Cynthia Grams was lying on the bed when Justin and Fiona entered the room. Her right leg was broken, and both of her hands were bruised. The right part of her brow had become purple as well.
"What the hell were you thinking when you were riding that bike of yours? You do know that you are not twenty anymore." Justin angrily greeted his grandmother.
Fiona wanted to face palm. Instead of being polite to her, he was angry. Only he is capable of it.
"Are you calling me old, young man? I am younger than anyone in this room." Cynthia Grams told him smugly.
"Grams, for God's sake. For once in your life, be serious." Justin crossed his arms in annoyance.
"Like you? Nah, I will take my chance and be the coolest around her." His grandmother simply waved him off.
"More like craziest. I swear you need to be put into a mental asylum." Justin wanted to put some sense into the old lady lying on the bed in front of him.
"And risk the chances of other patients relapsing. I think you should take a pass."
Fiona wanted to burst into laughter but held herself from doing so. But Cynthia's other statement made Fiona's eyes widen, but Justin rolled his eyes.
"Now, if you are done being your brooding self, why don't you let Fiona come here and talk to me? I am sure she has suffered enough of you."
Fiona looked at Justin, who gave her an encouraging nod, so she went and sat down on the chair beside his grandmother.
"How do you feel right now?"
"See, Justin. This is how you should talk to an injured person. You can learn a few things from her." Cynthia's statement made Justin give her a flat look.
However, this had no effect on her, and she continued to talk to her granddaughter-in-law. "Ignore him, honey, and I am totally fine. In no time, I will be riding that bike again."
"The hell you will. I am telling mom and dad to get rid of that demon." Justin said.
"My bike's name is Buster and not Demon. And you won't be going near my baby." Cynthia gave him a cold stare.
"Yes, I will." Justin cocked his eyebrows, challenging his grandmother to oppose him.
"You named your bike Buster?" Fiona asked her with a surprised look.
Instead of Cynthia, her grandson retorted. "Yes, she did. That devil is just like its name. Busted Grams leg."
"It is my baby. Don't you call him that." Both Justin and his grandmother had locked gazes with each other. So, Fiona intervened.
"Justin. We can talk about all this when she is home," But Justin cut her off.
"She doesn't understand just talking. We need to get her new brains."
"I don't need one, but you certainly should get it for yourself. At least then, you will stop being grouchy. Fiona, I am so sorry that because of me, you got trapped with him. You have my condolences." Grams uttered the words with utmost sincerity.
While Fiona didn't know how to respond, Justin there was frowning.
"Trapped? I think more than me; she might be feeling trapped to have another psychotic grandmother like you."
Fiona grumbled inwardly and stepped over to her husband, hoping to reason with him.
"Justin, she is recovering. Be polite to her. I don't want to interfere between you two, but come on. Look at her. She just broke her leg. The least you could do is sympathize with her."
"Sympathies with her? Just look at her. She is enjoying my anger way more than she should." Justin gave her a pointed look. But Fiona wanted to laugh at this situation because when she glanced briefly at Cynthia Grams, it looked like she was enjoying her banter with Justin more than anything else in the world.
When Justin saw his wife's reaction, he wanted to shake his head in annoyance as he could see that she was resisting the smile. "Laugh all you want. I believe, you, like her, take pleasure in agitating me. Why don't you make the team with my grandmother called 'Rile Justin to the core'?"
"Well, that does sound fun. Maybe I can invite Emily too." Fiona proposed with a smile.
"Another one who enjoys annoying my grandson? I want to meet her." Cynthia Grams joined in.
"You will like her. She..." But Justin interrupted his wife again.
"Okay, you two. Cut it out. My rage will not be subdued by you two ganging up together."
"But talking to her will. Now, I will wait outside while you two chat. And Justin, be nice to her." Fiona told him. Then she went towards his grandmother. "It was nice meeting you, Grams. Please take care. I will wait outside while you two talk."
"Aren't you a sweetheart?" Cynthia smiled and nodded as Justin watched Fiona walk out the door.
"You still want to be angry that I made you marry her?" Cynthia asked her grandson with a smirk.
"Yes and no." He told her the truth.
"Justin, come here, honey." He obliged his grandmother and sat on the chair that his wife previously occupied. He took her hand in both of his.
"I am sorry. I should never have spoken to you the way I did that day." Justin expressed his regret to her.
"No, you shouldn't have, but perhaps what Fiona's grandmother and I did was a bit more extreme than we would like to accept." Cynthia patted the hand of her grandchild with her free hand.
While Justin and his grandmother were having a heart-to-heart talk, Fiona was sitting outside the room waiting patiently. Sarah and Daniel arrived a few minutes later and sat beside her, Sarah on her immediate left.
"Justin shouted at her the moment he saw her, didn't he?" Sarah asked Fiona.
"Yes. With just a single gaze." Fiona informed her.
"That's my son for you. I am sure you might have witnessed this before. Justin has a different way of showing he cares, especially when someone he cares about gets hurt." Sarah told her.
This made Fiona realize something.
The reaction she saw Justin give to his grandmother was similar to the one she had received when he found out about her food arrangement and previously when she had disappeared on him intentionally and unintentionally.
"Yes, I have," Fiona said.
However, she was deep in thought, but her mother-in-law brought her back to reality.
"Don't worry about them. Those two will be fine. This is way too normal with Mom and Justin."
