Beauty and the Billionaire

My mother's eyes flew open first with surprise and then with painful compassion. "Penn, darling, I'm safe. Your father is not hurting me. We were just arguing over when to tell you something important."

"Looks like it better be now," Xavier muttered.

I clenched my fists again. "What is it?"

Alice swept back her flowing sleeves and pressed her palms together. After a cleansing breath, she said, "Your father and I have reconnected over these past few years. This battle with cancer has burned away all our past mistakes and made us realize that we still love each other. We're getting married."

Cheers went up around the encampment, and I realized we had all been talking loud enough for everyone to hear. My mother looped her arm through my father's as they walked past me to meet their well-wishers around the campfire.

I stood where I was even after a bottle of champagne was unearthed and the toasts began. I couldn't help watching like a hawk as my father turned down a pour of the sparkling wine. It was impossible to admit that they looked like a happy couple. From the outside, minus the traumatic childhood, my mother looked radiant and my father looked like he was about to burst.

Alice stood up and thanked everyone. "Xavier and I discovered that, finally, after years of smoothing out all our rough edges, we are a perfect fit. It only took raising our wonderful son, facing our own demons, and battling our own stubbornness to bring us together. So, we are finally going to tie the knot!"

Every one raised a glass. Every face was a smile, every voice was a laugh. I stood there and couldn't believe what I was seeing. I knew it was the picture of happiness, but I couldn't believe it was real.

"Penn? Can we talk?" Xavier asked.

I stalked off behind the yurt and crossed my arms before facing him. "If you hurt her again, I will kill you."

Xavier nodded gravely. "I heard you the first time. Penn, I need you to know that I've been sober for years now. It hasn't been easy and I failed a few times, but now I really value this life, your mother and you, more than alcohol."

"And I'm supposed to just believe you?" I snapped. "You didn't even tell me she was sick."

"I know. That was wrong of me."

I tore my hands through my hair. "We wouldn't even be talking now if you hadn't thought she was on the edge of dying. She was on the edge of dying."

Xavier straightened up, his eyes bright. "And that's why this is happening now. I love her, Penn, I always have. I can't waste another minute drunk or separated from her. We want your blessing, but first, I have to ask your forgiveness. I need to make amends."

"That's it, isn't it?" I snapped. "You need me out of the way. That's how it's always been."

I couldn't face him, so I walked away.

Corsica ran after me and stopped me before I could hit the trail. "Penn! Isn't it wonderful! Did you know? Is that why you decided to come back early?" She looped her arms around my neck and bounced while she hugged me. "I'm so excited for your parents. Your mother looks positively radiant."

She moved to look at me, but I held her tight. I couldn't let Corsica see my expression. Her whole body vibrated with joy. I wanted a moment, just a moment, to feel it through her.

I couldn't let myself be happy for my parents. There was a cold weight in my chest when I thought about it. But, Corsica was so ecstatic for two people she hardly knew, and I was jealous of how free she was with her emotions.

I buried my face in her hair. "I'm glad my mother is happy. She deserves it. She deserves all of this and more."

"Come back to the campfire," Corsica urged. "They're opening another bottle of champagne. Are you going to make a toast?"

I let her go and shook my head.

Corsica rolled her eyes. "You should make a toast. But, if you aren't, the least you should do is have some champagne and hear about what I found out about glamping."

"Wait, so you're not mad at me?"

Her smile went crooked, but did not diminish. "I was. I was going to be mad at you all evening, but don't you think this happy news kind of knocks that out of the way?"

I took her hands. "I shouldn't have cut off our camping trip because of work. That's something my father would do and I want to make sure I never follow his example."

She squeezed my fingers. "Don't you think you'd feel better if you forgave your father?"

"I'm not sure he deserves it, yet." I thought saying yet proved that I was not unbendable.

"Maybe it shouldn't have anything to do with him," Corsica said. "I'm not mad at you anymore, and I've got to say the rest of the evening looks a lot better because of that. Why keep wasting all your energy like this? If you forgive him, then you can move on."