And then the Summers.

Eventually, we all moved to the backyard. The weather had decided to be nice to us and we were able to enjoy a sunny day, if just a bit chilly. Sarah dragged Isabelle and Mila to play soccer with her and the kids, Andrei included. Turns out Mila’s younger brother was also really good friends with Robert and had an awkward interest in Violet that I don’t believe he even understood.

Red and Chip were in there as well, happy to chase the ball to and fro, but Cake and Mint had chosen the smarter position, close to the grill where they’d be able to beg for small scraps of meat from the weak-minded. Noelle had already begged me to give them something, but I refused.

I kept stoking the fire Mr. Aliev and I made. Around us, all the adults had a drink in hand, a whiskey sour since all Diana had to work with was a bottle of whiskey and lemons. And while everyone was very much enjoying it, Diana herself wasn’t entirely satisfied with the results.

“Are you sure it’s okay?” she asked Mrs. West again.

“Yes, of course! I’m not very used to drinking cocktails, but this is really tasty,” the older brunette said.

“Yes, this is really good. We mostly drink wine, and we were bringing a bottle, but…” Mr. West smiled apologetically. “I forgot and left it on the kitchen counter at home. I’m sorry.”

“Please, you brought two cakes already,” Alice said. “We couldn’t ask for more.”

“What’s the problem with that drink?” Mr. Aliev asked. He had a can of beer in his hand, taken from a pack in a cooler he had brought himself.

“The ice,” Diana said. “I… had to use normal ice from the freezer.”

“We use clear ice at work,” I clarified. “Well, Diana uses clear ice even at her house. I thought it was an exaggeration at first, but it does make a difference in taste.”

“Look at you, all knowledgeable now,” Grace teased.

“If he didn’t know something that basic, he would’ve been kicked out of the bar already,” my dear mother said. Yet it’s true.

A phone rang and I turned to look. This time it was Noelle’s phone.

“Yes?” the redhead answered. “Ah, okay. Yes, I’ll be there.” She hung up and looked at me. “My parents are here. I’ll… go greet them.”

“I’ll go with you,” I told her. “Would you mind taking over for me here?” I asked Mr. Aliev.

“Sure.”

Knowing the fire was in even better hands than mine, Noelle and I went to open the gate and greet her parents.

They came in a luxury SUV and parked along the now long line of other cars, right behind the Wests. The moment they got out, I had the same thought as I did the first time I saw them. Noelle’s hair never stood a chance.

Both her mother and her father have bright red hair, not exactly the same shade, but still very much red, nowhere near auburn. Noelle’s height, though, was likely left to a coin toss, one her father had won.

Mr. Summers is fairly short, about my height, actually, if not a smidge shorter. His hair was neatly combed to the side, his glasses frameless, his build on the average side and was wearing a blue shirt and white dressing pants. Mrs. Summers, in contrast, was maybe just a bit shorter than Diana. She had long straight hair that reached her lower back and a curvy figure. Admittedly, a very pretty woman. She wore a dark blue blouse, a black skirt and a very noticeable pearl necklace. Actually, she had a lot of jewelry on. Three rings, a gold bracelet and emerald earrings that matched her eyes.

Both were barely just entering their 40s, so very close to my mom in age. They looked good, too.

“Mom, dad! Welcome!” Noelle ran up to them, hugging her father first, then her mother. Both smiled at her, rubbing her back and kissing the top of her head. Mrs. Summers cupped Noelle’s cheek and checked her face.

“Well, you don’t have bags under your eyes, at least,” she said, chuckling. “You’ve been sleeping properly, then? No all-nighters playing games and streaming?”

“I’ve been going to university, so no. I did stream until 3:00 am last night, though…” Noelle admitted.

“Should you really spend your Friday nights working?” her dad asked her, a warm smile on his face.

“Well, we have our Mondays free, so it’s fine, right? Besides, I like it,” Noelle said.

“Oliver, please make sure she rests properly,” Mrs. Summers told me. “I can’t tell you the amount of times we had to tell her to go to bed at 4:00 am on a weekday when we caught her playing games.”

“I’ll try, but I’ve been guilty of the same…” I admitted sheepishly.

I greeted them both with a handshake. Mr. Summers looked around the lot and up at the house. “It’s still a bit hard to believe how you got this, but it is a relief that you already have a house. These days it’s getting so much harder for people your age.”

“We’ve been lucky,” I admitted. “We try not to rely on that luck, though.”

Mr. Summers nodded in approval.

“Are we the last ones to arrive?” Mrs. Summers asked.

“No, Alice’s parents still aren’t here,” Noelle said. “Everyone else is in the backyard, though.”

“Then let’s go say hello before you give us a tour of the house.”

“Please, come in.”

The Summers were, in a way, the most distant group here. Mila’s, Grace’s, Sarah’s and Alice’s families knew each other already, but while the Summers had met the Knights, this would be their first time meeting the other families.

…

“Um… Is it just me or is this starting to look like a mafia meeting?” I whispered to Noelle. “You know, with all the different families.”

Noelle snickered. “I was just thinking that!”

All these families gathered… almost like a clan. Maybe we weren’t that far from being like the yakuza.

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