Sunday April 29th, 2018
Angel Grove, CA
Tanya sipped her coffee as she read the text she'd just gotten from Aisha. It was morning and she was waiting for Tommy and Kat to drop JJ off for their session. She had just finished cleaning up from breakfast and had sat down for a moment to see what Aisha needed. In the other room, she could hear Adam finishing getting the twins ready to go. He was taking them to his parents' house without her that morning so she could have a quiet house.
You're going to tell Tommy we're sorry when you see him, right?
Tanya sighed, glancing at the time. They would be there any minute.
Tanya: If he is ready to talk to me… I don't want to push him again. We kind of screwed up yesterday, Aisha. I don't want to make it worse today.
Aisha: I guess that's fair… let me know how it goes please?
Tanya: I will
Sighing, Tanya set her phone down and went to go wash her cup. She was standing at the sink when Jazz came racing into the kitchen.
"I don't want to wear them!" she exclaimed, running to the far side of the table.
She was dressed to go, but only had one shoe on her foot.
"Jazzy, that's fine," Adam said in exasperation, following her. "But one shoe isn't any better. Can you take it off and we'll go pick a different pair?"
Tanya smiled in amusement. Adam walked around the table and scooped up Jazz.
"I don't want to!" she said, trying to wiggle away.
"Daddy!" Lilla shouted from the other room. "Someone needs to do my hair!"
Adam sighed, heading back out of the kitchen with Jazz in his arms. Tanya followed to see what was going on. Lilla was standing on the stairs with her hairbrush and a scrunchy in her hands.
"We already brushed your hair, Lilla," Adam said.
"But it has to be pretty before I see grandma and grandpa…" she whined.
"Maybe grandma will do something pretty with it," Adam suggested, setting Jazz down at the bottom of the stairs.
She raced back upstairs, still wearing one shoe.
"Really?" Lilla asked.
"Maybe," Adam said. "You can ask when we get there—ok?"
"Ok!" Lilla beamed.
She spun and raced back up the stairs after her sister. Adam took a deep breath, glancing over at Tanya.
"It'll get better," she said with a smile.
"I know," he sighed. "We're almost ready. I just need to get Jazzy some shoes. Their bags are ready to go, so then we'll grab them and go."
She nodded.
"It's fine," she said. "JJ isn't even here yet."
Adam was turning to head up the stairs after the girls when Jazz came skipping back down. She still had the one shoe on—but now she had no pants.
"Jazmine, what are you doing?" Adam groaned. "You were supposed to be picking out shoes. Where are your pants?"
"I want to wear a dress," Jazz announced. "A dress will match my shoes."
"But you were picking different shoes," Adam said, shaking his head.
"But I want to wear a dress…" Jazz said, pouting.
"You picked that outfit," Adam reminded her.
"I changed my mind," she whined.
Adam sighed and picked her up again. He headed up the stairs with her in his arms. Tanya started to follow, but the doorbell rang. She turned and hurried to answer the door instead. Kat was waiting with JJ.
"Good morning!" Tanya said with a smile, glancing around.
There was no sign of Tommy.
"Morning, Tanya," JJ said, walking in.
Tanya looked at Kat who shook her head.
"He's in the car," she said quietly.
"I just wanted to apologize," Tanya sighed. "For myself and Aisha…"
"I know," Kat said. "Just give it time."
Tanya nodded and Kat glanced at her watch.
"Anyways," Kat said. "We'll be back to pick up JJ in three to four hours. I'll send a text if anything delays us."
"No worries," Tanya smiled, glancing over at JJ.
He was standing next to her waiting patiently.
"I'll feed him lunch before you get back," Tanya said. "We're going to have a good morning together."
Kat nodded and grabbed JJ for a quick hug and kiss.
"Mom…" JJ grumbled in protest.
Laughing, Kat turned and headed to the car. Tanya shut the door and she and JJ headed toward her office. Adam was coming back down behind Jazz. She was happy now, skipping down the stairs in a dress with both shoes on her feet.
"Grab your bag, Jazz," Adam said, looking around.
He frowned.
"Wait—where's your sister?" he asked.
"Upstairs," Jazz answered, picking up her backpack.
"But she wasn't in your room," Adam muttered, walking back over to the stairs. "Lilla, it's time to go!"
Waiting, he nodded at JJ as he walked past with Tanya.
"Morning, JJ," Adam said.
"Hey, Adam," JJ grinned.
Lilla appeared at the top of the stairs and started down toward Adam. She was hugging a full basket of hair supplies. Several hairbrushes stuck out of it in haphazard fashion. Ponytails and scrunchies were shoved in everywhere with hair clips and bows. She had even shoved a hair dryer inside and the cord was trailing behind her. Adam opened his mouth to say something and then changed his mind.
"Come on, let's go," he sighed.
Jazz, wearing her backpack now, looked at the basket her sister was holding.
"Will grandma do my hair?" she asked.
"If grandma does mine she can do yours," Lilla beamed. "And daddy said she would."
"To the car," Adam said. "And Lilla, I said maybe. You'll have to ask when we get there. We're already late."
He quickly ushered them out the door, picking up Lilla's bag and shutting the door behind them. JJ watched them go, shaking his head.
"I'm glad I don't have sisters," he muttered.
