Page 65 of You Met Me There

“The birds?”

He shrugs. “Whatever. It’s not for me, that’s all I’m saying. Adulting is no fun.”

“But don’t you have, like, a big-boy job and everything?” I tease.

He squints into the sun. “Yeah, but I’m only an adult when I’m in the office. Anywhere else is fair game.” He winks, and I swat him away with a smile on my face.

Footsteps sound on the gravel as a pretty redheaded woman walks around Tyler’s Jeep, carrying a plastic-wrapped plate that looks like a charcuterie board. Her long auburn hair hangs to her waist, and a cute lime-green dress that reaches her ankles flows around her legs. She walks smoothly in her pointed toe pumps as they clip across the driveway.

Tyler slides a hand around her back. “Natalie, this is my girlfriend, Sandra. Sandra, this is my baby sister, Natalie.”

A smile spreads across Sandra’s rosy lips. “Hi, it’s so good to finally meet you. I’ve heard so much about you.”

Her rich rust lipstick matches the color of her hair, and her eyes are round, a glossy brown bordering on hazel. She’s beautiful. Sharp cheekbones, small nose, and a high forehead.

Tyler takes the plate from her, and she reaches out to shake my hand.

“It’s nice to meet you, too,” I say, giving her hand a shake. “I’m sorry I haven’t heard much about you, though. I haven’t really been around the last few years.”

“All the more reason for us to talk and get to know each other.” She drops my hand and smiles up at Tyler. “Ty’s told me a lot about your childhood together. Honestly, I envy the sibling bond. I’m an only child.”

I fall mute, my heart warming that Tyler would make me sound so sweet. Growing up, our relationship was always a good one, but I imagined he’d be telling Sandra all the bad parts he remembered instead, like how I left.

Sensing my hesitancy, Tyler steps in. “Let’s all go inside. I smell chicken. Is Cam grilling again?” He leads us up the front steps and reaches for the door.

“Cam’s making chicken, shrimp, and steak,” I say. Tyler’s eyes grow wide. “I’ve discovered that he really loves to grill. Jules said they have grilled chicken at least twice a week.”

His nose scrunches, making me and Sandra laugh. “That’s a lot of chicken,” he says under his breath. “At least he made steak and shrimp too. I will definitely be partaking. That’s a man’s meal right there.”

I giggle. “Is Tyler always like this?” I ask Sandra. “It’s been a while since I’ve seen him.”

“Like what?”

“Silly, goofy, forgetting his word filter?”

“Only … always,” she says, grinning up at him.

“I guess some things never change, then.”

“Who’s changing?” Tyler asks, bopping me on the nose. “Not me. That’s for the birds too.”

We step inside. Mom and Dad crowd Tyler and Sandra as soon as they enter the house. I squeeze past them to check on Juliet. I find her in the kitchen with a pot of boiling noodles on the stove.

“Need some help? What are you making?” I ask her, peering over her shoulder.

“Just macaroni and cheese for the kids. Can you grab the milk and butter from the fridge for me?”

I half expected her to deny my help as she usually does, so I jump at the chance to do something useful. It takes me a second to find where she keeps the butter.

“Here you go,” I say, sliding them onto the counter beside the stove.

“Thanks.”

“Where are the boys, anyway? I haven’t seen them since I got here.”

“They’re playing upstairs. Cam got them a new train set, and they’ve been obsessed.” She waves a spoon in the air. “By the way, next week is a good week for us to do family photos, if you’re still okay with taking them.”

I pounce on the opportunity. “Next week will be perfect. I have a few shoots lined up for the beginning of the week, but I’m completely open after Tuesday.” I grab a grape from a bowl on the counter and plop it into my mouth. “Do you have an idea where you want the photos taken?”