Max
Three months later…
I reach over and grab Avery’s hand. It’s sweaty, her leg bouncing in the passenger’s seat of my car. We’re heading to Zach and Jade’s for my sister’s birthday party, but that’s not what has her nervous. My parents will be there and it’ll be the first time they’ve met.
“They’re going to love you,” I reassure her and squeeze her hand.
She offers a soft smile, but the nerves are written across her lips.
“You’re stressing out over nothing. Tell me again how you do your competitions in front of hundreds of people and more on television.”
Her eyes narrow slightly. “This is different. These are your parents. They’re meeting your girlfriend and her daughter for the first time.”
“You act like they don’t know about you.” I smirk. My parents know everything.
She rests her head on the seat and closes her eyes. “This is my first time doing the meet and greet with parents. It’s conflicting. I’m nervous because I want them to like me and I’m freaking out because…” She doesn’t have to say it for me to know. Her parents are dead. Mine are alive and happy. I’m positive it’s emotionally torturous.
“We don’t have to go if you don’t want to,” I tell her.
Her eyes spring open and she jerks her head my direction. “No way we’d miss your sister’s birthday party over my hang-ups. You’re insane. I’ll be okay. I just have to shake off the nerves.”
“Oh! I shake off my nerves too, Momma. I’ll do it with you so you don’t look really silly alone. We’ll look silly together,” Maddi squeals from the back seat.
Avery blows a laugh. “I don’t mind looking silly, baby girl.”
“Me neither. It makes me happy,” Maddi tells us.
Avery squeezes my hand. “I’ll be fine.”
A few minutes later, we pull into Zach’s driveway. I open Maddi’s door and she clambers out before straightening her little sun dress.
Her innocent blue eyes roll up to me. “Do I look okay?”
I squat in front of her. “You look absolutely beautiful. You’re going to look better than the birthday girl.”
Nothing beats the smile she blesses me with. “I’m going to mess up my hair when I swim.”
I chuckle. “So will I.”
Her little hip cocks to the side. “Your hair is always messy.”
I tap her nose. “Guess no one will notice then, huh?”
Avery rounds the car with the bag containing everyone’s change of clothes and towels. I clutch her hand and lead us into Zach’s.
Zach and Easton are in the pool with Caleb as he splashes around in his little floaties, squealing his excitement. Jade, Mom, Dad, and Zoey are at the table enjoying the shade under the pergola when all eyes swing our way.
Mom explodes into a large smile and rushes to greet me, slinging her arms around my neck. It’s been a few months since I’ve seen her since they’ve been gone traveling the world and savoring their retirement.
She kisses my cheek. “I’ve missed your handsome face.” She shifts her attention to my nervous as fuck girlfriend and then hugs her. “I’m so thrilled to meet you.”
Dad sticks his hand out for me to shake and them pulls me into a hug too. “Good to see you, son.”
Maddi sticks her hand out to mom. “I’m Maddi. I really like your bathing suit cover-up.”
Mom’s eyes soften in adoration. I’ve told Mom how Maddi has a deep love for dresses and creating them. “Thank you. I really like your dress, too. Do you think they make it in my size?”
“I bet they do. You’d look really, really, pretty in it. Not that you don’t look pretty in that one ‘cause you do. I can get Momma to take us to the store and see if they do. Not today ‘cause we don’t have time ‘cause it’s Max’s sister’s birthday, but another time we can.”
Yes…I’ve also warned her about Maddi’s long-winded sentences.
“Maxy’s sister is also my daughter,” Mom informs her.
“He told me you call him Maxy when we built a snowman and I named her Maxy. We gave her a brother named Popsicle. Max had to sneak them in ‘cause they didn’t buy tickets.” Maddi’s shoulders pull up as she giggles.
“I think that was really nice of him to sneak them in. Maxy has told us a lot about you,” Mom says to Avery.
“I hope it was all good,” Avery says, her voice with a shake in it.
“You’re crazy to think my son has a bad thing to say about either of you. He’s—”
“Max told us about you and his daddy,” Maddi interrupts. “His daddy gave him his wine place and y’all get to travel the world now. You went to Greece. I saw pictures of Greece before and I know I want to go there when I get older. I might even move there. It’s really pretty and I—”
Avery places a hand over Maddi’s mouth. “She’s extremely long winded and loves to talk. If you let her, she will talk for hours.”
Mom chortles. “Jade used to be the same way.”
“Nothing’s changed either,” I throw my two cents in.
“I heard that!” Jade calls out from the table.
“You’re still nosy too,” I add, grinning devilishly at her.
Dad shoves my shoulder. “Be nice. It’s her birthday.”