Tanya laughed.
"Come on," she said, opening her office door. "Let's get started."
Jason muttered to himself as he dug through the cupboards and the fridge. It had occurred to him when he got up that morning and was making breakfast that he had no idea what kind of food was going to be at the BBQ that evening. He had to make sure there was something Christine would be able to eat. Glancing in the fridge, he decided a fruit salad was going to be the easiest thing to do. He could get that ready with plenty of time to still make lunch and get meal prep done before he picked Marc up and got ready to go to Adam's.
Sighing, Jason looked at the time and then started getting stuff together.
"Jason, what are you doing?" Christine asked behind him.
He turned to see her watching him with her arms crossed.
"Making a fruit salad," he said.
"Why?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.
"To take with us this afternoon?" Jason frowned.
Christine scoffed.
"Are you losing your mind?" she said. "Where would we possibly be going in this town? Let alone that we would need to take food to. There is literally nothing going on here."
"Christine, we talked about this last night, remember?" Jason said. "The BBQ at Adam's house?"
She blinked at him in surprise.
"Wait—you were serious?" she sputtered.
"Well, yeah," Jason said.
"Oh, well…" Christine said, brushing off her shirt as she dropped her arms. "I mean, I knew they were trying to strongarm you into going yesterday. You pretty much said as much to me last night. But I really thought you'd stand up for yourself a little more."
"They did—"
"No, it's fine," Christine interrupted. "Your friends, your call."
"Look, Christine," Jason sighed. "If we go tonight, we'll get it out of the way. They just haven't seen me in a long time. So, we'll go and talk and then they'll give me some space again to get settled in. It'll be fine."
Christine sighed.
"Alright, whatever," she said, rolling her eyes. "But they're going to have actual decent food there, right? Like, is this being catered or…?"
"Uh, no…" Jason said, rubbing the back of his head. "I'm pretty sure they'll just be grilling."
"Grilling?" she scoffed. "But what—like organic fresh caught salmon?"
"Umm… I don't know," Jason admitted. "I didn't exactly ask for a menu."
"Jason," Christine exclaimed. "How am I supposed to know if there is something I can eat?"
"That's why I'm making the fruit salad," he protested. "Just in case."
"Oh, wonderful," Christine sighed. "Diced fruit."
She shook her head.
"Have I mentioned how much I don't miss having a five-star restaurant just down the street?"
Without waiting for an answer from Jason, she spun and stalked out of the room. He groaned and turned back to the fruit he had laid out on the counter. He was second guessing the fruit salad now.
Kat hurried out to the car. She knew Tommy was waiting out in the car since she had seen the open door to his therapist's office. Reaching the car, she was surprised to see Tommy waiting in the passenger seat. He was staring at the ranger tablet in his lap. It threw her off a little, because Tommy rarely had her drive. He preferred doing the driving himself. But Kat went ahead and climbed in the driver's seat and grabbed the keys off the dashboard without saying anything about it.
"Ready to go?" she said, glancing over at him.
Tommy nodded, not taking his eyes off the tablet. Kat didn't push, she just put the car in drive and headed out of the garage. They sat in silence until they were through the gate and on the road.
"I'm glad we've both been doing this," Kat said once they were on the move. "I think it's been good for all of us. And it should be a fantastic help for rangers in the future."
Tommy grunted in response. Kat continued talking, not really expecting a response from him.
"Anyways," she continued. "We'll pick JJ up as soon as we get back to Angel Grove and then head home. We should be back home early enough we can spend some time getting things ready for the rest of the week. We can pre-prep some dinners and lunch food so we don't have to worry about it later."
She glanced over at Tommy again.
"We should also probably check JJ's homework," she mused. "Anyways, what do you want for dinners this week? I haven't seen your list yet, so I haven't finished mine. Did you want to go to the grocery store tonight?"
She paused, waiting to see if he would answer her. For a moment he didn't say anything.
"I need to go pick up a prescription," he mumbled.
Kat looked over at him in surprise.
"Ok…" she said slowly. "Umm… where am I going?"
Tommy shook his head.
"It can wait til we get home," he said.
"We can make a stop," Kat said. "Were you not feeling good or—"
"No, Kat," Tommy said shortly. "An actual prescription."
"Oh," Kat said, glancing over again.
"Apparently it's bad enough the doctor thinks I should try some anti-anxiety medication to help," he muttered, still staring at the tablet.
"Oh, well, ok," Kat said. "So, did they send it to a pharmacy in Reefside already or should we do that before we leave Angel Grove so it will be ready when we get home?"
"I don't know!" Tommy snapped, slamming the tablet down on his lap. "All I know is they gave it to me, and I'm supposed to start taking it today. I have that much of a problem dealing with kids and everything else that they want to put me on medication! I'm a teacher, Kat! How am I supposed to keep doing my job like this?"
He fell silent, his fists clenched in frustration. Kat quickly pulled off the road into the parking lot of a gas station. Once she had parked, she turned to Tommy and grabbed his hands so he'd look at her.
"Tommy, they gave you the prescription because they thought it would help," she said firmly. "The doctor wouldn't have bothered if they thought you were too far gone. They really think it's going to help."
Tommy scowled, not meeting her gaze.
