Текст книги "Sensational"

Автор книги: Janet Nissenson

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Текущая страница: 27 (всего у книги 29 страниц)

With each word, each confession, her heart had begun to ache a little bit more as it finally dawned on her what the real reason had been for Ben to leave. It hadn’t been because he didn’t love her or want her enough, or that he’d been afraid of commitment. He had left for her, because he’d been afraid of keeping her from living her dreams.

“You silly, stupid man,” she scolded, pushing her chair back in order to climb aboard his lap, her arms twining about his neck. “Don’t you realize, Blue Eyes, that you were my dream? Or that by leaving me the way you did, my life was already ruined? Nothing has ever been the same for me since that summer, you know. I’ve never come close to being as happy as I was during those ten days. They were the best days of my life, too.”

He cuddled her close, pressing a kiss to her forehead as she rested her head on his shoulder. “Leaving you was the biggest regret of my life,” he told her solemnly. “There wasn’t a single day that went by when I didn’t wish I had made a different decision. Though I still don’t know what I could have done differently.”

Lauren gave him a playful punch on the arm, grinning when he winced. “For starters, you ass, you could have tried talking to me. Could have been honest. We would have figured something out.”

“Can you really say that, though?” he questioned. “If I had stayed with you, maybe followed you back to L.A. for a year while you finished college, taken some job just to get by for a year – what would have happened then? If you had won the photo contest and the job at National Geographic Travel – would you have still taken it if I was around? I’m guessing you would have turned it down so that you wouldn’t have had to leave me behind. And that was exactly why I left you – so that you’d be able to have those sort of opportunities.”

She shook her head emphatically. “As much as I love my job, Ben, I loved you more. We would have found a way to deal with things. Even if it meant being away from each other for a couple of weeks at a time. I would have always come back to you, you know.”

“I know you, Lauren,” he told her lovingly. “You wouldn’t have taken this job in the first place, in spite of what you say now. You would have sacrificed your dreams in order to stay with me. And I would have wound up hating myself because of it.”

“No.” She stubbornly denied his declaration. “It wouldn’t have happened that way. I wouldn’t have let it. We would have come up with some solution. And at least we would have been together. Instead, you broke my heart, you stubborn, pigheaded idiot, and made me hate you at times – even while I still loved you more than my own life. You should have trusted me, Ben. Should have talked to me.”

He sighed, then gave a reluctant nod. “I realize that now. But you have to understand that I wasn’t used to having someone to confide in. For so many years I’d been forced to look out for myself, make my own decisions. And in spite of how tough you were, how capable you seemed, you were still so damned young. I was terrified that I was just a summer fling for you, and that when push came to shove you’d choose your career over me. And that would have broken my heart into a million pieces.”

“We’ve wasted so much time,” she fretted. “Years we could have been together – should have been together. And then, when we finally met up again, somehow found each other, you were – with her. With Elle. And you broke my heart all over again.”

“Hush.” He caressed her cheek. “That’s all over now. Should never have happened in the first place. Elle was a good friend, a nice person, but that’s really as far as it went for me. She knew there had been someone else, someone I was still in love with, and I think it drove her a little crazy to think about it. Especially since I always made it clear that I didn’t love her that way. She’d fly into these jealous rages simply if another woman said hello to me. And she was always suspicious of you, accused me more than once of having an affair with you.”

“Me, too. It was at the holiday party last year, the night you and I danced together. Guess maybe we got a little carried away with the whole staring into each other’s eyes bit for her liking. Enough that she actually threatened to go to Daddy’s friend the big boss and have me fired if I didn’t leave you alone.”

“What?” Ben stared at her in slack-jawed disbelief. “You’ve got to be joking. I never imagined her paranoia would go to that sort of extreme. Is that why you seemed more distant than usual towards me after the party?”

Lauren gave a little shrug. “Maybe. Mostly, though, it just seemed sort of hopeless at that point. And you know what? I really don’t want to talk about Elle anymore right now. I’ve just had two of the worst days of my life, only to have all of that forgotten the second I saw you waiting for me at the airport. So I’d really rather just focus on that instead. Okay?”

“Totally okay,” Ben whispered, pulling her head down to his for a long, searching kiss. His hands drifted to the belt of her robe, spreading the sides apart and pushing it off her body. Almost reverently, he traced a finger around one taut pink nipple. “And these are still the most sensational tits I’ve ever seen.”

