luck;

I do have to applaud ya’ll for keeping your relationship as private as it is. Sometimes things can get messy when people share too much with the public. You and Rae are just…wonderful. Your dynamic always reminds me a little of me and my wife’s. I love it, man. I’m excited to just celebrate ya’ll as a guest. No cameras, no BS. Just however you want it to be. Though, I hope you know it’s going to be a shit show having Luca be your best man. I don’t think I’ve ever interviewed that kid and he’s actually made a singular smart comment. 

-

Y’know, Luca and I haven’t always had the best relationship. We actually hated each other the first few months I lived here. He had moved in not too long before I had. I don’t remember what really made it switch, but he’s my best friend in the world. He doesn’t seem like the type to be... reliable or sentimental or thoughtful from the outside, but he’s genuinely one of the best guys I’ve ever met. He’d do anything for the people he loves, and it was an easy choice to make. But boy, does he say some dumb shit sometimes.

Bro, Peeps are life. Of course I’ve had ‘em, I have three sons. They love sugar. 

So, tell us a ‘lil more about this wedding and honeymoon? I’m sure ya’ll got your bridesmaids and groomsmen chosen already? But what about a location? Colors? Flowers? Or are you keeping it more secretive? 

We don’t want to give many details, and we’re not actually going to have cameras there besides a photographer and videographer. We don’t want to feel like we’re on display for the world because our relationship has been just... honestly, just so real and private already. We don’t really want to have our wedding day be picked apart by strangers on the internet. We want a day that is ours and only ours. With my life in the spotlight, it’s hard to have something that’s just ours, so... the more private it is, I think the better it will be for our relationship in the long run. I think it’s important to let us reveal what we want about it in our own timing and when it feels right to do so. 

Take these 2022 glasses and shut your pie hole alright buddy? 

Nah, for real, pop a squat. Let’s mic you up and talk a little about your engagement this year if you wanna recap that. 

Okay fine, but just for some b-roll and you gotta promise me you’ll send me a clip to post on instagram. 

“Bro! Bro…I would fuck the shit out of Kendall Jenner respectfully. Respectfully. Honestly her or Kylie…or any of their friends. Do you know their friends? Why haven’t you hooked me up with someone already? You’re slackin’, man,” Luca teased, giddiness filling up his body much like his high. He felt like he was on Cloud Ten if it existed. If it didn’t, well, he just made it up and it thereby existed. He was simply so happy it felt euphoric. Not only was he sitting on a hammock in a place that looked like it belonged on a post-card, but he was there with his best friends and his daughter and he’d just gotten popped quite possibly one of the most exciting questions of his young, rowdy, single-manned life. 

For a moment, Luca got sentimental. He was sure it was just the moment combined with the marijuana, but he imagined what Iris would look like on her wedding day. She was already getting so big. Most days she wanted to hangout with Lily and Rebel and Mina and the older girls instead of him, but every now and then he’d still catch a glimpse of the little daughter he once knew. He knew sooner than later she’d be graduating high school, and he’d look back at these moments knowing they were the good ‘ol days. He wanted to soak them in and let them seep into his skin like his favorite cologne. He wanted to squeeze her so tightly and make her laugh and bottle up her little giggles in a mason jar so he could hear them forever. But he was so excited for the future too, because Luca knew once middle school and high school came and went, and once Iris graduated college (probably with honors), she’d get married to a wonderful human and she’d look breath-taking. He couldn’t wait to walk her down the aisle. He couldn’t wait to party and live it up, hopefully with a wife of his own by then. He couldn’t wait to see his little girl continue to get the love and happiness and successes of life that she deserved so, so much. He could wait, because well, he loved the age she was at now, but at the same time, Luca was optimistic and hopeful for the future and that was something he hadn’t felt in a long while. 

“For real, bro, thank you. I love you like my own damn brother. I mean I don’t got one, but if I did, I’d love you as much as him,” Luca laughed at himself. He was definitely much higher than he’d hoped on getting that afternoon. He knew Iris was safe off snorkeling with the others and hopefully after he stuffed his face with last-nights fancy dinner leftovers, he’d be feeling a little more grounded. For now, he’d enjoy his time. It wasn’t everyday that he was in Hawaii with his best friend. Though, the more he thought about it - Atti was definitely rich enough, and Luca made a mental note to pitch a boys beach house to him later on. 

