Asher's parents knocked on Owen and Teddys front door.
"Mark, Michelle," Owen said, opening the door, "the kids have lived downstairs for years now."
"We want to talk to you and Teddy," Mark said, "make them see reason."
"About," Owen asked.
"They had a lawyer send a letter to us and Renee," mark said, "no contact and they're pursuing a restraining order."
"They're within their right to," Owen said, "you don't know the implications of Renee's actions on their family. Life long consequences even if it is dropped."
"What about our family," Michelle asked.
"That's for you to deal with," Owen said.
"Is Teddy around," Mark asked, "the four of us should talk."
"She's at work," Owen replied.
"It's Saturday," Michelle said.
"Heart attacks happen 365 days a year," Owen answered.
"But she's not home with her kids," Michelle said.
"Leo is in Texas for school," Owen said, "Allison and Annie are married with children of their own. We're grandparents we don't have kids at home."
"You need to talk sense into your daughter," mark said.
"No," Owen replied, "I will back them protecting their daughter and their family."
"What about protecting the family that raised him," Michelle asked, "what about protecting us and his siblings."
"No," Owen snapped.
Asher pulled into the driveway and saw his mom's van. He parked the truck and helped Everly out.
"Ev my parents are here," Asher said, "be very good and very quiet please."
"Why are they here," Everly asked.
"I don't know," Asher replied.
Asher and Everly walked to the back door seeing the front door closed he assumed his parents were waiting at their door for them. Allison would be home in about half an hour and he wanted to start dinner, he knew her day had been hard in a locked psych ward. She had been finding the patients challenging. She knew she didn't want psych, she found it too emotionally draining.
Asher texted up to Owen when he saw that his parents weren't waiting at their door.
"Princess I'm going to throw food for dinner in the instant pot and go upstairs," Asher said, "you need to stay here and play unless grandpa or I come get you."
Asher walked upstairs and into the kitchen, "why are you here?"
"We wanted to talk to you about dropping the lawsuit against Renee," Mark said.
"No," Asher replied, "we won't. She nearly cost us everything! Everything I have done for the last seven years she tried to take from me! There is no coming back from this."
"Asher," Mark said, 'you will listen to your elders."
"No," Asher yelled, 'not when my wife and my daughter are being threatened and disrespected. Not when you're trying to take my daughter away from me and making up false accusations. What Renee did what you're supporting is slander. It's us now how long until you go after Mitch and Sierra because they're not conforming. I'm not going to do it. You tried to limit us so you had control. You limited all of us. You didn't let us get a complete education you choose what classes we could and couldn't take. Hell you even chose what I would do as a trade. I didn't want to be an electrician but now I have a family to support and I'm stuck. You limited me you held me back. I could have gone to college but no you pushed me into a highschool apprenticeship."
"You can still go to college," Owen said.
"I will when Allie graduates," Asher said, "one or two courses at a time and I want my business degree. I don't want to be a labourer and destroy my body hauling reels of cables and climbing. I want to move into the office I want to run the company and to do that I need a business degree."
"Asher you can't go to college," Mark yelled.
"Why not," Owen asked.
"Because he's to go into trades," Mark shouted.
"No," Asher yelled, "Dad you don't control me. You don't get a fucking say. You didn't let us be our own people and you punish us for following our own paths. You protect Renee no matter how much she hurts my daughter, hurts my wife, hurts my family."
"What are you saying," Mark screamed.
"I want you to fuck off," Asher yelled, "to leave and not come back. You don't support us, you don't care about me or Allison or Everly. You never cared! You just wanted to make yourself look good and we didn't do that and you'll never let me forget it."
"You messed up," Mark roared, "you couldn't keep it in your pants and screwed up your entire future."
"That's enough," Owen roared, "get out."
"What," Mark turned on Owen.
"You can not hold a choice Asher and Allison both made 7 years ago over their heads forever," Owen roared, "you need to let it go. They are not the same scared kids that sat here trying to figure out what they were going to do. You have not been here for them when things are hard, you almost didn't come to the Wedding because you thought it was done too late. They needed the time to grow together, to be a couple to grow up. You limit him to what narrow minded vision you had for him, you don't see him, you don't see Allison. They don't conform so you punish them. They're 24 years old. Let them grow up and do it their way."
