Epilogue #2
“Behave,” Eden hisses, making Charlie’s smile widen. God, he loves his grumpy boyfriend.
“So,” Andrew starts, clearly trying to change the subject. “Addy and Ella are in the kitchen putting the fruit salad in the fridge. Ella wanted to come straight in and wake you up, but me and Addy suspected that wouldn’t go over well.”
“Well, that’s lucky.”
“Not lucky, smart,” Andrew counters. “I do, in fact, know you both. You’re–”
“Impressionable child incoming,” Addy loudly yells from the kitchen. Seconds later, a small blur of a child barrels into the bedroom, throwing herself at Eden, who scoops her up into a tight embrace.
“I missed you,” Eden tells her, kissing the top of her head.
“I missed you too. Eden, guess what?”
“What?”
“Tomorrow is Christmas,” Ella whispers, grabbing Eden’s face and holding it between her small hands. Her eyes nearly bug out of her head.
Eden pretends to be shocked. “Is it?”
“Yes. You can’t stay at Charlie’s tonight, you have to come home with me and Momma.” She turns her eyes on Charlie, eerily appraising for someone so little. “You can’t have him tonight, I need him.”
“He’s all yours,” Charlie confirms, not bothering to point out that Eden already let Charlie know he would be going home with Addy and Ella after brunch to spend time with them.
He might be a bit more pathetic about missing Eden if he didn’t convince Eden to bring his girls over to his parents for Christmas dinner.
His mom and dad are chomping at the bit to finally meet Ella and Addy, and while he hasn’t mentioned it to them or Eden, he knows there will be stockings hung for them and presents under the tree.
He meant it when he told Eden that his family would become Charlie’s.
“I’m going to go help Addy in the kitchen. Alec and Theo are already on their way over, and Jason and Emerson will be here in twenty minutes.”
“Sounds perfect,” Charlie grins, unable to believe he gets to have this.
Coming so close to losing Eden had not only shaken Charlie to his core, it’d cemented the desire to make Eden—and Addy and Ella—his family too.
He loves all of them, and he’s so goddamn grateful they’re here for Christmas Eve brunch.
What was once a little tradition between him and his brothers blossomed into more, with significant others and now a kid.
It’s a fuller home than Charlie ever imagined, and he loves it.
Maybe this isn’t the future he pictured for himself—not only in a committed relationship, but with someone over a decade younger who comes with a best friend and a child—but it’s a future he wants. One he’s going to treasure and hold on to with everything he has.
“What are you smiling about?” Eden questions, tone ripe with suspicion.
“Oh, you know,” Charlie says, moving towards Ella and Eden. “Just looking at two cuties.”
Ella giggles while Eden pretends to gag. The end of her nose crinkles before she covers it and most of her mouth with her hand, leaning to whisper in Eden’s ear. Eden’s face transforms in a soft smile before he lowers Ella to the ground and nods.
“Go ahead,” Eden tells Ella.
“Where is she going?” Charlie asks, watching her disappear.
“You’ll see soon enough.”
Soon enough turns out to be maybe twenty seconds later when Ella comes barreling back into the bedroom, only this time she crashes into Charlie with all the force of a hurricane, shoving a small, crudely wrapped gift at Charlie before hurrying back to Eden and inching behind him.
“What’s this then?”
“A present,” Ella answers, fisting her hands in Eden’s skirt. She peers around his legs, those giant brown eyes of hers trained on Charlie.
He might have only known her a few weeks but he’s done for. A goner. She’s got him wrapped around her little finger. He would do anything to make this sweet child happy.
“Is it for me?” Charlie gasps, pretending to be shocked. He’s delighted when Ella nods.
“Is it for Christmas?”
“Open it now,” Ella blurts.
“You sure I won’t get in trouble? I don’t wanna be on the naughty list.”
“Momma said there’s no such thing as a naughty list because there’s no naughty kids,” Ella says.
“Your momma is very smart.”
Ella beams, standing up just that little taller.
She’s so cute. Charlie’s parents are going to fucking adore having a grandchild in the family.
Maybe he’s getting ahead of himself, maybe he and Eden aren’t quite there yet, but if Charlie has his way it’ll be official at some point.
For now, Eden is family, meaning Addy and Ella are too, and that is all that matters.
“I wonder who wrapped it,” Charlie muses, turning over the gift. It’s something tiny wrapped in a ball of paper which upon closer inspection turns out to be a piece of coloring page held together with what seems like an entire roll of tape.
“Me,” Ella answers.
“Well, it’s very beautiful.”
Impossibly, Ella’s smile widens, in turn making Eden smile. Eden’s smiles might normally be few and far between, but when Ella is around there are infinitely more, and it’s a beautiful thing.
Returning his attention to the small gift, Charlie carefully tries to peel back the tape, unsure how to manage without ripping the paper entirely.
Eventually, he manages to get one side of it open, turning his palm over and tipping the gift sideways.
