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xp_logsA perfect day.
It was one of those perfect fall days. The sort of day where the warmth of the sun was perfectly balanced by a soft, cool breeze. Where the trees were still green, but on the verge of turning, and the air was as clear as the first morning of the world.
A perfect day. Nathan closed his eyes, taking a deep breath and filling his lungs with the fresh air. Breathing more deeply than he had since... the thought faded, half-formed. He opened his eyes, smiling as he gazed down at the endless green stretch of lawn.
"Come here, you!"
"No! Catch me, catch me!"
Nathan laughed aloud, his eyes lighting up as they followed the tall, blond teenager chasing Rachel around and around in circles. It was fairly repetitive as games went, but Rachel was awfully easy to amuse at times. "You two stay away from the lake!" he called out in warning. "I'm not explaining it to your mother if you drown!"
There was a chuckle from beside him. "You know he'd never let her fall in," his companion said, not quite reprovingly. "And a little water wouldn't hurt even if they did. So don't be such a stick in the mud."
Nathan shrugged cheerfully, looking around to meet Bridge's amused gaze. Knowing gaze. He might not have made any comment about how Nathan was being an overprotective father, but it was there to be read in his eyes. "I still don't want to explain to Moira why they're dripping all over the floor. She has a thing about puddles on the carpet."
"Odd," his best friend said dryly, "given your history of dumping each other into handy bodies of water."
"Oh, hush."
Rachel squealed, going airborne. "Nyah, nyah! Can't catch me, Tyler!" Her brother shook a fist at her, laughing so hard he was having trouble standing up straight.
"What am I going to do with them?" Nathan murmured fondly. "They're going to get even worse as she gets older. He's already pondering how to enlist her in his damned practical jokes." Where Tyler had gotten that sense of humor, he wasn't sure. It made things lively, at least.
"Take shameless advantage of the free babysitting while she's small," GW suggested, innocently. "It's all you can do, bro."
"He does adore her." Nathan watched Tyler coax Rachel down out of the air and into his arms, grinning at the toddler, who promptly threw her arms around his neck and hugged him soundly as soon as he had a firm grip on her. "And vice versa," Nathan said more softly, wondering why his eyes were stinging.
Bridge clapped him lightly on the shoulder. "Every girl needs an older brother. Between him and Angelo, I think Rachel's in good hands. Just think of how helpful the two of them will be with boys in a few years."
"A few?" Nathan said, mock-scandalized.
"Well, Moira started early, as I hear it-" Bridge ducked the incoming swat, laughing, and Nathan shook his head, smiling helplessly as he turned his attention back to Rachel and Tyler.
"There's not going to be any food left if the two of you don't get up here," he called, turning towards the picnic table on the top of the hill behind them. Moira was there, directing the others in how to best lay out the food on the table - tables, Nathan corrected himself. They needed the extra space. "We have half an army to feed," Nathan murmured, watching Tim steal a hamburger off the plate, getting a swat from Anika for his pains. Mick was debating the virtues of 'plain' versus Dijon mustard with Domino, some of the others looking on, laughing. A little girl whose buzzcut seemed incongruous with her red sundress was presenting Angelo with a dandelion. He accepted it gravely, and there was a squeal of indignation from Rachel's general direction.
"My Angelo!"
Nathan's eyes moved over his friends, his family. Marking each face. They were scattered here and there on the hill and the lawn, in pairs and small groups. Faces he hadn't seen since... for too long.
It was strange that he couldn't remember when. Places came back to mind. New Mexico. An island in a blue, blue sea. But none of the pieces fit together. Before he could figure out why that was, and why it didn't seem to bother him as much as it should have, Rachel ran into him from behind, giggling, and he swung her up into his arms.
"Come on, trouble. Time for dinner." He cast a warning look at Tyler as he caught up. "No sneaking beer."
"Aw, Dad."
"Don't 'aw, Dad' me. Plenty of time to let your aunts and uncles drink you under the table."
They had all the years to come, after all. Nothing but time.
