A Flower in War

Chapter Fifty-Three: He's So Lucky

"She's not answering huh?" Johnny asks, cracking open another beer.
Robby groans, hanging up once he hears her voicemail, yet again, "No, she's not." Robby sighs, running his hand through his hair in defeat.
"Let her cool off. Babes need time to realize things."
"Okay one, don't call my girlfriend a babe. It's weird. Two, I tried that one time, the space, and then I called her drunk and high and ruined it. I... I gotta go see her." Robby determines.

"Woah, no." Johnny stands abruptly, "LaRusso will kill us both if you go over to their house right now."
"I can get in without him knowing. I've... I've done it before."
"You've... oh... OH!" Johnny's eyes widen before he's wincing, "Look, I... I don't know how to do this... but you know to be... safe right?"
"What?" Robby questions cluelessly before it dawns on him and he, too, winces at the implication, "Nope, we are not doing that. You are not going to prance back into my life and think you can pick up the "dad" talks!"
"Hey, I do not prance! I'm not a sissy!" Johnny says pointedly.
"It's a figure of speech!" Robby groans, grabbing his jacket from the couch.

"Kid, you can't go see her." Johnny reiterates.
"I'm going. I need to apologize, and make it right."
"Just wait. Wait, okay?" Johnny gets in front of him, holding his hands up in surrender.
"What?"
"Look, she's a once in a lifetime gal, but you need to wait. You go now and you go when tensions are high. Everyone will be on high alert, the likelihood of you getting there and not getting found out is about as likely as me and your mom getting back together. Wait till tonight after dinner. People will have cooled off, less likely to be found out, more likely for her to hear you out. It's all about timing." Johnny explains.

"That how you got with mom? Timing?"
"No, that... that was pure dumb luck." Johnny chuckles.
"Luck? Didn't think you'd consider yourself lucky considering you dipped." Robby scoffs, going back and sitting down on the couch.
"I... Look, your mom and I... we weren't compatible. We were just... fun. And-and fun catches up to you so don't have too much of it!"

"You never wanted me... did you?"
Johnny sighs, sitting down beside him, "We never planned for you. But that doesn't mean either of us didn't want you or... or care about you... You really want to do this now?" Johnny questions.
"Have to wait to see her and knowing her... she's smarter about these things than me so she could help me figure out what you mean if I can't do it myself."
"Plus she'll comfort you." Johnny teases, nudging his arm, earning a small smile that quickly disappears.

"Stop it. I want to know... did you ever want me?"
Johnny sighs, wiping his hand down his face, "Your mother and I were off and on. When we were on we had fun but we fought. When we were off... we just kept coming back to each other because it was easier than being alone. We both drank a lot, which led to some not so safe things, and one of those things led to you. I... God, when I found out she was pregnant... I nearly shit myself. I was terrified. I never told her, but she knew. She knew." Johnny nods to himself, "Your mom stopped drinking while she was pregnant, and I basically took up her drinking with my own. I was drinking for two. You gotta understand Robby, I never really knew my real dad. I don't remember anything about him. I have a name and I had a picture, that's it. Your grandma, my mom... if he was anything like the other men she was with... well then I'm glad I never knew him. So... how could I do you justice if I didn't even know how?"

"You should have tried."
Johnny nods, "You're right, I-I should have. But I didn't. I screwed up. Your mom and I both did... is she... do you know if-"
"She's in rehab. So you can't just hand me over to her."
"Damn it, Robby. I'm trying okay? I fucked up! I know that. I know I screwed things up. I know you deserve better! But I'm really fucking trying okay? I'm doing a hell of a lot better than my fucking stepdad did!"
Robby stops, he knew about his father's stepdad from his mother, how he was cruel and vindictive and abusive. But he had never heard Johnny ever utter a single sentence about him, at least not outright.