JC squinted behind his sunglasses as the smoke from the grill found his eyes. Stepping back, he waved it away. He was no grill master, but he was determined to play good host and even better dad. After all, it wasn’t every day the little girl you used to sing to sleep every night graduated high school.

Olivia had grown up in what felt like record time and he felt so lucky to have been along for the journey. She was kind, silly, incredibly smart, and as he had suspected all those years ago, a FANTASTIC piano player. The drama of Andy and visitation felt like a whole other lifetime ago, and her three parents had been in a rhythm for over a decade now.

“Hey man...thought you could use another one,” Andy got JC’s attention, handing him an open beer.

“Oh hey thanks…” he raised the beer in cheers. 

Andy shook his head “Do you feel as old as I do?”

JC smirked “Kinda...I’m just the handsome stepdad, though…” he joked. 

Andy laughed “Yeah ok…”

“You’re both old…” Hannah joked as she brought out another bowl of chips.

“Damn, Annie…” JC clutched a hand to his chest, pretending to be hurt. 

Olivia walked by all three of them, sitting down at the table to grab some chips. “Justin here yet?” she glanced at her mom, then JC…”

“No honey...Not yet…” Hannah studied her “Why?”

“Oh just...wondering…” she focused on her chips before she brushed her curled hair behind her ear. 

JC smiled. She was starting to look just like her mother, with the same nervous ticks. 

Andy walked over to sit next to her and squeeze her shoulders gently.  “He’ll be here. Livie girl, why are you so grown up? I told you not to do that…”

“Daddy...STOP…” she blushed. 

Andy chuckled as he rolled his eyes “Yeah yeah yeah...I’m so embarrassing…”

“You are…” She laughed “It’s just high school graduation…” she shrugged.

JC smirked “Olivia...We’re proud of you...deal with it…” 

She smirked back as she bit into another chip and smiled softly at him. “Mmmk…”

The glass door to the backyard opened and Olivia stood up, smoothing down her dress as Justin  and family walked out, sunglasses on with a gift bag in his hand. “There she is!” he flashed a grin at Olivia before handing her the bag and bringing her in for a hug “Congratulations Olivia…”

“Thank you…” she smiled shyly “Um...Hey Silas…” she looked past him to the 5’11” teenager behind him. 

Sly smiled that matched his father’s, he stared back at Olivia “Hey Liv…”

“Oh hiiiiii Silas…” a younger voice ran between Olivia and Silas, tilting his hips to one side and blinking his eyes dramatically. “I’ve been waiting for youuuuu…”

“OH MY GOD Lucas...GO AWAY…” Olivia shouted at him, turning bright red.

“What?? You aren’t excited to see meeeee? Your own BROTHER, Liv?” he teased.

Olivia narrowed her eyes at him, huffing “You know you’re adopted, right…” 

“OLIVIA...HEY...Not cool…” JC shook his head as he tried to hide his chuckle. “Luke...Dude...Come on…” he clapped a hand over his son’s shoulder. Leave your sister alone. “

Looking up at JC, Lucas shook his head “Girls are really weird…”

JC smirked “...You have NO idea, son…”

“Dad!” Olivia whined, turning her attention back to Silas.

“Um...If you want...We’re all hanging out near the back if you wanna…” she managed.

Silas grinned at her “Yeah...Cool ok…” 

“Cool..” she blushed as she turned to head back to her friends, Silas at her heels…”

Hannah giggled as all four adults watched them walk away. “Ohhh here we go…”

“What...the fuck...was that…” Andy’s eyes were drilling into Silas. 

JC sighed as his brow wrinkled, and he rubbed one hand nervously on the back of his neck. He turned to Justin, whose eyes had gone slightly wide as his jaw fell open. 

Looking toward each other, they spoke at the same time.

“FUCK…”

****

THE END

 (**STAY TUNED FOR A SEQUEL ;) ** )