“They’d better be,” she gasped as he lifted one breast to his lips and tugged the nipple between his teeth.

Ben rose up from the chair in one fluid motion, picking her up as he did so. He practically tossed her on the bed before quickly pulling off his clothes and joining her.

“And nothing, nothing,” he whispered in her ear as his hands roved greedily over her body, “has ever felt as good, as right, as this. And every time I’d remember how good it was between us, what I’d walked away from, I died a little bit more on the inside.”

Lauren clutched his head to her breasts, stroking his hair soothingly. “It was the same for me,” she murmured. “It’s like I was half alive for six years. So, come on, Blue Eyes. It’s way past time for us to be whole again.”

He kissed a path down between her breasts to her belly, his hands stroking over her hips, thighs, ass, as he did so. “Let me, sweetheart,” he urged, spreading her legs apart. “I’m dying to taste you after all this time.”

At the first lick of his tongue against her clit, her hips bucked up off the mattress as she clutched handfuls of the sheets. “Mmm, ohh, that’s sooo good,” she panted, as his fingers began a slow steady rhythm, pumping in and out of her slick, tight pussy. At the same time his tongue fluttered delicately against the inner folds of her labia before his lips closed over her clit, sucking hard. That was really all it took for her to climax, her lower body thrashing wildly to and fro as he kept at her, refusing to give her a respite from his unselfish attentions.

But as she was finally coming back down to earth, his finger began to trace over a spot on the tender flesh of her inner thigh.

“I, ah, think I’ve found one of those mysterious additional tattoos of yours,” he chuckled. “And now I know why that gigolo Franco thought my own ink looked so familiar. You had him make a duplicate.”

“Yes,” she confessed. “It was my own personal little reminder of you. One that only I would recognize. A way to keep a tiny part of you with me forever.”

As his tongue traced around the tiny mark, she flinched a bit. “That tickles,” she giggled.

Ben lifted his head and gave her a wry smile. “I’m just guessing it didn’t exactly tickle when that bastard inked you, though.”

She nodded. “You’d be right. Even with the numbing it still hurt like fuck.”

He scowled. “And you had to have it put right here? The thought of his hands on you here, so close to – ”

Lauren laughed and tweaked his nose as though he was a pouting child. “Relax, honey. The whole time Franco was working on this his wife was sitting there chatting with me. And if that doesn’t sound like enough of a cockblocker, both of his kids were playing in the room at the same time.”

“I guess,” replied Ben sullenly. “But do I even want to ask what – and where – tattoo number six might be?”

In reply she promptly flopped over onto her stomach and gave a little wiggle of her ass. She knew the second he found the tiny, almost indiscernible mark by his hoot of laughter.

“Lips?” he chuckled. “What’s the reason behind this one?”

She tilted her head up at him inquiringly. “You don’t remember? Well, allow me to refresh your memory. We were in bed, just like this, and I’d had my wicked way with you about four times in a row. You were kissing my back and then my butt, and you said – ”

“That I wish I could leave an imprint of my lips right here because you had such a perfect little ass,” he recalled. And then his mouth covered the exact same spot as the tattoo before traveling a slow path up her spine to the nape of her neck. “And do you remember what happened after that?” he whispered wickedly in her ear.

“Hmm. Let me think,” she said teasingly. “Did we take a nap? Watch the baseball game? Or did we – ow!”

She flinched as he gave her a quick smack on the ass, his voice clearly amused. “No, you little witch. That is not what we did. What happened next was – ”

Lauren gasped as he pulled and pushed her thighs apart, bending her legs out to the side as he slid the full, hard length of his cock inside of her body with one hard thrust.

“Ohh,” she moaned. “Oh, yeah. It – it all comes back to me now.”

***

The sun had set, and they had barely ten minutes before they had to meet the others for dinner. Lauren was calmly digging through her bag for clean clothes, stark naked and completely unselfconscious, while Ben could only stand there and try his best not to drool.

“Okay. Found them. My very last set of clean undies. I have no idea what I’m going to wear home tomorrow,” she fretted.

He stepped in behind her, the fabric of his jeans rough against the bare skin of her thighs. “If you can hustle this cute little butt up, we can make a quick stop at the gift shop in the lobby.”

