Following My Sister's Rules

Chapter 5

"Dad? Katherine?"  I called into the house as Melissa, Aaron, and I made out way through the family room.  "You guys here?"

"We're all in the back."  My brother Matt's wife, Kate, told us as she came in from the kitchen.  She was pregnant again, and was beginning to get huge.  "Hi."  She said to me as she bumped her giant stomach into me when she tried to lean up to kiss my cheek.

"Hey, you."  I greeted her as I leaned down to make her life easier.  "You look great."

She blushed.  "Don't lie, I know I'm the size of a house!"  She said with a laugh.  "Hey guys!"  She greeted my friends.

"Hey, gorgeous."  Aaron flirted as he leaned down to give her a kiss on the cheek too.  Mel and the guys had been around for so long, they knew everyone in my family like they were part of the circus too.  "Is Mr. MVP around?" He joked.

"Yeah, he's out with the brats in the backyard.  He just got in from Cleveland this morning though so he's kinda tired."

"Aww, are they all out back?"  Mel asked, and squealed when Kate nodded.  That was all it took before she took off through the sliding door to the back patio.  She loved all my nieces and nephews and I doubted I would see her for the rest of the night.

"Were you able to grab the meat, Max?"  Kate asked.

Aaron held up the grocery bags.  "We did.  Hopefully it's enough."

She rolled her eyes.  "Knowing the way this family eats, it never is."

We joined the rest if my family out in the backyard, where everyone was gathered on the patio by the pool.  It was always fun when we all got together cause there were so many of us.  My oldest brother, Mike, took re meat from me and started to grill the burgers as Aaron and I set out buns, while Meghan went inside and got condiments.  Matt and Kate had brought potato salad, and I had spotted my sister-in-law Erica's amazing chocolate mousse sitting on the counter when we had come in.

Aaron took a seat by my dad while I plopped myself on Erica's lap.  She had been around as long as I can remember, since Mike started college when I was 6.  She was kind of like Kate and Evan in that sense.  Mark is the only one who hasn't been married forever, and that's just because he has a job that makes it hard to meet quality girls.  Not like there's any rush, he's only 25.

"You wanna get off me, fatso?" Erica teased.

"Nope.  You used to always let me sit on your lap."  I pointed out.

"Yeah, when you were 8."  Mike pointed out, lifting me off his wife's lap by the back of my shirt with one hand.  Damn NFL powerhouse.  I laughed as he plopped me into my own chair.  "How were tryouts, string bean?"

"They were good."  I told him.  "Aaron and I kicked ass."

"I'd expect nothing less."  My dad joked.

Melissa finally had enough of playing with the kids and came to join us, searing herself comfortably half on my lap and half on Aaron's.  "Hey Melissa."  Mark greeted her with a smirks. "18 yet?"

"Still gay, Mark."  She returned in a bored tone and took a sip of my soda.

"Burn!"  Matt snickered, and we all laughed.  It was no secret that Mark was into Melissa, just like it was no secret that it was never going to happen.

We all sat around and enjoyed the meal while laughing and joking with each other.  Aaron, Melissa and I filled everyone in on our first days.  Aaron and I told everyone all about football while Mel told everyone about cheerleading.  Dad and Katherine told everyone about Italy, and pretty soon we were all stuffed to the brim and just relaxing while Meg, Matt, and Erica put their kids down in the bedrooms upstairs.  They'd just move them to the car later when everyone was ready to go home.