Deals With The Devil's Spawn

You're the reason I let myself have hope

"I figured I might as well count this as this year's visit."

"Besides, this gives them a chance to meet your girlfriend, Brady," his mom piped in, shooting me a bright smile.

"Um, if I may, this isn't exactly my best look, and I didn't really know I would be meeting all of you, so I'm really not wearing any clothes under this hospital gown...which was very unnecessary information, and talk about inappropriate. Maybe if you guys could come back another day? I'm sorry, that's really inconsiderate-"

"No, not even in the slightest. Quite the opposite, actually," Brayden interrupted, sitting next to me on the bed, and throwing an arm over my shoulders. "If y'all don't mind, can you get out? She's not up for visitors."

"You're in here," his aunt Nissa replied, lifting an eyebrow.

"I'm her boyfriend," he retorted, with a smug smirk on his lips, and I shook my head with a grin.

"And I'm her new aunt, so we should get acquainted, in fact, you should probably leave for this next bit," she replied, sweeping her hand in the door's direction.

"Okay, I'm serious, I'm going to need you guys to leave. She needs to rest." Standing up, he began ushering them out, and one by one, they obliged, shooting smiles, and well wishes my way, on their way out. Soon all but his mom and aunt Nissa remained, staring at us with pouts.

"Can we just stay for a few minutes? She should meet Niece, Brady," his mom pleaded, staring at him, expectantly.

Turning towards me, he lifted an eyebrow, and turning to his mom and aunt, who stared back at me with matching looks of hope. There was no way I could say no to that. The giddy smiles they gave me at my nod, was all the assurance I need to confirm I hadn't made a mistake.

"Porter, this is my best friend, Nissa," his mom introduced, linking her arm through her best friend's.

"Nissa...the aunt that's not really an aunt but, I'm guessing they've known you long enough to consider you their aunt, like kids tend to do with their parent's best friends. Speaking of knowing things, Brayden happened to mention that you also have a runaway mouth, that goes on like diarrhea coming out of a fat cow, and that you may or may not sweat through your clothes like a cheating husband caught in the act...he didn't use those words exactly...I may have embezzled?" I rambled, fidgeting nervously, glancing at Brayden, who gave me a reassuring smile, lifting his hand to rest on the back of my neck, his thumb drawing circles on my skin. "That may have gotten away from me there...a little. What I meant to say was 'hi, nice to meet you."

Staring at me with wide eyes that made me want to crawl under the sheets, Nissa shot Mrs. Cavanaugh a look, who simple grinned, proudly.

"Did I not tell you? Perfection," his mom sighed, shooting a thumbs up my way, and beaming proudly. What the woman was proud of, I'd never know.

"Okay first of all, you-" Aunt Nissa started, pointing her finger at Brayden- "stop telling people about my babbling issue; we've talked about this, and second of all, I have the sweating through my clothes thing under control."

I couldn't help but giggle softly, turning my face into Brayden's shoulder when Nissa shot a playful glare on me.

Our attention was drawn to the door as it swung open, Mr. Cavanaugh standing in the doorway, hands on his hips as his angry glare sought out his wife, who squeaked a 'shit,' before giving him a guilty smile.

"Casey, you wanna explain to me why my entire family is currently fighting over who gets to eat the last nugget, they just snatched out of my hands?" He gritted, seeming more offended at the fact that they'd taken his nugget than the fact that they were currently fighting in a hospital.