Page 65 of Dickathlon

“Baby bro.”

“Don’t forget Beanie Baby.”

Declan tilted his head. “What?”

“You know,” my mom explained. “Ty Beanie Babies.”

“Oh, damn. I see why he’s so adorable now. All these cute nicknames.”

“He’s not adorable. He’s gross.”

“Shut up, Pierce!”

“Hurry up and get in here. We’re trying not to be rude!” Christa yelled.

“The suspense is killing us!” Rene added.

We made our way inside.

“We’ve already heard how the suspense is killing you, Rene. Your daughter gave you up, crushing on my guy. She said you needed tissues for your drool.”

“Well, who wouldn’t? Look at the guy,” Kyle chimed in, defending his wife’s libido’s choices.

“I don’t know how I feel about my family hitting on my boyfriend.”

“I don’t mind,” Declan said, getting a few laughs from the room.

“William, Ty’s Dad. Nice to finally meet you.” My dad strode forward, hand out, going in for a handshake-bro-hug combo.

Declan made his way around the room. My brothers shook his hands and the wives got their hugs in.

“Keep your hands above his waist! Groping him’s my job!”

“I’m taller, Ma,” Travis declared.

“I think I got more muscle though,” Declan countered.

A chorus of ohs and ahs littered the air, but before they could have whatever their version of a bro-down would’ve been, I whisked him up to my room. “We’ll be back down.”

“We’re timing you, little bro!” Pierce yelled after us.

Once we were out of earshot, Declan said, “Your family’s great. Is it always like that?”

“Like what? Loud?”

“Well, yeah, I guess.” He chuckled.

“Yeah. They certainly liked you. A little too much, if you ask me.”

“Aww, BB. You want me all to yourself?”

“Not you with the nicknames.”

“Mine stands for Beautiful Butt.”

“Oh. In that case, use it all you want.”

“How many more stairs?”