3 RYAN
RYAN
Family isn’t always by blood
I can smell the barbecue from the street. And it smells goddamn delicious.
I arrive at the Gracelyns' place. There’s music, laughter, and shouting already shaking from inside. Which is good, because anything else would’ve been suspicious.
I walk around the side of the house and head up the porch steps, the old wood creaking softly under my shoes.
Luke—Maddy and Noah’s dad—stands at the grill, completely focused, like the fate of the world depends on perfectly cooked burgers.
And of course he’s wearing the same red apron that says grill master in big bold letters across the front.
We gave it to him for his birthday last year, mostly as a joke, but I’m pretty sure he took it as a genuine compliment.
Luke turns to look at me, a spatula in one hand and a grin on his face. “Ryan, my boy,” he says, pulling me into a one-armed hug.
I return the hug, “Hey Luke, it smells amazing.”
He taps the front of his apron with the spatula. “Gotta prove I earned the title.”
I laugh. “Well, I volunteer to be the judge of that.”
“Then I’ll make yours extra special,” he whispers, giving me a typical dad wink.
“Great.” I smile, give his shoulder a light pat. “Good to see you, Luke.”
“You too, son.”
The word still lands warm in my chest. Luke’s always treated me like I belong here.
Fed me, checked in, never asked too many questions back when I was spending more time at this place than my own.
I practically know this house inside out, right down to where he keeps the extra napkins and the good snacks he thinks no one knows about.
I step inside and to this day it still feels like I’m walking into something straight out of a magazine.
There are light blue tiles in the kitchen, white walls, wooden beams stretching across the ceiling.
Little details all around; paintings, mirrors, soft lamps tucked into corners, candles and stacks of books scattered around.
And then I spot Maddy at the counter, sleeves shoved up to her elbows as she pours chips into a collection of mismatched ceramic bowls.
There are crumbs everywhere, on the counter, the floor, and there’s a growing pile of empty snack bags by the sink.
Which is no surprise if Maddy is in the kitchen.
I lean against the doorframe, watching her move between cabinets. “Didn’t know you cooked.”
Her head snaps up at the sound of my voice. “Excuse you? I cook.”
I tilt my head, pretending to think. “Really? Because in all the years I’ve been coming here, I’ve seen you cook, like… two times. Maybe three.”
She opens her mouth to argue, then seems to think better of it. “I have other talents.”
I narrow my eyes. “Such as…?”
She grabs a kitchen towel and launches it straight at my face, but I catch it easily, laughing. She lets out a snort that weirdly reminds me of a cartoon character.
I push off the door and wander closer, reaching into one of the popcorn bowls, but her hand shoots out and smacks the back of mine.
“Geez,” I say, pulling away. “Not even a warning?”
She keeps sorting snacks like nothing happened. “You know the rules.”
I rest my elbows on the counter, watching as she opens another bag of chips and looks around for a bowl, but she just keeps turning back and forth in that slightly glitchy way she moves when she’s doing five things at once. A quiet laugh slips out of me.
She glances back at me. “Are you gonna help, or are you just gonna stand here?”
“Hey.” I point to myself. “I brought my presence.”
“Wow,” she says sarcastically. “Can you put that presence to work to grab wine and glasses and take them outside?”
“Yes, chef.”
I turn to the fridge and pull it open, grabbing a few bottles before reaching into the drawer by the dishwasher for glasses and stacking them carefully in one hand as I nudge the fridge shut with my foot.
I walk through the backdoor onto the porch and spot Noah and Kiara moving furniture, like that scene from Friends, where Rachel and Chandler help Ross move a couch up the stairs.
“Careful!” Noah shouts to her, holding onto one end of the outdoor couch.
“I’m really strong, don't worry,” she responds back, putting the couch down next to the other one, creating almost a circle with a small table in the middle. They spot me the moment they come back up, putting their hands on their hips and letting out a big exhale.
“Hey,” they say in union.
“Hey.” I walk over to the little set up table where Mel and Liam are finishing the last things for their salad. Liam has a frown between his brows, cutting a cucumber with intense focus. Mel laughs softly while looking at him, her eyes glittering. She looks up when she hears me.
“Hi, Ry,” she says, and her words make Liam look up too, snapping out of his cucumber-cutting-focus. “Hey man.”
“Hey guys,” I say, while Mel stands up to grab the glasses out of my arms. “You’re late, almost thought you were gonna bail on us.”
