Toby looked around the backyard as Chloe sat in her lap with a hand in the hair at the back of Toby's neck, as she has always made a habit of doing. Having ten kids running around was exactly how stressful she thought it was going to be. She watched the kids play some kind of weird tag that consisted of the older ones running from the younger. It seemed to be more of a way to get away from the babies of the group instead of tag but everyone had smiles on their faces. No need to worry.
Toby was snapped back to the adult conversation as Grace directed her statement about Nashville weather this time of year to her.
"Yea, it stays nice here for a long time. Not quite as hot as Georgia but not like that 'northern abyss' you live in." Toby joked and shot a look to Rachel, teasing her description of the Midwest from their early college years.
"I like my Georgia climate just fine thank you! We're not even that far from you so I don't want to hear it!"
"Well, it's lovely down here. It's already starting to get chilly for us. Sometimes I do miss the South. Not enough to move though."
Grace's husband, Andrew, chimed in with a knowing look thrown to his wife. "If it wasn't for our family, I'd bet a lot of money we'd be living on a beach somewhere."
"You don't want to live on a beach. The finical demand of up-keep is a nightmare." Bree started. "Insurance is a nightmare. I've handled a few cases of what is covered by insurance companies and what isn't. And by handled I mean lost. Those companies leave little out of their fine print that no one reads carefully enough. Not to mention there's even less that they actually cover."
"I don't think they were serous." Beca laughed at the blonde. "But thanks for being a Debbie Downer as always."
"Shut up, midget. I'm just looking out for them!"
The two smiled at each other as the banter went back and forth. The rest watched the verbal battle in amusement. It had been years but the two still loved to go at each other. The only difference is now it's done amicably.
Brandon and Ryan, Bree's oldest, made their way over to the adults.
"Mom?" Bran addressed Toby knowing she was more likely to say yes. "Can Ryan and I go play video games?"
"Can you wait until after we eat? It should only be like a half hour more. You don't get to see everyone often, unlike Ryan, and I'd like you to be outside a little longer. We haven't been able to get out much lately, right?" Toby paused as Bran shrugged. "I need your help keeping the little ones distracted too, dude."
The brunette boy sighed but agreed. The two friends ran back to the horde still playing tag.
"Good job, mom." Chloe said quietly as their friends talked on around them. "A very responsible and reasonable answer."
"You act like I'm the worst parent in the world." She teased.
"I do not! I just think you're a big softie. A bigger one than me. Sometimes I'm even surprised our kids have any discipline at all."
"Yea, thanks solely to me! You're lucky I grew up in a military family or else we'd be screwed."
"Mhm." She answered with a smile. "You should go check on the grill. The food should be done."
"How about you do it and I'll grab you a tray from inside then help you get things together in the kitchen? You're the grill master here."
"Deal." She answered with a kiss.