A FEW WEEKS LATER – 

Alex and Addy were cuddling on the couch watching TV, when someone knocked on their door. They both looked at each other in confusion, as they weren’t expecting anyone.

“Are you expecting anyone?” Addy asked.

“Nope,” Alex said, as the person knocked again, “Are you?”

“Not that I know of,” Addy said getting up to answer the door. She looked through the peephole to see who it was, and rolled her eyes as she answered the door.

“Addy!” the person said as he hugged Addy.

“Noah,” she said, she was shocked to see one of her brother-in-laws at her door. “What are you doing here?” Letting Noah in and shutting the door.

“Can’t I just stop by to see my favorite brother and sister-in-law?” Noah asked as they walked down the short hallway back to the living room.

“Stop by? It looks like you’re moving in,” Alex said looking over the back of the couch, and seeing his little brother with two large suitcases and his backpack.

“Well, I was kinda hoping I could crash here for the next couple of days,” Noah smiled.

“I don’t think so, plus I thought you were at Andy’s place,” Alex said speaking of one of their older brothers.

“Um, I was but not anymore, plus I brought these,” Noah smiled, as he waved a box of Boston’s Flour Bakery’s famous sticky buns.

Addy right away took the box with a large smile, “I’ll take these, thank you,” and headed into the kitchen while reading inside the box.

 “So, can I crash for a couple of days?” Noah asked sitting at the kitchen bar.

Alex just looked at him.

“Come on, I’m your baby brother,” Noah smiled.

Alex just looked at Addy who just shrugged and said, “He can stay as long as he keeps supplying sticky buns from Flour.

Alex sighed, “Yeah, you can crash, but just for a couple of days and then I’m kicking you out.”

“I promise 3-4 days tops.”

“Why are you in Denver anyway?”

“Yeah, I thought you were helping Andy at his restaurant,” Addy asked.

“No, he was in Chicago working with Matt at his financial firm” Alex said talking about their oldest brother.

Noah just sat there looking at the two.

“No, wait- he was working at Stowe with your dad,” Addy said.

“Oh yeah, that’s right” Alex said.

“Actually you both are kinda wrong..” Noah said.

“Alright, then explain…”

“Well yes, you were right Addy, I was just with Andy helping him out at his restaurant until…”

“Until what?” Alex questioned looking at him suspiciously.

“I kinda lit some of his kitchen on fire?”

“Wait… you kinda lit?” Addy asked.

“I was trying to help Andy out, and a grease fire got out of control, so he fired me and also kicked me out 2 days ago,” Noah explained.

“So then explain Matt- why’d he kick you out?”

“Because I was screwing around and wasn’t taking it seriously, and kinda messed up their numbers.”

“Big shocker there,” Alex rolled his eyes.

“So, he bought me a one way ticket from Chicago back to Boston, and Andy let me stay at his place.”

“Then what about Stowe? I thought you liked working on the mountain”

“I did, I loved it!” Noah said getting up from his spot at the kitchen bar, and going to the couch.

“So what happened there?”

“Dad…” Noah simply said.

“Um okay… explain,” Alex said.

“I just didn’t like working for him. He was always breathing down my back”

Alex rolled his eyes at his brother. “What do you expect from him Noah? You barely graduated from UVM, because you partied and goofed off the entire time. You’re 25 and were living at home, so of course he’s going to be on your back.”

“So… can I stay here or not?”

“I don’t know…”

“Oh come on Alex, Matt and Andy kicked me out, you’re my last stop. Plus, I was hoping Addy could talk to her dad about a possible ski patrol job for me at Breckenridge this coming season…” Noah said looking at Addy.

Addy looked their direction, as she took a bite out of her second sticky bun.

“Um yeah, I guess I can ask, but no guarantees, or actually you can probably ask him yourself as we’re hosting Sunday dinner this week.”

Alex sighed, “Fine you can stay, but only for a couple of days.”

“Thank You!” Noah said hugging his brother.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah- let’s just hope Mike can get you something at Breck, or else I’m sending you back to mom and dad’s and then you’re on your own,” Alex said pushing Noah off of him.

“I knew you couldn’t say no to your baby brother,” Noah smiled.