“Wouldn't wanna miss your salad.”
She laughs softly and I pat Liam’s shoulder. “Man, you gotta be more precise,” I say. “That one slice is not the same size as the other.”
He rolls his eyes, smiling. “Good to see you too.”
“Is that wine?” Kiara pops up beside me as I put the wine bottle on the table.
“It is.”
She immediately reaches for the bottle. “You’re my favourite tonight.”
I take it before she can, holding it up. “Only because of the wine?”
“Of course, for what else?” She passes a teasing smile while snapping the bottle out of my hand and starts pouring a couple glasses.
I shake my head and walk over to the mini cooler, grabbing two beers. When I close it again, Noah is standing next to me. “Hey man,” he says with a loud exhale.
I laugh as I crack the beers open against each other, the bottles hissing as the caps come off, and hand one to Noah. “You alright?”
He takes a sip. “If Kiara ever moves, I’m calling in sick.”
I laugh, lifting the bottle to my lips. “Smart.”
Only a couple seconds later, the backdoor opens again and Maddy walks out with four—no five bowls filled to the top with snacks. She has her chin placed on top to prevent them from falling, but the bowls are still trembling. Noah and I share a look and crack a laugh.
“I still wonder how she is your sister.”
“Me too.”
Right after the words leave his mouth, one bowl slides an inch, putting her in an impossible position where she is forced to freeze. And I can’t help but laugh.
Noah hands me his drink. “That’s my cue.”
I take his drink as he rushes over to her. I see her mutter a quick ‘thank you’ as he takes the top bowls and places them on the table.
We’re all settled around the table with full plates.
Luke’s burgers are already disappearing faster than he can probably keep track of.
And somehow we end up in an intense game of 30 seconds.
It’s Mel and Liam against Noah and Kiara.
I lean back in my chair, my hands behind my head while I watch them with pure amusement.
“Last round,” Mel states. “You need four to beat us.”
Maddy grabs the little hourglass from the table and raises it. “Ready?”
Noah and Kiara lock eyes dramatically. “Hit it.”
“Three… two… one… go!”
The sand starts falling and Kiara flips the card. “State north of Mississippi.”
“Tennessee.”
“Correct.”
Noah’s elbows dig into his knees, hands clasped tight. I think I’ve seen him calmer during exams. Kiara barely glances back at the card. “Actor from The Hunger Games.”
“Liam Hemsworth.”
She waves him off. “No—the better one!”
Noah blinks. “Uh—” His eyes widen. “Josh Hutcherson!”
“YES!”
“What did Liam have a weird obsession with when he was young—”
“Peanut butter.”
“Correct.”
The table erupts into laughter while Liam throws his hands up, trying to defend himself. “I just liked it!”
My eyes flick between Noah and the hourglass. The sand is running low.
“Okay,” Kiara says as she reads the last question. “You got this.”
Noah straightens and rolls his shoulders.
“Third Kardashian sister.”
“Kim.”
“No, the other one!”
“Kourtney.”
“No!”
I watch Noah’s soul leave his body.
“Couple seconds!” Maddy warns.
“Kate?”
“No.”
“Kayla?”
“NO!” Kiara looks like she might combust.
“And time is almost—” Maddy starts.
“KHLOE!”
Kiara launches out of her chair. “YES!”
Noah yells like he just won a championship and in that exact moment the last grain of sand drops.
Kiara slaps Noah’s hand in a brutal high five, spinning in circles.
Mel laughs so hard she doesn’t even care they lost. In the corner of my eye, I catch Luke laughing to himself over by the grill, clearly used to this chaos.
For the rest of the night, conversation drifts easily—town gossip, stupid teachers, whatever nonsense we feel like arguing about.
More and more old memories come to the surface.
Like our short-lived cereal box phase. When Kiara, Maddy, and I tried to build some ridiculous tower in the grocery store aisle.
It collapsed almost instantly, cereal boxes everywhere while Liam laughed so hard he had to crouch down.
And Mel and Noah ended up apologizing to the employee like exhausted parents pretending they didn’t raise us.
I glance across the table and catch Maddy mid-laugh, head tipped back, eyes squinting, dimples fully out. Just like Noah always does. Just like her mom always did.
She notices me looking. “What?”
“Nothing.” I shrug. She rolls her eyes and turns back to the conversation. I lean back in my chair, beer loose in my hand, watching everyone talk over each other.
Same people. Same place. Can’t complain.