Eric triple-checked his reflection in the rearview mirror.

“You don’t look like a train ran over you, if that’s what you’re wondering,” Hank said, sliding into the passenger seat.

“You can’t blame me,” Eric replied. “That was like a third-degree interrogation back there.”

“Relax, they liked you,” Hank said. He grinned. “I got a ton of compliments about you.”

“If that’s them when they like me, I’m not sure I want to see them when they dislike someone,” Eric replied.

It had been his first time officially meeting Hank’s family. He’d run into Laura again, and she’d raised her eyebrows at him, and that had been all she needed to say on the matter. He was well aware that if he screwed Hank over, she’d be the one making sure that his body was never recovered.

Hank’s mom and sister were lovely people. Theresa grilled him about his intentions with Hank, like Hank was some Victorian maiden being handed off for marriage or something, but she was funny, and Eric could easily see how she and Hank were siblings.

Hank’s mother was just lovely. “Please, call me Carol,” she said, after hugging him warmly as if she’d known him for years.

It was mostly that there were so many cousins and aunts and uncles to keep track of, and the cousins had kids, and then there would be the in-law of an aunt who’d married into the family, or the siblings of the cousin’s wife, and so on. It was exhausting.

“I’m going to need to make a family tree, a portable one, to bring to the parties so I can keep track of it all.”

Hank laughed. “It can be overwhelming. But you did really well. They all liked you.”

They’d come down to see the new trailer park and how it was faring. While the park didn’t have to be sold now, Hank’s point about moving into the future and not stagnating had hit home. The Caskill family had pooled their resources and fixed up all the trailers, re-installed the vegetable garden, planted flowers, got new equipment for the dilapidated playground, and so on.

The spruced-up park looked amazing, and Eric found himself fiercely glad that he’d been able to find a way to prevent the Caskills selling. The place looked fantastic.

“So, Joe’s?” he asked, double-checking with Hank. Hank might be too tired to go and see their friends after all of that.

“Hell, yes; I haven’t seen Luke and Adam since they got back from their honeymoon,” Hank said.

The bar was crowded, as usual, but everyone saw them coming and made room for them in their usual corner. Luke and Adam were both there, looking suntanned and relaxed, although Eric had seen Adam at the office earlier and so knew what to expect.

“How did it go?” Davis asked. “The whole meeting the family thing.”

“He did great,” Hank said. “He handled the insanity well, and I think he’s only mildly emotionally scarred.”

Eric rolled his eyes. “They’re lovely people. A bit … energetic, but good people.”

“You can be honest, we all grew up with the hellions,” Jake said. “They drive you crazy.”

“They drive me crazy and I’m family,” Hank said. Things were a lot better between Hank and his family now, though, even though it had taken some time and a lot of family dinners and apologizing on both sides.

Eric had ended up getting the promotion, as well — which he figured was the universe’s way of telling him to relax his death grip on his job and trust that things would work out if he put someone else first.

“I hate to steal your thunder or anything,” Travis said, looking over at Lance.

Lance, to Eric’s surprise, blushed. “Yeah, uh, guys, we have a bit of an announcement.”

“Oh?” Paul said, always with an ear for gossip.

Lance just silently held up the small, simple gold band now on his left ring finger.

The sound that Davis made had everyone covering their ears. “Jesus, Davis, could you be more of a stereotype?” Jake groused, wincing.

Eric hugged Travis and Lance. “Congratulations, guys.”

As he stepped back, he felt warmth at his back, and a familiar scent in his nose. Hank wrapped his arms around Eric from behind — the way he always did now. It felt natural, easy, so easy that they hardly noticed it. Just like their first meeting.

Eric just stood there, wrapped in Hank’s arms, as Lance explained how Travis had proposed, and everyone listened — with Paul making color commentary and Davis interrupting to yell every few sentences.

Eric had friends now. Proper friends. He had the job that he’d always wanted. And he had Hank, the person he hadn’t even been looking for, the one he’d managed to find anyway.