Prompt: Garrett, Akira, and Jack as adults. Just spending the day together talking about their daily life like work and relationships
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I opened the front door and let Akira and Jack in. We went into the kitchen, where I'd set snacks and beer on the table for us. The three of us sat around the table, cracking open beers.
"No Carter? I thought he was going to be around today," Akira said.
I shook my head. "Silas took him to the zoo with Ray so we could have the house to ourselves. They're going back to Ray's after, so we've got the place for the night."
"Silas just doesn't want to see me," Jack said.
"Your son did get Carter stuck in a tree," I reminded.
Jack waved his hand dismissively. "Riley said it was an accident."
"Because Riley has never lied in his life," Akira said. "Remember when he told Harper she'd bleed to death when she hit puberty? He gave my daughter a fear of growing up, Chester."
"That's my boy," Jack said proudly.
"Well, keep your boy away from Silas. He is not happy about our son getting stuck in a tree," I said.
"Just like you and me, pal," Jack said, clanking his beer against mine. "Our boys are just repeating the cycle. We just one of Akira's kids to join in and the cycle will be complete."
"Please keep all three of my daughters out of your shenanigans," Akira said.
"Speaking of, how excited were they when you got back after your business trip?" I asked.
"They hug-tackled me to the ground in the airport. My wife got a video of it. Harper cried and told me to never leave again," Akira said. "Hopefully I won't have another two week trip for a while. I know it's hard on my wife. Maddie has a hard time taking care of the girls all by herself."
"Yea, but now you have time off," Jack said. "Mind using one of your days off to swing by and help me fix that window in the back of my house? I'd ask Garrett, but he'd just break it more."
"I never claimed to be a handy man," I said. "I have a husband for that."
"Hey, how has your work been? You guys have been staying home a lot more," Akira said.
"It's going fine!" I assured. "I almost forgot how nice it was to just spend time at home. Silas has been talking about getting a dog now that we're not traveling all the time."
"Please don't. He'll train it to bite me," Jack said.
"I won't stop him," I said. "Then you'll stop coming around to let your kid bully my kid."
"He does not bully anyone!" Jack said. At our looks, he gave a sheepish smile. "He, uh, gets it from his mother?"
"Maybe I'll get a dog too," Akira said.
"You're both horrible to me. I picked your kids up from school while you were away, Aki," Jack said.
"So did Garrett. Even Silas did." Akira sighed. "Alright, yea, thanks. You guys had me covered. I won't train dogs to bite you."
"How kind of you," Jack said. "Garrett! Any news on next weekend?"
"Oh, yea, the brewery is getting that band we like to play on Saturday night. Ray already said he'd babysit for us," I said. "You guys free?"
"I'll ask my brother to babysit. If he's too busy, I'll ask the neighbor's daughter if she wants to watch the girls for the night," Akira said. "Count us in for it. I could use a night of drinking and music."
"Dad will watch my kid. We'll go, too," Jack said. "We can go out for dinner and then head to the brewery. Sound good with everyone?"
"Works for me," I said happily.
Life got so busy sometimes, now that we were all married and raising kids. Akira got the busiest between raising three kids and traveling for work, so it was hard to get us all together. Unlike me and Jack, Akira also didn't always have someone to watch his kids. His parents traveled a lot now that they were retired, and his wife's parents lived out of state, so he had to rely on his brother or some of the teenagers he and his wife trusted. Jack had his dad and his wife's parents, Silas and I had my parents and Ray. It was a lot easier for the two of us to meet up.
But I was glad that Akira's traveling seemed to be easing off bit by bit. He was home more now because he hated leaving his family. He'd been using the time off to catch up with us when he could.
Growing up was hard. Being a responsible, working adult and a parent was hard. Free time was sparse.
But we always kept in touch, even if it was just a phone call to each other every few days, or a text message. It meant the world to me that I still had my two best friends in my life after all these years. It made me so happy to see our kids play and grow together.
We tried to do meet ups like this at least once a month, just a night we got together and drank and caught up with each other. Life got so crazy, but we always made time to see each other when we could.
"Hey, since my son and husband are gone for the night, you know what that means," I said.
"Getting absolutely fucking slammed?" Jack said, holding up his beer.
"I think he meant sitting out at a fire and getting absolutely fucking slammed," Akira corrected.
I laughed. "Stars, a fire, and getting responsibly fucking slammed."
"Nothing better than intoxication and some good friends," Jack said.
I wasn't a big drinker, but every once in a while I didn't see a problem with drinking a little too much with my friends. That's when we talked too loud and laughed too hard and complained the next morning that our heads hurt and we'd never do it again.
"Let's get that fire started," I said, standing up.
So we went outside and started a fire together, sitting around it with our drinks and snacks, just like we had as teenagers. Our conversations had shifted from summer plans to work life and our kids, but we still fit our laughter in. We were growing up, but we were still just the same three friends.
I leaned back in my chair as Jack told a story about accidentally setting his oven on fire the other day, laughter bubbling out of me and unable to wipe the smile off my face. Growing up hadn't caused us to grow apart, and I'd be forever grateful to have my two best friends. I could always rely on Akira and Jack, they could always rely on me, and we were still just three friends with the whole world in front of us.
