TWENTY-FIVE years later….
“Happy anniversary, Mrs. Bernard.” He kissed his wife.
“Happy anniversary, Mr. Bernard.” She cupped his cheek, her eyes reflecting the warm golden glow of the sun setting over the Grand Canyon.
Steve held his wife in his arms as they swayed to DeBarge by the campfire. It was the same song they’d had their first dance to, both on that fateful road trip and then at their wedding, surrounded by family and friends. Their children had offered to throw them a party to celebrate their anniversary, but this was where they’d wanted to be.
Twenty-five years of laughter and love. With time, Ava’s parents had come around and accepted Steve. After the first few uncomfortable visits, it had become clear that her parents hadn’t objected to her marrying a White man so much as they’d struggled to accept that their vision for their daughter’s life didn’t match the plans she’d made for herself. Over time, their relationship had recovered. Of course, presenting them with three wonderful grandchildren had helped heal the breach. Ava’s parents doted on Willow, Ivy, and Ash the same way Steve’s parents did. Two beautiful girls and a boy, all with their mother’s eyes and curly hair and their father’s smile.
It was Ava’s parents who’d suggested the two of them come down to California for an annual visit on the anniversary of the Loving v. Virginia Supreme Court decision that had legalized interracial marriage. It was an olive branch signaling their acceptance. The celebration had grown over the years, first with the addition of the grandchildren, and now it included Steve’s parents, Nell, cousins, and friends who joined them for a picnic on the beach in Malibu.
Ava’s curls were peppered with strands of silver now. Her brown skin was still as smooth as when they’d met, apart from the tiny laugh lines around her eyes that Steve thought only enhanced her beauty. He looked at every gray hair, line, and wrinkle they’d both gained through the years as marks of a life well lived.
After Ava had found him on the beach, they headed north to Misfit Harbor, where his parents had welcomed her with open arms. They’d made the small town in the San Juan Islands home, with Ava working as a teacher at the local elementary school and Steve joining his father in business.
Of course, it hadn’t always been easy. There were some people, even now, who gave them disapproving looks or made thinly veiled racist comments, or even blatant ones. But through it all, they’d held fast, the love that had bloomed on their first road trip never wavering.
Pearl had become a cherished member of their family. They’d continued to explore the US, Canada, and Mexico, with their children giggling on the top bunk while Steve and Ava slept in each other’s arms below.
“Hey, Ava?”
His wife threw her head back and laughed. The sound still sent a shiver of desire through him the same way it had the first time he’d heard her on the green at Brown.
“Yes, Steve.”
He cupped her face, dropping a kiss on her lips. “The General Public will never know just how much I love you.”
She wound her arms around his neck. “Hey, Steve.”
His lips twitched. “Yes, Ava.”
“You’re my Prince.”
He moved until their bodies fused and captured her lips in a deep kiss. When they finally parted, he whispered, “You are the mix tape of my life. I love you, Ava.”