Page 49 of Accidentally Falling For My Best Friend (Chicago Awakenings #2)

PARKER

December

W e text Adrian and Jordan too to see if they’re available to join us.

We pick them up so that the four of us can follow Beck and Cody back to the suburbs, since they live in the same neighborhood as Oakley’s grandparents now.

The whole car ride over, Adrian updates us on everything that’s been going on with Hudson living with him.

We still catch up pretty regularly, but it’s been a while since he and Oakley have had time to really talk.

It’s pretty clear to me that Adrian is obsessed with him, but as far as I know, Hudson has only publicly dated women.

“In the beginning, all the poor man would talk about was wanting to be a dad,” Adrian explains.

“It was never ‘I miss my ex-wife,’ or ‘I hate being alone,’ it was always, ‘I’ll be so old now if I ever become a father,’ or ‘what am I going to do with my life if I can’t be a dad’.

I was sick of him complaining without taking any action, so one day I printed out a bunch of information for him on surrogacy, fostering, and adoption, and reminded him that you don’t need to have a partner to be a parent.

He seems to be doing much better now that he’s working with the adoption agency. ”

Adrian might sound put-out by Hudson, but I know he loves helping other people solve their problems, and a “hot, broken hockey player” as he’s called him, is probably his ideal man.

Adrian casually mentions all of the things he’s been doing with Hudson as a part of the adoption for “moral support” and it sounds like he’s just as involved with the process as Hudson has been.

I’m grateful for how chatty Adrian is so that we don’t feel obligated to tell him and Jordan that we’re together before we get there. When we arrive, I hang back with Oakley to talk to him about how he wants to do this.

“So do we work up to it, or announce it when we walk in?” he whispers as we’re walking up the drive.

“How about we just walk in holding hands?” I suggest as I take his hand in mine, pleased when he smiles up at me adoringly and nods.

With it just being immediate family here today, we’re the last to arrive.

My mom is chatting with Oak’s parents near the kitchen island and his grandparents are talking with his three other brothers in the attached living room.

Beck, Cody, Adrian, and Jordan all say their hellos before sitting at the kitchen table.

Their house has an open concept, so we’re all able to essentially be in the same space which makes this easier.

It’s Adrian who notices our hands first. “Oh my fucking god!” He stands from his chair so quickly that he almost knocks it over as he slams his hands onto the table in front of him.

“Sorry, Grandma Caldwell, but Oakley and Parker are holding hands and if that doesn’t call for some swear words, I don’t know what does.

Are you seriously telling me that you let me rant for the entire car ride when you two were hiding that?

” he asks, waving both arms in the direction of where we’re joined.

I can’t help but smirk at him, and when I glance at Oak, he’s got a giant smile spread across his face.

He lifts our joined hands before casually asking, “Have you guys met my boyfriend?”

The room erupts in a chorus of questions and congratulations, and people claiming to have always known that we should be together. In all of the chaos, Oakley and I are pulled apart into different hugs. My mom manages to find me in the Caldwell commotion and we step off to the side.

“I’m so happy for you, honey. It’s always been him, hasn’t it?” she asks, pulling me in for a warm embrace.

“Yeah.” I nod, laughing at how we seemed to be the last to figure that out. “It has been.”

“Your dad loved him, you know,” she adds, and suddenly my vision is blurring at the edges.

“He was always saying how good Oakley was for you. How glad he was that we moved here because you’d finally found a home.

” My throat is tight, and tears are silently spilling down my face as I hold her even closer as she continues.

“I’ve always tried to look for the light that manages to shine through life’s darkest moments.

Whenever I wanted to regret moving here, wondering if things would be different, if we would still have him, I would see you with Oakley.

I've always wondered what would have happened if we hadn't moved before you were diagnosed, if you were alone when you lost consciousness. He saved you that day, but it was more than that. I would hear you both laughing from the next room, see how much happier you were because of him, and I would know that your dad wouldn't have changed a thing. I know that you haven’t had the easiest life, but Oakley has always been your light. And I see how he looks at you, like you’re the center of his universe. I’ll always be so grateful that you two found each other. ”

We’re both attempting to wipe the tears from our eyes when Oakley comes over to wrap his arms around us both.

The rest of the Caldwells continue to joke around and talk as the three of us enjoy our quiet moment.

Just as we suspected, no one cared that we aren’t straight; they’re just all happy to see us together, even if they’re probably going to tease us about how we were the last to know for the rest of our lives.

I’ve always felt so privileged to be included in this big, supportive family, and I love that I’ll no longer have to be an unofficial member.

In just a few months, I’ll be married to a Caldwell, and I can’t wait.