Page 93 of Undeniably Perfect

I giggle and release him from my death grip before hugging him once more and kissing him on the cheek for good measure.

His body shakes with silent laughter at my ridiculous behavior.

I lean in and whisper, “Now jump up and down, just real quick.”

His eyebrows shoot up at my request. “Do you have a fever? Seriously, what the fuck?”

“Please, just do it!” I say, putting my hands together in a prayer motion.

He rolls his eyes and jumps up twice. “Sufficient?”

I place my hands on my hips and glare at him. “You could at least do it with some enthusiasm! It’s been almost six months, you jackass.”

He places his backpack down again and then gets a silly look on his face and jumps up and down three times while clapping his hands like an excited kid. “Oh my god! This is so exciting!” he says loudly in his best fake enthusiastic voice.

I double over laughing as I shoot a glance over my shoulder at Kent, whose lips are pressed together to keep from laughing at my brother’s antics.

“That’ll do it. Now come on, let’s get out of here!”

I practically drag him over to the rest of the group.

“I should have bet you,” I say with a smirk.

“Bet him what?” Brix asks as he leans in for a bro hug with Kent. I roll my eyes. Why do guys do that? Like slapping each other on the back is gonna make them look more manly? I lock eyes with Lanie, and we both giggle and shake our heads.

“Nice to see you, man,” Kent says to my brother while reaching out a hand to grab Brix’s laptop bag and one of the rolling suitcases. “This is my sister Lanie and her friend Heidi who just got in too.”

Brix reaches out and shakes their hands.

“Not to break up this lovefest, but I’m starving! Let’s go grab some food!” I say as I take the other one of Brix’s suitcases.

Lanie strikes up a conversation with Brix as we walk to the car, and I look over at Kent who’s chatting with Heidi. He glances at me and motions to Lanie and Brix in front of us. He laughs and shrugs as he wraps an arm around me.

“Can we go to your parents’ for dinner?” Heidi asks Lanie as we reach the car. “They still do their epic weekly Saturday dinners, right?”

Everyone laughs but Brix who looks confused.

“Sure,” Kent answers as he hefts the bags into the back of the SUV.

“What am I missing?” Brix asks me as we pile into the car.

“You’ll see,” I say to him with a wink.

Kent

Seeing my parents’ Saturday dinner through the eyes of a newbie never gets old. Brix’s eyes go wide as we enter the house, which only makes Tabby giggle harder.

The dogs are running around, the neighbors’ kids are running around, there are people everywhere, and just to add to the chaos, Mrs. Miller brought her parrot, Tupac, with her and he’s currently nesting on top of the family room curtains.

“Uh, wow, this is…intense,” he manages.

“Come on, big bro, let’s get you a drink,” Tabby says as she loops her arm through his and leads him to the kitchen where my grandmothers begin doting over him. I grin as I look around.

I am a lucky mother fucker, maybe the luckiest.

I head out to the gazebo, which is surprisingly empty. I open a cooler, grabbing a beer and plopping down on a rocker that overlooks the pond behind the house.

I hear the door open, but I don’t turn around because I know it’s Tabitha. I can sense her a mile away.

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