Out tumbles a friendship bracelet, bright rainbow pony beads and the name Eden spelled out in bold block shaped letters.
Charlie turns the bracelet over, smoothing his fingers over the cool, plastic beads, unsure why he wants to cry.
“It’s so you can have Eden when he’s mine,” Ella announces with pride. “Because you miss him.”
“I do,” Charlie confirms, marveling at her emotional intelligence.
“It’s okay, I’ll share him tomorrow.”
“You two always talk about me like I’m a toy,” Eden snorts, his smile still in place. He might balk but Eden loves it, even if he won’t admit it. After a lifetime of being unwanted, there’s a part of him that craves being so wanted.
“You’re much cuter than a toy,” Charlie points out.
“And you give better hugs than my plush,” Ella adds.
“Thanks so much,” Eden laughs.
Charlie slips the bracelet on his left wrist, making up his mind to never take it off. “Thank you for this, Ella. This is the best present I’ve ever gotten.”
“You’re welcome,” Ella says.
“Alec and Theo are here,” Andrew yells from the other room. “Oh, Jason and Emerson too, with both dogs.”
“More dogs,” Ella gasps.
“You can go meet them if you want,” Charlie offers.
Not needing to be told twice, Ella bolts from the room, leaving Charlie and Eden alone.
“I got a bracelet,” Charlie says, holding out his wrist.
“So you did.” Eden slinks into Charlie’s arms, tipping his face up. He looks happy, relaxed in a way Charlie has rarely seen. Being loved looks damn good on him.
“I’m going to keep it forever.”
“You better, or Ella might get her feelings hurt.”
“Can I keep you, too?” Charlie asks, heart pounding in his chest.
“Charlie.”
“I promised myself I’d wait, but I’m shit at that.” Charlie’s arms slide around Eden’s back, holding him close. “I’m shit at a lot of things. Cooking. Cleaning. Remembering to do things. Following rules. Particularly the rules my boyfriend set out. I broke them.”
Eden’s chest expands. “Which ones?”
“All of them, but especially the last one. The one where you told me not to fall in love with you.”
“Don’t say something you’ll regret,” Eden says, but it sounds more like a plea than a warning.
“I won’t regret this,” Charlie tells him, lowering his forehead to Eden’s.
“The only thing in life I could ever regret was letting one more day go by without telling you how I feel. I love you, Eden. I love you when you’re dolled up in perfect makeup and one of the skirts you love, and I love you when you’ve just woken up, with bedhead in one of my shirts.
I love you when you’re happy and relaxed, and I love you when you’re scared.
I love you when you yell at me and fight with me and fuck me.
I love you when you let me fuck you and most especially when you let me love you.
I know it’s hard, and I know you’re probably scared right now, and I don’t need you to say it back, but I can’t hold it in any longer.
I love you, Eden Montgomery, and I want to love you as long as you’ll let me.
However long that might be. I’m privately hoping for forever. Please let it be forever.”
“Charlie.”
“Yeah?”
“Shut up.” Eden’s fingers wrap around the back of Charlie’s neck, pulling him down for a kiss that leaves Charlie’s chest aching.
Eden presses several kisses to Charlie’s open mouth, peppering them across his cheeks.
He kisses Charlie until there is no breath left in his lungs and his heart's too big for his chest. Staring at Eden’s face, he sees something equally incomprehensible and memorizes that exact expression, knowing he’s going to paint it later.
“Well?” Charlie whispers, gently toying with the hair at the back of Eden’s neck.
“Fuck you, Charlie.” Eden’s chest heaves. “You stupid fucking man. I’m a horrible fucking choice.”
“I disagree.”
“Of fucking course you do, you stubborn fucking idiot.”
Charlie hides his smile in the top of Eden’s hair, breathing in the familiar scent of his shampoo before replying. “You’re exactly the kind of forever I want, Eden. Messy, beautiful, real. You’re exactly what I want and what I need.”
Eden huffs, closing his eyes before resting his forehead on Charlie’s shoulder.
“I hate how much I love you.”
“I know, baby.” Charlie rubs his hands up and down Eden’s back.
“I do though.” His voice drops, barely above a whisper. “Love you.”
“I love you, too.” Charlie envelops Eden in a hug, wishing he could make Eden believe these words. He’s willing to say them again as many times as it takes, willing to stick around through the hard times until the insecurity becomes a distinct memory.
Eden is worth everything, and Charlie is grateful he’s got a lifetime to show him that.
“So, forever?” Charlie prompts.
“Someone has to put up with you,” Eden grumbles, his hold on Charlie tightening.
“You say the sweetest things.”
“Fuck off.”
“There you go with another one. Such a sweet talker.”
Eden snorts out an undignified laugh, before it turns into something softer as Eden reaches for Charlie’s hand.
“I've never had forever.”
“There’s a first time for everything.” Charlie links his fingers. “What do you say, baby, want to try it with me?”
“Yeah.” Eden holds his hand tightly. “I could try for forever.”