Almost Easy

Zack’s POV

I didn’t think I would ever be standing in LAX again awaiting the arrival of my sister. It had been a little over a month since we saw Liz in Indianapolis, and she, Danny, and Colton were flying out for two weeks. I was picking them up, their visit was supposed to be flying under the radar from the girls, the kids, and most of the guys. The only one who knew anything was Brian, obviously, since I had needed to pick up the key to his beach house. I was semi lost in my own thoughts, standing out on the curb in the pick-up area, when suddenly I noticed a commotion coming from the doors.

I laughed under my breath as Liz tumbled from the revolving doors, toting two pull along bags and carrying a sleeping Colton. She stood straight and blew hair from her face. Danny was behind her, arms full of luggage also. I pushed off from my car and jogged over, grabbing the bags from her arms and two from Danny, stacking them on each other and making quick work of getting out of the stream of people.

“Oh, hey, thanks.” Liz smiled quickly at me before adjusting Colton on her hip, “Thanks.”

“You said that already, you’re welcome.” I laughed and threw the bags in the back of the car, “Ethan's seat is behind the passenger side.” I gestured to Colton, Liz nodded and went to go buckle him in, “So how was the flight out?” I glanced over at Danny as he loaded the bags he was carrying in.

“Uh, good. He spit out his Dramamine so I was surprised she got him to sleep.” He nodded a little, “Super smooth. I got some work done while they slept.”

“Liz slept on the plane?” I asked, “New. Anyways lets get in and go,” I looked at my watch, “Everyone’s going to the beach house in a little bit for a barbecue and I think you’d like to be settled in before that.”

“Sounds good.” Danny nodded and climbed in the passenger seat, Liz was leaning against the booster seat pushing some of Colton’s hair from his face when we got in “All good?” Danny leaned back, rubbing Liz’s arm as she nodded.

“All set, hasn’t flinched.” She nodded and I started driving out of the airport area, “So no one knows we’re here?” Her voice was light but audible.

“Brian knows,” I squinted in the sunlight before I decided sunglasses were the best option, “He’s getting everyone together at the beach house tonight so it’ll be a big surprise.”

“Oh cool.” Liz nodded, “Uhm... Everyone?”

“Yes, Matt’s going to be there. Brian’s fully aware that was a shit decision on his part-”

“No, no,” Liz cut me off to my surprise, “It’s a good idea. I think it’ll be a good idea. I don’t know how to explain that one to Colt yet but..”

“I don’t think he expects you to, I think he understands how early this is. It doesn’t help that Colt has no clue he even had another side of the family.” I mumbled a little and looked in the rear view at Liz, she was blankly staring out the window, “You good Lizzy?”

“Yeah,” She nodded, but her eyes didn’t move. She seemed less thrilled now than she was in Indianapolis, if she even was then it was hard to tell.

The car ride fell silent as we neared the house. We pulled down the road and Colton began stirring, Liz hummed to him and softly told him where we were. I turned in the driveway and grimaced at the car I pulled behind.

Michelle’s. Fuck.

“Is somebody here?” Liz asked, looking in the driveway.

“Right, uh. That's Michelle’s car.” I forgot that they had upgraded since Liz left, we all had, mom and dad cars now, “He said he was coming alone. I’m assuming she insisted on tagging along, the kids are with her parents until later.”

“Oh..” Liz nodded and unbuckled Colton from the seat, following my lead as we got out and approached the house.

I used the key Brian gave me and went in, “Hello? Mich? Brian?”

“Hey hey, fuck, yeah sorry.” Brian appeared from the kitchen, “She made me take her car. She took the truck to the store for party stuff.” He smiled at the sight of Liz, “Hey there Lizard.”

“Bri.” She smiled slightly and set Colton down, “Uhm.. Take my phone and go watch a movie on the couch.”

“We have a TV.” Brian nodded his head to the living room, “Come on let me show you bud. Zack can show you two around.”

Liz set her eyes on me and I couldn’t help but feel some sort of tension build up behind her eyes, “Lets go upstairs I’ll show you guys the bedrooms. This place is fucking stupid, they got it when the twins were one, it's a parent escape house pretty much. Any weekend that the kids stay at a grandparents house we all collect here and hang out.. Haven’t been doing much of that lately though.”

“Oh right,” Liz mumbled from behind me as we ascended the stairs, Danny behind her, “That whole taking time apart thing. How’s that been going since you got back? That was only like a week ago right?”

Yeah, a week and some change. It’s been ok, we all kind of holed up in our own places and just tried not to bring you up until we heard anything solid.”

“Yeah it was a big deal taking time off from the office for Danny, since it’s a new extension of the old practice. We needed time to get everything straightened out.”