"There is absolutely nothing wrong with it," she said, shaking her head. "Most of my kids at school have to take medications. Sometimes it's temporary—sometimes not. But it isn't bad. It just means they need it. And there is absolutely nothing wrong with needing it. So, we're going to work through this just like we work through everything else and it's going to get better."
She squeezed his hands and Tommy sighed.
"But what if it doesn't?" he muttered, pulling his hands away to rub his face. "What if—what if I can't be a teacher anymore?"
"Well, then you are going to have a wonderful career as the stalking owner of the resort driving your staff nuts," she said with a smile. "Since you'll get to spend so much time there."
Tommy groaned, dropping his head in his hands.
"Or you could always stalk Anton," Kat said. "I'm sure he would have fun trying to avoid you."
"I do not want to do that again," Tommy grumbled. "I thought he was dead for the longest time and then when he did reappear I got to spend almost a year fighting him."
Kat froze.
"I am so sorry," she said sheepishly. "I did not think that suggestion through."
Tommy chuckled faintly, finally looking up at her and Kat realized he wasn't upset about it. She shook her head at him.
"Ok, then how about for nostalgia," she retorted. "I'm sure I could get him to play along. Let him try to creep you out around the office."
Tommy shook his head, laughing a little harder now. Kat giggled, too. After a moment, Tommy sighed.
"I'm sorry, Kat," he said. "It was just a bit of a shock… I overreacted."
"It's fine," Kat said. "Nothing to be ashamed of. And, if you don't want to talk about it, you don't have to. No one else has to know."
He nodded.
"And remember," she said. "These things take time and effort."
She leaned over and wrapped her arms around him. Tommy hugged her back tightly.
"See?" she said, not letting go. "I don't even flinch when you hug me anymore."
He snorted, his face still buried in her shoulder.
"I'm glad that's not a thing anymore," he mumbled.
Kat smiled and then sat back a moment later.
"Now," she said. "We're still about forty-five minutes away from Angel Grove and I know you slept horribly last night—not to mention you've had a rough morning."
He sighed, nodding in agreement.
"So, do you want to keep working on ranger stuff or sneak in a nap?" she asked. "And I want to know what you want, not what someone else expects."
Tommy looked at her in surprise, hesitating.
"Well, I should—" he started to say.
Kat held a hand up to stop him, shaking his head.
"Let me rephrase," she said. "Will it make you feel better to work on the reports? Or will you feel better if you take a nap?"
Tommy didn't answer for a moment. Then he sighed.
"I really just want to take a nap," he admitted.
Kat nodded. She plucked the tablet off his lap and stuck it in the backpack by his feet. Tommy didn't try to stop her.
"What about you?" Tommy frowned.
"I have a radio," Kat said with a smile as she turned it on. "Now close your eyes and try to sleep."
Tommy nodded, stifling a yawn as he shifted to get comfortable. Kat put the car in drive again and got back on the road.
When she finally got to Adam and Tanya's house, Kat parked the car and left it running. Tommy was still asleep in the passenger seat. Quietly getting out, Kat hurried up to the door and knocked. To her surprise, Rocky was the one who opened the door a moment later. Glancing over her shoulder, she realized his and Aisha's van was actually parked in the driveway.
"Hey, Kat," he said. "Where's Tommy?"
"Sleeping the car," she said quickly. "Is JJ ready?"
"Tanya, Kat is here for JJ!" Rocky called back into the house. "Hurry up!"
Kat waited anxiously for a few moments until Tanya came hurrying up with JJ.
"Is everything alright, Kat?" she asked.
"Yes, sorry," Kat said. "It's just that Tommy is sleeping and if I leave the car sitting too long, he'll wake up."
"Oh!" Tanya said in surprise. "Ok. Go on, JJ."
She shooed him out the door. Kat gave him a hug and then turned him toward the car.
"Get in quietly," she said. "Your dad is sleeping. The goal is dad sleeps until we get to Reefside, ok?"
"Got it, mom," JJ said. "I'll just read my book."
He hurried toward the car and Kat sighed.
"Thanks, Tanya," she said. "Now I can only hope the ranger phone doesn't go off in the next two hours… I silenced Tommy's personal phone, but I can't stop that one."
Rocky immediately pulled out his own phone.
"Don't worry about it, Kat," he said. "I've got this. I'll let the other reds know there are to be no messages the rest of the night unless it's a life-or-death emergency—essentially do not disturb mode. They'll take care of their teammates."
"Thank you, Rocky," Kat said gratefully.
Spinning, she hurried back to the car.
Jason took a deep breath as he pulled up in front of the Park house. Parking, he turned off the car and turned to look at his family.
"Alright," he said. "We're here. So, everyone please be on their best behavior."
"Geez, dad," Marc said, rolling his eyes. "I'm not three. It's not like I'm just gonna yank a tablecloth off a table and make a mess or something."
"Yeah, Jason," Will scoffed. "Lighten up. I thought this was supposed to be a party—though your friends probably don't know how to have actual fun."
"Please…" Jason sighed.
"Relax, Jason," Christine said, opening her door. "We will all do our very best—so lighten up. I'll soon have your friends eating out of my hand. They'll love me. Actually, probably more then they like you."