“Deal.” She pulled on her clothes in record time, ran a brush through her hair, and took him by the hand. “Let’s go.”

Ben shook his head in amazement as they began to walk towards the elevator. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone get dressed that quickly. I guess the thought of buying new lingerie is a great motivator.”

Lauren grinned, patting his cheek. “It isn’t that, honey. I’m starving again, so the faster we run our little errand, the faster I can start shoving breadsticks into my mouth. And tequila.”

He slid an arm around her waist, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. “As long as its not that extra expensive brand you like so much, especially since this meal is going to be on the magazine. And I was actually thinking that champagne might be more appropriate tonight.”

“You’re right,” she agreed. “I guess we do have a lot to celebrate, don’t we? Like not dying in a plane crash for one.”

“Well, there is that for sure,” he drawled. “And then, of course, there’s the fact that you and I are back together since you finally agreed to listen to my explanation.”

Lauren gave him a meek smile. “I know I was an obstinate brat to keep refusing you. But I was angry and hurt and you know I’ve got a problem with holding grudges.”

Ben rolled his eyes. “Who, you? Never. But you’re forgetting to mention all the other things we have to celebrate.”

She cocked her head at him. “Oh, yeah? Like what?”

“Let’s see.” He began to tick them off on his fingers. “Karl and Tamsyn’s wedding. Her pregnancy. Oh, yeah. My new job. The new apartment we’re going to find together in New York since I’m essentially homeless right now. And there was one more thing. Ah, I remember now. We need to drink a toast to our engagement.”

Lauren blinked rapidly. “Huh? Come again?”

He grinned lasciviously. “Maybe after dinner, sweetheart. You’ve sort of sucked me dry for the time being – literally, after that really incredible BJ. And of course we’re getting engaged. Just like we’re getting married – as soon as possible. Like next month maybe.”

She stared at him in disbelief, her eyes wide. “Do you really mean it?” she whispered.

Ben slid his arms around her waist and swung her around in a circle several times before setting her on her feet. He cupped her face between his palms and gazed down at her with so much pure love in his eyes that her heart felt like it might burst with joy.

“Yes, I really mean it,” he told her passionately. “Now, listen carefully, sweetheart, and pay attention. I want to marry you on the beach at Big Sur. Nothing elaborate like your sister had, something simple and quick, but just as beautiful. Then I’m going to take you away someplace on a honeymoon where we can lie on a beach or climb a mountain or ride horses, maybe all three. After that I’m going to finish out the last couple of months on my contract before I join your crew as the new travel writer. And then you and I are finally going to see the world together.”

She nodded enthusiastically, tears of happiness glistening on her lashes. “And then?”

He gave her a sweet, soft kiss. “And then we live happily ever after.”

Chapter Twenty-Six

Six Weeks Later – Big Sur

Julia stared down at the beach just below the cabin in wonder. “I still don’t know how you managed to pull all of this off in just over six weeks. Nathan and I had six months and it was still barely enough time.”

Lauren snickered. “That’s because your version and mine of the perfect wedding are very different, Jules. And the secret to getting it all done in only six weeks is knowing the right people. More importantly, the right people who happen to owe you favors.”

Julia laughed and slid an arm around her sister’s waist. “Well, it definitely looks like everyone returned their favors big time. It all looks gorgeous, Lauren. Especially you.”

Lauren smiled, turning around in a circle for her twin’s inspection. “You think so? That wasn’t the reaction you had when I first picked this dress out.”

Julia had, in fact, been horrified when Lauren had insisted on buying her wedding gown at a vintage clothing store in San Francisco’s Haight Ashbury district. And the minute Lauren had spied the tiered white cotton and eyelet dress she had known it was the one.

“But it’s a hippie dress!” Julia had protested. “Why couldn’t you have let Aunt Maddy find you something? It wouldn’t have been custom made like mine was, but it would have been a lot more elegant than this. And it’s – it’s used, Lauren. You have no idea who else has worn this thing.”

Lauren had laughed heartily at the look of disgust on her sister’s face. “You are such a priss,” she’d scolded, pressing a kiss to Julia’s cheek. “Look, I’ll have it dry cleaned first if that makes you feel better. And it’s not a hippie dress. The correct term for this style is boho.”

Julia’s dismay had only deepened when she’d learned the rest of Lauren’s plans – namely, to wear a wreath of flowers in her hair instead of a veil, and that she planned to walk up the aisle in bare feet.

