Hold Me Now

Chapter 46: Desperate

The minute he saw the brat, his blood pressure went up. "Same to you Skunk." Ava's brother is the most annoying, insulting, insensitive—- His thought was interrupted when the Skunk muttered "Jerk". Not being able to help himself, Johnny told him "I was literally thinking the same thing about you."

Ava grabbed Johnny's hand and pushed past her brother. They made their way to the family room, where everyone is gathered. Everyone includes her parents, Grandpa Jack and Grandma Irene, Uncle Tom, Aunt Kimmy, all the little kids, and of course the monster named Misty. Super.

Her grandparents greeted them. For the first time, since the Sunday dinners began, Johnny did not get pulled into a finance conversation. For one, he didn't want to leave his wife's side. For another, Jack was bent on discussing other things. 

The two of them found a spot side-by-side in an oversized armchair. They shared the space nicely and didn't make even an ounce of eye contact with her crazy cousin. The room was already awkward and stifling enough, with her parents and ridiculous brother. She hasn't spoken to them in months. Feeling ill at ease, Ava reached for the newspaper. 

She gave the sports section to Johnny and kept the rest for herself. After she had finished a section she would give it to Johnny, who read it and then put the paper back together. It was also the first time he had read a newspaper cover to cover. However, he became exceedingly happy when he saw this week's coupons. 

"Look Babe, BOGO on TP. Plus there's a free sandwich of your choice coupon at Arby's. And there's a PAC-Man glass offer. I'm getting that glass," he told his wife. Flipping the coupon page over, as it said to do, he saw the PAC-Man glass. PAC-Man is eating the ghosts. It is badass. "I mean who doesn't want this glass?" 

He rustled the paper, loudly, trying to put the coupons back inside. As he tried to put the coupons inside, the stupid paper came undone. So he had to put it back together again. By the time he got to the inside sections, the rustling was so loud, heads turned to stare at him. Ava grabbed the paper and his hand. She held both with a huge smile on her face. 

 "So, Johnny and Ava how have you been lately?" Grandpa Jack asked.

Answering for both of them, Ava informed the room "Everything is fine until you get hit in the head by a big ball." Pairs of eyes blinked at her. "It practically gave me a concussion. Johnny took me to the ER and they said I had a wicked migraine. Just started feeling better this morning. But enough about Johnny and I. We should talk to Misty, I mean she really knows how to handle her balls." She confidently slid that dig in, letting Misty know she knows it's her who threw it. It was now Johnny's turn to hold his wife's hand with a huge smile on his face. The awkwardness is strong in the room.

"Right. Because if I ever did throw something at someone, it would be a lot harder than a dodge ball. More like a hard baseball or golf ball," Misty admitted. Her crazy is really starting to break loose. Knowing the permanent damage either of those could do, made Ava clutch Johnny's hand a little tighter. A shiver of fright ran through her.

After that, Marvin announced dinner. Johnny didn't take kindly to those words. If he wanted to he could put all of this to an end right now, with one well-placed kick. But, knowing his intentions by the look on his face, his wife stopped him with a look of her own and a shake of the head. 

Not wanting to be left with, or around, Misty the couple got up as soon as her grandparents did. They left the room at the same time as them. Tonight's dinner was a delicious Spanish-inspired meal. When her grandmother asked for Johnny's favorite foods she swore she said Mexican, not Spanish. Somehow Grandma Irene interpreted Mexican to mean Spanish.