Page 115 of Caught Up

Josh and Nic had strung café lights on tall garden stakes overhead, and Aly and I had moved all her potted plants onto the patio to frame the table. Hurricane lanterns stood among the greenery, lighting the paving stones and casting the whole scene in golden light. It was stunning, a master class in al fresco dining that we’d only pulled off thanks to copious amounts oflate-nightPinteresting.

The sound of crickets filled the yard as we put the glasses in place, soft music filtering out from inside. We’d gotten lucky with this late-season heat wave, but I could smell autumn on the air, that distinct mix of fallen leaves, rain, and rich, dark earth. It wouldn’t be long until the cold crept in, and it made me cherish these fleeting days all the more.

Ryan walked through the back door carrying two bottles of wine, one red and one white, Walter fresh on their heels.

Walter bounded up to me, the new elephant stuffy Nic had bought him in his mouth. “All done playing with the kitties?” I asked.

Ryan set the wine on the table. “Fred jumped onto his back and tried to ride him like a pony.”

I dropped to a squat, smooshing Walter’s face. “Oh, no, honey. Did the big mean kitty scare you again?” That cat was fearless, had no concept of his own size or mortality, and Maud was even worse. Thank god Walter was so good with them.

Walter panted, just excited to be the center of attention, his terror already forgotten.

I pulled the stuffy from his mouth and chucked it across the yard, and he took off after it. He nearly collided with Ben, Ryan’s employee turned new flame, as he rounded the corner of the house.

“Sorry!” I yelled.

Ben steadied himself, clutching twosix-packsin his hands. “It’s okay! I saved the beer!”

“Who said beer?” Jackson asked as he and Taylor swept outside, carrying the first dishes of food.

Josh caught the door before it could swing shut behind them and looked imploringly at his fiancée. “Baby,pleaaase?”

“No!” Aly yelled back.

“I did!” Ben answered Jackson.

“Oh, thank God,” Jackson said. “I’m too uncultured for wine.”

“Not even in their little outdoor enclosure?” Josh whined.

“They cannot come outside,” Aly said. “They’ll just cry the whole time, and you know it.”

“What did you bring?” Jackson asked.

Josh stuck out his lower lip. “But they’ll be so sad all alone inside.”

“An amber ale and a pilsner,” Ben answered.

Aly stomped over to Josh. “They’ll be fine. Stop making me feel like a bad mother.”

“Hey! Are you bitches going to help me carry out the rest, or what?” Taylor asked me and Ryan.

I laughed and followed her inside, reveling in the chaos. This was only our third family dinner, but they all seemed to go this way, everyone talking over each other, three conversations happening at once, half a second away from spilling intofull-blownchaos. I loved it, drank in every second and committed these moments to memories I could look back on fondly when I was old and gray, remembering my wild youth.

Wondering where Nic was, I stuck my head into the living room.

“Help me,” he said, slumped down in an armchair with Fred in his lap and Maud on his chest. Neither were asleep, neither were curled up. They just...sat on him, like they were actively pinning him down and he really did need to be rescued.

I went over and scooped Maud up first, depositing her on the couch. Fred turned in my arms as I lifted him next, presenting me with his big belly. Aly had him so well trained. “I have too much bronzer on for fur therapy,” I told him. He purred and started making biscuits on my neck, and I was helpless to resist, very carefullyface-divinginto his fluff.

Nic got to his feet behind me. “I think they were plotting something.”

I set Fred down and turned to him. “What is it with you and cats?”

He pointed past me. “Look at them and tell me I’m wrong.”

I turned. Fred and Maud were sitting right next to each other on the couch, staring unblinkingly at Nic. Okay, maybe he had a point.

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