“You, too, baby sister,” she’d announced cheerfully. “In fact, it’s going to be a barefoot wedding, since we’re getting married on the beach. But you can slip into some shoes when we head back up to the cabin for the reception.”

But the one thing Lauren hadn’t been able to talk her stylish sister into had been wearing a vintage dress of her own, unlike Angela, who’d calmly gone along with whatever Lauren suggested. Fortunately, Julia had found a new dress in a style that had satisfied both her and Lauren, though it still bothered Julia that her dress wasn’t even the same color as Angela’s, complaining that bridesmaids should at least try to look the same.

Julia grinned at her sister now, carefully rearranging one of Lauren’s thick, tawny curls. “I know what I said. At the time I only wanted you to have the same sort of fairy tale wedding that I did. What I didn’t realize at the time was that not every fairy tale is written exactly the same. And your version of the story is every bit as beautiful as mine was, even if I do have to go barefoot. At least it turned out to be a beautiful day.”

When Ben had first suggested getting married on the beach – the same stretch where he and Lauren had packed so many memories into just ten days – Lauren had been more than a little wary about the weather. Late October could be unpredictable here – foggy, drizzly, cold, windy. Fortunately, it was going to be a gorgeous autumn day – clear and sunny with just a light breeze – and the outdoor ceremony would go off without any weather related hitches.

Everything else also seemed to be under control, a major feat considering the haste in which it had all been thrown together. But neither Ben nor Lauren had been willing to wait even one week longer to get married, quelling the few protests that had arisen from family and friends by insisting they’d already wasted six long years.

Her parents had been the first to receive the news, of course. Ben had insisted she call them with the news within hours after they’d arrived back in New York, and Lauren had been downright shocked by their reactions.

Natalie had been more than a little choked up, not to mention startled, but had been quick to reassure her daughter how delighted she was at the news.

“It’s wonderful, darling,” Natalie had enthused. “Just think – both of my girls married within a few months of each other. And,” she’d added wickedly, “now it’s your sister’s turn to pitch a fit about her bridesmaid’s dress.”

But it was when her mother had added softly, “I knew he was special when I met him that day at Norma’s – special to you, in particular,” that Lauren had nearly choked up herself.

Robert’s reaction had been far more pragmatic – as usual. “Well, it’s about damned time that you came to your senses, my girl. And, yes, missy, I guessed how you felt about that man of yours close to a year ago. It was when I met him for the first time face to face and remembered where I’d seen him before. Or at least a black and white profile shot of him.”

Lauren had gasped in surprise. “You remembered those photos I took after all that time? And how did you know it was Ben in the shots?”

Robert had chuckled. “Wild guess. Father’s instinct. When you would get all up in arms about your Ben the Bastard, especially when he stopped you from going on that trip to Brazil, I knew that something was going on. Because you’d never had that sort of reaction to a man before, regardless of how angry he might have made you.”

“And neither of you ever mentioned that you’d met,” she had retorted crossly. “Why am I the last to know these things?”

“You’ve always been a nosy little miss,” Robert had replied calmly. “Always butting in to everyone else’s business, always insisting on knowing the latest gossip. And yet you kept so much of your own life to yourself – especially the fact that you’d met someone that summer and fallen in love. Or that the two of you met again years later and he happened to be your new boss. I decided that it was good for you to get a little taste of your own medicine once in awhile, so I very intentionally never told you that I’d met your Ben last year.”

The scathing retort that Lauren had been about to give her father had died on her lips, however, when Robert had added gently, “He’s a fine man, missy. One I’m very proud to welcome to our family. And even though he’s a quiet one, I think you may have finally met your match. Ben’s not afraid of you, you know, and you won’t be able to bully or charm him into doing everything your way. With your Ben, still waters definitely run deep.”

After sharing the news of their very sudden engagement with those closest to them, things had happened very, very quickly after that. Ben had stayed with Lauren at Maddy’s place for a few days until he’d been able to sign the lease on a modest, partially furnished place of his own. He’d had to make a very awkward phone call to Elle to arrange the pick-up of his things, a task that Chris and George had been enlisted to help him with. Lauren had considered it to be in rather bad taste to enter Elle’s house under the circumstances, and had contented herself instead with helping Ben to unpack at the other end.

