The Bucket List Boyfriend (Boston Love #3)

Epilogue

Max

I’M SITTING at my desk, fingers hovering over the mouse as I watch the final seconds of the video I’ve spent hours editing.

It’s a combination of phone footage, Go-Pro footage, and even some drone footage I managed to get from the Wildway team. There’s even footage of me being tossed overboard on our whitewater adventure.

The screen flashes through scenes of Maya and me, laughing, panicking (all me), and supporting each other through every crazy thing we’ve done these past months—canoeing, ziplining, dancing in front of strangers, even skydiving. The bucket list felt like such a huge, insurmountable thing at first, but now, looking at it all strung together, I realize that it’s so much more than just a collection of wild adventures.

It’s a story of us. Of growing, changing, risking everything. Of falling in love.

A lump rises in my throat as the final clip rolls—a quiet shot of us sitting by the river, courtesy of Wildway. Maya is leaning her head on my shoulder, both of us grinning like we’re exactly where we’re meant to be.

It’s a good thing I’m home alone because I get a little misty-eyed just thinking about how these moments—the big ones, the little ones, all of it—are things I’ll treasure forever.

Uncle Reggie was right when he told me to record this stuff.

I never thought I’d want to relive it all, but these memories? They’re more precious than I realized.

The video fades to black, and I sit back, letting out a long, shaky breath. I’m grateful—really grateful—for all of it. The risks I took. The love I found.

And especially for Uncle Reggie’s push to do something completely out of my comfort zone. I never thought I’d be able to say that.

A buzz at the door startles me, and I rub my eyes quickly before getting up.

I pull the door open to find Mr Carson, standing there, his expression softening as he sees me.

“Max, my boy,” he says with a nod, stepping inside. “I heard you and Maya completed the bucket list. Congratulations.”

I smile, still a bit emotional from the video.

“Yeah, we did. I’ve been putting together the footage.”

“I’m looking forward to seeing it,” Mr. Carson replies with a knowing smile. “Your uncle would be proud. As I mentioned at the reading of the will, he left me something for you—to be given after the bucket list was complete.”

He reaches into his briefcase and pulls out a sealed letter, the familiar handwriting on the envelope instantly making my chest tighten.

“He wanted you to read it when the time was right,” Mr. Carson adds, handing it to me gently. “I’ll leave you to it.”

I nod, taking the letter, my heart squeezing at the thought of my eccentric, loveable uncle.

“Thanks, Mr. Carson.”

With a final nod, he leaves, and I stand there, staring at the envelope for a long moment before sitting down on the couch.

My fingers tremble as I tear it open, and I pull out the letter.

Well, Uncle Reggie. Let’s see what you’ve got to say.

My dearest Max,

If you’re reading this, that means you’ve completed the bucket list. I hope you know how immensely proud I am of you. Not just for completing it, but for the young man you’ve become.

Looking after you boys after your parents’ death was the greatest honor of my life. You’ve always had such a brilliant mind, a heart of gold, and the strength to get through anything, even when you didn’t believe it yourself.

It hurt me, more than I can say, to watch you after your parents died, desperately trying to control every part of your life, as if that would somehow protect you from ever feeling that kind of pain again. I understood why you did it, Max—I really did. You thought if you could just hold everything together, you wouldn’t have to suffer another loss, but life isn’t so kind.

I knew that if I didn’t give you a nudge, you might live your life with walls around you, never letting go and really living.

That’s why I gave you that bucket list. I wasn’t trying to push you out of your comfort zone just for the sake of it. The money was never the real reward. The reward was in the journey. The point was to show you that when you loosen your grip, when you let go just a little, life can surprise you. Sometimes it’s even better than you ever imagined.

I’m not saying I expected you to become an adrenaline junkie like Maya. Goodness knows, you’ve never been that guy, and you don’t need to be. You are loved just the way you are. But I wanted you to learn that there’s a certain kind of freedom when you stop worrying about everything going wrong and start trusting yourself to handle whatever comes your way.

I know you, Max, and I know this adventure wasn’t easy for you. It wasn’t supposed to be. But I hope that through it, you’ve realized just how capable you are when you stop letting fear call the shots. You’ve always been strong, but sometimes I think you forget that.

As for Maya—I’ve watched you pine for that girl for so many years. I’ve watched the way you light up when she walks into the room. I know that you’ve been afraid that you’re not enough for her and that if you tell her how you feel, you might lose her.

But Max, she’s your match in every way that counts. I’ve seen it for years. You challenge each other, you balance each other. You’re the steady hand she needs, and she’s the spark that keeps you on your toes. So if this bucket list adventure gave you anything, I hope it was the courage to finally tell her what’s been in your heart all this time.

I can’t promise it’ll be easy, but I promise you it’ll be worth it. Life, love, all of it—it’s messy and unpredictable. But it’s also beautiful, and you’ve got the heart to handle it. You always did.

Take care of yourself, and take care of Maya. I love you just the way you are, Max—organized, cautious, steady. But don’t be afraid to step into the unknown every now and then. You might just find it’s where the best parts of life are waiting.

With all my love and pride,

Uncle Reggie

THE END