(Chapter 40. The beach. November 22, 2033.)
Where the dunes leveled off above the high tide line, a very old man with snowy white hair sat in a folding chair, a demolished picnic spread out on the blanket at his feet. Four couples sat on the edges of the blanket, enjoying one another's company and chattering with the old man. A tall, very elegant black woman at one corner of the blanket moved a set of aluminum crutches so she could snuggle closer to a tall, dark, handsome man, obviously her husband. To the old man's left was a small blond guy with a moustache, his whiskers and hair just starting to go gray; he was teasing an attractive brunette. On the old man's right, was a big guy who looked a lot like the old man. His hair was getting mostly gray, and he was stretched out full length on the blanket. His head rested in a blonde woman's lap, and she constantly threaded his hair through her long, slender fingers. On the corner of the blanket beside them, sat a big man, mostly bald, but with a fringe of close-cropped steel gray hair encircling his head. Kneeling behind him, massaging his shoulders, was a tiny, spirited redhead. He was so big, and she was so small, she looked like a child, but anyone with eyes to see could tell they'd been madly in love for years.
A group of young people played in the surf. A statuesque redhead and her tall, dark-haired escort who strongly resembled the old man strolled along hand in hand from where they'd been hiding behind a dune, having a secret rendezvous. One knew of the young man's pants was dirty, and the redhead looked a bit shocked. A handsome black couple, the man with two children tugging him along by his hands and the woman cradling a baby walked towards a group of five playing Frisbee. The Frisbee players included an athletic young black man and a regal young woman who was obviously his sister. A slender brunette showed great affection for the man and a redheaded youth was equally enamored of the sister. When the Frisbee came to her, a blond woman who was considerably younger than the rest, stopped for a moment and spoke to the father of the two young children. Then the Frisbee players rearranged themselves so the father and his two eldest children could join the game while the mother carried the baby over to sit on a low dune and teach her how to applaud the others' derring-do.
To the casual observer, it was a typical family gathering at the beach, but to one man, it was a dream come true.
The little redhead on the blanket rubbed her husband's balding head playfully, and she said something to the blonde woman that made both their husbands look over at the tall young redhead and her date, and grin. The two young people came over to them. The young redhead showed them a ring on her left hand, and her father got up and hugged her. Then he shook the young man's hand. The young man gave his dad and granddad each a hug, and then he kissed his mom. His fiancée gave each of them a hug. There were lots of hugs and handshakes after that, and much admiring of the ring. As the sun started to set, the people gathered up their picnic and headed for the house, with the men joking about a bachelor party and the women talking about color schemes and flowers.
Somehow, Steve and Liv found themselves bringing up the rear. They both stopped out on the deck and watched for a few moments as their friends and family joked and teased their way through the house and into the living room. Then Steve sighed, and turned to lean on the railing.
Unconsciously copying his actions, Liv did the same. "It was a nice Thanksgiving, wasn't it?"
He nodded. "It was a beautiful day for it." With November having started on a Thursday this year, the holiday had come early, and they had been fortunate to have a golden Indian summer day to celebrate.
A quiet moment passed between them.
"Liv, remember that morning you came out here and caught me . . . dreaming?"
"Today is what you dreamed about."
"Yeah."
There was another quiet moment, then he threw his arm around her shoulders, pulled her close, kissed the top of her head, and said, "It's really good to have you back."
Olivia slipped an arm around Steve's waist, rested her head against his chest, and drummed her fingers against his ribs to the rhythm of his heartbeat. "It's good to be back."
After Keith and Liv had donated their big old house for a hospice care center, they had moved west to be near their daughter, buying a house on the beach about a half-mile south of Steve and Maribeth. Emily had approved heartily of the place, saying it was, "absolutely perfect, beautiful, close enough to visit every day, and far enough from Brentwood to have to call ahead." Emily herself was scheduled to start as a consultant for the LAPD on the first Monday of the new year.
Keith and Maribeth stood just inside the house, watching their partners. Keith sighed, smiled, and said, "They're always going to love each other."
Maribeth looked at him and smiled, then looked back to her husband and the other woman whom he loved. "Good for them."
By mutual agreement, they both went out onto the deck to join their partners. Steve and Liv did not separate, but they pulled their spouses close. Keith and Maribeth did not try to pull them apart, but moved to be near them. Liv pressed her cheek against Keith's arm, and Steve tucked Maribeth's head under his chin. The four of them, already old friends, stood watching the setting sun turn the Pacific crimson. The noises of laughing and teasing inside the house blended and faded into the background.
"Well," Steve said softly, "it seems we have come full circle."
Liv looked over at Maribeth, then to Steve, and finally to Keith. Then she looked out at the ocean. "Yes, we have," she agreed, "and that circle is somewhat bigger now."
The sun winked at them as it finally sunk below the horizon.
The End