“You don’t got the money they look for in a dude, but okay, my man. I’ll surely try,” Atti teased. In all actuality, Atti didn’t really like mixing his Public life with his Private life. Chances were, no celebrities were going to make appearances at the wedding. Maybe Taylor or Ed or Phoebe, but really, they were his closest friends. He knew the Jenners, yeah, and he had been to dinner with the Kardashians before, but it wasn’t like he had a big invite with all of the K names on it. He didn’t really have a list of people he wanted to invite. They had barely just gotten engaged, and for all Atti knew, there wasn’t even a date set yet. He knew Luca was going to be his best man, and he still needed to ask Eli, Caiden, and Travis to be his groomsmen. He figured Mimi was the maid of honor, and he knew he was going to call his stylist for his suit but other than that.... Atti knew nothing. He planned nothing. His job was done. Now it was time to write checks for whatever Rae wanted. It was more her day than his, anyhow. Though, it would be a lie to say he wasn’t excited. He loved love. He loved weddings. He was a big softie, and everyone who knew him, knew that. 

Eli put on a pair of looser-fitting black pants and a tropical-looking, short-sleeve shirt. It had flowers on it and a few brighter colors like pink and green and yellow and he felt like he was dressed a little like a mob boss who took his family on a vacation. He slid his feet into some plain, white tennis shoes, and of course tossed on as many expensive rings as he could fit on his fingers. When Eli was in high school and during his early twenties too, he was a skinny jeans kind of guy, but now, he was all about loose pants. He used to hate jewelry too, but ever since Atti started wearing it more, so did Eli. He wouldn’t admit that though. As someone who owned a record label and had to remain “hip” Eli felt like he did a decent job with fashion and those ever-so-changing trends, and it always helped that Lily was a mini fashionista who gave Eli clothing advice near daily. Oftentimes, she’d dress Sailor before his big events too. 

After fixing his hair and slicking it just the way he liked it with a tiny bit of gel, Eli sprayed his favorite cologne over himself and headed for the Uber. The boys all packed in, obnoxiously close to one another and already raging and loud, and Eli made a note to tip their driver a little extra cash for their rowdiness. He was convinced he’d never be too old for going out and enjoying the club scene. Sure, he loved his kids, but being out in the nightlife with loud music, alcohol and women was a combination of delights that Eli always reveled in. As expected they got into the club with ease, and though Eli genuinely hoped they keep a low-profile that evening, he grinned when the club instantly starting playing a remix of one of Atti’s recent hits.

Atti was already flying, and as he leaned over to Eli and spoke in his ear, Eli fought off the urge to get offended at his comment, “Easy, easy. She’s only a demon in bed and that’s fun, alright?” He playfully jabbed Atti in the ribs, “I’ll take a Jack and Coke, man. Thanks. “ 

Eli found it funny that so many of his best friends had had enough of Devon’s bullshit. She wasn’t too bad to them personally, and Eli felt strangely comforted knowing Atti wasn’t keen of Devon solely because of the way she made Eli feel. To Eli, Devon could quite literally cut off his penis and pinky toe and he’d be able to convince himself she did it for a just and right reason. It was puppy love, but more intense and toxic, and he knew he wasn’t right in believing in her the way he did, but she wasn’t right for leading him on and calling only when she had the time either. He couldn’t think about her for more than a moment or two anyways, because their drinks came far quicker than any Los Angeles bar ever did, and Eli huddled the boys together in a circle for his second toast of the evening.

“I’ll make this one shorter. Cheers, you sexy men!” He smiled, looking around their little circle and feeling proud of the friendships he had helped create, “To not sleeping at our own houses tonight! Excluding you, Atti. I promised I’d get you home safe to your wifey. Oh shit! And Caid, man, excluding you too!” Eli’s eyes widened as he realized their group of single-men was dwindling quicker than he’d hoped, “Gotta get you back to your babe Britton. Agh, fuck it. Whatever! Cheers!” 