"Tell me about it." Daniel backed his wife. "The only person my crazy mother-in-law listens to is Justin. Even Sarah can't get through her."
"That sounds like my grandmother too," Fiona admitted.
"I know. Cecelia is another pea in the pot. Those two are the epitome of crazy mischief." Daniel said.
His words made all three of them chuckle.
Justin emerged from his grandmother's room after an hour. They all rose to their feet. Fiona had a hopeful expression on her face.
Justin spoke. "Stop with those looks. We are both fine, but we must put her on a tight leash."
"Can we do that on a permanent basis?" Daniel suggested.
"Daniel. That is my mom, not a pet." Sarah threw a glare.
Her husband threw up both hands in surrender. "Sorry,"
"Anyway..." Justin emphasized. "You three should go home. I will spend the night with Grams."
"No, Justin. You and Fiona should go home now. Both of you might be tired." Daniel told both of them.
"I am not tired, Dad," Justin exhaled, but his mom supported his father.
"Your dad is right, Justin. When I called in the morning, Fiona informed me that you had pulled an all-nighter. And from the looks of you two, you both need some rest."
"All-nighter?" Justin looked at Fiona with small frown, to which she nodded. She had to lie again on his behalf. What did he do to someone like Fiona? She is something else. "Yes, I did. But I am fine, mom."
"Justin, your Grams already instructed us she that doesn't want you in the room with her at night. So, Daniel will stay with her till her bedtime. She wants to have spend some alone time with her son-in-law."
"Alone time with dad? Are you sure it is safe to leave him with her? They tend to go ballistic with each other." Justin teased.
"I am a grown man, Justin. I can handle that notorious woman just fine. Plus, hanging with me will put some sense into her. So, now you three go home. I will come home by tonight." Daniel assured his son, to which all they nodded.
Once they reached home, Justin escorted Fiona to his room.
"Nice room." When she walked in, she said.
"Sense of déjà vu," Justin commented, which made her laugh. Justin's room looked a lot like hers. There are only a few minor tweaks here and there. While keeping their bags on the side of the door, he said. "This room has turned into more of a guest room than it was."
"Yes, but I like it," Fiona said. After a few seconds, she continued. "I will go down and help your mom." With that, she walked down the stairs in search of his mom.
After a while, even Justin joined her. It was night-time, nine-fifteen, to be exact when Daniel came home. Sarah was about to set a plate for him when he stopped her.
"Mom, I am not hungry."
"Justin, you haven't eaten anything since you got here. You have got to eat something." Sarah insisted, but Justin didn't have the heart to eat.
"Please, mom. I think I will call it a night. The exhaustion is finally settling in." He admitted.
Sarah reluctantly nodded her head and allowed Justin to go to his room. "Okay, but you are not going to sleep without drinking milk. I am not letting you sleep on an empty stomach."
"Okay."
Fiona remained silent the entire time. She could tell he was exhausted.
"Why don't you take a seat, Fiona?" Daniel told her daughter-in-law.
"I think I will go and check on Justin." She told them.
"Christ, Fiona. Don't tell me you aren't eating anything, either." Sarah expressed her displeasure. She will not let any of her children sleep on an empty stomach.
"I don't think I can stomach anything as of now. Today has been a kind of eventful."
"I know that. But..." Sarah knew that arguing with either Fiona or Justin was pointless, so she took a big breath. "I am preparing two glasses of milk. One for you and one for Justin. And no argument."
"Okay. How about I make it? You guys should eat. I will make and get it for Justin." Fiona insisted.
Luckily, Sarah nodded and helped her daughter-in-law so that she could easily navigate her way into the kitchen. However, she made sure that Fiona completed the entire glass in front of her before allowing her to go to Justin's room with his.
Fiona saw him resting on his bed with his eyes closed as she entered his room. She hoped he hadn't fallen asleep yet. She walked towards him and softly called out his name. "Justin,"
"Hmm," he said.
"I have got a glass of milk for you." She stated.
"I don't want to eat or drink anything." Justin turned away from her.
"Justin, you have to drink this. Otherwise, your mother will have your head."
"Fine." In a sour tone, he said.
Fiona kept the glass on the side table near him and went to change her clothes. She brushed her teeth and then came out of the bathroom. Justin had remained in the same position as before, and the glass was the same as before.
"Justin. Get up right now." She spoke to him a little louder than normal. When he didn't respond, she grabbed his arm and tried to pull him up.
Justin wanted to laugh at his wife's attempt. "I am stronger and heavier than you, Fi."
"I know, and if so, do you, then get the hell up." She groaned.
"Okay-okay." He surrendered and sat, taking support of head-rest.
"Good. Now you want me to heat it up?" She asked him.
"No. You are way too stubborn." He said while he picked up the glass. "Did you eat anything?" He asked her.
When he noticed Fiona's silence, he warned her. "Don't you dare lie to me."
So she told him the truth. "I wasn't feeling up to it, but your mom made sure that I was filled with a glass full of milk."
"Okay then." He could settle with that.
When he emptied the glass, Fiona was about to take it from him to keep it downstairs. On the other hand, he kept the empty glass on the side table rather than giving it to her. He then leapt onto his feet, grabbed her hand and pulled her into him, embracing her fiercely, his head resting in the crook of her shoulder.
Fiona was stunned by Justin's actions. She remained as still as a rock for a few minutes before wrapping her arms around him.