"He ruined his future for your daughter because she couldn't have the common decency to keep her legs shut," Mark yelled, "he ruined our family. Our plans for him for his life for his marriage with a good girl, a christian girl. We had plans for him to marry the right girl they were to meet that winter and court then he would propose once they graduated."
"Get out of my house," Owen growled, "get out and don't come back."
"Leave," Asher echoed, "we don't want you here. Don't call, don't text, we don't want you. I don't need you. My daughter won't miss you. I hate you. Stay the fuck out of my life and my busines. You have no right to comment on it to judge me. You hit us, you treated us in a way that should be considered neglect if not outright abuse. You are the horrible parents here, you are the ones who need to take a look at yourselves. Dad, you're a drunk, you got drunk then you beat me. You beat me the night I told you Allison was pregnant. You took off your belt and beat me then abandoned me and you have the balls to wonder why I never visit why I don't talk to you. You are not fit to call yourself a father. Get out and don't come back. Mom you let him, you are just as at fault because you let him treat us and treat you like crap. You made a choice. Now I'm choosing. I'm choosing what is going to keep my family safe and healthy. I'm choosing not to put up with your abuse anymore. Get out and don't come back."
"Leave," Owen repeated, "you heard him. They will contact you if and when they decide it's a good idea."
"If we don't," Mark yelled.
"It's trespassing and I will call the police," Owen said, taking his phone from his pocket.
Mark scrambled for the door with Michelle following, tears flowing down her cheeks
When the door closed Asher turned to Owen, "can you go down and check on Ev I need a minute."
"I've got her," Owen said, "do you want to take Charlie for his walk?"
"Ya," Asher replied, he grabbed the leash from beside the door and called the dog over as Owen went downstairs.
Asher met Allison in the driveway.
"Your parents drove past," Allison said.
"They freaked out about the lawsuit," Asher replied, "I told them to fuck off and never come back. I said what I've always wanted to."
"You okay," Allison asked, she knew Asher would tell her exactly what was said when he was ready.
"I don't know," Asher said, "your dad is with Ev I said I would walk Charlie."
"Do you want me to come or do you need time," Allison asked.
"Come," Asher said, taking her hand, drawing on her strength.
"Let's go," Allison agreed.
They walked in silence holding hands Asher needing Allison close, she was his person, he knew he was safe with her, she was the first person who had ever made him feel safe, feel seen.
"Ash," Allison asked.
"We need to add my parents to the restraining order," Asher replied, "we need to protect Everly and ourselves."
"We will," Allison agreed, "we will hold them accountable this time."
"We have to," Asher said, "if we don't they'll come again in a couple years and try to ruin us again."
"They will," Asher said, "they were mad today dad was the worst I've seen him since the night I told him I got you pregnant."
"What happened," Allison questioned.
"They had arranged a marriage for me," Asher said.
"No," Allison gasped.
"Ya," Asher said, 'dad will never forgive me. Yours were ticked and worried but they never beat us."
"They've never spanked us," Allison said, "like we would never spank Ev."
"My dad beat us," Asher said, "I called him on it today."
"Good," Allison said, "he should have been years ago. What do you want to do?"
"We'll talk after Ev is in bed," Asher said, "but we continue with the lawsuit. We sue them for slander and defamation. We protect our daughter."
"We will," Allison said, "and you. We have to protect you from them."
"This won't be easy or cheap," Asher said.
"We'll work it out," Allison replied.
'Allie," Asher asked.
"We always do Ash," Allison replied, "together. We can do it as long as were together."
"Dad wasn't impressed I'm going to take business courses once you graduate," Asher said, "just online and one at a time but I will get my business degree."
"I know you will," Allison smiled, "we can have it all and keep our family safe. Ash we can do it."
"Can we," Asher asked, "if my parents."
"Fuck them," Allison snapped, "when have they ever supported your dreams and what you wanted?"
"Never," Asher replied.
"So fuck it," Allison replied, "don't let them control you anymore. Ash you can say enough is enough. If you're ready to be done you can say it. You don't owe them anything babe."
"I'm done," Asher sighed, "it's just a lot to take in."
"It is," Allison agreed as the rounded the corner to come home, "what do you need love?"
"To be home and to be with you and Ev," Asher replied, "my family."
"We can do that," Allison agreed.
"Dinner should almost be done," Asher replied, "I did pulled pork in the instant pot."
"Perfect," Allison smiled, "let's go home."
