Chapter 4 Playing House
A Weekend Away
The idea for the cabin trip came together almost by accident.
Alex mentioned it one Tuesday evening while he and Jamie were carrying grocery bags upstairs after another weekly shopping trip.
"My friend Marcus rented a lake cabin for the weekend," Alex said, balancing two heavy bags on one arm while fishing his apartment key out of his pocket. "He invited a few of us to get away from the city."
Jamie smiled.
"That sounds nice."
"It does."
Alex unlocked his door before looking back at him.
"I told him I'd think about it."
Jamie nodded.
"You probably should. You've barely taken a day off since we met."
Alex laughed.
"That's exactly what everyone keeps telling me."
"They're right."
"I know."
Jamie started toward his own apartment when Alex spoke again.
"You should come with us."
Jamie stopped.
"Me?"
"Yeah."
"I don't want to crash your friends' trip."
"You wouldn't."
Alex leaned against the doorway.
"They're your friends too."
Jamie hesitated.
He had met Marcus and Daniel several times over the past few weeks. Emma practically treated him like family already, and Mrs. Harper insisted he deserved a medal for making sure Alex remembered to eat vegetables.
Still, spending an entire weekend together felt different.
"I don't know..."
Alex smiled.
"Please."
Jamie looked at him.
"It'll be fun."
The sincerity in Alex's voice made refusing almost impossible.
Finally, Jamie nodded.
"Okay."
Alex grinned.
"Good."
"You won't regret it."
Jamie smiled back.
"I already have a feeling I won't."
Saturday morning arrived beneath bright blue skies.
Two cars left the city shortly after sunrise, carrying enough luggage, groceries, and camping equipment to supply a much larger group.
Marcus drove one vehicle with Daniel beside him.
Alex drove the second.
Emma climbed into the back seat before Jamie could protest.
"I called shotgun yesterday," she announced dramatically.
Jamie laughed.
"I wasn't arguing."
"I know."
She smiled mischievously.
"I just like winning."
Alex shook his head while starting the engine.
"My sister thinks every conversation is a competition."
Emma leaned forward between the seats.
"Only because I usually win."
Jamie laughed.
"I believe it."
The two-hour drive disappeared beneath easy conversation.
Emma entertained everyone with stories from the elementary school where she taught third grade.
Marcus called twice to complain that Daniel insisted on singing every song playing on the radio.
Jamie shared embarrassing stories about his first disastrous attempts at baking.
Alex listened more than he talked, smiling quietly as everyone else filled the car with laughter.
By the time they reached the cabin, Jamie already understood why Alex valued these friendships so much.
Nobody competed with one another.
Nobody pretended to be someone they weren't.
Everyone simply enjoyed being together.
The cabin overlooked a peaceful mountain lake surrounded by towering pine trees.
A long wooden dock stretched into the calm water, while a stone fire pit overlooked the shoreline.
It wasn't luxurious.
It didn't need to be.
The view alone was enough.
Emma climbed out of the car and stretched dramatically.
"I officially refuse to leave on Monday."
Marcus laughed.
"You say that every year."
"And every year I mean it."
Jamie slowly turned in a circle, taking everything in.
"It's beautiful."
Alex watched him instead of the lake.
"It is."
Daniel clapped his hands together.
"Okay, everybody."
He pointed toward the cabin.
"Let's get settled before someone starts complaining they're hungry."
Emma immediately pointed toward Jamie.
"I don't think that's going to happen."
Jamie blinked.
"What?"
"You packed enough food to feed a football team."
Jamie smiled sheepishly.
"I wasn't sure how much we'd need."
Marcus laughed.
"Jamie."
"We're only here for two nights."
"I know."
"So why do we have three coolers?"
Jamie looked genuinely confused.
"I like options."
Everyone laughed.
Within an hour, luggage had been unpacked and bedrooms claimed.
Without discussing responsibilities, everyone naturally drifted toward different tasks.
Marcus and Daniel unloaded fishing equipment.
Emma decorated the dining table with wildflowers she'd picked beside the road.
Alex disappeared outside carrying an axe toward the woodpile.
Jamie wandered into the kitchen.
He paused for a second.
Then smiled.
The kitchen was small but charming.
Old wooden cabinets lined the walls.
Cast-iron cookware hung above the stove.
A wide farmhouse sink overlooked the lake.
Jamie immediately began unpacking groceries.
Fresh vegetables.
Homemade bread.
Marinated chicken.
Herbs.
Fruit.
Spices.
Before long, vegetables were neatly washed, ingredients organized, and dinner already taking shape.
He didn't think about it.
Cooking simply felt natural.
Outside, Alex stacked freshly chopped firewood beside the cabin.
The old dock wobbled noticeably whenever someone stepped onto it.
Marcus frowned.
"I forgot how loose those boards were."
Alex crouched beside the weathered planks.
