to hear them judge and ridicule.
His eyes scanned the crowd, passing over cousins of various removal, and finally he breathed a small sigh of relief when he caught sight of his dad at a table near the open terrace. He had his dog at his feet—a soft Golden who appeared asleep, though Julian knew better.
Bastian had been one of the bigger fights his parents had. His mother had always cringed at the cane, but at least it could be folded up and tucked inside a pocket and he could take her arm. Bastian couldn’t be closed up and hidden away, and he meant Fredric relied on her less. Julian had taken a sort of quiet pleasure when his dad brought the guide dog home. His father wouldn’t always put his foot down with her, but the moments he did felt satisfying.
“I should introduce you to my father,” Julian said after a beat, his palm sweating a little. It was the one lie he was dreading—the one lie that tore him up a little, because his dad deserved better. “I’m a lot closer to him than my mother. He’s…” He bit his lip, then sighed. “He’s a good person.”
Will lifted a brow at Julian, studying his face for a while. “I’d love to meet him.”
The sincerity in Will’s tone was startling, but Julian didn’t let that throw him off as he crossed the room, their hands trailing apart until only the tips of their fingers were touching. But Will kept pace and he made a slightly startled noise when they came to a stop by Fredric’s table.
“Dad.”
Fredric’s face immediately softened and he set his coffee down before rising and holding out his arms. Julian was released immediately, and he let out a small, easy breath as he was dragged into a hug. “I was starting to worry you weren’t coming down. Your mother said she sent someone after you.”
Julian pulled back and scowled. “Ashton.”
Fredric’s brows dipped and his mouth twisted into a sneer. “She seems to be feeling particularly vicious this week.” He sighed and gave Julian’s arm a pat. “Did you bring your boyfriend?”
“Ah. Yes, he’s right here.” Julian stepped back as Will moved forward. “Dad, this is Will. Will, my dad, Fredric.”
His dad extended his hand—the left, which always seemed to trip people up, but Will didn’t miss a beat in adjusting himself and gripping the other man tight but friendly. “It’s very much a pleasure. I should probably apologize ahead of time for this circus…”
“Oh, your son has done that enough,” Will said, taking Fredric’s hand between both of his hands giving it a gentle squeeze. Julian watched as his father’s face brightened a little, and he knew right then he was screwed. He wanted his dad to like Will, and be happy for him, but it was in that moment he realized what those consequences would be. “But don’t worry about me. I’m well equipped to handle it.”
Fredric pulled back and reached for Julian who pressed his arm into his dad’s fingers. “I like him.”
“Good. I don’t know that we would have lasted without your approval,” he deadpanned, his insides a far more of a mess than he was letting on.
Fredric chuckled and patted his arm before reaching back to find his chair and sitting again. “You two go get food and caffeine. I know my wonderful son is useless before his morning coffee. Bas and I will be here.”
Julian watched as Will glanced down at the dog, raising a brow, but he didn’t ask. Instead, he laid a hand on Julian’s arm and tugged a little until Julian relented and they started toward the buffet table.
“I like him,” Will said.
“He likes you too.” Julian reached for a plate, shoving it over a little too hard, and Will made a quiet, startled noise.
“You’re making it very obvious you don’t like that idea,” Will said.
Julian dragged a hand down his face and glanced around at the people nearby. He had never been good at judging what earshot actually was, because even with his hearing aids, he could never catch quiet conversation. “I’m close with my dad. I don’t…” he cleared his throat and shrugged. “I’m not used to lying to him.”
“Hey, I get it,” Will told him, touching his arm gently and prodding him a few steps forward. “If you want to tell him…”
“Tell who what?” came a voice from Julian’s right, and he groaned before turning to face his sister. Corinne looked as pretty as ever, a