What The End Looks Like | ✓

30: lacey

"Oh I'm so glad you're here," I say, hugging my mom tightly while Dean and my dad talk. They weren't one bit surprised to hear that we are together. It was a relief to know that my parents still like him after the way dinner went.

"We wouldn't miss it for the world. Ruth wishes she could have come but Xavier's parents are moving and needed their help," Mom says, pulling back to study me.

She must be content with whatever she sees because she smiles happily at me.

"There's always next year," I hear myself say, and I don't miss the flash of hurt over my mom's face. It's gone in a split second but the guilt sticks to me.

"Where is your dog? I've missed the fluff ball." Dad asks, looking around the apartment, and I'm so glad I hid all the boxes of packed things in my closet. They're getting hard to explain to Cassidy and Dean. The whole 'I still haven't unpacked from when I moved here four months ago' isn't really flying anymore.

Dean smiles and looks at his phone for a second, "Boo is at my place right now. I thought it'd be easier since I live closer to the shelter and he has a prospective adopter we're meeting with tomorrow. We can stop there on our way to dinner to say hi, but I'm afraid we can't stay for long if we want to make the reservation."

Boo is a great dog and the girl I've been talking to seems like a really great person. She grew up with German Shepherds and has been looking for one that's the perfect fit. I hope it's the perfect fit. He deserves his forever home.

"And you guys share ownership of the dog?" My mom asks curiously.

"Until he's adopted." I say and Dean nods, confirming what I said.

Dean's wearing a sweater that I'm sure is cashmere and a million times softer than the sweater I'm wearing. I curled my hair for once and I'm quite happy with how it turned out. Normally Ruth would always do my hair, but I've been learning in that aspect.

"Are we ready to head out?" He asks, smiling kindly at me.

"I'm ready when you are. Mom, Dad are you good or was there something you wanted to grab while you're here?"

"We're ready too. I think we're just going to follow in our car to give you guys some privacy." She says, winking and I feel my cheeks flush causing Dean to laugh. I like his laugh. It fits him perfectly which isn't something I would usually say about a laugh. I'm falling hard for him. Maybe I've already been falling but I hadn't entertained the idea of us being anything more than friends because this wasn't supposed to happy.

It's thrilling and electrifying being with him.

Dean makes me happy.

I like to think I make him happy too. I know he was happy this morning

In the car ride to Dean's place, I feel the discomfort in my chest grow. It's been there since our walk in Central Park, and I've been trying to do my best to ignore it. This is after all the last birthday I get and I want to enjoy it. We started out the day with Dean making me breakfast in bed after I woke him up for birthday sex, then we took Boo for a walk in Central Park. We stopped to visit the Empire State Building and like the cheeseball he is, Dean gave me my birthday present which was half of a yin-yang necklace.

To make it even cheesier, he has the other half and his reasoning was that it's because I balance him out. I don't really balance him out, I just help Dean simplify things when he's overthinking. Which is constant.

It was the perfect day.

I couldn't have asked for a better birthday. I only wish that I'd been able to have a conversation with Ruth in person rather than over the phone.