The Alice residence

"He hurt you," Maddie insists, and Buck feels hot and itchy and so, so mad.

He presses his hands flat to the worktop, takes a deep breath. "I hurt him too. Did you forget that part?"

"No. But you're my — "

"I'm not a child, Maddie." There are people in the yard, and even if there weren't, Buck doesn't want to yell at his sister, not really, so he deliberately keeps his voice level as he goes on. "We both screwed up, but we've worked it out, and it's been — this has been the best year of my life, are you seriously telling me you've just been…what? Waiting for it to blow up in my face again?"

"Of course not! I just — I don't trust him not to…to hurt you again."

Buck blows out a shaky breath. There's a horrible thought that's been niggling at him for — fuck, for years now — but he bites it back. There's so much he could say. So many things he could throw at her. So many bridges he could burn.

"I'm going to buy a ring," he says instead. "That's why I offered to help with the dishes. I wanted to tell you. I thought you'd be excited for me. With me. Whatever. Joke's on me, I guess."

Maddie's looking at him like she doesn't recognize him and Buck takes another breath.

"What's the problem? Really? Do you not like his sense of humor? Do you not like that he's a little older than me? Am I not allowed to have a…a rocky road to my happy ending?"

"He's just…not what I pictured for you."

Buck stiffens. The thought escapes. "Because he's a guy?"

"What? Buck. No. That's not fair."

"None of this is fair, Maddie. You're waiting for my relationship to end, and I don't know why. Actually — you know what? I don't care why."

And that's true, he realizes. He wants her to be happy for him. For them. He wants her to like Tommy. He wants her approval. But he doesn't need it. It should feel good, but it makes him feel hopelessly unmoored.

"Buck, please — "

Buck sniffs, clears his throat. "You don't have to like him. You don't have to trust him. But you do have to accept him. Because he's it for me, Maddie. He's it. I love you, Maddie. I want you to be happy for me. But it's okay if you're not."

Maddie opens her mouth but before she can reply, Chim barrels into the kitchen, looking out of breath.

"There you guys are! Mads, Jee's looking for — are you guys okay?"

"We're good," Buck says, knowing it's clearly a lie. Maddie presses her lips together and looks away. "I've got a headache though, I'm gonna grab Tommy and head out."