Episode 614: Better Together

"I’ll get this back and then some," his dad teased from the chair he’d pulled up to the other side of the bed.

As Jesse’s mom accepted the brightly colored cash, she teased him right back. "I’m going to bankrupt you."

"I’ve suspected as much from the day we met."

Jesse tensed at his dad’s remark, thinking it might ruin everything but his mom just laughed and so did his dad.

Jesse rolled the dice and landed on his little brother’s property, the first to do so. Nate whooped with delight. Jesse wasn’t the kind of kid who cared so much about winning or losing a game, half the time he dogged it to make his little brother feel good.

Nate was a big reason why his parents’ fights worried him so much. He figured he was old enough to handle whatever happened, but he hated to think of his kid brother torn in two.

"We should stay home and play games all day, everyday," Nate enthused. He wore a giant grin as he clutched the money Jesse handed him.

"I second that," Jesse said, figuring it was worth a try. He was probably a little old for so much family stuff. He would definitely give the guys at school a different story, but in truth, like his brother, he wouldn’t mind if every day was like this one.

"I hate to be the killjoy here," his dad said, "but school and jobs are important. As much as I’d like to, we can’t spend every day this way."

Jesse and Nate stuck out their tongues at him.

Their dad laughed and said, "Would it help to remind you that summer’s coming? We have plenty of family fun ahead."

"Absolutely," Jesse’s mom agreed and he joined them all in smiling. It really had been the best day, even if he still felt every bit as weak and achy as he had that morning.

Episode 615: Easy