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It took Eddie twenty minutes to psych himself up to get out of the car. He had prepared for this, of course, knowing he was a coward by nature and loved to flee all big emotions, and he allowed himself a thirty-minute period to arrive at the restaurant and convince himself to get the hell out of the damn truck. He almost didn’t.
But he did, and he managed to arrive at the table with two minutes to spare. Of course, Bobby and Athena were already there flirting, and Maddie was arriving just seconds after him, so he didn’t have the time to orient himself with the reality of what he was about to do.
“Hey, y’all,” Athena greeted brightly. Bobby offered them both a sunny smile as they took their seats.
“Have you two ordered?” Eddie asked, if only to put off their questions for a bit longer.
“Just drinks, figured we’d wait for you two,” Athena answered, gesturing to the four glasses of water and her own smoothie all sitting, sweating in the heat of the summer air.
Eddie had requested they meet at a restaurant they all knew with outdoor seating when they all had off and it was early enough he wouldn’t be fretting about it all day. Thus, they’d be in a brightly lit space, no time constraints, no complaints about the food, and fresh air to keep him from having a panic attack. This had to go perfectly.
Their Father’s Day barbecue was in two weeks, after all.
The waitress came by to take their orders, and Eddie requested a second water after draining his first in an instant. The three others were watching him with a concerned amusement, all of them staring with raised eyebrows and he rubbed his sweaty palms against his denim-clad thighs.
“So,” Athena said pointedly. “Eddie, why did you ask to meet without your bad influence?”
Eddie fought against an eye roll, swallowing heavily against his anxiety. “I, uh, he’s at home.”
“Right,” Maddie agreed with a slight smirk. “You asked us to meet you here and specifically asked us to keep from telling Buck.”
“And Chimney,” Bobby added. “Which was probably for the best.”
Eddie smiled at the attempt to lighten the mood. “Yeah, I…” He took a deep breath, centering himself like Buck taught Chris, and by extension Eddie, for when he woke with nightmares. Just the thought made him smile.
“You know you’re Buck’s favorite people in the world, right?” Eddie asked, looking around at the three of them.
“Aside from you and Christopher, of course,” Athena pointed out.
Eddie smiled again. “Right. I just…” He turned his body to face Maddie. “You raised him. Buck thinks the world of you, and he loves you with everything he has. You taught him how to be good, how to love others. And he knows that. Maddie, you’ve been his everything since the day he was born. And… I’m so glad you’re a part of his life again. I’m so glad Evan has his big sister for good.”
Maddie gave him a watery smile as she wiped the tears from her cheeks. “Eddie, I don’t know what to say.”
“Give me a minute, and I’ll have something for you to say,” he said with a light chuckle. Then, he turned to the other two occupants, both of whom were already emotional. “Bobby, Athena, you two are the parental unit Buck’s never had. You two showed him what it’s like to be loved, what it’s like to have a mother and father.
“Bobby, you showed him how to open up to the people around him and how to accept his flaws. I know that he said that he became the man he is because of Abby, but… we all know it was because of you. Because of your tough love, he stopped being that idiot who stole fire trucks for sex and he became this beautiful individual who found a family. You are, in every way, his father.
“Athena, you’re the best mother anyone could ask for for him. You love him so much, and you care for him so deeply, and you showed him what maternal love is. He didn’t have that before you, didn’t have parents before either of you, and I know you both understand the love he has for you and the important role you have in his life.”
He took a deep breath as Athena reached out, taking his hand in hers. “Sweetheart, we know. That boy is everything to us.”
Bobby, lost for words lest he cry, simply nodded his agreement.
“I know he is,” Eddie said firmly. “And he’s the best man in the world.” He took another deep breath, clearing his throat around the tightness he felt and the telltale burn in his nose that said he’d cry. “And I was raised with traditions, and this is one I’ve always loved. And I can’t think of anyone more important than the three of you to… well…” He huffed a wet laugh, then pulled the little box from his pocket. Both Maddie and Athena gasped and Bobby just sobbed at the sight.
“Maddie, you’re his big sister and he thinks the world of you. You raised him. Bobby, you’re his father, the man who taught him love. And Athena, you’re his mother, the woman who taught him the warmth only a mother has for her child.” He took a shaky breath, eyes filling with tears as he took in the wet faces of Buck’s family, his family. “It just made sense to ask the three of you for your blessings to ask Buck to marry me.”
Maddie sobbed, loudly, drawing the attention of a few nearby tables. “Oh, Eddie,” she cried out. She stood, pulling him into a tight hug. “I couldn’t ask for anything better for him than you and Christopher. Nothing would make me happier than knowing my brother will be with you.”
Athena and Bobby rounded the table, eyes bright and cheeks streaked with tears, and they each pulled him into a tight hug.
“Eddie Diaz, you have my blessing any day,” Athena declared as she held him.
He laughed into her shoulder, so relieved and delighted he wasn’t sure what else to do. “Buck was right,” he said randomly. “You do give great hugs.”
Athena pressed a long hard kiss to his head, then pulled back so Bobby could engulf him in a hug of his own. “Of course you have our blessings, Eddie,” he said softly, squeezing tight. “You’re the best thing Buck could have.” He pulled back, clapping a hand to his shoulder and added, “I’ve watched him turn into a better man because of you, too, Eddie. Hell, you’re about ninety percent of his impulse control, you’re a good portion of the reason he’s still alive.”
His words were met with a few wet laughs, and Eddie found himself once again pulled into an embrace with all three of them. They pulled away as the waitress came back with their entrees, and they sat down, sniffing and laughing and wiping tears from their faces. Maddie asked to see the ring, and the three passed it around, fawning over the piece with delight, complimenting him on his choice. He admitted it was mostly Christopher’s choosing, which earned him understanding nods and Maddie’s, “That explains why it’s nice.” Eddie couldn’t even be upset.
“So, when are you thinking of popping the question?” Bobby asked as they worked their way through their meals.
“I was thinking the barbecue, if that’s okay,” he said after quickly swallowing a mouthful of food. “Since it’s for Father’s Day, and we got together on Father’s Day last year, and Chris already said he wanted to make a card and ask him to be his dad.”
“Oh, that’s gonna make him cry so hard,” Maddie crowed delightedly. “He’s gonna cry like a baby.”
Eddie laughed. “I just really wanna make sure Chris is involved since I know that’ll be Buck’s main thing, whether it’ll make Chris happy. And there’s nothing I’d rather do than promise him forever surrounded by our family. So…”
Athena and Bobby shared a grin. “That sounds wonderful, Eddie,” she said.
Eddie smiled back. He wasn’t sure he’d ever stop smiling. Buck’s family approved. Now he just had to ask the question. Now, he just had to make Buck certain that forever was theirs, if Buck wanted it.