hello, goodbye, hello.

Chapter 43: Thanksgiving (Part I)

The house couldn't be more perfect. At least, it couldn't be by any normal person's standards. However, Ashlyn Caswell was not quite a normal person, and her standards were, appropriately, at a higher level than the average population. This is why, despite Mrs. Redonovich's griping, Ashlyn hadn't let a single thing not be under her control. She deep-cleaned the carpets. She decorated the dining table with woven baskets and polished the fake gourds nestled neatly inside them. And she was the only one allowed to do any of the cooking. Unlike his mother, Red didn't mind getting to slack off a bit for the day, and he would've gotten to more had his mother not been nagging at him to help Ashlyn, who, very clearly, didn't want any help. 

"Seriously, babe, my mom is going to legit kill me if you don't let me do something." Red said, attempting to pull a wooden spoon from Ashlyn's hand. "Just like, let me stir the mashed potatoes or something, please!"

Ashlyn quickly snatched the spoon back and lightly bapped Red's hand with it. 

"Like I've said a million times today N-O, No! I don't want help. I don't need help. And you don't need to feel bad for not helping me. I've got this." She said, defiantly sticking the spoon back into the mashed potatoes and stirring with a bit more roughness than before. 

"Oh believe me, I don't feel bad." Red said. Gaining an angry eyebrow from Ashlyn, he quickly continued. "What I mean is that I know how important today is for you and that you want everything to be perfect for EJ and Gina and all of us and I see you working so hard and I appreciate that and I know you'd feel better if I just left you alone so I'm just gunna go face the wrath of my mother instead I thinknowbyebaby." 

Red gave Ashlyn a quick peck on the cheek before rushing out of the kitchen and back to the living room where his parents were waiting. That is to say, his mother was waiting, his father was more interested in the football game on TV. 

"So you talked to her then?" Mrs. Redonovich said, tapping her toe. "Did she give you something to do? Or is she still-"

"Look I tried mom, but this is how Ash is, you know that." Red said, slumping on the couch next to his father. "If you couldn't get her to accept your help, what makes you think that I-"

"I know she says she doesn't care, but that's just what women say. I won't have a son of mine letting his future wife do all the work while he sits on his butt doing nothing!" 

"Red, listen to you mother now, ya hear?" Mr. Redonovich piped in, entirely not paying attention to the conversation. 

"Now I want you to march back in there and demand that-"

DINGDONG

Much to Red's fortune, his mother was interrupted from what would surely be another thirty minute lecture by the sound of the front doorbell ringing.

"I'll get it!" Red said, mostly in an effort to escape his mother. 

Red opened the front door to two familiar faces, smiling back at him. 

"Nina! Gina! I'm so glad you two could make it!" Red said excitedly, pulling them both into a tight hug.

"Big Red! It's been forever!" Nina yelled.

"Actually it's just Re-" Red began.

"Big Red! Gosh you haven't changed one bit!" Gina said, interrupting him.

"Yeah It's great to see you guys too! But actually I just go by Red now and-"

"ASHLYN!" Both girls screamed in unison, running to the girl in question who had just made an appearance in the corridor.