Dylan balanced his time teaching and working as the director of the Blackstone Foundation, identifying small organizations to receive grants. His dads happily accepted board positions for the foundation, and Ryan loved watching the three of them work together.

The foundation’s first major grant was given to the Be the Match Registry, to help the organization sign up more potential donors. They also set up a fund at Children’s Hospital to provide additional resources for families traveling from out of town for stem cell treatment. Ryan abandoned the sleek glass building and moved his company back to the brick building where he founded it. He sold the house he’d shared with Lindsay, and now when Ryan looked at its twinkling lights from across the lake, he felt like his time there was a distant bittersweet memory. It was the house that he and Lindsay brought newborn Leo home from the hospital to. The home where his marriage started and where the police showed up on his doorstep to tell him about the accident that brought his marriage to an abrupt end. It was also where Dylan came to them and made him whole, knowing what it meant to be fully loved for who he was.

Those stressful and chaotic first months after the boardroom confrontation passed, and six months ago, standing in the same spot on the dock, Ryan and Dylan joined hands with Leo and exchanged vows, surrounded by family and friends.

Ryan was finally free to be the person he’d hidden away, fearing rejection. He was loved and accepted for who he was.

The man who’d opened Ryan’s heart to his true self kissed his neck and leaned in to whisper in his ear. “The longer we wait to cut the cake, the longer it will be before we can celebrate in private.”

Ryan cupped Dylan’s cheek. “Every day with you is a celebration.” His lips caressed Dylan’s ear, making his husband shiver. “But naked celebrations are my favorite,” he said in a low, sexy growl.

Dylan laughed, a sound that never failed to make Ryan’s heart skip a beat.

DYLAN TRACKED Ryan walking toward him as he stood on the dock. The echo of children’s shouts and laughter had faded to the gentle lapping of the water along the shoreline. Grandpa Kevin and Pop Pop were reading Leo bedtime stories. Mrs. Lieu was across the street at their neighbor’s. She’d hurried over with a basket of leftovers packed with so much food Dylan suspected they wouldn’t see her again until after the weekend.

“Hello,” Ryan said when he reached him. He nuzzled Dylan’s nose. “Good day?”

Dylan cupped Ryan’s cheek, brushing his thumb over the silky strands of his beard. Ryan’s starched dress shirts and khakis were gone, and the last time he’d worn a suit was at their wedding. He’d let his hair grow a little longer and grew a beard. Most days found him in a pair of worn jeans and a T-shirt, just like today. His bare feet brushed against Dylan’s when he moved closer, wrapping his arms around Dylan.

“A beautiful day.” Dylan sighed, resting his head on Ryan’s shoulder.

He inhaled, taking in the smell of sunshine and the faint scent of coconut from Ryan’s sunscreen. This was what home felt like. Kevin and Carl had given him a refuge, a safe place to heal and grow. Ryan had given his heart a home. For the first time in his life, he was rooted. He’d gone through another bout of grieving for his family, only this time he didn’t feel the sting of their rejection, just a sorrow for the narrow-minded, hypocritical lives they’d chosen to live. Reaching that point of acceptance freed him to trust that his chosen family wouldn’t reject him, and he was finally able to dismantle the protective walls he’d built around his heart.

Now he had a house filled with family and friends, laughter and joy, beyond anything he could have imagined. Sometimes it scared him just how amazing his life had become. Tomorrow they’d pack up the SUV and head to the ten-acre property Ryan had found only ninety minutes east of Seattle, an idyllic wooded spot with a small lake that became their private campground. They’d added an outdoor kitchen and a shower and bathroom complex, but that was the only structure on the property. Often Jamie would join them, the boys in one tent, allowing Ryan and Dylan to have a tent to themselves. Their days were spent kayaking on the lake, making s’mores, and reading stories by the campfire. It was by that campfire, on Dylan’s birthday, that Leo climbed onto his lap and handed him his birthday card. He’d gasped when he opened the card and found adoption papers inside. His gaze flew to Ryan, who was down on one knee holding out a ring. Somehow Dylan had managed to stop bawling long enough to say yes to both of them.

The reality of life with Ryan was better than any romance he’d read. Of course, it wasn’t perfect. Perfect was boring and didn’t allow for shower sex after they’d gotten into a paint fight putting fresh color on the walls of their bedroom. Perfect didn’t allow for those times when either of them felt vulnerable and needed their partner to listen without judgment and offer support.

Ryan sighed contentedly when Dylan wrapped his arms around his waist as they swayed to the rhythm of the waves. It was a sound he’d never grow tired of hearing. In Ryan’s arms, he’d found a best friend, a confidant, a partner, and a lover. Dylan had found his home. His perfectly imperfect match.