Chapter 35 The Unsettled Son

Robert looked at Caelan. 'Luke's already a father and he's getting married. What about this brat? When will he bring a daughter-in-law home?' Spurred by this thought, he suddenly announced, "Caelan, you're going on a blind date tomorrow!" Caelan, busy chatting with a girl he had just met online, was so surprised he nearly dropped his fork. "Dad, not this again," Caelan groaned. "I've told you, I'm not into blind dates."" Robert insisted, "How else will you find a girlfriend? I don't approve of the girls you date now. Don't even think about bringing them here. You're not getting any younger. It's time to get serious. Look at Luke. He's got a whole family now, and his children are already three years old." Caelan murmured, "Yeah, but who's as lucky as him..." "True, he's been very lucky," Robert agreed. "We'd all be happy if you found a girlfriend like that." In the meantime, Lorna felt ignored as she watched Robert and Caelan talk about other things. She felt a pang of sadness, thinking, 'Do I really have no chance with Luke?' Feeling down, she left her dinner unfinished and headed upstairs. Caelan didn't pay much attention to her. He thought that time would help her understand. He and Robert had made the situation clear, hoping she'd act more sensibly in the future. Trying to change Robert's mind, Caelan said, "Finding someone like that is one in a million. I doubt I'll be that lucky." Robert, looking tired yet hopeful, still wished for Caelan's happiness. "Why not try the blind date for me? If it doesn't work out, I can introduce you to some of my friends' daughters. Maybe you'll change your mind then." Caelan responded, "But that's like making a business deal. I want to find someone on my own." Robert gave Caelan a clear ultimatum. "Alright, then it's settled. Go on that blind date. And if you don't find someone within a month, you'll have to move out." "Alright, alright," Caelan reluctantly agreed, then excused himself from the dining table. Frustrated, Caelan rang up Luke. "Hey, you home?" "Yeah, what's up?" "Feel like grabbing a drink?" "Sorry, not today," Luke replied, amidst the family gathering. "Charlotte and the kids are here, and my parents are visiting. How about tomorrow night? Charlotte can join, and we'll all meet up." After hanging up, Caelan let out a soft sigh. It seemed like all his friends were settled with families, and he couldn't even find someone to grab a drink with. Before, whenever he was down, he would hang out with Luke. But now Luke had his own family to think about. Caelan started to think maybe it was time he found a girlfriend too. After the family dinner, Linda and Andrew headed home. Luke then invited Caelan over and brought out a selection of wine he had purchased earlier. Charlotte, always considerate, asked, "Do you guys need anything to eat?" "No, we're good," Luke replied. "Are the kids asleep already?" Charlotte nodded. "Yes, they're in bed. And I've given Carol our address so she can come help with the kids tomorrow." Luke motioned for Charlotte to sit next to him. "Caelan will be here soon. Will you join us for a drink?" Charlotte was hesitant. "I don't want to be in the way. Would it be weird for you two if I stayed?" Luke hugged her, comforting her. "No worries," he said softly. "Caelan's my best friend, just like Sofia is to you. It's important you get to know him." "Okay, I'll stay," Charlotte agreed, realizing it was important to get to know Luke's friends, especially since they were getting married. Their first meeting at Sofia's was awkward, hardly allowing for much conversation, so this was a good chance for a proper introduction. Caelan arrived looking like he needed a break. His job often took him away, but he preferred staying with family when he wasn't traveling. It was easier to keep his dad updated about work that way. Right away, Caelan started complaining. "Now that you've got a family, I'm always under pressure to settle down too." "I know the feeling," Luke sympathized. "Before meeting Charlotte, my family was always on my case about getting married." Reflecting on when Luke had previously asked her to pretend to be his girlfriend, Charlotte considered how parental love often came with the added pressure of marriage. Caelan sighed. "My dad's given me a month to find a girlfriend or he's kicking me out." Luke joked, "Shouldn't be too hard." Caelan took a sip of his drink. "Easy for you to say. I don't even want to get married." "It's not about marriage," Luke pointed out. "It's just about finding someone. They just want you to have a long-term companion, not live so carefree all the time." Caelan expressed his frustration, "I get why they're doing this, but they were young once. Why can't they understand? Not everyone marries young." Luke reasoned, "Look around, lots of people our age are married. It's not bad having someone by your side." The thought alone made Caelan feel pressured. "But I can't just rush it. Meeting the right person should happen naturally." "You have a point," Luke agreed. "But it doesn't hurt to try, just maybe not with the girls you're currently seeing." Caelan stared at Luke for a moment. "What you're saying sounds exactly like what my dad tells me." Charlotte chimed in, offering her perspective. "He cares about you, in his own way." "Yeah, I understand, but it's just frustrating," Caelan responded. Luke leaned forward. "It's been a while. You should try to move on from things that bother you. It's time." Caelan knew exactly what Luke was referring to. Back when they were students, Caelan had a girlfriend he was really into. If circumstances had been different, their children might have been older than Andy and Lilya. Despite feeling deeply sorry for what had happened between Caelan and his ex-girlfriend, Luke still held onto hope that Caelan would soon find his own happiness.