Emily enjoyed playing The Game of Life. She became a lawyer, got married, and had six children. She wished life could be as easy as this game, except without all the taxes. However, she would have liked to be the one getting married and having children with Axel, not watching him have five children with some pink little plastic girl. Emily may have been taking this game a little too seriously.
When Axel's mother called out that dinner was ready, they packed up the game and headed into the dining room. As they walked in, Emily noticed a tall, older man wearing dark brown glasses and reading a newspaper. Though his glasses made him look nerdy, he resembled the spitting image of his sons, who were muscular with beautiful jawlines. Except, Aiden had brown hair, and his was blonde like Axel's.
Helen, Axel's mom, walked over to Emily. The man looked up from his newspaper, his glasses barely hanging on the bridge of his nose.
"I'm sorry for the way I acted earlier. However, I'm sure you can understand where my confusion was coming from. But, I understand now that you are Axel's girlfriend. I am Helen, Axel and Aiden's mom."
Emily blushed. She knew it was confusing, with her first being with Aiden after the party and then being with Axel. She hoped that Helen knew that there was nothing going on between her and Aiden, especially after the way he acted after hearing that she was staying.
"Hello. I'm Emily."
"It's nice to meet you, Emily."
It was Mr. Armstrong that spoke this time. She nodded shyly.
"You too, Mr. Armstrong."
"You can call me David."
He pushed his glasses up his nose, bent forward, and stretched his hand out across the table. She shook his hand, trying to match his firm grip. He released her hand and leaned back into his chair, flipping his newspaper back to the page he was previously on, the comics, before he had been interrupted.
"Here Emily, you can sit next to me."
Axel pulled out a chair for her. She smiled at him, sitting down. Axel sat next to her. Aiden, being the king that he is, made himself comfortable at the head of the table.
Helen placed the lasagna on the table and sat down beside her husband.
"Well, dig in everyone."
Axel grabbed Emily's plate and filled it for her. She thanked him and watched as Aiden took double the size of her portion. He caught her staring and shot her a critical look.
"So, how did you and Axel meet?"
"He..."
"She sits in the front in my second period class. I couldn't stop noticing the smile she would give me every time she passed back note guides. So, I asked her out and she said yes. And I'm so glad she did. She's an amazing girl."
He placed his hand on top of hers on the table and she turned to look at him, trying to smile through her chewing. She knew she shouldn't have taken a bite when he started talking.
"That's so sweet. Aiden, you need to step up and find a girl. You know I want grandbabies before I'm ninety."
He gave his mom the same critical look that he gave Emily earlier.
"Well now you have them to do that for you," he waved a finger between Axel and Emily. "And I have found a girl. Many, actually."
She reached over and slapped his arm.
"I mean a girl to settle down with."
He groaned.
"Mom! I'm only eighteen. Just let me sleep around till I'm at least twenty five."
"You tell her, son," David mumbled behind his newspaper, which he was still reading.
Helen gasped in shock and turned towards her husband.
"I heard that! And I remember you being a virgin when we first... mated."
David blushed, embarrassed, and fully covered his face in his newspaper. Both Aiden and Axel scrunched their faces up in disgust at the word mated.
She turned back to Aiden.
"And so what if I want grandchildren? It's not an unreasonable request."
"It is when I'm eighteen."
She huffed and turned to Emily.
"How many kids do you want?"
Emily sat there, frozen.
"I-I don't know. Three?"
Aiden rolled his eyes and crossed his arms, imagining three little blonde haired brats running around.
"Good to know."
"Mom, don't get ahead of yourself. Who knows if she'll even be here next week," Aiden remarked.
Emily glared at him.
"Wanna bet?"
"No! Don't bet on that. Forget I said anything."
They shut up and both started shoving food in their mouths, glowering at each other.
They all sat there, eating in silence for the rest of dinner.
"Done," Aiden exclaimed, standing up abruptly. His chair skidded loudly behind him.
He took his plates, opened the dishwasher in the kitchen, stuffed the plates haphazardly inside, and walked out.
They sat there, looking at the door swinging back and forth, wondering what had crawled up his ass.