With a smirk, she climbed out of the car. Jason sighed but followed along with Will and Marc. He grabbed the food out of the car, handing one bowl to Marc and carrying the other two himself. Heading up to the porch, Jason doubled checked the address before ringing the doorbell, being careful not to drop the food he was carrying. Marc was juggling one bowl and his backpack. He'd brought some stuff in case he got bored since Jason knew there were no kids his age.
The door opened and Jason was surprised to see a little girl standing there looking at him.
"Hi!" she said brightly. "I don't know you."
Jason raised an eyebrow.
"I don't know you either," he said slowly. "Is this the Park residence?"
She frowned at him.
"This isn't the park, silly," she said, shaking her head. "And what's a residence?"
She turned to look behind her.
"Daddy! What does residence mean?" she yelled.
"Umm…" Jason hesitated, thinking maybe he had the wrong house now.
Then Rocky came hurrying up behind the little girl. He glanced at Jason with a grin before looking back at her.
"It means house or a place where people live," he said, shaking his head. "And what have I said about answering the door?"
She frowned, looking up at him.
"That I should always check the peephole first and only answer it if I know—oh, right!"
She slammed the door shut. Jason blinked in surprise.
"So, that was weird, right?" Marc commented.
The door opened again.
"I'm sorry, Jason," he said. "This is my daughter, Karly. We're still working on when it's ok to answer doors. She likes people. And helping. Come on in."
He held the door open to let them inside. Karly was watching from just down the hall.
"Everyone else is already in the backyard," Rocky continued. "Oh, let me help, Jason."
"Thanks," Jason said, handing one of the bowls over.
"This way," Rocky said, turning to head into the house. "Come on, Karly."
"I'm sorry, dad…" she mumbled.
"I know," he said. "Now—this is my friend Jason and his son Marc."
Karly nodded, flashing them a smile as she walked beside her father.
"And…" Rocky hesitated, glancing over his shoulder at Christine and Will.
"Oh," Jason said quickly. "This is my wife, Christine, and her brother, Will."
"Nice to meet you," Karly said.
"Welcome to Angel Grove," Rocky said. "It's nice to meet you."
"Charmed," Christine said, holding out a hand to Rocky.
He paused, quickly shifting the food he was carrying to try and take her hand.
"Um… ditto," he said, shaking her hand quickly. "Karly, honey—can you get the door?"
Karly skipped over and pulled the sliding glass door open before racing out into the backyard. Rocky led the way out into the backyard after her. He set the bowl he was carrying down and turned to take the second from Jason as Aisha and Tanya came walking over to say hi.
"Jason!" Aisha exclaimed. "It's so good to see you!"
She hugged him tightly.
"Hey, Aisha," Jason said.
Christine frowned. Jason saw it and let go of Aisha, but then he was pulled into a hug by Tanya. Adam had followed and was watching in amusement.
"Hi, Tanya," Jason said, hugging her back and letting go just as quickly. "Uh—this is my wife, Christine. And her brother, Will."
"Welcome," Tanya said with a smile, holding out her hand.
"Thanks," Christine said with a shrug, taking Tanya's hand briefly. "And don't worry about Jason. He flirts with everyone—I'm used to it."
Tanya stared at her in surprise. Aisha raised an eyebrow and looked over at Rocky who just shrugged. Adam frowned as he studied Christine.
"Um… alright," Tanya said slowly, turning to Marc. "Hi, Marc. I'm Tanya. It's nice to finally meet you."
"Hi…" he mumbled.
"Marc," Jason said, frowning. "Be polite."
Marc sighed, rolling his eyes.
"It's nice to meet you, too," he muttered.
"I'm sorry," Jason said, shooting Marc another look as he apologized to his friends. "We're working on it."
"Aren't we all," Adam chuckled, glancing over his shoulder. "Girls—come say hi."
"Do we have to?" a quiet voice came from, of all places, behind a bush in the yard.
Jason looked at Adam in surprise. He was sharing a look with his wife.
"Yes," Adam said firmly. "You met Jason yesterday, remember? Come on out."
Two faces peered around the bush, looking at Jason's group hesitantly. Rocky, who was watching with a grin, turned to his own kids.
"Kids, come on over and say hi with your cousins!" he yelled across the yard.
As Adam continued to coax the twins over, Rocky and Aisha's three came racing across the yard. Damien ran straight into Jason's legs and hugged them tightly.
"Hi!" he exclaimed. "I'm Damien and I'm three and that's my daddy!"
Jason chuckled.
"I couldn't tell," he said.
"I already met you," Karley said, skipping over with another little boy. "But just in case you didn't hear, I'm Karly!"
She tugged the little boy forward.
"And this is Liam," she said. "He's the good brother."
"Karly!" Aisha exclaimed.
"Karly, don't say things like that," Rocky scolded. "Both of your brothers are fine."
"What?" Karly protested. "I just mean he listens to the rules. That makes him the good one."
Rocky and Aisha both sighed, shaking their heads. Adam had finally coaxed the twins out and they were now standing as far away as possible while still being polite. They stared nervously at Jason and his family as they held hands.
"Alright, girls," Adam said, crouching down. "Say hi."
They looked at each other and then Jazz took a hesitant step forward.
"Hi, I'm Jazmine," she mumbled quietly. "I'm six. You can call me Jazz or Jazzy. This is my sister Lilla. We're twins."
