Surviving the Andersen Brothers

Zach Andersen

Zach and I lounged about in the grass in the front yard of the Andersen Estate one lazy Saturday morning in May; he was shirtless, as always. It was warm, the sun shining, with nothing to do.

            We watched as Lilly’s car pulled out of the garage and on to the drive. She was heading out for the first time in weeks.

            Lilly stopped not to far from our laying bodies and rolled down her window. “What are you two doing?” she wondered, her blue eyes hiding behind sunglasses.

            “Catching some rays,” Zach told her.

            “Feeling better, Lilly?” I asked.

            She shook her head at Zach and focused on me. “Yes, I am. Thank you for asking. It’s the first time in a while that I have been feeling well enough to go to the office. I will be dealing with cases up to my nose! Zach, Pa’pa and Me’ma will be coming next week to see the Cinderella play and meet you, Jasmine. You kids be good today, I will see you at dinner. I love you both! ‘Bye!”

            “Love you, too,” Zach and I said after her. She drove off into the morning and soon disappeared from our sight.

            “I’m glad she’s feeling better. I was really starting to get worried,” I said.

            “Yeah. I thought she was pregnant!” Zach admitted.

            “Is that even possible still?” I asked him, sitting up.

            Zach sat up too. “Do you mean do my parent’s still do the nasty?” he clarified. “Then yes. They do. Gross. It’s great that they love each other and all but ew. They can stop. They have seven grown boys.”

            I laughed at Zach and shoved him. “When you are their age and still fooling around with your wife, I am going to bring up this moment and tell you this is what your children are thinking.”

            “I’d like to see that. That will be some fantastic memory you would have.”

            Zach stood up and offered me a hand. I took it. “Oh, I will do it. You just watch. It’ll happen and you will remember this exact moment and bow in your amazement of my greatness. It’s okay, I know it will happen.” I dusted myself off. Zach rolled his eyes “So who are Pa’pa and Me’ma?”

            “Our grandparents, Dad’s parent’s,” Zach told me. They come for any reason really; I’m surprised they haven’t come to see you already. Maybe they were waiting for you to get settled.” He shrugged. “But, apparently, they are coming next week for your play.”

            “Are they nice people?”

            “The sweetest souls you will ever meet.”

            “Then I am looking forward to their arrival.”

            We walked into the house silently, nothing more to say at the moment.

            “How was your day at the ranch with Jacob?” Zach asked.

            “It was fun. We had a really good time. Did you know he used to like me?”

            Zach laughed. “Jazz, at some point over the last four months, I’m pretty sure all of my brothers liked you.”

            I laughed. “Oh, please!”