Once In A Lifetime

Another Family Dinner

Melissa's POV

We were having a family dinner tonight. Not only would my family be there, but both of my brothers' as well. My parents were both excited as they would have all their kids and grandchildren under one roof. It was the first time this took place in a very long time. Especially with Max and his family. I was excited as well. Max showed up first with his family. I was so excited. I quickly hugged him when I saw him. We were the closest of the three. I was the oldest and he was the youngest but we had a bond unlike any other. Probably cause he was just like me. My other brother, Ralphie aka RJ, was a little more uptight. Max and I never understood how he was our brother. He was a hard working man and took everything way too seriously. Max asked, "Is RJ here?"

I shook my head. "No, I am actually glad you got here first before the serious one got here."

"You know we are not going to take it easy on him." Max smiled.

"Oh, I know." I smiled back. "Kinda looking forward to it. Will be like old times."

"What would be like old times?" Seth asked as he walked up.

"Ganging up on RJ." I grinned.

Seth laughed. "I will never understand how he is your brother. You two I get. But RJ, he just seems out of place."

"We know. Hence why we make it hell on him. Trying to get him to loosen up a bit." Max said.

"Yeah, right." I said. "You know RJ has a stick so far up his ass, it has to be surgical removed at this point."

Seth laughed. "You two are a mess."

Then my mom chimed in as she heard us, "You two better be nice to your brother. No giving him a hard time."

"What? Us? We would never. We are angels." I said, sarcastically.

She eyed us. "Angels, my butt."

"Don't you see the halo over head." I said as I moved a finger over my head as a halo.

"Yeah, and I see the horns holding them up." She cracked back.

Max and Seth busted out in laughter. My jaw dropped. My mom didn't make many cracks, but when she did, she shocked me. I finally laughed myself. Max said, "Mama got jokes."

I punched him in his shoulder and he just laughed harder. Max and I talked and joked as we hung out. We went out back with Seth and his wife, Sandra. We sat around the back table. The kids were playing football together, even Max's daughter. "Your daughter is a regular tomboy, huh?" I asked Max.

He smiled. "What can you say, I wanted a boy, but this pretty little thing gave me a girl instead, so I corrupted her." He joked.

His wife slapped his chest and said, sternly but jokingly, "May I remind you, it is up to the man what the gender is."

He rolled his eyes and laughed. Then he said, "I would say, though, she is just like her auntie. I look at her and remember how you were as a kid. It's crazy that I see a lot of you in her."

"What can I say? Auntie Lissa is just that damn cool. Gotta be just like her." I said in a cocky matter.

Seth laughed, then asked, "So, what? You were a tomboy."

"Oh, yeah, she was. Be the only girl in the neighborhood playing football with the guys. Hell, she was better then most of the guys. If she was a dude, I would have sworn she would have gone pro." Max almost bragged.

I shrugged. "I just loved football."

"Ah, KJ does get it from you." Seth smiled at me.

"He didn't know this?" Max asked.