"Hey, what's up, Nathan?" I greeted him, stepping into the cozy living room where he was lounging on the couch, a playful smirk on his face.
"Hey, what are you doing here?" Nathan asked, his eyes lighting up with surprise.
"Come on, a guy can't just drop by to visit his brother?" I replied, raising an eyebrow in mock indignation.
"I was just messing with you," he laughed, his tone teasing.
"Okay, so where's Dad? I thought he'd be home," I said, looking around for our father.
"He went to run some errands," Nathan explained, shrugging slightly as he stretched out on the couch.
"What about Sarah? Is she around?" I inquired, curious about our stepmother's whereabouts.
"She's at work," Nathan said, glancing at his phone to check the time.
"Do you think Sarah is a great stepmom?" I asked, genuinely wanting to know his thoughts on our family dynamics.
"Yeah, she is, and you know she is," Nathan replied, his tone earnest. "She's good to us."
"I know she is, but you know how Mom can be," I said, trying to convey my frustration with the situation.
He nodded, recalling a past conversation. "I remember when Dad despised Francis. He never held back his feelings about him," he replied, an edge of nostalgia lacing his tone.
"It's true; Dad still can't stand him, and honestly, I think Francis feels the same way," I added, shaking my head as I thought about the tension between them.
"Exactly," he said, his expression growing more serious. "But the thing is, Mom never lets that animosity show on the surface. When I'm at her house, she spends so much time criticizing Sarah."
I couldn't help but chuckle at the absurdity. "What in the world did Sarah do to trigger that?"
He shrugged, a look of contemplation on his face. "Honestly, nothing at all. But I just get the feeling that she can't stand seeing Dad with someone else."
If she truly accepted it, they would have tried harder to make their relationship work rather than moving on to partners much younger than themselves.
"Do you think Sarah noticed?" I pondered aloud, trying to gauge Nathan's thoughts on the situation.
"I honestly don't think she cares whether Mom likes her or not," Nathan replied with a casual shrug, his expression indifferent.
"Anyway, I can't believe you're getting married! It's just so hard for me to picture you as the married type," he continued, shaking his head in disbelief.
"I know, it's crazy. But I have the feeling you might be confusing me with someone else," I said, half-jokingly.
"Oh, by the way, Cole, isn't it wild that that guy is married to someone he genuinely loves?" Nathan chimed in, a hint of admiration in his voice.
"Yeah, that is something. But when did my sixteen-year-old brother become so sentimental? Wait a minute, do you have a girlfriend?" I asked, raising an eyebrow at him.
"Whoa, hold on! I do not have a girlfriend! Besides, high school relationships are pretty much a disaster and rarely last long, no offense," he asserted, his tone firm but lighthearted.
"None taken," I responded, chuckling at his dramatic flair.
"But if you want to know who's sappy, you should go talk to Marcus," he suggested, tilting his head as if to imply there was a story to tell.
"He has a girlfriend?" I asked in surprise, trying to imagine Marcus in a romantic relationship.
"Yeah, but it's a secret! And she's from his school," Nathan explained, a mischievous grin spreading across his face.
"Why are you even telling me this if he wanted it to stay under wraps? And how do you even know?" I questioned, my curiosity piqued.
"I saw them at the skate park the other day. Plus, I'm telling you because he owes me twenty dollars from that bet we made, which I'm still waiting to collect," he said, his expression shifting to one of determination.
As we were chatting, I couldn't help but draw a parallel. "Why do you and Marcus remind me so much of Cole and me?" I asked.
His eyes widened, and he shook his head passionately. "There's no way we're like that! I swear, I would completely lose my mind if someone ever compared us like that!" he exclaimed, his expression serious but with a hint of humor in his voice.
The doorbell chimed melodically through the house, breaking the afternoon silence. Nathan stood up from the couch, glancing toward the front door with curiosity. As he opened the door, he was greeted by the familiar face of our cousin, Marcus, who was standing on the porch with a wide grin.
"Hey, cousin! We were just talking about you," Nathan said, stepping aside to let Marcus enter the warm and inviting living room.
Marcus shrugged playfully, his eyes twinkling with mischief. "What were you talking about? And here's the twenty dollars you've been bugging me about," he said, pulling a crumpled bill from his pocket and handing it over.
"Thanks! I really appreciate it. It's just some good stuff—nothing serious," Nathan replied, giving Marcus a reassuring smile while tucking the money away.
Marcus looked around the room and then turned his gaze back to Nathan, his expression shifting to one of mild concern. He chuckled nervously, "I hope that's all it is." The unspoken tension hung in the air for a moment, adding a layer of intrigue to their friendly banter.
"Nice to see that my third favorite cousin has finally arrived," Marcus said, his eyes sparkling with mischief as he glanced in my direction. "How have you been?"
"I'm doing well, thanks! But wait a minute, did you just say I'm your third favorite cousin?" I raised an eyebrow, a playful grin tugging at my lips.
"Yeah, I know it sounds harsh, but it's true! Gabriella is my favorite cousin," Marcus admitted with a sheepish smile, scratching the back of his head.
"Okay, I accept that. But who takes second place, then?" I pressed, genuinely curious about the pecking order in our family.
Marcus let out a dramatic sigh as if the topic weighed heavily on him. "It's a tie between Nathan and Paolo," he explained, his tone half-serious, half-teasing.
"Huh, that's interesting to hear," Nathan chimed in from the side, crossing his arms with an amused expression, clearly intrigued by our cousin's ranking discussion.
