Dandelions

Eddie Diaz

Edited 27/10/2025

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As Eddie sat in one of the nicest Mexican restaurants in LA, half-listening to Marisol talk about some rumor mill circling her workplace, one thought kept running through his head.

What the hell am I doing here?

He'd much rather be at home with his son and Buck, sprawled on the couch with popcorn, watching the Jurassic Park trilogy for what had to be the hundredth time. Because "Dad! Nothing beats a classic!" and "Come on, Eddie! Your son wants to be an archaeologist and bring back dinosaurs, let him dream big!"

Yeah, that sounded a lot better than wearing a too-stiff shirt and sitting in a restaurant that made him feel like he'd wandered into someone else's life. And for what? Because his family kept pushing him to "get back out there"? Dios. The whole thing made him feel like a douchebag.

The more dates he went on with Marisol, the more he found himself counting down the days until Buck came back from Italy. Only two left. Chris had already made Eddie promise they'd go pick up his Bucky from the airport together. Not that Eddie had needed convincing, he had missed Buck almost as much as his kid did.

Dios, how easy it would have been to fall for Buck.

He was Eddie's best friend and anchor, the partner he trusted most, and he couldn't have asked for a better person to raise Christopher alongside. If soulmates existed, Buck would probably be his—but soulmates could be platonic too.

And Eddie, unfortunately, was straight.

Still, he'd never met anyone who fit into his life as naturally as Buck did. Maybe he hadn't found a romantic spouse in him, but he'd found the perfect co-parent. Hell, when Chris started asking questions about the LGBTQ+ community, Eddie hadn't even hesitated before bringing him to Buck.

He could still remember the look of awe on Buck's face that day, as if he couldn't believe Eddie trusted him with something so important. Watching Buck answer Chris's questions with patience and kindness had melted Eddie's heart. He hadn't even considered asking Hen, he had automatically gone to his best friend.

After all, there wasn't a single person, Eddie trusted more with his son than Buck.

He knew how lucky he was. After the war, after losing Shannon, after years of trying to patch things with his parents — he'd still ended up with the life he had always wanted. With a job he loved, a son who made every day worth it, and Buck, his person.

He'd also once found the love of his life, because no matter what anyone said, he had loved Shannon devotedly, even if he'd managed to mess it up.

Dating now wasn't about finding love; it was about giving Chris stability. Eddie wanted someone who'd love Chris as much as he did, someone Chris would feel safe with.

Someone who made him happy too.

But maybe, Eddie thought, as Marisol kept talking, it was time to stop pretending. Maybe he was only doing this because his family wanted to see him "move on." Maybe he didn't need to yet.

He'd learned his lesson with Ana and dragging things out only hurt more. Frank had helped him see that everyone healed at their own pace. He and Chris were okay, they didn't need another wife or mother-figure.

Sure, he'd get an earful from Tía Pepa about letting another "wife-material" woman slip away. He loved her, but he couldn't bring himself to care. He wasn't ready, and Frank said that was fine. For now, Eddie would focus on what mattered — his son, his own peace of mind, and the best friend who somehow made everything better.