Here is the final chapter of the Full Moon on Friday story series. I'll level with you, it takes a weird turn at the end. As always, thank you so much for reading my work! Similarly to previous chapters, this is a gay romantic drama with mentions of supernatural elements but no actual werewolves. Everyone involved in sexual situations is well over 18 years old. All characters are mine. I hope you enjoy!
Full Moon on Friday: Full Moon Family
Chapter 3
September 2029
8 Days to the Full Moon
Three weeks had passed quickly since Aric, Darin and Callie had returned home. First thing after unpacking and getting Callie settled in the second bedroom, Aric scanned the adoption papers into document editing software. He made sure to remove signatures, dates and notary stamps. Then he sent the edited document to their attorney, who had looked over the papers and confirmed that as far as she could tell they were legitimate.
She asked who they had gotten to prepare the papers and why they hadn't used her firm. They had been using the same attorney for everything from their marriage documents to their estate planning for the last five years, so they had been ready for this question. Aric told her that everything had been prepared by the child's family, which is why they wanted to run it by her to make sure everything looked correct and in proper order.
Enrolling Callie in school had been fairly simple, and she had been steadily coming out of her shell. Teachers and administrators loved her, and she had made a couple of friends, whose parents weren't absolutely insufferable. She gradually grew more comfortable with Darin and Aric, naturally warming to Darin more quickly. Aric didn't take it personally, knowing the bond they shared as werewolves. Not to mention the fact that he rescued her from a terrible situation. Besides which Aric was still working on feeling comfortable interacting with Callie.
The adoption papers sat in a folder on Aric's desk in the spare room they used as a combo home gym and office. He and Darin saw them every day, but Darin never mentioned them. Aric thought about it constantly, taking his time deciding what to do, how he felt.
On a random Friday night, after an easy workday with just one door install, Darin was making dinner in the kitchen while Aric and Callie worked on a Lego set together. Quiet music played over the speakers which Darin hummed along too as he followed the recipe from their dinner kit. A sudden knock on the door interrupted the family's now familiar evening routine. Aric smiled as Callie looked up at him from where she sat on the floor clicking little pieces of her set together.
"Aric will you grab that please?" Darin said. "I'm watching the peppers cook."
"Sure pup," Aric said. "I think you're gonna like this, Callie."
She looked up curiously and followed him to the door. Callie squealed when he swung it open.
"Grammy Claire! Poppa Jim!" Callie jumped into Claire's arms.
"Oh! My goodness! You've gotten so big in just three weeks!" Claire exclaimed.
Aric stood to the side and his parents came into the house. Darin came around the corner quickly, wiping his hands on a towel.
"Mom! Dad! What are you doing here?" he asked.
He closed the distance between them quickly as the front door closed behind them. Hugging them each briefly he looked over at Aric.
"Well, Jim has some appointments at the hospital Sunday, so we thought why not make a weekend of it," Claire said. "We've got a room at the Holiday Inn down the street a ways."
"Oh, we could have cleared up the spare room for you," Darin protested.
"Well..." Jim glanced at Aric.
"I asked them to come up and uh... well look after Callie tonight and tomorrow," Aric said, his face flushing slightly.
"Oh...why?" Darin asked.
"I have a surprise for you," Aric said. "After dinner, mom and dad are taking Callie to the movies then back to their hotel for the night."
"I brought your favorite game, puddin'!" Jim said. "No way you'll Skip all my Bo's this time!" Callie clapped.
"What movie are we seeing?" she asked excitedly.
"Any movie you want sweetie!" Claire said.
Darin put his hands on his hips.
"Not sure that's the best move. You might want to narrow it down or you'll be seeing the latest horror flick. This kid is weird," Darin smiled down at her.
"You're weird!" she snapped back with a smile.
Darin scoffed and rolled his eyes, though he had to admit he loved the sass she was gradually becoming more comfortable showing to them.
"Well, you're right on time, I was just getting dinner going!" he said.
Jim shuffled into the living room and settled in a chair near the Lego set where Aric and Callie joined him. Claire followed Darin to the kitchen to help with dinner, despite his protests.