For as big of a star as he was, Atti didn’t go out often. He didn’t make his public appearances known. He really did want to be treated like a normal kid. Occasionally, and usually when Eli was out with him, he’d live it up a little more. He’d buy the expensive bourbon or go to a nice club so they could sit in a VIP section and feel cool. Atti grew up as a weird kid. He was an only child, so he really was fine playing by himself. His voice didn’t drop ‘til high school, and he was a nerdy kid. He loved baseball and hockey, but he really did love singing and songwriting. That was his real heart. It was amazing that Hallie ever took a chance on him in the first place, and now Rae too? Forget about it. Despite all of this, though, he ended up skyrocketing in his career. He was dubbed “The Second Coming of Justin Bieber” based on how quickly he took off, but he was wayyyyy more grounded than the other guy. He still didn’t have a concert movie, but he was on a TV show so it was probably coming faster than he though. Nonetheless, Atti liked feeling cool. It was something he didn’t really experience much of as a normal kid, growing up, and it was something he was still so excited about. 

“Got what from you?” Luca teased, thanking Atti again with just a single head nod as he lit his blunt and took a hit. 

When Luca first got to Brooksville, he was a party boy. He’d left behind Iris and Maria and he had no worries. He had no concept of what being a father really meant. He didn’t know how hard it would be for Maria to be a single, teen mother with their daughter. He kicked himself almost daily when he remembered he wasn’t there for some of Iris’ most special infant and toddler moments, and though he couldn’t promise her verbally, he prayed to Maria each night since she’d passed and promised he’d never miss another moment again. Fatherhood was a joy. It was Luca’s very essence. And sure, he still liked to party every now and then, but if Iris were to have called him to body board with her, he would’ve invited Atti to the waves and buried his blunt in the sand.

As Atti spoke, Luca was half-in and half-out of his brain. It was kinda beginning to float over him like a low-hanging fruit and he made a mental note to slow down a little on the joint. Still, he was pretty sure he heard what his best friend asked him and he instantly snapped his head in Atti’s direction.

“Bro, I’ll cry right now. What did you just say to me?” But before Atti could repeat himself, Luca exclaimed, “Of course, I will, man! Of course! That’d be the biggest honor in the world!” He fell out of his hammock and took the single step to Atti’s, enveloping him in a playful hug as his brunette friend was still laying down and pretty stoned as well. “Geez, man. You’re about to make a grown man cry. Holy shit,” He high-fived Atti once more before sitting back down in his own hammock, “I can’t wait to tell Iris. She’s going to explode! Ah, man.” Luca’s face hurt from the smiling, and in the midst of his excitement, he’d accidentally dropped his blunt. It burnt out, but he didn’t care. He wasn’t a freak about germs either, so he’d pick it up and re-light it later to celebrate as long as it hadn’t gotten wet. “I need to find a celebrity wife at your wedding, alright?” He joked, “That is my one Best Man stipulation. I want Megan Fox, baby.” 

Another thing about Atticus Reeves is that he was incredibly resilient. When his entire life took a 180 on him, he trusted God. He trusted that God had a plan and this was all just part of it. He remembered having to plan his parents’ dual funeral at the ripe age of 16, and he was there, holding Hallie’s hand when she took her final breath after her parents decided to take her off of life support. Before, he thought Hallie was his one and only love, but what it turned out to be, and something that Hallie’s mom reminded him of frequently, was that he was Hallie’s one and only. He served that role in her life, and though she died far too young, everyone in her life believed she lived her life to the fullest and wouldn’t have regretted a thing. Atti rested easy knowing his parents were taking care of Hallie in Heaven, and he was taking care of Hallie’s parents on Earth. 

Though, one thing he didn’t quite handle with enough grace was his roommate situation at Nora’s. He never thought he was above having a roommate, not even when his career was skyrocketing, but he wasn’t used to it. He was an only child. He had his own room. His own space. He was partnered with Luca, another boy his age and they didn’t quite get along. Not in the beginning, at least. They did warm up to each other, though, and they became great friends. Iris, Luca’s daughter, was practically obsessed with him when she first got there, and it was sweet. Luca and Atti would get high together, have a couple of beers in the basement, talk about girls and cars and music. He leveled out Atti. Sometimes they talked about deep things like religion, the state of the world, politics, conspiracies. But mostly, they had fun together. And when he needed it, Luca ran to Atti and Rae’s house for refuge from the whirlwind that was Nora’s home. It was a no brainer in asking him to be his best man. Atti could look at his life and point to three men who were, genuinely, his best men, but if the role had to go to anyone.... Atti knew it had to be Luca. He prayed about it for a while, feeling almost guilty for not asking Eli, but Luca was his best friend. 

