Epilogue
Montana cabin - Ten years later
“Will you get away from us!” Fiona shouted as Grayson and Griffon each threw a snowball at their sister and Tori. “DAD!” Fi called to Gus, “Tell them to stop!”
Gus called, “Guys, come over here.” They reluctantly both jogged toward their dad as the girls walked toward the bunkhouse. “Stop messing with Fi and Tori.” Gus watched the girls walk out of earshot. “Just give them a little space. If you promise to stay within sight of the houses, you can take the snow machine but if you do anything stupid, this will be the last time I let you go alone.”
“Really? Like without you on it?” Gray asked as he moved toward the machine.
“Take turns and be careful.”
Gus went back into the house where Cass stood at the door. “Did you just let the boys take the machine by themselves?”
“They’ll be fine. It is the small one and they are nervous enough they’ll be fine. And guess what?”
“What?”
Gus pulled Cass close to him, “We have the place alone for a while.” He kissed her.
“And we should make hot toddies and relax by the fire?”
“Exactly, but I was actually thinking apple cider since it is 2:00 pm.”
“That is probably better.” Cass smiled, “I’ll put some more wood on the fire.”
“Brian look at this,” he walked over and put his arms around Justin’s shoulders from behind and Justin leaned back. “The boys are on their own.” Brian and Justin stood looking out the window of their cabin.
“You know Gus let them do it and by now Cass is worrying about it.” Brian ran his tongue along Justin’s ear.
“Um, she’ll know all us are watching and we have three doctors on the grounds.” Justin turned and slid his hand around Brian’s waist and put his hands on the small of his back, pressing him closer.
Brian lowered his head and met Justin’s willing mouth.
This place was built after the twins were born. They knew they would need more room. The new cabin had a similar view to Ted and Victor’s but their home didn’t have the modern feel. It was open with large fireplaces. The main room had soaring ceilings with a second floor balcony on two sides of the house. There were two bedrooms on each side, along with two on the main floor, one of which was the master suite. By next year Gus’ family would take over this place and Brian and Justin would reclaim their original place.
“Do you think we will be like that when we are in our 70s?” Leo asked Aiden as they walked into the room.
Aiden let his hand rest on Leo’s ass. “We better be or I’ll find a willing woman.”
“You do that from time to time anyway.”
“Yes, but who do I always come home to?”
“Me, and then you untie me and have your way with me.” Leo pulled Aiden so they mirrored his fathers and began kissing.
Brian and Justin started laughing. “Tied up?” Brian questioned.
Leo broke the kiss and looked at Brian, “Most of the time.” He went back to kissing Aiden.
Aiden had been a slow starter, sexually, but he had made up for it. Although Leo had been a constant, he had been very adventurous along the way. Aiden had always been the weak one, the small one, but when it came to his relationships he was always in control and Leo would stay by his side forever.
As the boys on the snow machine made their way to the expanse of the meadow they stopped and switched places. Victor waved at them from the window and Gray and Griff responded in kind. Ted walked up behind him and smiled when he saw the boys. “They are growing up so fast and so beautiful, inside and out. Maybe we can do a little matchmaking between one of them and Tori.”
Victor laughed, “That would almost be like marrying a sibling. Tori and Gus’ kids were almost raised together with Cass babysitting Tori along with raising the boys.”
“It always amazes me that while she was raising three kids and taking care of a fourth, she went back to college and completed her degree and then went back for her doctorate.”
“I was so surprised when she decided to counsel the abusers, not the abused.” Victor rested against Ted, “The fact that she actually works in the prison system with them still amazes me.”
“Remember how upset Gus was when she had decided that?”
“And he had every right to worry, but Cass is a smart woman and she is really doing some good. I have heard some of the first time offenders are really working with her to turn their lives around.”
They had watched the boys in the meadow as they spoke and then from the trail that led along the edge of the wood a second, much larger, snowmobile came roaring down the mountain and as Gray and Griff stopped, JR and Trev pulled up to them.
“Uncle JR, that machine is so phenomenal. I wish Dad had gotten one.” Griff walked around it.
“Well, maybe in four or five years he’ll get you each one. For now, you look like you are handling that one just right.”
“We’re going to be ten in a few days. And I’m still a day older!” Gray said, elbowing his brother, not that he could feel it through the snow suit.
Griffon slumped a bit. Trev draped an arm around him, “Someday you will be able to rub it in that you’re younger.”
Griff stood up straighter, “Ya, what he said.” The next thing they knew the snow balls began to fly. It ended up with Trev and Griff against Grayson and JR. After that went on for a few minutes they stopped and began building a snowman. Ted texted Gus to let them know the boys were at their place and by the time they were wet and cold, Ted had made hot cocoa for all of them. The boys got it straight, while the ‘big boys’ added peppermint schnapps to theirs.
