~Marcus, enjoying dessert in the dining room~<br/><br/>The air in the room seemed a little brighter now, Mari talking about her family in answer to his question, while Bo, Vince, and Mila listened.  It felt good to see some of the tension ease and smiles to reappear on their faces though he knew it probably wouldn’t be the last time something like that happened.  They were very different individuals trying to form a common bond on a deeper level than normal; bumps in the road were a given though perhaps having survived this first one would help smoothen any future ones they met.<br/><br/>As he fed bites of his dessert between his lips, his eyes stayed focused on the beautiful woman sitting across from him.  Mari’s grace had been noticed right away by Marcus, as well as her natural beauty, but he realized she was so much more than that when he heard her laugh and saw her eyes shine as she talked about her family.  It was clear that they were close and that they loved each other, something he envied.  He’d grown up knowing his parents loved him but they were a wealthy family, with “traditions”, and that usually meant being very reserved and stuffy.  Finishing off a bite, he smiled over at her.  “Growing up an only child was different…at least in my family.  Having no siblings meant the house was usually pretty quiet but it also meant having to be more creative when it came to finding fun things to do.”  He paused, lost in thought for a moment then continued.  “I learned what it was like to having siblings in a way when I made it to college; all the guys on the team were my brothers in a way.”<br/><br/>He was debating if he wanted to keep talking or not when the door opened, drawing his gaze away from Mari.  It was Nicci, returning to them after her visit to the bathroom, a smile on her face.  When she had sat and finished speaking, he took a few more bites of his dessert and turned towards her.  “Mari was just telling us a little about her family and what it was like growing up with so many siblings.  She teased about selling them off but, honestly, I envy her a little, growing up like that.”  Taking the last bite of his dessert, he pushed his dish away.  “I’m ready too” he said, agreeing with Mila.  “How about the rest of you?” he asked, turning to the members on the other side of the table.<br/><br/>