Eli laughed, looking down at his plate and back up at Atti as he teased about being the head of a beach house. He wouldn’t get flustered and pink-cheeked in front of all of his family - no matter if Atti was correct or not (which he was.) Eli liked being in charge, and he felt comfortable in it. Not being a House Dad had him feeling funkier than he’d admit. One more little toast later and he smiled at Atti, taking a deep breath and clinking their drinks together, “Love you too, brother.” Then, the hula performance was underway. Sailor, as any typical eleven year old boy, took one look at the hula dancers shaking their hips in coconut bras and turned to Lily and they both started laughing. Eli was happy they had each other. Granted, some days were hard and full of bickering, but at the end of the night, regardless of what they day had brought, they had one another and they had Eli and that made him feel good. He was always worried they’d grow up too fast living in Nora’s house. He’d watched the Buchanans’ and other younger kids start getting into risky things before they should’ve, but sitting there and watching Lily and Sailor as they watched the show gave Eli hope. They were goofy and sweet. Their eyes lit up at the fire spinners. They smiled big, dimpled, genuine smiles watching the show. Hell, they even asked if they could all snuggle up together later that night and watched Moana in Eli’s bed. And it gave him reassurance that he was raising them alright. He could almost hear his mom say, “Even better than alright, Eli.” 

“You gonna find a Hawaiian girl to take home with you?” Atti whispered a little too loudly, snapping Eli back into the show. Eli’s eyes widened and he shook his head, nervously checking his phone out of embarrassment as Maisie, who was sitting next to Cal, turned around and eyed him for a quick moment. “You’re a dead man.” He mouthed silently to Atti as Rae watched the two of them, smiled, and pulled Atti’s attention back into the show. It only lasted a few more minutes, and as soon as the final applause was given and the fire spinners extinguished their flames, Atti spun back around to Eli, “We should go out!” 

“Ah, I can’t, man,” Eli said, finishing off his second glass of champagne, “I promised the kids we’d watch Moana tonight.” 

And then, like clockwork, Lily showed up at Eli’s side, resting her hands on his shoulder, “We don’t want to anymore. We’re gonna put on our own hula and fire show for Grandma! Sailor’s gonna spin fire, but not real fire…I think we’ll make fire out of paper. We know it wouldn’t end well if he used real fire. And me and the girls are going to be hula dancers!” 

“Alright,” Eli sighed, watching Lily and Sailor scurry off with the other kids before turning back to Atti, his signature, wickedly-charming Eli smile falling onto his lips, “I guess we’re going out tonight.” 

Atti shot Lily a thumbs up and a wink when she told Eli she didn’t want to watch the movie anymore. Besides, they had the whole trip to watch Moana. He was sure there would be a rainy day where all the little ones piled into one of the houses to watch Moana and Lilo and Stitch anyhow. The first night was for celebrating, and Atti wanted to go out and have a blast. He didn’t want to think about anything. He wanted to buy the whole bar a round of drinks and regret it in the morning. He wanted to take Rae out and dirty dance with her to some EDM song he didn’t know. He wanted drunk girls reaching for him and throwing him words of adoration and perhaps getting a little too handsy. Atti wanted to dance and laugh and lose his voice and wake up and not remember any of it. 

“Ha-ha!” Atti cheered and raised his glass. “Yes! Let’s do it! Can Rae come?”

“I’m not going,” she protested. “I love you, but I’m going to stay home.” She turned to Eli, “Take good care of him.”