Introduction done, she stepped back by her sister. They were still tightly holding each other's hands.
"And?" Adam prompted.
Jazz looked at him with wide eyes. Lilla pulled her hand away and hit her sister lightly on the arm. Then she curtsied, Jazz quickly followed suit. Adam clapped a hand over his face, trying not to laugh. The other adults chuckled in amusement.
"Hey, I never got a curtsey," Rocky grumbled, looking at the girls. "I thought I was your favorite uncle."
The twins exchanged a surprised look.
"Sorry, Uncle Rocky," the girls chorused, giving him a curtsey.
"Well thank you," he said with a smile.
Aisha rolled her eyes as the twins beamed at Rocky, though they were still eying Jason and his family nervously.
"Ok, everyone," Tanya said, shaking her head. "Now that we're all here, let's eat."
She led the way over to the food table and everyone else started following. Adam and Rocky corralled their kids toward the tables to sit while their wives got plates ready. Marc dropped onto a seat, fishing in his backpack instead of following the adults to the food table.
"Jason, what all did you bring?" Tanya asked, looking over the table.
He looked at her sheepishly and quickly answered, explaining what each of the dishes was.
"I wasn't sure what you'd be having," he tried to explain.
"Oh, it's fine," Tanya assured him. "We weren't going to let you starve, though."
"I know," he said quickly. "It's just—well, some of my group are picky eaters, so…"
He shrugged, looking over at Will and Christine who were examining some of the dishes on the table. Looking over at Marc, Jason frowned. The teenager had pulled a bag of Cheetos out of his backpack and was munching on them.
"Marc! That's not dinner," Jason exclaimed.
"I'm hungry!" Marc protested.
"There is food right over here," Jason countered.
"How am I supposed to know what I'll like?" Marc muttered.
"Here, let me help," Rocky grinned.
Standing up, he grabbed a plate and started filling it with food. He dropped the plate in front of Marc and snatched the Cheetos away. Then he sat back down, grinning at the teen. Marc scowled at him. Damien was sitting on the other side of Rocky and already had his food. All of the kids did and were already eating. Jason was quietly trying to convince Christine and Will to eat something besides what he had brought with him.
"Here you go, kid," Rocky said. "Food."
"What is it?" Marc frowned.
"It's chicken."
"What's that stuff on it?"
Rocky chuckled.
"It's called kati kati," he said. "It's African inspired—one of Aisha's favorites."
Marc shook his head.
"Uh, no thanks," he said.
"Trust me, it's good," Rocky assured him, gesturing around the table.
Everyone was sitting down to eat. The rest of the kids were eating without hesitation. Adam, Tanya, Rocky, and Aisha had provided a large variety of food for the group.
"I don't think so," Marc said, shaking his head again.
"Ok, then how about the street corn," Rocky suggested.
"Nope," Marc said.
"Come on, it's good," Rocky pushed.
"How come there's white stuff on it?" Marc frowned, poking at the corn with a fork.
"It's just mayo," Rocky explained. "And there's cheese—"
"Ew!" Marc exclaimed. "Mayo on corn? That's gross!"
Jason, listening to the conversation, sighed. Marc had definitely taken on some of the same habits as Christine—such as not eating anything he wasn't familiar with. She had always been quick to argue with introducing new foods at home, so Marc hadn't grown up eating a large variety of things. Christine and Will, sitting next to him, had both only put a little food on their plates. And most of it was stuff he had brought with him like he expected. None of the other kids at the tables seemed to have any kind of problem.
"Come on, kid," Rocky prodded. "It's gonna taste better than you think. Take a bite. If you really honestly don't like it, I'll give you the Cheetos back. So, try some food."
Marc scowled at Rocky, leaning back and crossing his arms.
"You're not my dad," he said.
"Nope," Rocky agreed. "I'm your dad's annoying friend. But I am a dad. So… how about some dad jokes?"
"Rocky, no," Adam sighed.
"Dad…" Karly groaned.
"Nope, too late," Rocky grinned, looking at Marc. "Alright. Which bear is the most condescending?"
Marc rolled his eyes and shrugged.
"A pan-duh!"
The adults groaned, but Rocky ignored them.
"What's brown and sticky?" Rocky asked.
"I don't know!" Jazz exclaimed, giggling. "What?"
"Don't encourage him," Adam muttered, shaking his head at his daughter.
"It's a stick!" Rocky answered.
"Why, Rocky?" Aisha sighed.
Marc was eying Rocky now and then looking at Jason. Jason was rubbing his forehead, grimacing at the bad jokes. Christine and Will were staring at Rocky like he had sprouted an extra head. The younger kids, however, were giggling.
"I got more," Rocky warned, looking at Marc. "So, you'd better try something."
Marc scowled, shaking his head stubbornly.
"Try something," Rocky prodded. "Take a bite—be adventurous."
"Why should I?" Marc demanded.
Rocky shrugged.
"Alright," he said. "So, my wife asked me to get six cans of sprite from the grocery store. I realized when I got home that I had picked 7-UP."
The twins and Liam giggled harder, momentarily distracted from their dinner. Damien, on the other hand, was laughing and shoving food in his mouth at the same time. Rocky, sitting next to the three-year-old, made sure he didn't choke even as he continued to poke at Marc. Karly was rolling her eyes at her father.
