After dessert, the party itself was winding down and the families started dispersing. At the end of the evening, Buck and Tommy were the only remaining guests at the house. Chim had been entertaining them in the living room with some beers while Maddie had started the bedtime routine with Jee-Yun. The banter had been comfortable, to the point that Buck almost forgot the thoughts that had been plaguing him in the background of his mind. A part of him wanted to slip away and find another quiet moment with Maddie to continue their conversation but instead, he found himself listening intently on the two men catching up.
“So you ran into DeLuca? How is that old bastard doing?”
“Yeah, he’s doing good. Mellowed out a bunch since he married Gina. He’s a girl dad if you can believe it. You should start arranging playdates with your kids or something.”
“I’m glad he’s mellowed out. He was a bit of a hothead back in the day.”
“I wouldn’t have believed it if I hadn’t seen it myself in the middle of a grocery store.”
The sound of the two men laughing made Buck smile.
“Well, the party tired her out quick,” Maddie declared as she entered the living room to sit next between her brother and her partner. “I’d say that was a successful party.”
“It really was, Mads,” Buck replied as he stood to stretch. “I should probably be getting home.”
Tommy stood and shook Buck’s hand. “It was nice to meet you.”
And in response, Buck pulled him in for a quick hug. “Nice to meet you too. Don’t be a stranger.”
And Buck let himself out to go home.