Zander died when he and a few other boys went out to a concert--an Ed Sheeran concert. Atti was out on his own tour at the time, but the minute he got word of Zander and Pason’s deaths, he flew straight home. He mourned. He grieved. Then he picked himself back up and continued to move and work. He went back out on the road and continued to perform. He knew, firsthand, about the trauma of losing a partner, and he saw it tear Mimi to shreds. And Rae saw it too. And he knew Rae was worried about him when he went out. Anything could happen at any minute, and he understood the anxiety of that. 

high in the hammocks

“Daaddd!” Iris came sprinting out onto the back porch of the beach house, down the few stairs, and over to the palm trees where the boys had previously hung up a few hammocks which Luca was napping in, “Dad…” She slapped her hands on his bare stomach, “Britton said we could go snorkeling later! Can I, please? Don’t be like Cal and say no. ‘Cause at first he said no to Rebel, but then Britton said yes so we’re just gonna listen to Britton and–” 

“Breathe, Iris Porter,” Luca smiled, staring at his wide-eyed little girl, “Yeah. You can go snorkeling. I think Uncle Atti was going to take us out on a yacht tomorrow for even more snorkeling too, actually. But if you wanna go later - be my guest. I still gotta talk about it with Britton first though, alright?” 

“Thank you!” She leapt on top of him and almost flipped over his hammock, “And for the last time…I am not calling him Uncle Atti.” 

“Why not?” Atti appeared, stashing the two blunts he had in his hands behind his back as he approached the hammocks for a planned smoke sesh with Luca.

Iris instantly froze, her cheeks turning redder than Luca had ever seen them before and she zoomed back into the house, yelling “Don’t forget to talk to Britton, dad!” before slamming the sliding door shut and surely going to tell Lily and Rebel she saw her “future boyfriend” topless. 

“Heyyy, Uncle Atti’s got the good goods!” Luca joked, perking up in his hammock a little as he took one of the blunts from Atti, “Thank you, man. I owe you one. You’re not gonna get shit from me, but I do owe you one.” 

The thing about Atticus Reeves is that he was the single most charming boy you may ever meet. He had a way with words in song writing, a smooth voice to sing them, and a dazzling smile that could make anyone fall to their knees. And he knew what felt like everyone, and if he didn’t, he knew someone who did. There’s a line in a musical, Into the Woods, where Prince Charming says, “I was raised to be charming, not sincere.” But that’s not what Atti was like. He was raised to be sincere, and for him, it just so happened to be charming. 

Atti woke up early that morning to run some errands on the island and meet up with a few people he needed to--he wasn’t stupid enough to bring semi-illegal drugs on an airplane. He was back with coffee before Rae even woke up, and after a little bit of time in the bedroom together, they emerged from the house. Atti promised Luca they’d spend some bro-time together, and so Atti kissed Rae on the lips and let her go have her girls’ day with Maya and Mimi or something... To be quite honest, Atti’s mind was preoccupied. 

“I am not calling him Uncle Atti!” Iris protested, her bottom lip poking out just a bit. 

Even with spray-on sunscreen and a stick one for their faces, Lily and Sailor both had sunburnt noses already. Eli’s tan was coming in decent, but the top of his shoulders and his cheeks were a little redder than they should’ve been too. He didn’t care too much. It was vacation, after all, and everyone looked better with a tan. He’d just have to lather up Lily and Sailor extra the next few days and keep an eye on ‘em - kids with bad sunburns were never fun. He smiled as they sat down across from him at the dinner table. Not directly across from him actually, (they didn’t want to be lame and sit by their dad) but close enough. At the head was Atticus, of course, with Rae next to him and then Mimi. But next to all of them were Lily and Sailor and they just looked so grown up that it made Eli’s stomach twist. Before he could think too much about his kids getting older and himself getting older and spiraling into one of his great Eli existential crisis, Atti said grace, blessed their food, and then dropped an f-bomb. It wasn’t like Lily and Sailor hadn’t heard (or even said) fuck before, so Eli didn’t care and they all laughed. “Hey, hey, kids, man, there’s kids here,” He played, punching Atti in the arm before grabbing his glass of champagne, “Family, I’d like to make a toast…” Eli cleared his throat, looking down at the long table of people he loved and adored. Man, he really loved and adored them. “Here’s to an amazing vacation filled with lots of love and laughter. We’re already off to a great fucking start!” He smirked and the table laughed again as Eli raised his glass, “Really. I love you all. And Mom, thank you for organizing us in these little Hogwarts houses. It’s fun. Alright, cheers!” 

Hm? Oh, no, I’m okay. I’m just…thinking of my mom and dad. With every happy, exciting moment I have comes that creeping reminder that they won’t be there to celebrate with me. It’s heavy, but it’s….alright. I’m still living in my engagement dreamland. I don’t think anything could really ruin my mood too much right now.