"Come on, do it," Rocky said. "Take a bite."
"I'm not supposed to give in to peer pressure," Marc snapped back.
Rocky raised an eyebrow in surprise. Jason shot a look at Marc, thinking about the spray paint incident from not long ago. Marc ignored him, smirking at Rocky.
"Good response, kid," Rocky said, nodding in approval.
Then he grinned.
"But I'm not a peer—I'm an adult," Rocky countered.
"Shockingly," Adam muttered.
Aisha shared a look with Tanya, shaking her head. Then she reached for a napkin to try and wipe Damien's face off and realized they were almost out.
"I'm going to go get some more napkins," Aisha said, standing up.
"How about some wet wipes?" Tanya snickered, looking at Damien. "I'll grab them."
Still sharing amused looks, the two women stood and headed toward the house. Christine followed them, saying she was going to grab something to drink. She was lingering by the food table when Tanya and Aisha came back out with more.
"Hi!" Christine said with a smile. "So, I wanted to apologize."
Aisha and Tanya stopped, looking at her in confusion.
"For what?" Tanya asked.
"Oh for all this," Christine said, gesturing at the food Jason had brought. "Jason has a tendency to get over excited about things—he really just wants to impress people. It's kind of sad, I know…"
She sighed dramatically, looking at Aisha and Tanya as though expecting their sympathy. They both frowned, shaking their heads.
"No, it's fine," Tanya said. "It was sweet. It's nice that he thought to bring something to share."
"Oh, that's so nice," Christine said. "But you really don't need to say that. I know how annoying he can be—I am married to him, after all."
She giggled, putting a hand to her mouth.
"Well, everyone's husbands get on their nerves once in a while," Aisha said slowly.
"Of course," Christine agreed quickly. "But some more than others, you know?"
She laughed again.
"Though I'm sure neither of you has that problem," she said, waving a hand in the direction of the table.
Aisha and Tanya exchanged another look.
"So, what do your husbands do?" Christine asked. "I mean, the one seems like quite the catch."
She gestured at Rocky as she spoke. Aisha raised an eyebrow.
"Yes…" she said slowly. "I mean, Rocky can be a bit of a cornball sometimes, but I love him. He's a paramedic."
"A paramedic?" Christine repeated. "So, like a doctor?"
Aisha shook her head.
"No, not quite," she said. "He works on an ambulance for the Angel Grove firehouse. Emergency medical response."
"Oh," Christine said, her smile slipping a little. "So, he can't be called doctor?"
"Well, no," Aisha said. "He doesn't have an MD."
"Don't worry," Christine said. "I'm sure he'll get there eventually."
Aisha chuckled, shaking her head again.
"Probably not," she said. "He has no desire to get one."
"Oh!" Christine exclaimed in surprise. "You mean he's happy where he is. Isn't that nice."
She shrugged, a little dismissive now.
"It's always nice to be able to be content with meager goals and achievements," she said, turning her attention to Tanya. "What about yours?"
Aisha frowned and Tanya hesitated.
"Well, Adam owns a dojo," she said.
"Is that like a yoga studio?" Christine asked curiously. "I've heard there's big money in that out here. All the, you know, hippie dippies."
Tanya paused, taking a breath.
"No, it's not," she said. "I mean, if one of the teachers wanted to hold a yoga class there, I don't think he'd say no…"
She shrugged.
"But that's not what it's meant for," she continued. "It's a martial arts studio. Adam is certified in teaching martial arts."
Christine frowned.
"Oh…" she said. "So, like professional wrestling put on a show kind of thing?"
"No," Tanya said firmly, shaking her head. "I would have thought you'd know more about it. Jason has always been very active in martial arts. Hasn't he ever taken you to a match?"
"Of course not," Christine scoffed. "Like I'd ever attend something like that. That would be boring, first of all. Not to mention I absolutely abhor violence."
She shrugged.
"I made it very clear to Jason when we started dating," she said. "I expected him to keep working out so he'd look good, but the rest of it? I told him to just give it up. Not worth the time and effort. His focus needed to be on our relationship. I mean, that's how it's supposed to be—am I right?"
She laughed, though it died off quickly when Tanya and Aisha didn't follow suit. There was a moment of awkward silence.
"Anyways," Christine said with a shrug. "Can you believe Jason actually expects me to get a job here? I can't believe he expects that. Can you?"
Aisha and Tanya exchanged a look again.
"Umm… we both work," Aisha said slowly.
"Wait—really?" Christine said in surprise. "You actually have to work? I'm sorry. I assumed they made enough so you could stay home. I mean—isn't that the minimum standard for any marriage? Otherwise, what's the point?"
She laughed again as the other two women continued to exchange concerned looks. A crash at the table broke the tension between them.
"Damien—you ask for help with the ketchup," Rocky exclaimed.
"Excuse us," Aisha said quickly. "I need to go help with my son."
The two women took the distraction as a moment to escape the increasingly awkward conversation. Christine huffed and slowly trailed after them. Rocky, having taken the ketchup away from his son, was back to prodding at Marc.
"Fine!" the teenager exclaimed. "I'll take a bite if you'll just stop."