After they were warmed up, the twins headed back to the cabin. They met Tori who was heading back to her place. The boys stopped for a minute. If they were honest they both had a crush on her. “Why are you going home?” Griff asked.
“Because you all are coming over here for dinner, remember? It is Christmas Eve. I said I would help set the table.”
“See you later.” Gray said before taking the machine out of neutral and finishing the trip home.
Later that evening, after everyone had eaten their fill, they sat around the living room. It had become a habit that Brian and Justin tell the story of how they met. Sometimes someone would tell part of the story for them, everyone knew it by heart.
“I remember Dad talking about his beautiful blond. I’m so glad he was right for a change.” Brian tossed a pillow at him. Gus looked at Justin, “You’re beautiful inside and out.”
“Thanks, Gus,” Justin tightened his arm around Fiona, kissing her head. “My life would never have been the same without you.”
“So Aiden,” Victor turned to Aiden. “When are you heading back to my home country?”
“Well, we are leaving January third but,” he looked at Leo who nodded. “But that is just to pack. We are moving to New York City as soon as we can pack up. Before we fly back we are spending a couple days there to sign the papers on an apartment.”
Brian and Justin had been told the night before but everyone else was ecstatic. “I see many shopping trips to New York City in our future,” Cass said to Fiona. Fiona ran across the room and forced enough distance between Aiden and Leo to sit down. “Can I come sometimes when I am out of school and so I can get away from THEM. I need a break. I really…” and many conversations continued at once.
Small gifts were shared and as they enjoyed the evening light snow began to fall. Before the families went back to their individual homes, Leo stood and sang a couple French Christmas carols.
It was the end of a perfect day. Gus, Cass, and their kids strolled back to the old cabin and Aiden and Leo went back to Brian and Justin’s. Trev and JR went to the den with Tori to watch a Chrristmas movie leaving just the four old friends. They sat around the fireplace sipping a mulled wine that Victor made every year. “Why do we only have this during the holidays?”
“Because it wouldn’t be special if you had it more often.” Ted responded as Victor always did. Ted smiled at Victor and they kissed. “You have to be thrilled that Aiden will be back in the country.”
“Yes, we are. Victor, you didn’t have anything to do with his work offer, did you?”
“Who me? I’m retired. I don’t have connections anymore.”
“You’re a liar, Frenchie.” Brian was feeling the alcohol.
“The only thing I had to do with it was give him a reference. Beyond that, he did it all on his own.”
“I don’t care how my boy got the job. I’m just glad he’ll be closer.” Justin snuggled against Brian. “Come on, big guy, I think it is time for us to go to bed.”
“Um,” Brian started pushing Justin down.
“Come on, old man.” Justin stood and offered Brian his hand. Brian took it and stood. Brian and Justin put on boots and coats and the men said goodbye.
Brian and Justin strode hand in hand in the falling snow. “If I wasn’t 60 years…”
“60, my love?” Brian said and kissed him lightly on the tip of the nose. “Seems to me there were 65 candles on your last cake.” He slipped his arm around Justin.
“As I was saying when I was so rudely interrupted, I’d drop down and make a snow angel.”
To Justin’s surprise, Brian stopped in his tracks and, using Justin’s arm, dropped to the ground. He then offered his hand to Justin and he got to the ground, too. They laid down side by side and moved their arms and legs and then their fingers met and they linked fingers.
“It’s been a long time since I laid on the ground and looked at the stars. It always feels like you could reach up and touch them here on the mountain.”
“I never noticed the stars before meeting you. All those years ago, did you ever think we would still be coming to this mountain almost 35 years later?”
“No, remember that first night I thought you were an asshole.”
“But you got naked and crawled into bed next to me.”
“Because I thought you were going to die. What would I have done with your dead body.”
“Now that’s romantic,” Brian chuckled.
Justin squeezed his hand, “Brian,” his voice was serious now. “I know our life together wasn’t always easy. During our divorce I couldn’t stop thinking about being with you again and then there was Aiden’s illness, Gus’ rough spot, Marley’s death, but as long as we were together I knew we would survive.”
“Love, I couldn’t agree more, but right now, if I lay on this snow much longer, I’m going to need your naked body against me again.”
“Well, I can’t think of anything I would rather do.” They helped each other up and closed the short distance to the house. They stopped once more and glanced up at the stars.
“Life is good, isn’t it, Brian.”
“Life doesn’t get better, Justin.”