I've Found What I'm Looking For

Chapter 5

Calloway walked into the home, looking around at all the small porcupines that surrounded him on every side.

He smiled nervously, pulling up his jacket a little so it wouldn't get snagged on one of their sharp spikes.

His eyes traveled everywhere as he tried to find Ash, and finally, he laid his sight on her, the young girl porcupine away in the kitchen already helping with the food being cooked.

"Ash...?" He whispered to her, not wanting to raise his voice and when she, at last, heard his small grunt, she turned to look in his direction, a big gleam on her mouth.

"Clay," She replied back to him, all giddy now in herself, and hurried over to his side, "Come and introduce yourself to everyone."

"Everyone..?" He asked, bewildered at her request and Ash gave a simple nod of her head as she repeated.

"Everyone."

"Huh," He said, giving the weakest of laughs, and turned around, seeing that all Ash's porcupine family was surrounding him, gushing with excitement. Calloway gave a deep nervous gulp, before looking back at them all and saying with the smallest wave of his huge paw, "Hey?"

"You're Clay Calloway..." Ash's grandmother said feebly with a trembling finger as she pointed in his direction, almost jabbing Clay in the chest as she continued, "I remember you back in my day."

"I'm not that old, am I?" He remarked back, and the old feeble porcupine added with the biggest of a shaky grin.

"I remember your songs, your wife... is she doing well?"

That was like a stab to the heart. Clay honestly didn't know how to reply to this as he finally shut his eyes tight, swallowing again and replying.

"She's six feet under."

"Under what?"

"Granny!" Ash yelled suddenly at her old enabled elder, "She died!"

"Oh?" Her granny replied, and looked back at Calloway, adding on quickly, "So has Alfred, my late husband."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Clay said back softly in condolence.

"Don't be, I'm single now," The old porcupine went on and Clay nearly blushed at the huge embarrassing scene that was happening right before his and everyone else's eyes, "So if you want some compan-"

"MUM!" Ash suddenly screeched and her mother came in quickly, dashing her eyes at the elder and running over to the granny, grabbing her arm and guiding her out.

"Aren't I allowed to flirt and get some sugar?!" Ash's granny yelled as she left the room.

"Not in front of everyone." Ash's mother replied.

"Ageist you all are!" Her granny yelled as she left the room and repeated as she was led to a seat away in the kitchen, "AGEIST!"

"Should I go?" Calloway asked nervously and Ash quickly shook her head, smiling awkwardly as she replied.

"No, no.. honestly, she's like this every Christmas."

"EVERY. CHRISTMAS." Ash's brother said again, and handed Clay a beer, probably to help the old lion drown his sorrows, "I'm Kaleb, Ash's older brother."

"Nice to meet you."

"Sorry to hear about your old woman by the way." Kaleb added as he dunked his own beer can down and gave a small burp before he looked back up at Calloway, "But I bet you're one for the ladies."

"Er..."

"Kaleb!" Ash barked at him and Kaleb quickly straightened up, as Ash added, "Don't make me drag you out too!"