"Alright," Rocky said, crossing his arms. "Go ahead."
Marc scowled, eying his plate as he picked up his fork again. Slowly he took a bite of the chicken. Rocky smirked as he watched him.
"Yay!" a couple of the kids cheered.
"If only because it shut Rocky up—thank you," Adam said, shaking his head.
Rocky waited patiently for Marc to finish chewing.
"Well?" he asked.
"It's good…" Marc grumbled.
"Hah! See!" Rocky grinned. "I told you!"
"Daddy!" Karly shouted. "Look what Damien is doing!"
Rocky looked over at his daughter's shout. They'd all finished eating a while ago and were just hanging out now. The kids were running around the yard playing while the adults were talking. There were still snacks and drinks out in case anyone wanted something. Rocky was talking with Adam, Jason, and Will when his daughter shouted. He immediately turned to see what was going on.
"Damien!" Rocky shouted, seeing his what his youngest was doing. "Put that down! It is not a toy."
Damien, who had been running after Liam using a rake like a sword, froze at his father's shout. Seeing Rocky frowning at him, he dropped the rake on the ground.
"Sorry, daddy…" he mumbled.
"Play with the toys, not the tools," Rocky said, shaking his head. "Alright?"
Damien nodded and took off again without the rake. Karly, Liam, Lilla, and Jazz followed suit. Marc, however, was just wandering around on his own around the yard.
"So, what kind of fun stuff is there to do around this place?" Will asked as Rocky turned back to the conversation.
"Well, depends on what you like to do," Rocky answered. "But there's a movie theater or the mall. We've got some nice parks, too, or the beach."
"There's the dojo, too," Adam added. "And there's other gyms around if martial arts isn't your thing."
Will started laughing. Adam and Rocky exchanged a confused look as Jason sighed.
"Will…" he said.
"What?" Will snickered.
Then he stopped, seeing the looks on the faces of the other three men.
"Wait—you were serious?" he asked in surprise.
"Yes…" Adam said, frowning.
"Will, they have families," Jason pointed out.
"Well, yeah," Will protested. "But what about night life and parties? There's gotta be some clubs or bars around even this place."
"Well, yes," Rocky said. "There are definitely bars. Not really any big clubs in the area though. Not that we really have any recommendations for you—unless you wanna know which ones end up with the most medical aid calls so you can avoid them."
"That's never really been our choice of evening entertainment," Adam added, nodding in agreement with Rocky.
"Great…" Will muttered. "More goodie two shoes like Jason… Guess I'm gonna be using that second car in the garage after all."
Jason frowned.
"You and Christine are supposed to be using that car to get to job interviews, not bars," he said pointedly. "You both agreed you'd be looking."
"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Will sighed, waving a hand at Jason. "Whatever you say."
Rocky and Adam exchanged looks as Jason scowled at his brother-in-law. A phone ringing broke into their conversation. It was Christine's phone. She had been chatting with Tanya and Aisha at one of the tables. Standing, Christine walked into the house to answer the call. A short ways away, something else caught Rocky's attention and he moved away from the conversation. Marc had picked up one of the practice swords from the rack in the yard and was examining it. He swung it around a little and stabbed it experimentally into the ground. Jason, who had turned to see where Rocky was going along with the other two, sighed when he saw Marc.
"Marc…" Jason said, shaking his head. "That's not yours. Put it b—"
"It's fine, Jason," Adam interrupted, shaking his head. "If he wasn't allowed to use them, they would be locked up out of reach."
"What Adam said," Rocky agreed, shooting a grin at Jason before turning to Marc. "Hey, kid. Wanna fight?"
Marc frowned at Rocky, looking a little surprised by the question. Jason started to protest, but Adam put a hand on his shoulder and shook his head. They continued talking with Will as Rocky talked with Marc.
"No," he said. "Why would we do that?"
"Because it's fun?" Rocky grinned.
Marc shook his head.
"Mom says that physical fighting and violence are for Neanderthals," Marc said with scowl.
"Ouch," Rocky said, putting a hand over his heart. "That hurts."
Marc rolled his eyes.
"Chill, kid," Rocky chuckled. "You are right to an extent. I mean, sure. You shouldn't be getting in fist fights with people or beating on someone with a weapon. But that's not what I was talking about. If you learn to fight respectfully and appropriately, it can be a really cool art."
"Art?" Marc repeated doubtfully. "How can fighting be an art?"
"Adam!" Rocky called across the yard. "Come here."
Adam sighed and jogged across the yard to join Rocky and Marc. Jason and Will followed a little more slowly. Aisha and Tanya were still talking at the table, though they had glanced up when Rocky shouted for Adam.
"What do you want, Rocky?" Adam asked, stopping next to him.
"Grab a sword," Rocky said, picking up one of the practice swords for himself.
"Why?" Adam asked suspiciously, though he did pick up a sword.
"Marc doesn't think fighting can be an art," Rocky said, shooting a grin at the teenager. "I want to show him he's wrong."
Adam nodded in understanding.
"Team?" he said, looking at Rocky.
"Sure," Rocky agreed.
Moving to the center of the yard, Adam and Rocky spoke quietly for a moment before they moved into a synchronized sword routine. Marc stared at them in amazement through the entire thing. Jason and Will watched with him. Tanya and Aisha watched from their seats at the table and the kids running around the yard all stopped to watch, too.