“It’s fine,” I smiled and turned in the hallway, “I’m just fucking glad you’re here guys. It’s been... A trip. Ok so here’s the first bedroom, we normally stick Liddy in here if she tags along.” I pushed the door open, “There’s still sleep rails on the bed so if you felt so inclined Colton could sleep here, also,” I walked in and pushed on a door, “That brings you in to the next bedroom, so you don’t have to walk down the hallway. No one ever really uses this room, but it’s pretty dope.” I walked out and down to the end of the hall, passing and showing them two more bedrooms and an office-like room, “This is the bathroom, jacuzzi tub, five person shower with waterfall shower heads, seriously great water pressure. There’s a mini fridge under the sink,” I reached down and flipped a switch that illuminated a fridge area, “Always stocked with wine and whisky.”

“Great.” Liz laughed, “Drunk orgies in the shower. You guys haven’t changed.”

“As I recall the last person to get drunk in a bathroom also had to do with Brian-”

“Enough.” Liz cut me off with a glare, and the tension flared again, “I’m going to go bring luggage in, we’ll probably just use those first two rooms so we don’t mess up too much of the place.”

“You’re here for, what, two weeks? Get comfortable.” I smiled as she disappeared, leaving Danny and I alone in the bathroom, “Great space for guy time, y’know. Super quiet.” I rolled my eyes, “Lets go see what Brian’s doing. I’m not sure I trust him around Colton alone.”

“Why’s that?” Danny asked, following me as I trekked down the hallway to the stairs, hearing shrieking laughter erupting from the living room space, “Colton?” Danny hurried down.

I laughed under my breath as we entered the living room, Brian was covered in pillow feathers and Colton was giggling like crazy with an empty pillow case in his hands, “Shit, I shouldn’t have been worried about Colton.”

“What happened in here?!” Liz dropped two luggage bags at the stairs and ran over, brushing Brian off and glaring at Colton, “What the hell?”

“We were building a fort!” Colton smiled and pointed at the semi-demolished couch cushion structure beside the coffee table, “I started a pillow fight.”

“I wasn’t going to take your kid out with a couch cushion so I let him go for it.” Brian spit out a feather and stood up, laughing a little, “It’s fine-”

“No, it’s really not.” Liz propped her hand on her hip and Colton’s face dropped, “Colton this isn’t our home, you need to be respectful. That’s completely unacceptable behavior.”

“Liz come on,” I shook my head, “You should know better, the adults who stay here are worse.”

“My son is not going to act anything like the adults who stay here.” Liz hissed and turned, grabbing the two bags in her hands hastily, “Colton come with me please. Now.” She glared back and he followed her.

Brian and I both turned to Danny, “Uhm, I sense a little... tension there.” Brian spoke up as Danny stared where Liz had disappeared up the stairs.

“She’s been a little on edge about being here, to be honest.” He mumbled, “Colton’s been in a phase lately, he’s really pushing her. He’s been back talking her and pushing his limits with things like physically pushing and hitting. If she tells him no for something he gets super aggressive. It’s really only been the past few weeks since Christmas.”

“That’s so odd.” I mumbled, “He’s probably missing his school schedule.”

“She thinks that’s what it is, well, that’s what I told her it probably is. She tells me that’s what she thinks it is, but I know what she’s worried about.” Danny stared at me and shrugged.

“Oh, what Matt said at the house?” I asked, “About him being just like Matt?”

“Yeah.” Danny rolled his eyes, “I doubt that, I think it’s just his schedule being fucked up.”

We stopped talking as Liz stomped down the stairs, a very upset looking Colton behind her, “You’re going to stay right here with Danny while I-”

“Let Danny and Zack get them, lets go in the kitchen, grab a drink, and relax.” Brian cut her off, “There’s wine in the fridge. White wine, really good white wine. And snacks, I stocked up the place last night when Michelle had the kids at her parents.”

“Brian-”

“Elizabeth Ba-… Heely.” He corrected himself quickly, “Stop being a proud bitch. Shut up, pour a giant glass of wine, and fucking enjoy your damn vacation in California for god sakes. None of these pussies will tell you where to shove the attitude but you damn sure know I will.”

A smirk pulled the corner of Liz’s mouth, “I mean if you’re going to break my arm over it.” She wiggled her hips a little, fluttering her eyes upward for a moment, “My soul is telling me you got my favorite white wine.”

“I mean do I look dumb?” Brian asked and grabbed Colton, swinging him up in the air, “Let’s go get your mom some juice, I have some fruit roll ups in the pantry we can demolish. How’s that sound?”

“Sweet!” Colton smiled, “Mom doesn’t let me have those!”

“Because they’re pure sugar!” Liz argued as the three disappeared in to the kitchen, I looked at the shocked expression on Danny’s face.

“I expected her to lose it at the proud bitch part of that.” He looked over at me.

“It’s Brian,” I squinted a little, “He and Jimmy are the only ones who can get away with literally almost anything with her.” I nodded and smacked his shoulder, “Let’s go get those bags then start drinking before everyone gets here. Fucking God knows we’re going to need it tonight.”