7 years later
Cailen sat in the backseat of the taxi, staring out the window at the familiar roads of Beverwood.
It was the first time he's been home since he went off to university two years ago. He realized what a dick move that was but Eden and Dean were very understanding that he needed to focus on his studies.
He felt really bad about lying to them, because of course, he could have made time to come home for Christmas at least but he didn't. He was worried that being around them would make them see through his mask he's worked so hard to construct.
He knew he couldn't be his true self around his family or they wouldn't accept him. He learned early on that he needed to act more like other boys or Eden and Dean wouldn't have kept him.
That's not to say he is a completely different person around them, no, just... More reserved in a way.
There were certain things he didn't discuss with them or around them, certain things he didn't do around them and he was okay with that. Pretending just a little meant he could keep his family.
His family that he has grown to love and cherish and would do anything for.
He could hide this one part of himself if it meant keeping them happy because he knew they loved him. They wanted to keep him around but he also knew if they knew his secret, it would destroy everything.
He couldn't expect them to love him if they knew. They didn't adopt that Cailen. They adopted a nice normal boy and it would be unfair of him to rip that from them.
So Cailen spent as little time at home as possible because he was afraid of slipping up.
He had to constantly be on guard and he didn't want to screw everything up like he always did.
It was just better this way.
But school had finished for the summer and William had graduated and Cailen figured he'd be a right jerk if he missed this as well.
Of course William's ceremony had already come and passed. There was nothing he could do about missing that honestly, but today, they were throwing a party for William and his close fellow graduates and Cailen thought it'd be nice to surprise William.
No one knew he was coming. They all thought Cailen had school for another two days so they were not expecting him.
He did know however, that the party started an hour ago and if this taxi driver drove any slower, he'd not be getting a tip.
Cailen's nerves were at an all time high.
He was about to walk into his home and see everyone that he hasn't seen in years.
What if they didn't like him anymore? Or they'd forgotten who he was?
Not William or Eden or anyone like that but his kind of friends, more William's friends, but still.
What if they forgot who Cailen was or just didn't want him to come back?
It was a legitimate concern since Cailen was always on the sidelines through school. Sure, everyone invited William's big brother to the parties and football games but that's all he ever was.
William's big brother. The guy that was good for a laugh and supplying underaged teens with alcohol but not much else.
Cailen figured he would just have to push his worries aside. This day was about William, not him.
When he was finally dropped off in front of the familiar home, he paid the taxi driver and watched as he drove off.
Then he was turning and taking in the sight of his home.
It was an odd feeling that came over him. He'd missed home a lot over the two years. He'd missed Eden's cooking, William's too, he missed playing football in the back yard with all of them, he missed Stella's obnoxious boy band music blaring from her room, he missed Dean trying to fix something and really only making it worse and calling a professional to finish it.
He missed all that, and now it was right in front of him, yet he was kind of dreading going inside.
He knew going inside meant putting on that mask he's spent so long learning when to put it on and when to take it off, and he's become good at it but with the added pressure of his family...
Would he be able to keep it up?
Cailen picked up his bags and marched forward because it really was too late to back out now. He knew how silly he was being as well. This was his family after all, and he couldn't hide from them forever. He'd have to learn to keep up the act on the go, he supposed.
He didn't knock. He didn't need to and he didn't think anyone would hear him anyway, if the amount of cars parked in the driveway was anything to go by on how many people were actually inside.
He let himself in, kicking his shoes off and setting his bags to the side. He could hear music coming from the basement, probably where the more fun activities were being held and he could hear chatter coming from the living room and the kitchen.
He wasn't exactly sure where to look first.
He figured his best bet was to head for the kitchen. Eden was probably in there cooking enough to feed a village.
He made his way through the familiar house, remembering each turn like he had just taken them yesterday until he was standing in the kitchen doorway, leaning against the frame and crossing his arms over his chest.
He felt a small smile creep over his lips as he watched Eden hustle about the kitchen, slipping something that was covered in tinfoil into the oven.
Stella stood at the counter, cutting something up, both their backs to him.
They probably wouldn't have noticed him if it weren't for William's friend, Asher's mother Karen spotting him and gasping in surprise, her eyes already starting to tear up.
Cailen remembered that much about her, she cried at everything.
Karen beamed at Cailen as she spoke.
"Eden, there's someone here to see you."