And it was when she began to unload a box filled with books, files, and other items that had previously been kept in his home office that her hand had closed over a framed sketch – a sketch that she recognized as the one she’d rather carelessly drawn of him six years ago.

“My God,” she’d breathed. “You kept it. All this time. And had it framed, too.”

“This is one of my most cherished possessions,” he’d told her with a kiss. “It’s always been the first thing I packed when I had to move, and the first thing I hung on the wall when I unpacked. It was the only thing I had to remind me of you, after all. Well, this and a couple of hundred photos, that is.”

In recounting the story of what had really happened the night he’d left Elle, Ben had rather sheepishly revealed the secret stash of photos he’d kept of Lauren all these years. She had prodded him to show her the whole album, gasping with surprise when she’d noticed that at least a couple of dozen shots were much more recent, and she had half-jokingly accused him of being a stalker. But when she’d come across the dozen or so nude and semi-nude shots of herself, instead of being angry as he had assumed she would be, Lauren had grinned wickedly instead.

“So it was this particular photo Elle was looking at when you caught her snooping?” she asked, pointing to the photo in question.

Ben had nodded. “That’s the one. And as you can see it, uh, doesn’t leave much to the imagination.”

“I can see that,” she’d agreed lazily. “And I’m glad you kept it. Glad that the snoopy, nosy bitch came face to face with my, uh, nakedness. She deserves it after threatening to get me fired. Not to mention lying to my face about the two of you getting engaged.”

“Why didn’t you just ask me at the time if it was true?” he’d inquired.

Lauren had shrugged. “Maybe because I didn’t really want to know the truth. Or let you know how much it would have devastated me if the answer had been yes.”

Ben had taken her in his arms then. “You’re the only woman I’ve ever wanted to marry,” he’d murmured against her hair. “The only one I’ve ever loved. So let’s forget about Elle, hmm? She was a mistake I made when I was lonely and vulnerable. And I’m just guessing you made one or two – or more – of the same mistakes yourself.”

“Not as many as you might think,” she’d insisted. “I could count those mistakes on one hand and still have fingers left over. And God help me, but I’m not even sure I can remember their names or faces now. Because the only face I could ever see was yours.”

They had agreed then to never again discuss Elle, or how desperately unhappy both of them had been during the years apart. Especially since they had a wedding to plan in a very, very short amount of time.

Ben had flown out to California with her, more than a little nervous at the thought of meeting her parents again – and this time not as Lauren’s boss but as her fiancé. But his worries had been for naught, because the McKinnons had welcomed him into their home as though he’d been part of their family for years. Julia and Nathan had been down for the weekend, too, and the pair of them had confessed they’d done a bit of matchmaking during their visit to New York a few weeks earlier.

Nathan had chuckled in recollection. “After all, it was payback time, Lauren. If it hadn’t been for your devious little manipulations that first day I met you, Julia and I might never have gotten back together. So I might have dropped a few hints to Ben that night at dinner, just enough to get him thinking. Looks like my machinations had the desired outcome, though. So we’re even now – sis.”

Nathan’s good-natured jibe hadn’t stopped Lauren from smacking him on the side of his head, with Julia shaking her head in exasperation.

“I think it’s a good thing that Mom and Dad never had a son,” Julia had declared. “Because Lauren would have been merciless towards him, if the way she treats Nathan is any indication.”

“Nah.” Lauren had waved a hand in dismissal, just before giving Nathan an affectionate smooch on the cheek. “It’s just that he’s such an easy target, you know? But I think he’s a keeper, Jules.”

Julia had smiled at her twin knowingly. “Just like Ben is, hmm? I finally figured it out, you know. Like you told me I would the night before my wedding. I put all the clues together, and right before we flew out to New York, all the pieces finally clicked into place. And I knew he was the one.”

Lauren had rolled her eyes. “Jesus, it took you that long to figure it out? I think Mom and Dad should write to Cornell so they can get a refund for your tuition, because you’re nowhere near as smart as I thought you were, Jules.”

But the twins’ good-natured ribbing of the other came to an abrupt halt when Natalie reminded everyone they had just over a month to plan a wedding – a wedding that would fortunately be a simple affair with fewer than fifty people in attendance.

