As Bradin quietly disappeared into his room, Ava turned helplessly
towards Johnny. "What am I going to do about him? I just don't know
what to do."
"You punish him, Ava." Johnny responded after a brief pause. "You punish him and you mean it. He's gotta know that boundaries don't only exist in Kansas."
Sighing deeply, Ava gazed off in the direction of the boys' room. "I'll talk to him in the morning. Tell him he's grounded."
"First thing." Johnny put in.
The woman glanced over her shoulder before answering skeptically, "After breakfast."
"You can't avoid this, Ava." He told her firmly.
The accusation caused her to shift her gaze slightly. Johnny knew her all to well. "It's just..."
"You have to be firm." The realtor lectured soundly at the tentative reply. "You have to let him know who's in charge."
"Who's that again?" Ava asked, half serious.
Johnny followed her gaze towards the boys' room as he answered. "We'll do it together."
"Johnny." Ava looked back at him. ""I can't ask you to do that."
"You didn't." He told her flatly.
She just continued to stair at him. "Johnny."
"We've in this together, Ava." The man interrupted. "You know that."
Her gentle smile in return was all the thanks he needed.
Staring out at the bright morning sun, Bradin desperately wished for the night's dark protection to return. The beauty of the daylight promised only misery for him. Pushing himself up from the bed, he gazed over at the sleeping form of his younger brother. The boy's sleep was so restful. Undisturbed. Why hadn't he stayed home and shot off that rocket with the kid? Damn his hot temper.
Making his way to the bathroom, the teen attempted to look on the bright side. He wasn't hung over. He had at least had the presence of mind to stop before he had gotten totally wasted. If only he had stopped all together.
Pushing the door open, the boy quickly prepared himself for the more than inviting shower.
Peering up over her coffee cup, Ava smiled slightly at Johnny's bleary look as he shuffled into the room. "Tired?"
"Waiting up for 'em then turning around and getting up before 'em isn't really my thing." The man told her shortly, reaching for his own large mug.
The woman waited patiently for him to have his first swallow of coffee before venturing any further with the conversation. "Are you ready for this?"
"As ready as I'll ever be." Johnny said with a slight shrug. "It's not like we're planning a coup here, Ave. Adults ground teenagers all the time."
"I don't." The woman replied gently.
Johnny looked over at her before admitting, "Me neither."
After a few minutes of shared silence, the sound of the water turning off caught Johnny's attention. "Think that's him?"
"He wouldn't be up this early. Would he?" Ava replied.
Earning a knowing glance from the man. "Trying to get out before anyone's up."
"Can you blame him for trying?" The designer questioned.
Johnny looked over at her, a mischievous smile on his lips. "We're the adults, Ava. It's our job to blame him for trying."
"You punish him, Ava." Johnny responded after a brief pause. "You punish him and you mean it. He's gotta know that boundaries don't only exist in Kansas."
Sighing deeply, Ava gazed off in the direction of the boys' room. "I'll talk to him in the morning. Tell him he's grounded."
"First thing." Johnny put in.
The woman glanced over her shoulder before answering skeptically, "After breakfast."
"You can't avoid this, Ava." He told her firmly.
The accusation caused her to shift her gaze slightly. Johnny knew her all to well. "It's just..."
"You have to be firm." The realtor lectured soundly at the tentative reply. "You have to let him know who's in charge."
"Who's that again?" Ava asked, half serious.
Johnny followed her gaze towards the boys' room as he answered. "We'll do it together."
"Johnny." Ava looked back at him. ""I can't ask you to do that."
"You didn't." He told her flatly.
She just continued to stair at him. "Johnny."
"We've in this together, Ava." The man interrupted. "You know that."
Her gentle smile in return was all the thanks he needed.
Staring out at the bright morning sun, Bradin desperately wished for the night's dark protection to return. The beauty of the daylight promised only misery for him. Pushing himself up from the bed, he gazed over at the sleeping form of his younger brother. The boy's sleep was so restful. Undisturbed. Why hadn't he stayed home and shot off that rocket with the kid? Damn his hot temper.
Making his way to the bathroom, the teen attempted to look on the bright side. He wasn't hung over. He had at least had the presence of mind to stop before he had gotten totally wasted. If only he had stopped all together.
Pushing the door open, the boy quickly prepared himself for the more than inviting shower.
Peering up over her coffee cup, Ava smiled slightly at Johnny's bleary look as he shuffled into the room. "Tired?"
"Waiting up for 'em then turning around and getting up before 'em isn't really my thing." The man told her shortly, reaching for his own large mug.
The woman waited patiently for him to have his first swallow of coffee before venturing any further with the conversation. "Are you ready for this?"
"As ready as I'll ever be." Johnny said with a slight shrug. "It's not like we're planning a coup here, Ave. Adults ground teenagers all the time."
"I don't." The woman replied gently.
Johnny looked over at her before admitting, "Me neither."
After a few minutes of shared silence, the sound of the water turning off caught Johnny's attention. "Think that's him?"
"He wouldn't be up this early. Would he?" Ava replied.
Earning a knowing glance from the man. "Trying to get out before anyone's up."
"Can you blame him for trying?" The designer questioned.
Johnny looked over at her, a mischievous smile on his lips. "We're the adults, Ava. It's our job to blame him for trying."