“You can sleep in the spare bedroom slash new baby room,” Alex said.

“Thanks!” Noah replied as he headed to put his stuff away.

“I’m going to kill them Addy,” Alex said sitting on the couch.

“Who? Matt and Andy?” Addy asked as she sat on the couch with her third sticky bun.

Alex just looked at her, “Is that your third one?”

“What can I say, the baby loves Flour’s stick buns, and no you’re not going to kill Andy and Matt, but you wanna bite? It might make you feel better.”

Alex looked at her and opened his mouth as Addy fed him some of the sticky bun.

“You guys make me sick,” Noah said sitting in one of the chairs in the living room. Alex closed his eyes to calm his nerves, as Addy chuckled and patted him on his leg.

“So Noah, if Andy kicked you out and fired you, how did you get to Denver?”

“Andy bought the ticket, and gave me cab fare.”

“Now, he’s really on my shitlist,” Alex mumbled, as there was another knock on the door.

 “Great, are we the party house for tonight, and didn’t know about it?” He was starting to get pissed off; all he wanted was a quiet night in with Addy.

“What?” he said opening the door without knowing who was behind it.

“Can I stay here tonight?” Josh asked walking in.

“Sure, why not, seems like everyone else is,” Alex mumbled walking back into the living room

“Thanks dude,” Josh said.

Addy and Noah saw Josh walk into the living room

“Josh- what are you doing here? Where’s Katie?” Addy asked looking behind Josh

“Hey Noah,” Josh said trying to ignore Addy. “Didn’t know you were here in Denver, what are you doing here?”

“Just crashing for a few days…” Noah said going back to watch whatever was on the TV.

“I said- what are you doing here and where’s Katie?” Addy asked Josh again. “And if you ignore me again, I’m going to throw this remote and break your nose again.”

Josh sighed, “Fine- Katie and I got into a fight and she kicked me out for the night.”

“Why’d she kick you out?”

“Something about the laundry not being done and dirty dishes left in the sink,” Josh said, coming up with another excuse other than the real reason why he got kicked out.

Addy looked at him funny, knowing that’s probably not the real reason Katie kicked him out.

Josh just ignored her look.

“Well, you’re on the couch then,” Alex said.

“Thanks man.”

“Sure… whatever,” Alex mumbled.

“What’s wrong with you? If you don’t want me here, I can always go get a hotel room,” Josh said.

Alex sighed, “It’s not you, it’s Noah.”

Noah looked up from looking in the fridge for food, “What about me?”

“You know what nevermind,” Alex said.

“No, Alex tell me. I’m a big boy, I can take it.”

“Really?”

“Yes, so tell me.”

“Okay Noah, you’re a 25-year-old grown adult who was screwed up every great opportunity that has been given to you! Dad, Matt, and Andy have given you multiple chances to prove yourself and you just screw up. So, stop being fucking lazy! This is your last chance to actually do something decent with your life and not screw up. And if you screw up, like I said, I’m sticking you on the first flight back to mom and dad’s, and then only god knows what will happen,” Alex said staring down Noah the whole time, Addy and Josh looking on between the two brothers, until another person knocked on the door, “And when did this turn into Hotel Osterberg?”

“I’ll get it,” Addy said just as Noah attacked Alex, and they tumbled to the ground fighting with each other.

She peeked through the peephole and smiled as she opened the door, “Hi.”

“Hi- is Josh here?” Katie asked stepping in as she shut the door.

“Yeah, I’ll go get him,” Addy smiled and went to go grab Josh. “Hey Josh, Katie’s here for you.”

Josh’s eyes got wide and he smiled.

“She’s by the front door.”

“Thanks Addy,” Josh said heading to the door.

“Yep, I’ll just be here watching the Osterberg Brother rumble.”

“Okay,” Josh said spotting Katie.

“Hey,” Katie smiled.

“Hey,” Josh smiled back.

--

“Stop calling me a screw up.”

“I call them as I see it,” Alex said as they continued to fight on the ground.

“Okay you two- just stop it!” Addy said as they both stopped and were lying on their backs. “I’m trying to hear what Katie and Josh are talking about, you with you two fighting it’s making it a little tough”

Alex stood up, “I’m going to bed, I have to get up early for rounds,” he said before heading to the bedroom.

