Chapter Seven
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THOMAS STARED AT THE email in his inbox. This was it. When he opened it, he’d know whether or not he’d passed his GED. He’d know if he had to go back to studying every evening or if he would be free.
He wasn’t sure what he’d do in either case. Well, if he hadn’t passed, he’d go back to studying, even though he’d be sad and disappointed. If he had passed, he could focus on the rest of his life. That was what he wasn’t sure what to do with.
He sucked in a breath and opened the email.
It took him a few seconds to make sense of what he was seeing, but when he did, he started smiling.
He had to resist the urge to scream, but he couldn’t not celebrate, so he jumped to his feet and did a little dance.
Of course, that was when Seth happened to walk past the bedroom door, which Thomas had left open.
“What’s going on?” he asked, leaning against the doorframe. “Is Rowan the one who’s making you smile like that?”
Thomas turned to face Seth. He could tell him now. “Usually, he would be, but not this time. I got my GED.”
For a second, Seth didn’t say anything. He looked a bit confused, which made sense since Thomas hadn’t told him that he was studying for it. “Wait, you mean to tell me that’s what you’ve been hiding the entire time?” Seth asked, stepping into the bedroom.
“I didn’t want to disappoint you in case I didn’t pass, but I did.”
Seth made a weird noise and reached for Thomas, pulling him into his arms. “How could you ever disappoint me? You should’ve told me.”
“That’s what Rowan always says. He knew that you would support me. I just wanted to know if I could do this before I told you.”
“Well, you know now. You did it.” Seth leaned back and grabbed Thomas’s shoulders. “And I feel like this deserves a party.”
Thomas laughed. Normally, he would say no, but he did want to celebrate. He wanted to tell everyone in his family what he’d done. “Who are you going to invite?”
“Everyone,” Seth said with a wide grin. “And you better invite Rowan and warn him that he’s going to be swamped by the family.”
“He wants to meet you, so he’ll be happy.”
“I’m sure he’ll be happier because you passed your GED. Have you told him yet?”
“No. I just found out.”
Seth clapped his hands. “Well, it seems like we both have things to do. You let Rowan know and tell him that he’s invited to the party. I’ll start organizing everything. I don’t have a lot of time if it’s going to be tonight.”
Thomas was glad he didn’t have to organize any of it. He would’ve told Seth that he didn’t have to, either, but he knew that Seth would ignore him. He was always happy for a reason to reunite the family, and what better opportunity than this one?
He grabbed his phone to call Rowan. He would be as happy as Seth to find out about this.
He would also probably be a bit nervous at the thought of meeting Thomas’s family, but they both knew that they were in this for the long term, so it made sense that he would eventually.
Maybe right now was too soon, but it didn’t feel like it to Thomas.
*
THOMAS WASN’T SURE what kind of miracle Seth worked, but by the time the sun was setting, the house was full of people.
There was food and drinks everywhere, and every single person present had stopped to talk to Thomas and congratulate him.
Theo had been visibly emotional, hugging Thomas several times and telling him how proud he was of him.
Even though he was just a few years older than Thomas, he’d been the alpha of their ragtag pack, and he’d always felt that he was responsible for them.
It felt a bit like he was a proud father, or maybe an older brother.
Rowan still hadn’t arrived, but Thomas wasn’t worried. Still, he was glad when he heard another car park in front of the house. He squeezed Josie’s arm and left her with Dustin, rushing to the front door, hoping it was his boyfriend. He hadn’t seen Rowan yet today, and he couldn’t wait to hug him.
He swung open the door and beamed when he recognized Rowan’s car.
He started coming down the porch steps when Rowan opened the driver’s door, but to his surprise, Rowan didn’t come toward him right away.
Instead, he opened the back door, confusing Thomas, especially when a streak of something rushed out of the car.
Thomas was only confused for just a second, though.
That was all the time it took for Finley to collide with him.
