Eddie (Ryan Guzman) doesn't get off to the best start back in Texas on 9-1-1. He moved there to be closer to his son -- Christopher (Gavin McHugh) is living with Eddie's parents -- after he left due to his father lying (and catching him with the doppelgänger of his late mother). And it doesn't take long for Eddie to once again lie to his son.

Eddie does try to continue to work as a firefighter. Bobby (Peter Krause) apparently gave him a glowing recommendation. Captain Morales calls him "an exceptional candidate with maybe the most stellar reference I ever checked. Your Captain Nash loves you so much, he said you'll always have a job waiting for you back at the 118." Eddie says that's good to hear -- even he knows that he's not going to be in Texas for good -- but that doesn't seem to be true for the captain. He talks about recruiting a lieutenant only for the firefighter to bail after four months when his wife took a new job. Eddie assures him he's single and is in Texas for his son. He needs this job, and he doesn't have a plan B. He also gives his word if he hires him, he won't regret it.

While waiting to hear from the captain, Eddie buys Chris a PS5. He tells his parents the new job comes with a signing bonus, and it's just a formality that he gets it. Eddie is then touched when his dad tells him that he heard Christopher bragging to him about his dad being a firefighter. His dad also assures him that Chris will come around, just like Eddie did. (Of course, we haven't forgotten about Eddie's past with his parents.)

But there's a hitch: Eddie doesn't get the job. As he tells Buck (Oliver Stark) over FaceTime, Morales said that he wanted to make an offer but the department is in the middle of a hiring freeze ... that happened after they talked. It could be up to a year, and Eddie doesn't have enough money to wait after the money he's putting into his new house, which needs a lot of work. Eddie's considering returning to Los Angeles, but as showrunner Tim Minear had told TV Insider, Buck reminds him he didn't move there to be a firefighter but to be Chris' dad, so he can't come back.

Eddie ends up trading in his truck for a car with better gas mileage and becomes an Uber driver -- though his family thinks he's a firefighter. He completely fails at his new job, however, because he won't stop talking. Then he gets advice from a passenger with experience and things turn around ... until he picks up Chris and his friend. Chris pretends not to know him.

Chris was shocked, with a hint of disappointment and pity, Eddie tells Buck, and they have yet to speak. Buck tells him to call his son, or at least text him. Eddie just can't believe he got caught in another lie, calling it his worst nightmare come true, but his best friend argues that already happened, when Chris left. This time, he has the chance to face the consequences.

And so Eddie does text Christopher, but his messages go unanswered until Chris shows up at his house, with the PS5, wanting him to return it because he needs to save his money if he's going to stick around. "You're my dad," he says when Eddie's surprised he wants him to. Eddie explains he was embarrassed and just wanted him to be proud of him, and Chris assures him, "I am proud of you." With that, father and son hug and say, "I love you."

It's such a sweet moment, as well as much needed given the painful separation all season. But it's also obvious that their time in Texas is limited. Eddie has to return to Los Angeles, and it's time for him to tell Chris it's time for him to move home as well. Maybe that ending scene is the first step in that direction. And with a big two-parter coming up (Episodes 14 and 15), it would be a shame to not have Eddie there for at least part of it.