Here comes the rain (Buddie) - English

Chapter 14: BBQ at Grant-Nash house

Maddie never thought this day would come.

She glanced at the digital clock on the car's GPS screen and couldn't believe her eyes. It was twelve-thirty, Chimney and she were right on time, and yet Buck was already there. At least, that's what she thought as she recognized the parked jeep on the side of the road.

"Is your brother growing up?" her fiancé asked as he got out of the car to unbuckle their daughter stuck in her car seat.

Maddie raised a surprised eyebrow. Indeed, she was just as astonished as he was. Evan didn't have the good habit of being on time, let alone early to any event he was invited to. So, while a lunch at the Grant-Nash's didn't have the grandeur of a big event, Evan considered any outing outside his apartment as extraordinary. However, it was the first time she arrived after him. Even on his own birthday, on his return from the hospital, and on his graduation, Buck had always managed to arrive late.

Maddie puzzled over the situation, not having the slightest clue what made today special. But as she observed the flower beds in front of her friends' house, a realization struck her.

"I know why my brother is early," she declared, turning around. "He's bored to death in his apartment, you can bet he knocked on Bobby and Athena's door before they even had time to get dressed," she exaggerated.

Chim chuckled, extracted Jee from her car seat, almost hitting her head against the car door frame, and pushed it shut. Maddie, meanwhile, opened the trunk, grabbed the sports bag filled with toys and spare clothes for her daughter, and after locking the car doors, they both walked towards the Grant family's front door. She smiled unconsciously, thinking back on the journey they had both taken since last year, and congratulating herself and Chimney for getting this far. They led a perfectly ordinary, routine, and sometimes boring life, but today, they were both heading to a barbecue with their daughter, where they would meet their friends and family, with whom they could share a meal and wine without worrying about potential conflicts, which only lurk in families bound by blood. Chimney and she were starting to get to know this kind of family well.

As Chimney followed Jee's slow steps, who amused herself by stepping between the tiles of the driveway without touching the lines, he looked up at Maddie, who watched them tenderly.

"Do you think it's Bobby or Athena who cooked today?" her boyfriend asked, waiting for the door to open to one of the two inhabitants, or Athena and Michael's kids, whom Chimney hadn't seen for over a year.

They both stared at each other before answering in unison:

"Bobby."

And before they had time to laugh, the door opened to Captain Nash, who must have heard the echo of his name through the door.

"Come in!" he invited them with a wave of his hand. "The glasses are already out, we were just waiting for you!"

He descended the four small steps leading to the living room, closely followed by the couple, who felt like they were arriving in the middle of a charity gala. Sitting on the couch—or at least, part of their bodies—Harry and Buck tortured the buttons on their console controllers, sticking out their tongues and shouting. Maddie smiled, amused to see that her brother hadn't even noticed their arrival.

"Maddie, Chim, come over here!" Athena called from the kitchen.

She appeared behind the partition between the living room and the kitchen and stretched out her arms to greet them. Athena hugged them, grabbed their bag, which she handed to her husband, indicating him to put it in the guest room, and demanded a kiss from the little girl, who was trying to see what was happening on the TV screen.