After dinner was finished and the dishes washed or loaded in the dishwasher, Aric produced a duffel bag with a sparkly unicorn on it. It was full of Callie's essentials for a sleepover. She shouldered the bag and gave each man a hug and kiss goodbye.
"Be good," Darin whispered in her ear as she hugged him.
"I'm always good," she whispered back.
He pressed a kiss to her hair.
"Yes, you are," he confirmed.
As soon as the door clicked closed Darin turned to Aric.
"What's the surprise?" he asked.
Aric smiled.
"There's a bottle of wine on the rack. A 2017 Syrah from Barrage Cellars. Why don't you open that and pour a couple glasses?" Aric put his hand to the small of Darin's back directing him towards the pantry where they kept the wine rack. "Meet you in the living room with the surprise."
Darin prepared the wine wondering what Aric had planned. He popped open the bottle of wine, the rich, delicious aroma winding up his nose. After grabbing two glasses he took everything to the living room, placing the glasses on coasters he filled each wine glass and waited for his husband to return.
Aric came into the room with a grin, a folder clutched in his hand. Darin's heart squeezed in his chest, but he didn't allow his racing mind to run away with him. Aric sat on the couch next to Darin and put the folder between the two wine glasses.
"First a toast," Aric said picking up his glass. Darin followed his lead and lifted his own glass while he side eyed the folder. "To you, my love. The best thing to ever happen to me."
Darin flushed and they clinked glasses, sipped, then Aric pecked a quick kiss on Darin's lips. Aric took one more sip of his wine then set the glass down, picking up the folder once more.
"This is for you," he said. "I wanted to do a big elaborate speech, but...I couldn't think of anything poetic enough."
He handed the folder to Darin. Darin set his glass down and opened the folder. Inside were the adoption papers, the adoptive parent's names, their names, were meticulously written in Aric's careful clear printing.
"What is this?" Darin whispered, his eyes pricking.
He had been trying to take it one day at a time with Callie, to enjoy the time they had before whatever more permanent solution presented itself. He had reined in his hope, held it back with a determined fury.
"The adoption papers pup," Aric said quietly. "For our...for our daughter."
His voice cracked on the words. Darin stared up at him, holding his gaze. He brought a hand to Aric's cheek.
"Aric," he began. "Are you sure? Really, really sure? There's no going back. Not for me."
Aric nodded. He knew what he wanted. Now that he had been thinking it over for three weeks, living life as a dad and a co-parent with Darin for that time, he realized that even though it was hard and really scary, it was also one of the best things he'd done.
"I'm really sure Darin. Besides being with you, I've never been more sure of something," Aric said.
"I...I'm..."
Tears streaked down Darin's face, and he closed the folder quickly before they landed on the documents. He put the folder on the coffee table and pulled Aric into a frenzied kiss.
Aric smiled, returning the kiss enthusiastically. Darin crawled forward and straddled Aric's lap, kissing him more deeply, holding his face with both hands.
"Oh my god, Aric, I love you," he said in a whisper.
"I love you, pup," Aric said.
Darin pressed his lips to his husband's again plunging his tongue into his mouth, a low moan sounding in his throat. Aric's hands moved over Darin's back, sliding under the hem of his shirt. Aric pushed it quickly over his head, tossing it to the side, then rested his hands on his hips. He dragged his tongue down Darin's neck nipping lightly at his collarbone. He took one nipple into his mouth, tracing it with his tongue.
Darin moaned again and held Aric's head over his peaking nipple. Aric's hand traced up to the opposite nipple, his thumb rubbed over it in slow circles, bringing it to a hard point as well. He switched sides rubbing the spit slicked nipple with his other thumb. Darin's fingers laced in and out of Aric's hair. He brushed his hands over his shoulders and began to tug and bunch Aric's shirt up in his hands.
Aric paused his licking and biting of Darin's nipples long enough to have his shirt pulled over his head and tossed to the side on top of Darin's. Aric pulled Darin down to him hugging him close, pressing their chests together. He buried his nose in the crook his neck and inhaled deeply before slowly kissing and sucking up his neck back to his lips.