Chapter 42

Life was great. I was a happy newlywed. I had a wonderful husband, my love of two wonderful years. We had a wonderful child together and we were expecting our second.

On October 29, John and I celebrated Little Johnny's first birthday. He received presents from all his aunts and uncles on the day of his birthday or before. He got toys, stuffed animals and clothes. Little Johnny was walking and talking. It would be a few years before he would speak very clearly. But we understood what he meant when he wanted something.

It was hard to believe it had been a whole year since we had become parents. I have said it many times before: one of the things I wanted the most out of my life was to be a mom and have kids. I had finally gotten it. I had gotten my son, John Felix Anthony Cena III. There were a couple of people I had to thank for that wonderful gift: Amy, Phil and John.

I had to thank Amy, because if it wasn't for her I never would have moved out to Boston. She recommended me for the job as a paralegal to our current boss of two years. I had to thank her for meeting Phil at the gym. I had to thank Phil for introducing her to his friends, Randy, Torrie and John, who became her friends as well. Amy wanted to play matchmaker between John and I. But John and I got our relationship going on our own once we met. It was thanks to my relationship with John that I ended up pregnant with Little Johnny. We then ended up moving in together, getting engaged, having our son, and getting married about ten months later.

My life was so wonderful and great, because of my best friend, her boyfriend and my husband. They all made it so I had something I had longed for, for years: to be a mom and I got it. I had Little Johnny as my child. But I was pregnant with my second child, which made life so much greater.

"Well, our boy is sound asleep," John said as he walked out into the living room.

I sat on the sofa watching TV. John decided to take care of our little man that night: bath, pajamas, story and bed.

"Good," I said.

John sat down on the sofa next to me. He wrapped his arm around me and I snuggled against him.

"What are you watching?" He asked.

"Grey's Anatomy Season 2," I replied. "I like the older seasons of the show."

"Yeah, older seasons of shows are sometimes better than later ones."

"Charmed, the show with the three sister witches, was awesome in all its season, except whenever they wrote Piper and Leo apart. I hated that," I said.

I was obsessed with Charmed. I owned all the seasons on DVD. I had The Book of Three: the Official Companion to the Hit Show and The Book of Three: the Official Companion to the Hit Show Volume 2. Plus I owned some of the novels that were based of the television series.

"I prefer Buffy and Angel," John said. "Now those were awesome shows."

"Yes, I know. But back to Grey's Anatomy," I said.

Little Johnny went to bed at 8 o'clock. It was about 8:20 when John came into the living room. We watched Grey's Anatomy Season 2 on DVD until about ten o'clock. We then went to bed.

November came and my parents made plans to come out to Boston for Thanksgiving. They wanted to see me, John, their grandson, Melissa, and Boog. Christie was content to stay in Atlanta and spend Thanksgiving with her husband and his family. She was always content to be in Atlanta with Jake, just like Melissa and I were both content in Boston with our Cena brothers.

My parents arrived in Boston the Tuesday before Thanksgiving. They were in Boston for about a whole week. They would leave the Monday after Thanksgiving and Black Friday weekend. I was very happy. Melissa and I both were happy.

On Wednesday evening, we all—me, John, Little Johnny, my parents, Melissa, and Boog—went out to Cenas' for dinner. That was our place. John Sr. joined us as well.

"It's always great to see you two," John Sr. said when he sat down with us. He had been doing some work in the office.

"You too," Dad said. "How's business?"

"Oh, Cenas' is doing great. No complains. How are things in the advertisement business?" John Sr. asked.

"Good."

The two exchanged some more small talk before our waitress came over and took our drink order. She was new to working at Cenas' and she got very nervous whenever she served the boss and his family. I always reassured her we wouldn't bite her head off if she did something wrong or misinterpreted our order. She had only been working a few weeks and sometimes it took people awhile to get the jest of things.

But we all had fun at dinner. We always had fun together. I liked that Melissa and I had our parents all to ourselves. It was nice. But of course the fun was short lived like it had been one year previously…

"Well, well, John and Alice Stratigias," Joseph Richardson said.

We all looked at him.

"You?!" John said.

"Not you again!" Boog said.

Melissa looked over at me. I looked at her.

"Jay and Alice, you know this man?" John Sr. asked.

"Yeah, we know him," Mom said.

"He's the bastard that molested Trish!" Dad said.

"You're kidding me?!"

"Long time no see, John and Alice," Joseph said, ignoring the fact that he was unwanted and everyone was disgusted by him.

"And for good reason," Mom said. "You were the reason we uprooting our three daughters and moved to Atlanta, Georgia."

"Not my fault. You could have stayed in Canada."

"No, not in that house," Dad said. "Not after what you did to my little girl!"

"I turned your little girl into a woman!"

"I was only nine years old!" I snapped, standing up.

"Oh, Patricia, always the feisty one," Joseph said.

"You are not wanted here you sick, bastard! You made my life hell. I suggest you stay as far away from here and me as possible, because I am not afraid of you like I was when you did what you did. This establishment you are in right now is my father-in-law's restaurant and he has two sons that work for Boston PD, my husband being one of them."

I pointed to John.

"Oh, you got married. How lovely. When was the big day?"

"None of your damn business," John said. "I suggest you leave now, or I will make you leave!"

"That goes double for me," Dad said.

"Make that three," John Sr. said.

"And four," Boog said.

Joseph laughed. "I'll only leave if Patricia tells me to leave!"

"Leave!" I said.

"As you wish." Joseph then walked away and out of the building.

We all sat at the table and exchanged looks.

"I can't believe he actually came back here," Melissa said.

"Me neither," Boog said.

"Sick bastard," John said.

"Mama," Little Johnny suddenly said.

I looked over at my son. He held his arms out to me. I picked him up from the highchair he was sitting in and set him in my lap. I gave him a kiss.

We thought we had seen the last of Joseph, but we hadn't. That asshole was about to make my life unbearable.