"Uh-oh…" Metal smirked as his mom and sister started bringing the food out to the table.
"Dibs on the two-seater!" Jack raised a hand.
"I'll take THAT recliner!" Rob pointed at one of the chairs.
"What?" Emily whispered to Metal.
"That dish, will knock you on your ass. Not as bad as the Thanksgiving turkey though, but… You'll be in a food coma afterwards." Metal chuckled, "Hey mom… My old room, bed's still there… Right?"
"You really think you're going to make it all the way to your room?" Rob chuckled, "That's ambitious, even without your latest injury."
Metal smirked, "Oh, I'll sleep on the floor if it gets too tough…"
John smirked, "I'll take this recliner…"
"No surprise there, dad…" Amy rolled her eyes.
"Come sit down…" Gina prompted.
SEALTEAM
The food was good they all just fell silent as they ate. Then conversation picked up when the first ones were done eating again.
There was a little casual conversation about what they had done the last couple of weeks. Highlights of what more distant family members had done lately. Rob and John discussed which of the local high school football teams would come out on top at the end of the season.
"I'm pretty sure our team has the best linebacker though…" Rob grinned and looked in Jack's direction.
"Yeah, I think you're right about that." John agreed, "Little skinny still, but got heart to make up for that."
"He'll be just fine…" Metal winked, "Hell, the linebacker back in the early nineties wasn't any bigger."
"Thanks Metal." Jack grinned, "See, gramps?"
"I'm pretty sure you were bigger…" John frowned.
"No, I wasn't." Metal shrugged, "Filled in a lot after basics… I was normal sized at best when I was in high school…"
"That can't be right…" John tilted his head.
Metal shrugged, "It's true. I know mom has a lot of photo albums to prove it to us all. That being said, I think I outgrew you when I was 14…"
"Alright, that might be the reason…" John chuckled. He wasn't exactly short, but his son had a few inches on him, and had that since early high school.
Emily smirked a bit, she figured she liked listening to Metal speaking with his family.
"Hundred percent, hundred percent of the time…" Jack winked at his uncle, "That's what it's all about, right?"
Metal shrugged, "I'd say high school football is more about having fun… But it's a nice ground rule…"
Rob nodded, "Sure is."
The conversation rolled on, until the last person was done eating. The two youngest kids had already been excused and were playing in the corner of the room.
SEALTEAM
She hadn't felt the 'knockout' effect of Gina's food, before she stood up after the meal. Then she realized what the guys had been talking about, and tried her best to stifle a yawn. "I'm so sorry…"
Gina just laughed, "Don't worry about it. I think my boys tried to warn you…"
Emily nodded, "It tasted great though…"
"Thank you." Gina smiled back, before she watched her son get up from where he had been sitting. He yawned, still holding onto the chair and table for balance, before he reached for his crutches.
Metal looked down at Emily, "I was serious about my old bed still being there. Got enough room for both of us."
"I could help out with the dishes…" Emily barely managed to finish the sentence before another yawn rolled off her.
"Go take a nap…" Gina chuckled, "I've got this…"
"Thanks…" Emily blushed a bit, before she looked up at Metal, "You were not kidding about that food…"
He shook his head, "I'm still amazed we wake up before New Year's after the Thanksgiving turkey dinner…"
Emily chuckled, "Yeah, I bet."
SEALTEAM
"So…" he started as they were about to drift off to their little post-dinner nap, "What do you think so far…"
"About your family?"
He nodded.
"Good people…" she took a deep inhale, "Much less scary than I expected…"
He chuckled, "Good. They like you as well. I can tell."
"Yeah." He nodded again.