Always Us

time capsule

Sorry this isn't necessarily a Fathers Day story lol, it just happens to be Fathers Day when I post it

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"Alright, the moment we've all been waiting for," JJ announced with an exuberance that only JJ Parker could emit. "Lady bros and gentle—"

"Get on with it," Jordan heckled, throwing a piece of popcorn towards the front of the room.

"A masterpiece twenty years in the making," JJ rushed.

"We filmed it in two hours," Patience rolled her eyes.

"Our high school time capsule," JJ finally got out.

"Do you remember what you said in it," Olivia whispered, nestling into Spencer's side.

"Something about living life with the woman I love," he grinned.

Laughter and aww's filled the room as each person's clip played through. Twenty years had passed, and they had all come a long way. JJ was executing marketing deals for top athletes around the world while everyone else in the group succeeded in their dream fields. Especially Spencer, who was now one year retired, and finally able to provide Olivia with more help juggling their children so that she could focus on her thriving journalism career. And changing the world.

"And this is Gianna and Caleb," Olivia smiled as she showed off her two youngest after dinner.

"Little devil children," Simone snickered from across the table.

"Hey!" Olivia snapped her head up. Only she and Spencer were allowed to comment on her kids' inclination for trouble. She turned back to Layla. "They're just... creative. One moreso than the other," she paused pensively.

"We're trying for another one," Spencer chimed in from the seat next to her.

"No, we're not," Olivia quickly shut him down. He was currently in a phase where he believed that putting it out in the universe would make it come true. "Four is more than enough."

"You guys almost make me want children," Layla chuckled.

"They're a lot of work, but it's worth it," Olivia set her phone down. Wrapping herself up in the throw blanket, she leaned to the side to rest against Spencer's shoulder.

"Well you have your production company, and you get to travel all around the world to these incredible events," Simone pointed out.

"Which is probably more exciting than any major American city. At this point, I've seen them all way too many times," Olivia groaned.

Simone cut back in. "I saw your pictures in France. Don't tell me you didn't have a good 'ole time with Clay. I saw him in that last slide, girl."

Layla was about to answer, but then JJ cleared his throat.

"I see everyone is done eating this amazing dinner prepared by none other than our very own Spencer James and Simone Hicks-Baker," JJ gestured at the two chefs of the group. "Thank you both. So now, we're going to move right along. Next up, we have board gamepalooza."

He stepped aside to reveal the stacks of games in the living room, and everyone wondered at what point he brought them all out.

"We want charades," Patience called from the opposite end of the table.

"Okay, okay. One round of charades, then board gamepalooza. We have to stay on schedule."

While everyone argued over who would be on whose team, Spencer and Olivia snuck out the back door. Being around their old friends was always fun, but a little break for alone time was always needed on days like this.