It was a warmer day for March. The sun peeked through patches of clouds and illuminated the tops of the trees. Smoke poured from a fire in the big back yard as as I walked up to Max and Annie. "Hey! It's great to meet you!" I said as warmly as I could. "You too, don't mind my dog, he doesn't bite" Annie replied as her black and white mutt rubbed his muddy paws all over my new jeans. Max shouted to come back by the fire. He seemed particularly cheerful. Max was never really happy, he lived on his own for a while. He was a very tall man, strong and somewhat scruffy. His muscles bulged from his shirt and he threw logs onto to fire. The dark circles under Annie's eyes made it seem to me that she's had a rough couple years. "How long you guys know each other?" I asked. "Well only a couple of weeks.." Max shot back "..the best weeks of my life" Annie giggled. "Uh...don't you think it's a little soon?" I was tempted to shoot a sassy remark but bit my tongue for the sake of my brother. "When you know, you know. I think I'm going to start moving my things in soon." Annie said in a dumb, bubbly voice. "Wait, so you just met and she's already moving in with you, Max? It would be a better idea to put a lion in a monkey cage" I didn't want to be mean to this blonde bimbo but if I had to, I could. Max looked at Annie, who clearly wasn't picking up on the malice in my voice, then looked back at me. In a whisper he told me to knock it off, be nice. Tension was growing and I wanted to get out of there as quick as I could. My phone vibrated so I jumped at the chance to have an excuse to leave. "Mom needs me to come home. See you guys later." I said to Max, since Annie was throwing a green and white dog toy across the yard. Walking down the dark driveway, framed by tall trees and bushes, I was thinking of all the things I could call this girl then realized if my brother likes her, I'd have to put up with her for as long as he does.