“Maaassss!” Caleb screams out and paddles to the side of the pool, splashing more than moving.
When Zach helps Caleb out of the pool, his little legs start toward me. Wet or not, no way I’ll miss out on his hugs. I scoop him up and squeeze him.
“Tyke. Man, I’ve missed you,” I say and then send a barrage of kisses into his neck.
He squirms, giggling high-pitched, and pushes me. “I simming. You sim too.”
“Of course, I’ll swim with you. Give me a few minutes and I will.”
When I place him back down, he takes off running and jumps into the water right beside Zach, splashing him.
Zach, Easton, and I are on the opposite side of the pool watching Maddi and Caleb play by the stairs. Jade and Mom stole my girlfriend and are holding her hostage at the table. I smile.
“Five years ago, we were all dipping into singles,” Easton says, his back against the pool wall with his arms stretched out on the concrete. He blows a chuckle. “Two of us are married. One is working on it. Our families are growing.”
My brows pinch together as I glance to him.
“You get sappy on us when you’re reflecting on life,” Zach teases. “Or are you finally considering children?”
“What’s your rush with me having kids?”
“There’s nothing to fear but fear itself, except when you’re a pussy,” Zach says low with a laugh so the kids don’t hear him.
“His balls haven’t dropped yet,” I say to Zach.
“Need to get a handful?” Easton banters back.
Suddenly, the back gate swings open and Freya, Jade’s best friend and the girl who was basically my other annoying little sister, comes strolling in. Her ponytail sways side to side as she bounds to Jade and slams a hug into her.
Easton cuts his eyes to us with a mischievous smirk. “Watch and weep. You two only wish you had it like me.”
I hide my laugh as Easton gets out of the pool catching Freya’s attention. Instantly, she’s mush. Her mouth drops open, her eyes fall heavy, and she exhales a weird whisper of a giggle. He struts with his chest puffed out for dramatic effects and then flashes his megawatt grin, the one that can win over the Queen of England.
“Hey, Freya. It’s good to see you.”
Her mouth moves, but nothing comes out.
Freya has always had a thing for him. When he’s around, she loses all cognitive abilities, causing her brain to lose functions and paralyzing her. She can’t see Easton and walk at the same time without tumbling into things—her feet quit working. She can’t be around him and talk—her voice somehow disappears. Once, she tripped and busted her face in a wall, which required a few stitches across her eyebrow.
She’s got it bad.
Easton winks, and Freya’s body shivers.
Zoey is trying to conceal her amusement as Easton takes the seat beside her and they share a knowing look.
Zach and I make our way to the table. “See. I’d be envious and even impressed if you had that same effect on your wife…like I do.” He wipes his face and winks to Jade.
She grabs Freya’s hand, playfully scowling at Zach. “Come on. Let’s get a drink.”
As she hauls her off, Freya’s view doesn’t unlatch from Easton until she trips over the sliding glass molding. Everyone laughs when she’s out of view. We’ve seen the same reaction for so many years.
“Maybe I should put her out of misery and tell her all about your nasty habits?” Zoey says. “Do you think if she knew you liked to fart and cover my head, she’d still see you in the same sexy light?”
“She’d want to sniff it,” I crack up.
“What about your fear of worms?”
“No shit?” Zach cackles. “Does he still do that girly scream?”
“Oh yes. It’s pretty hila—”
Easton cover’s Zoey’s mouth with his hand. Zoey’s laughing so hard, tears have formed.
“Do you remember that time when Jade had to put the worm on your hook, Easton?” Dad says, poking in on the fun.
Easton points to Dad. “Your memory is getting rusty. That didn’t happen.”
“Oh, I’m pretty sure it did. We had all thrown in when I realized you hadn’t moved,” Dad says.
“It’s too slimy,” I mock his teenage voice with a feminine flare.
“Shut up,” Easton scoffs under his breath.
“I used to be scared of worms.” Maddi bounces up to the table, soaking wet. “But my Uncle Roo showed me they don’t hurt you. If you want to go fishing, I can put the worm on your hook, but you have to take the fish off. I don’t like holding them. They flap around and it scares me. Next time me and Uncle Roo go fishing, you should come with us. I can show you worms don’t hurt you.”
Everyone’s eyes fall on Easton.
“Do you like gummy worms? They kind of feel like that but you don’t want to eat them ‘cause they eat dirt and I bet they taste like poop,” she adds.
“Maddi!” Avery tries to scold her but ends up bursting into a laugh when the rest of us do.
She shrugs, wrapping herself in a towel. “I was just trying to help.”
I kiss Avery on her cheek. “I owe her a huge bowl of ice cream for that one.”