Addy just stood there looking a Noah.

“Are you going to help me?” he asked.

“Nope,” Addy said heading to the kitchen to hopefully eavesdrop on Josh and Katie 

“You suck!”

“Yeah, tell me something I don’t already know,” Addy replied rolling her eyes as Noah climbed his way on to the couch.

--

“So I just wanted to say I miss you, and I want you to come back home,” Katie said with tears in her eyes

“I’m sorry for calling you Tiffany, but it’s just habit since she was the last girlfriend I lived with,” Josh said.

Addy’s jaw dropped and she had to cover her mouth with her hands to prevent anything from coming out of it, and at that time she decided to go to bed before she said anything she would regret.

“Hey Noah- I’m heading to bed,” Addy said heading to the bedroom.

“Alright, night,” Noah said.

“Night.”

“Just don’t let it happen again,” Katie said hugging Josh.

“I can’t guarantee, it might happen a few more times,” Josh honestly said.

Katie pushed herself out of the hug, “What do you mean you can’t guarantee it.”

“I just mean, that Tiffany and I lived together for just over 2 years, so it’s habit to blurt her name out.”

“But it’s also been 2 years since you broke up, so that’s a habit that should have been broken a long time ago,” Katie said. “Actually, you know what, stay here for the night. I really don’t want to see you right now.”

And with that Katie walked out the front door leaving Josh standing there.

Meanwhile in Addy and Alex’s bedroom, Addy was getting ready for bed, while Alex was reading and group texting profanities to Matt and Andy for dumping Noah on him.

“So I don’t think Katie kicked Josh out because of the laundry or the dishes that were left in the sink,” Addy said changing into pajama bottoms, sighing, as they didn’t quite fit over her growing stomach.

Alex just looked at her, “What do you mean?”

“Well, we know Katie isn’t that much of a clean freak. She has piles of random piles all over her office, and when we’ve been over she still has dishes in the sink and some piles of clothes on the floor. So there’s something else going on,” Addy said walking into the bathroom.

“Maybe since she’s living with someone else, she’s trying to break her habit of not picking up after herself right away,” Alex said.

“No, there’s something else, as I just overheard Katie and Josh talking by the front door, and I guess Josh accidently called Katie, Tiffany.”

“Addy- let it go, and let them work out their problems on their own,” Alex said rolling his eyes while reading his book.

“I knew them moving in together so soon was a bad idea,” Addy said getting into bed as Alex’s text message alert went off. “Who are you texting?”

“Oh I just sent a group text to Andy and Matt calling them Asshole Fuckers for dumping Noah on me”

Addy shock her head. There quiet night and turned into a drama fest. Laying her head down she closerd her eyes, while Alex put his phone down and laid close to his wife.

"I love you."

Addy smiled. "I love you too."

She turned her head and kissed him softly.

"The stars did not line up for us today," he said laughing.

"No, no they didn't."

“But how about tomorrow you get the guys together for a guys night, and I’ll see if Katie wants to go shopping.”

“Why?”

“Cause I think Katie and I need to talk, and have some girly time together, plus my pants just keep tighter and the hairband I have holding them close right now- isn’t going to last long. So I need some new clothes anyway. Plus! Tomorrow is one of your short hour days, and it’s Friday, so why not, then we can have a quiet Saturday before Sunday, when we host the family dinner.”

“There’s no such thing as quiet here anymore, as long as Noah is around.”

“Well Casey, has a home stand this weekend, so Noah can hangout with him and go to Saturday night’s game- that way we get a few hours of quiet around here?”

“I like it- you’re so smart,” Alex mumbled snuggling closer to Addy before falling asleep

Katie paced her apartment. God what did he think that she was stupid? Maybe moving in was a bad idea. She loved him, but she did not want the past to come up.

“How would he feel if I called him Trevor by accident?” Katie thought as she got into bed.

She needed to talk to Addy, she was always good at this relationship stuff, and maybe they need some girl time tomorrow after work.

After thinking too hard, and her brain going a million miles an hour, she took a deep breath and closed her eyes, hoping to get at least some sleep.