"I'll fix it."
"You don't have to."
"I know."
Alex smiled.
"But it'll bother me otherwise."
Jamie watched through the kitchen window while slicing vegetables.
Alex worked with quiet confidence, replacing damaged boards and tightening loose bolts with practiced efficiency.
Watching him build and repair things always fascinated Jamie.
There was something comforting about someone who naturally made broken things stronger.
Emma wandered into the kitchen carrying two glasses of lemonade.
"I had a feeling I'd find you in here."
Jamie laughed.
"Where else would I be?"
Emma handed him a glass.
"You know..."
She leaned casually against the counter.
"...you and my brother are weird."
Jamie raised an eyebrow.
"Weird?"
"In the nicest possible way."
Jamie smiled.
"Explain."
"You never discuss who's doing what."
Emma nodded toward the window where Alex was repairing the dock.
"He fixes things."
Then she gestured toward the stove.
"You cook."
Jamie looked around.
"I guess."
"It just happens."
Jamie thought about it.
She was right.
Neither of them had assigned responsibilities.
Nobody had suggested Jamie cook.
Nobody had asked Alex to repair anything.
They had simply slipped into roles that suited them naturally.
Emma grinned.
"You two function like an old married couple."
Jamie laughed.
"I think you're exaggerating."
"I'm really not."
Jamie shook his head.
"Alex just likes building things."
"And you like taking care of people."
She smiled knowingly.
"It fits."
Jamie tried not to think too much about her words.
By late afternoon, delicious smells filled the cabin.
Jamie stood over the stove stirring creamy mushroom risotto while fresh rosemary chicken roasted in the oven.
Alex finally stepped inside, brushing sawdust from his jeans.
"It smells incredible."
Jamie smiled without turning around.
"The dock survived?"
"It'll survive another twenty years."
Jamie looked over his shoulder.
"I knew it would."
Alex washed his hands before automatically reaching into a cabinet.
He paused.
"...How did I know the plates were here?"
Jamie looked surprised.
"You've only been inside once."
Alex laughed.
"I guess I just..."
He shrugged.
"...assumed."
Jamie smiled.
"I already put everything where it made sense."
Alex nodded.
"It does."
Neither realized how naturally they were moving around each other.
Jamie handed Alex a cutting board without being asked.
Alex sliced fresh bread while Jamie finished the sauce.
One stirred.
The other tasted.
No instructions.
No confusion.
Just quiet teamwork.
Marcus walked into the kitchen carrying a bag of chips before stopping in the doorway.
He looked from Jamie to Alex.
Then back again.
Daniel appeared behind him.
"What?"
Marcus laughed.
"Watch them."
Daniel studied the scene.
Alex carried dishes to the table while Jamie adjusted seasonings.
Jamie reached for serving bowls at exactly the same moment Alex placed them beside him.
Neither spoke.
Neither got in the other's way.
Daniel smiled.
"That's actually impressive."
Emma joined them.
"I've been saying that all day."
Marcus folded his arms.
"They've definitely done this before."
Jamie looked confused.
"Done what?"
Marcus pointed around the kitchen.
"This."
Alex glanced up.
"We're making dinner."
"No."
Daniel laughed.
"You're functioning like people who've lived together for years."
Alex and Jamie looked at one another.
Then both laughed.
"I guess we spend a lot of time together," Alex admitted.
Emma burst into laughter.
"A lot?"
She counted dramatically on her fingers.
"You grocery shop together."
"Go to the gym together."
"Drink coffee together."
"Game together."
"Eat together."
"And now..."
She waved toward the perfectly prepared dinner.
"...you somehow cooked an entire meal without discussing who was doing what."
Jamie smiled sheepishly.
"When you put it like that..."
Marcus grinned.
"I honestly forgot you two aren't dating."
Silence.
Then everyone laughed.
Jamie laughed too.
Even so, something about the comment settled quietly in the back of his mind.
Dinner became one of the highlights of the trip.
Conversation flowed easily.
Everyone complimented Jamie's cooking.
Alex proudly announced that Jamie's homemade focaccia should be considered a national treasure.
Jamie rolled his eyes while trying not to smile too much.
After dessert, everyone carried mugs of hot chocolate outside to watch the sunset over the lake.
The sky glowed with shades of orange and pink reflected across perfectly still water.
Emma quietly moved beside Jamie while everyone else admired the view.
She looked toward her brother, who was helping Marcus light the fire pit.
Then she looked back at Jamie.
"You know..."
Jamie smiled.
"What?"
Emma's expression softened into genuine affection.
"You're definitely marrying my brother someday."
Jamie laughed so suddenly he nearly spilled his hot chocolate.
"Emma."
"I'm serious."
"We're friends."
"For now."
Jamie shook his head.
"You've got quite an imagination."
Emma smiled knowingly.
"Maybe."
She glanced toward Alex again.