Thomas laughed and dropped to his knees to hug the dog. Finley was wearing a collar now, and when Thomas checked the tag, he recognized his phone number on it.
Rowan had brought Finley home.
Thomas hugged the dog again before getting to his feet. “How?” he asked.
Rowan rubbed the back of his neck. “Well, I hope you weren’t planning on keeping your GED a secret from Shane because I told him about it, and that this would be a good way to celebrate. He agreed.”
Thomas’s heart felt like it was about to burst open because he was so happy.
He threw himself into Rowan’s arms, both of them laughing as they collided.
Finley barked and danced around their legs, getting the attention of the people inside the house.
Thomas was focused on Rowan, though. He grabbed his boyfriend’s face with both hands and smacked a kiss on his lips, unable to stop smiling.
“This is perfect,” he declared.
Rowan’s smile was pleased. “Good. I knew you’d be happy, but I still wasn’t sure it was a good idea.”
“It was a perfect idea. I didn’t think I could be any happier, but you proved me wrong.
” Thomas had everything he could ever have wanted in life, everything he hadn’t allowed himself to hope he would have when he lived on the street.
He had a family, and all of them were safe and happy.
He had a roof over his head, and he lived with his brother.
He had the most perfect dog in the world, and a wonderful boyfriend.
He had his GED and was trying to decide whether or not he wanted to go to college.
He’d talked to Chance about it earlier, and his brother-in-law had offered to pay for his studies if he decided that was what he wanted to do.
Thomas wouldn’t have to worry about anything.
He could choose to do whatever he wanted, which was a little bit overwhelming, but in the best of ways.
He grabbed Rowan’s hand and pulled him toward the house. “Come on. They all want to meet you.”
“That makes me a little nervous,” Rowan said, but both him and Finley followed Thomas toward the house. Ryan and Seth were standing there, watching.
Thomas leaned closer to Rowan. “You don’t have to worry about anything. They’re going to love you.”
“That’s great, but it doesn’t really help.”
Thomas chuckled and shook his head. He understood being nervous. He wasn’t going to tell Rowan not to be. He’d realize soon enough that he was already part of the family.
Seth grinned, stepped forward, and offered Rowan his hand. “I wish I could say I’ve heard a lot about you, but Thomas kept you a secret until recently.”
Rowan laughed and shook his hand. “That’s fine. He had other things to focus on.”
“Yes, and it’s not a secret. I’m glad to know he had someone to help him through it.”
“I wouldn’t have wanted it any other way.”
Thomas let go of Rowan, allowing Seth to pull him deeper into the house.
Something bumped against his legs, and he reached down to scratch Finley’s head.
He watched as Rowan was engulfed by a group of his siblings, knowing that everything would be okay.
They would all love Rowan because he loved Thomas, and for them, that was the only thing that mattered.
The evening passed with laughter and warmth, the house filled with Thomas’s family.
Thomas talked to everyone, accepting congratulations and hugs, but his eyes kept finding Rowan.
His boyfriend was laughing at something Theo had said, looking relaxed and at ease now.
Finley was on the couch, pressed against Matty, who was rubbing his head while he talked to Josie.
When the party slowed down and people began to leave, Thomas found himself on the porch with Rowan. The night air was cool, and he snuggled close. Rowan’s arm was warm around his shoulders, and Rowan was a steady presence.
“Thank you,” Thomas said softly, leaning against Rowan. “For everything. For helping me study, for believing in me, and for bringing Finley home. I didn’t know I needed all of that, but I did, and you gave it to me.”
Rowan pressed a kiss to his temple. “There’s nowhere else I’d rather be.”
Thomas closed his eyes. This was what home felt like.
Not just the house behind him or the land around them, but the people who loved him, the man beside him, and the dog snoring on the couch.
All the pieces had finally fallen into place, and for the first time in as long as he could remember, Thomas felt complete.
He was home, and home was exactly where he was meant to be.