Waiting for Never - Post Malone

Friends in Low places

It's a hot day, and Marli can feel she is going bypass tanning straight to sunburnt even though Austin slathered SPF 50 onto her and insisted she wears a big sun hat. She should probably move off into the shade but she is in the perfect spot to see, hear and smell everything that is going on around her and she is desperate to take it all in and not miss another thing. She can smell, meat cooking on the BBQ, chlorine, sunscreen, and wet dog. She can hear music playing, dogs barking, kids screeching and laughing, adults talking and laughing, and she can see white smoke wafting from the BBQ and disappearing into the bright blue sky. Austin, Jonas, and Max are in the pool with Ella and Nathan taking turns throwing them as far as they can across the pool, both kids have big smiles plastered across their faces and screeching when flung in the air. Jack is by the BBQ cooking the meat. Tara and Liz, Jonas girlfriend, are sitting on pool loungers with Marli. Liz is under an umbrella because she is holding a little 6-month-old baby girl, Ruby. Ruby is Max and Jack's daughter they adopted her 3 months ago. Austin had told Marli earlier while he was fussing over Ruby when the little family had arrived that Max and Jack were in fact married for ten years and had not told anyone because nobody had asked. Marli is still trying to wrap her head around that information. She had not even known they liked each other.

Jonas and Liz had arrived shortly afterward with Nathan, there were a few tears but a happy reunion and introduction for Marli and Jonas' beautiful family. "Welcome home, Marli. I always knew you would come back" Jonas whispers as he hugs her tight. Tara and Ella had arrived while Jonas was still cuddling Marli. Tara had a beautiful flower arrangement and Ella had a smaller messier version of her mother's one. Marli smiled as she accepted the arrangement from Ella, the flower arrangements around the house now making sense. They had then made their way up to the pool where Marli is now sitting trying to commit as much of this day to memory as she can. She never thought the pool area would look so happy, so family-like. This is definitely going to be one of her favorite things to do from now on. The thought makes her a bit weepy, just because she thinks of how easily this could have slipped through her fingers, still a little sad about how much she has missed over the last two years. "Oh, dear. Are you OK? Want me to get Austin?" Tara asks, her soft voice as she takes Marli's hand looking at her with worried eyes. "Thank you, Tara, but no. I am just taking this all in. These silly tears are happy tears," Marli says. Tara nods, and she also starts to cry.
"Oh, look. You got me crying too. I am so happy you are back, Marli. I had so many sleepless nights about that one time I saw you in LA with Austin. Austin told me recently that it had been your birthday. I feel awful. I am really sorry," she says. Marli shakes her head and smiles at Tara "It's OK, Tara, all in the past - yeah?" she says. Tara shakes her head and holds Marli's hand. "Austin and I have spent a lot of time repairing our relationship and I want to tell you that I don't think Austin is a monster. I never did. Not ever," Tara says. Marli puts her arm around Tara and pulls her in so Tara can rest her head on Marli's shoulder. "I know," she says.

Then Marli hears a car door slam and when she turns around she sees a Lou making her way up to the pool. Marli had messaged her just before dinner last night saying she was forgiven and to come to Utah. Lou looks up just as she reaches the pool area. "You stupid cow! You had me looking all over New York for your sorry ass," Lou complains. Marli laughs standing up and walking towards her. Lou stops and takes her sunglasses off to look around the pool area. "Fucking hell, M! Why does it look like I have just stumbled onto the set of a happy families commercial? Does that man have an apron on? Holy crap is that Jack?" Lou asks. Marli laughs and pulls Lou in for a hug. "Yes and he is married to Max, they have a kid?" Lou raises her eyebrows. "Really? Huh, I always thought they were weirdly close," Lou says. Marli introduces Tara and Liz to Lou. Lou looks at Ruby while shaking her head in disbelief. "So were they married the whole time? Or was it just something that happened after we left?" she asks.