It was one of those perfect fall days. The sort of day where the warmth of the sun was perfectly balanced by a soft, cool breeze. Where the trees were still green, but on the verge of turning, and the air was as clear as the first morning of the world.
A perfect day. Nathan closed his eyes, taking a deep breath and filling his lungs with the fresh air. Breathing more deeply than he had since... the thought faded, half-formed. He opened his eyes, smiling as he gazed down at the endless green stretch of lawn.
"Come here, you!"
"No! Catch me, catch me!"
Nathan laughed aloud, his eyes lighting up as they followed the tall, blond teenager chasing Rachel around and around in circles. It was fairly repetitive as games went, but Rachel was awfully easy to amuse at times. "You two stay away from the lake!" he called out in warning. "I'm not explaining it to your mother if you drown!"
There was a chuckle from beside him. "You know he'd never let her fall in," his companion said, not quite reprovingly. "And a little water wouldn't hurt even if they did. So don't be such a stick in the mud."
Nathan shrugged cheerfully, looking around to meet Bridge's amused gaze. Knowing gaze. He might not have made any comment about how Nathan was being an overprotective father, but it was there to be read in his eyes. "I still don't want to explain to Moira why they're dripping all over the floor. She has a thing about puddles on the carpet."
"Odd," his best friend said dryly, "given your history of dumping each other into handy bodies of water."
"Oh, hush."
Rachel squealed, going airborne. "Nyah, nyah! Can't catch me, Tyler!" Her brother shook a fist at her, laughing so hard he was having trouble standing up straight.
"What am I going to do with them?" Nathan murmured fondly. "They're going to get even worse as she gets older. He's already pondering how to enlist her in his damned practical jokes." Where Tyler had gotten that sense of humor, he wasn't sure. It made things lively, at least.
"Take shameless advantage of the free babysitting while she's small," GW suggested, innocently. "It's all you can do, bro."
"He does adore her." Nathan watched Tyler coax Rachel down out of the air and into his arms, grinning at the toddler, who promptly threw her arms around his neck and hugged him soundly as soon as he had a firm grip on her. "And vice versa," Nathan said more softly, wondering why his eyes were stinging.
Bridge clapped him lightly on the shoulder. "Every girl needs an older brother. Between him and Angelo, I think Rachel's in good hands. Just think of how helpful the two of them will be with boys in a few years."
"A few?" Nathan said, mock-scandalized.
"Well, Moira started early, as I hear it-" Bridge ducked the incoming swat, laughing, and Nathan shook his head, smiling helplessly as he turned his attention back to Rachel and Tyler.
"There's not going to be any food left if the two of you don't get up here," he called, turning towards the picnic table on the top of the hill behind them. Moira was there, directing the others in how to best lay out the food on the table - tables, Nathan corrected himself. They needed the extra space. "We have half an army to feed," Nathan murmured, watching Tim steal a hamburger off the plate, getting a swat from Anika for his pains. Mick was debating the virtues of 'plain' versus Dijon mustard with Domino, some of the others looking on, laughing. A little girl whose buzzcut seemed incongruous with her red sundress was presenting Angelo with a dandelion. He accepted it gravely, and there was a squeal of indignation from Rachel's general direction.
"My Angelo!"
Nathan's eyes moved over his friends, his family. Marking each face. They were scattered here and there on the hill and the lawn, in pairs and small groups. Faces he hadn't seen since... for too long.
It was strange that he couldn't remember when. Places came back to mind. New Mexico. An island in a blue, blue sea. But none of the pieces fit together. Before he could figure out why that was, and why it didn't seem to bother him as much as it should have, Rachel ran into him from behind, giggling, and he swung her up into his arms.
"Come on, trouble. Time for dinner." He cast a warning look at Tyler as he caught up. "No sneaking beer."
"Aw, Dad."
"Don't 'aw, Dad' me. Plenty of time to let your aunts and uncles drink you under the table."
They had all the years to come, after all. Nothing but time.
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