Page 135 of Fake Love

The same smile he gave me the night that the Miners won the world series back in October and the one I’ve loved seeing every day since.

When baseball season ended, everything started it moving at a much slower pace. A pace that allowed me and Maddox to grow as a couple and as individuals.

After the winning game, we flew back to Chicago the next afternoon to be with Nora. We were there for a few days before going back to San Francisco to ride in the city wide parade to celebrate the team's accomplishments.

I saw the parade that the city threw when Hunter and the San Francisco Gold won the super bowl, and I thought that was crazy. I couldn’t be more wrong.

The second that float started to move through the streets, it was complete chaos of the best kind.

Maddox got to choose someone to ride with him, and of course I got the honor. It was absolutely crazy how many people were calling out my name with his or how many people had signs with my picture on it.

Riding in the parade was definitely way better than just being a spectator, that’s for sure.

Once all the celebration was over, we drove down south and spent some time with my parents.

At the beginning of our trip, I definitely noticed some tension between Maddox and my dad.

Maddox had told me on the drive over what exactly went down the two of them were in the same room.

So I was expecting the tension.

What I wasn’t expecting was for it to be broken by my dad.

One day the man was displeased to see I was still with Maddox, the next he was acting as if they were best friends.

My dad even started calling him amigo and compa. I even heard him talking to my Tia, Lucas’ mom, about how amazing el muchacho is.

I asked Maddox one night about it but he was as clueless as I was.

So I went to the source.

Somehow, someway, Maddox proved himself to my dad.

I asked and all he said was “Los ojos mija, it’s all in the eyes.”

I told Maddox and he looked at me like I had two heads. He swears that he has always looked at me the same, but if my dad says it's true, then it's true.

Maddox better look at me that way for the rest of our lives together because my dad will notice.

The days with my parents went by fast and when it was time to go, we headed to Chicago.

As much as I wanted to treat heading to Chicago as just another trip, I couldn’t. It was a move, especially since I packed up my apartment completely and moved everything either to Chicago or to your place in San Francisco.

Even after a few months, I’m still getting used to the fact that Maddox and I live together. At first, it was fine since he was gone most of the time playing, but as soon as the season ended, it was definitely an adjustment.

A lot of things have been in adjustment.

The biggest of them all was adjusting to life in Chicago, especially with the gnarly winters. I’m used to California winters where I can wear two layers and be fine. Here though, I have to wear at least five and some days I’m still freezing my ass off.

One major plus side about being in Chicago though is being closer to Nora.

Her surgery to remove her tumors was successful. The doctors were able to get it done well before the eight hour mark that they gave us. As for the new tumors, they were able to get a sample and find that it was benign.

No cancer.

They were able to remove it with the others. Now Nora’s doctor appointments are set to make sure that the tumors don’t return.

We’re all keeping our fingers crossed that they don’t.

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