change of heart 4

Liam had never been the type to overthink things, but lately, his life had been full of moments that made him stop and think.

He thought about the small-town values he'd grown up with, about the way his parents had raised him, about how he used to believe the world was simple—black and white, right and wrong. He thought about Daniel, about how a guy he once kept at arm's length had become his closest friend. And most of all, he thought about the moment his father had said, I guess we've got a lot to learn.

For the first time in his life, Liam realized that change wasn't just something that happened to other people. It had happened to him.

And now, whether he liked it or not, he had to face the next challenge: bringing Daniel home.

"Wait… your hometown?" Daniel asked, leaning against the counter at their usual bar.

"Yeah," Liam said, sipping his beer. "My parents invited me back next weekend, and I told them I wasn't coming unless you could come too."

Daniel raised an eyebrow. "Damn. You sure about that? I don't exactly scream 'small-town approved.'"

Liam smirked. "Yeah, no kidding. But they're trying, and I figure this is the next step."

Daniel exhaled, running a hand through his hair. "Alright. But if your dad suddenly remembers how to use a shotgun, I'm out."

Liam chuckled. "Fair deal."

The day they drove up, Liam could feel the tension in his own shoulders. Even though his conversation with his parents had gone better than expected, he still wasn't sure how they'd react to meeting Daniel in person.

His mother greeted them at the door with a warm—if slightly nervous—smile. "Daniel! It's so nice to finally meet you."

She pulled him into a hug before he could even react. Liam stifled a laugh at the surprise on Daniel's face.

"Well," Daniel said as she let go, "I was not expecting that."

Liam's dad was next. He was more reserved, standing stiffly on the porch, arms crossed. "Daniel," he said with a nod.

Daniel nodded back. "Mr. Carter."

It wasn't exactly warm, but it wasn't cold either. Liam took that as a win.

Dinner was awkward at first. His dad kept quiet, his mom asked a million polite questions, and Daniel—ever the social one—did his best to keep the conversation going. Liam mostly sat there, watching, waiting for something to go wrong.

And then, to his surprise, his dad asked Daniel about work.

"You're in construction too, huh?" his father said, finally making eye contact.

"Yep," Daniel replied, setting down his fork. "Been at it for years. It's a tough job, but I love it."

His dad grunted. "Good work. Honest work."

Daniel nodded. "Absolutely. And I gotta say, your son's a beast on the job. Took me a while to keep up with him."

Liam's dad chuckled—a real chuckle. "Yeah, he's always been like that. Stubborn as hell, though."

Daniel smirked. "Oh, trust me, I know."

For the first time that night, the table felt lighter.

Later, after dinner, Liam and his dad stood outside on the porch. It was quiet, except for the distant hum of crickets.

"You know," his dad said after a long pause, "I was wrong about a lot of things."

Liam turned to him, surprised. His father didn't look at him, just stared out at the field.

"I still don't get all of it," he admitted. "But that Daniel—he's a good man. I see why you're friends with him."

Liam swallowed, feeling something tight in his chest loosen. "Yeah. He is."

His dad sighed. "I'm tryin', son."

Liam patted his shoulder. "I know."

As they drove back to the city, Daniel stretched his arms behind his head. "Well, I didn't die. So that's a plus."

Liam laughed. "Yeah, and my mom actually hugged you."

Daniel shuddered. "That was unexpected. But I'll allow it."

They fell into a comfortable silence for a while before Daniel spoke again.

"You know, not everyone's lucky enough to have their family try to change," he said. "It doesn't happen overnight, but… your dad? He's on his way."

Liam nodded. He wasn't sure where this road would lead, but for the first time, he felt like his family—like he—was finally heading in the right direction.

And that was enough.