Chapter 31

It'sthe morning of my surgery, and I'm a nervous wreck, waiting for my name to be called. Thankfully, Ian is by my side, holding my hand and giving me all the strength possible.

I'm glad he took the day off to be here today. I still stand by my decision not to let him take the rest of the week off, but I'm sure I would be a lot more scared if I were here by myself right now. Obviously, Calvin would have come if I asked, but I'm glad it's Ian who is here.

I've been trying to stop referring to Calvin as Coach in my head, but it's still a little weird. I haven't had time to have the conversation about calling him Dad yet, but I'm hoping to have it sometime this week. I'll have a lot of spare time on my hands while I recover, and I'm hoping my friends and found family will visit often.

The school has agreed to give me two weeks off classes, and I'll take advantage of them. After the two weeks are up, it will be all schoolwork and physical therapy. I'm going to despise the downtime, but it will also be nice to have a mental health break. I need the time to deal with the fact I won't be playing college hockey anymore, and the next time I set foot on the ice, it will be as a regular man, not a player.

"Benjamin Cooper?" a woman calls out.

I'm shaking as I raise my hand, and she walks over, grabbing the wheelchair handles.

"You've got this," Ian reminds me with a warm smile and one more squeeze of my hand. "I'll be here waiting when you're done."

I nod and take a deep breath, telling the lady I'm ready to go, and she wheels me toward the Pre-Op area.

As promised,Ian is waiting when the surgery is over. Even though I'm so ridiculously uncomfortable, it's not even funny, I can't help but grin when my eyes land on him.

"Time to bring you home, sweet boy," he tells me in a quiet voice, and I nod as he helps me to his car.

The drive to my apartment isn't very long, but I'm beyond excited to get out of the car when we arrive. Being cramped in a vehicle isn't the most pleasant feeling following an ACL repair surgery.

It takes a lot longer to get up to my apartment than it used to a week ago, but with Ian's help, I eventually arrive, and even though I shouldn't be, I'm surprised to find Calvin sitting next to Rio on the couch.

"How did the surgery go?" Calvin asks, and I shrug.

"I was asleep for most of it, and now I'm achy all over, but I guess it could be worse," I respond, and he chuckles.

"I hate to say hi and bye, but I have to get to my classes," Rio says, standing to grab his backpack. "If you need anything from the store, I'm stopping there after school, so send me a text."

I nod and hobble over to the recliner once he's gone.

"How 'bout I go pick us up some food," Ian offers.

Calvin might not understand what's going on, but I know Ian is giving us some time alone to have the conversation I've wanted to have.

"Sounds good," I reply, and he quickly kisses me before heading out.

As I move to make myself comfortable, I wince a couple of times, and Calvin's face pales. "Are you sure you're okay?" he questions. "Do you need me to get you anything?"

I let out a little laugh and wave him off. "I'm going to be sore for a while. I just have to get used to it, but there is something I wanted to talk to you about."

"Is that why Ian left so quickly?" he asks.

"Probably, but it's not like we discussed it beforehand since we didn't know you were going to be here."

"I just wanted to make sure you were okay. I didn't realize how badly I would be rattled with you having a surgery like that," he confesses.

"It's because we're family, and families care when the people they love are hurt," I reply.

"Yeah, that's it. So, what did you want to talk about?" He tilts his head and studies me for a minute, kind of like he's trying to read my mind and find the answers before I speak them.

"I wanted to talk about us being a family," I start. "Growing up, you were truly a father figure to me, and after talking the other day, I figured out that just because you weren't my father on paper doesn't mean you aren't still my dad in all other aspects of the word. I've always called you Coach, but that name doesn't fit us anymore, and Calvin isn't right either. So, I was wondering if I could call you Dad?"

Calvin's brows shoot up, and he appears dazed for a moment before a soft smile spreads across his face.

"I'd like that. You've always felt like a son to me," he whispers, and a rush of warmth and love fills my chest. "If I could have adopted you when you were younger, I would have, but I just didn't have the means to raise a child."

I shake my head. "You did more for me than you'll ever know. I don't care that you didn't adopt me. At least you stayed. You loved me and did the best you could, and that's a lot more than the people I was actually living with. You're my dad no matter what blood or birth certificates say, and nothing will ever change that."

Dad stands once I've finished my last sentence and gives me an awkward hug because of the way I'm sitting, but I cling to him, nonetheless.

"I'm never leaving you," he whispers in my ear, and I have to fight back tears. That appears to be a new habit for me. Hopefully, I'll go back to normal when I'm off the meds and healed.

Words like the ones he said would normally have made me scoff because everyone used to leave me, but this time, I believe them. Calvin is my dad, and he isn't going anywhere because that's what people who really love you do.

They stay.

This is how I know Ian will be in my life for the long haul because he loves me with his entire heart. Growing up, I had no idea what love was, but now I do, and I'm glad I found it in Ian and my dad. They are two different types of love, but both very important, and I'm done running from it. I am going to embrace this newfound happiness and love and never let either of them go. They are my family, and I'm lucky to have them in my life.