Ben’s head had been spinning by the time the weekend had ended, for between Lauren, Julia, and their parents, the entire wedding had been organized in the space of seventy two hours or so. Natalie had arranged for the catering, wedding cake, and decorations; Robert the music, drinks, and extra tables and chairs; Julia the invitations, flowers, and what Lauren had caustically referred to as “half a dozen little girly touches”. Robert’s brother Malcolm had offered to do the photography, while Chris would be video taping the ceremony for them.

Lauren, meanwhile, had taken Ben with her to a very unique little shop in Big Sur where they’d chosen their rings, and she had also made a call to the minister who would be marrying them.

“Actually, he’s really more of a shaman,” she’d informed Ben blithely, and had then disappeared into another room before explaining further. It had been left up to Natalie to reassure him that this particular shaman was well known locally, and would not be showing up to the wedding in full Native American ceremonial garb or something similar.

They’d had to return to New York far too soon, but not before they had spent three magical nights alone at the cabin. Ben had fought hard to keep his emotions under control the first time he’d crossed the threshold of the place where he had spent the happiest weeks of his life. His hand had gripped the door jamb while looking around the great room, nodding in satisfaction to note that nothing had changed in six years.

“Home,” he had stated simply.

Lauren had nodded in agreement. “Always.”

She had moved in with him upon their return to New York, and had been the one to suggest that they consider renting the place out to vacationers via a service like Airbnb once Ben took Karl’s job over in January.

“After all,” she’d pointed out, “we’ll really only need this place for a week or two at a time. Our real home will be back in California.”

“Actually,” he’d corrected her with a sweet, tender kiss, “home will be wherever you happen to be at the moment.”

“Aw,” she’d gushed. “Aren’t you sweet? Maybe you should consider writing poetry sometime. But,” she had added more soberly, “you’re absolutely right, Blue Eyes. Home is definitely where the heart is, and since you’ve owned my heart from the moment I met you – well, you get the picture.”

Lauren smiled to herself now as she recalled how that rather gooey conversation had ended – the same way in which most of their conversations seemed to end these days – in bed. They had both been rather intent on making up for lost time over these past few weeks and had – in her exact words – done a bang-up job of breaking in their brand new mattress by, well, banging – a lot.

“Lauren, your uncle’s calling for us. He wants to take a few shots out on the deck before we head down to the beach.”

Lauren smiled up at her best friend who had just walked back inside the cabin. “Thanks, Angie. Guess we’d better go find Uncle Mal.”

She linked arms with her two attendants as they walked out of the cabin, shaking her head in disbelief. “Who would have thought that less than four months after Julia got married that I’d be walking down the aisle next?” she asked incredulously. “Or that Angie would be back with her mystery man.”

Angela laughed. “Well, you did catch Julia’s bridal bouquet, after all. And before you even consider doing so, do not plan on me catching your bouquet. You do realize that this is the first wedding Nick has consented to attend since he was a kid, don’t you? He certainly doesn’t intend for the next one to be his. Ever.”

Julia patted Angela on the shoulder. “He’ll change his mind one of these days, honey.”

Angela shook her head. “I doubt it. You don’t know him very well as yet. To call Nick set in his ways is putting it mildly. And it doesn’t matter to me. Honestly. I don’t need a wedding ring or piece of paper to know that we belong together. Or to prove how much he loves me.”

“If you’re trying to make me cry on my wedding day, it’s not working,” retorted Lauren. “At least not on me. But I think Julia’s about to ruin her eye makeup, so quit the sentimental stuff, Angie. Now, come on. You may not care about getting married, but oddly enough, I do. And it’s going to be perfect.”

Julia smiled at her twin fondly. “Well, of course it is. You’d never allow it to be anything but.”

Angela bent and gave her much shorter friend a kiss on the cheek. “I told you when you came to visit me in August that you deserved to be happy more than anyone else I know. And now it’s finally your turn, Lauren.”

***

It was with a sense of semi-detached disbelief that Ben looked out at the group of forty or so people milling around the section of beach that had been set up just a short time ago for his wedding. The wedding that still seemed unreal to him, as did the fact that it was really Lauren he would be marrying in just a few more minutes.

Lauren in particular had insisted on keeping the wedding small, just immediate family and their very closest friends and co-workers. She had also been the one who’d prodded him to invite his parents, even though he hadn’t been in touch with either of them for almost a year. Not surprisingly, his mother had mumbled some excuse about not being able to get away, the same way she had for both his high school and college graduations.