"Whoa," Marc muttered as he watched.
Jason nodded, smiling over at his son.
"They're impressive," he agreed quietly, not wanting to be a distraction.
Marc nodded quickly, not taking his eyes off the presentation. When Adam and Rocky finished they walked over to Marc and Jason again.
"Still think it isn't an art?" Adam asked with a smile.
Marc hesitated.
"Well, it was really cool…" he admitted. "But it's—"
"Come on, kid," Rocky interrupted. "Hit me with a sword—wait!"
He looked down at himself and then at Marc.
"I'm gonna put pads on first," Rocky said.
Adam rolled his eyes as Rocky jogged away to grab some pads out of the yard storage.
"I never said I was going to hit you," Marc protested. "You don't need that stuff. This is stupid."
Rocky ignored Marc's protests and put the pads on anyways.
"It's fine, Marc," Adam assured him. "You won't hurt him—I promise."
"That's not the point," Marc exclaimed. "Dad!"
Jason hesitated, not sure whether he should stop this from happening or encourage it. He had already agreed to bring Marc to the dojo. And it was clear Marc had enjoyed at least watching the demonstration. Rocky jogged back over with pads on to continued prodding at Marc—who was still holding the practice sword in his hands.
"Alright, I'm ready," Rocky grinned. "Now hit me."
"I'm not going to hit you!" Marc scowled.
"Come on, you know you want to," Rocky countered. "Hit me."
This went on for several minutes with Rocky repeatedly encouraging Marc to hit him and Marc trying to say no. But Marc never actually put down the sword. Adam and Jason watched, amused and annoyed at the same time.
"Alright, if you aren't going to hit him—can I?" Adam finally sighed, looking at Marc.
"I just might hit him myself," Jason muttered, shaking his head.
Will, irritated, just scowled at the other men before going back to staring at his phone.
"Fine!" Marc snapped.
He half-heartedly swung the sword he was holding in Rocky's direction. Rocky easily stepped out of the way of the swing. Scowling, Marc swung again and Rocky once more moved out of the way. He hadn't even raised his own sword.
"Come on, kid," Rocky goaded. "I know you can do better than that."
"Then hold still," Marc snapped. "You told me to hit you and now you're running away."
Rocky just grinned. Marc continued to try and hit Rocky, who kept moving just out of the way as the teenager got more frustrated. Finally, Marc managed to hit his sword against the one in Rocky's hands. Rocky's sword hit the ground.
"Ha!" Marc exclaimed with a grin.
He whipped around to look at Jason.
"Dad! Did you see that!" he exclaimed excitedly. "I knocked the sword out of his hand."
Jason looked at him in surprise for a moment—it had been a long time since Marc had been excited to bring his attention to something.
"Uh—yeah," Jason said, recovering quickly. "Good job, Marc."
He knew Rocky had essentially let the sword go on purpose, but he wasn't about to downplay Marc's excitement. Especially since Rocky wasn't protesting. Rocky and Adam were exchanging grins, too.
"See?" Rocky said, smirking at Marc. "Fun. You should have fun more often, kid."
"I have fun…" Marc protested, his smile slipping a little. "There just isn't anything to do here…"
Rocky snorted.
"Come on, kid," he said. "There is a lot you can do in Angel Grove that doesn't end with you in trouble. We all managed it."
He gestured to himself, Adam, Jason, and Tanya and Aisha watching from the table.
"All of us spent our high school years here," he said. "And we all managed to keep ourselves entertained without getting arrested."
He paused thoughtfully.
"Though, I guess there were some days we may have wished we were bored," he mused.
"Rocky…" Jason said, a note of warning in his voice.
Rocky grinned at him.
"Besides," he continued. "It never hurts to know how to defend yourself. You never know what might happen."
Jason grimaced as Marc—and Will—scoffed.
"I'm from New York," Marc said, shaking his head. "And I did just fine there. What am I going to run into here that's worse?"
"Yeah," Will snorted. "When was the last time someone was mugged on your street?"
Rocky and Adam exchanged looks.
"Maybe we don't have daily muggings," Rocky admitted. "But that doesn't mean it's always safe. How about alien attacks? We've had those in plenty."
Jason cleared his throat to catch Rocky's attention, leveling a glare at him.
"What?" Rocky protested. "That's completely public knowledge—the whole world knows there were Power Rangers here for years. Nothing to say they won't show up again."
Jason scowled in response as Marc looked between the men in confusion. Christine walked back out of the house at that moment, rejoining the two women at the table. Will, seeing his sister come back out and sit down, sighed.
"I'm out of here," Will muttered. "Gonna go find a bar—even in this town it's bound to be more fun than this."
Jason frowned, looking over at him.
"Will, we all came together," Jason pointed out. "You can't take the car."
"I don't need the car," Will scoffed. "I'll just walk. It's a Podunk little town—how far can it really be?"
Without waiting for an answer, Will spun and strode out of the yard through the gate. Jason just sighed as he left. Over at the table, Christine didn't acknowledge her brother's departure.
"You will both have to come over sometime soon," she was saying to Tanya and Aisha. "We can have a relaxing night in with wine and treats. It would be wonderful."
"Sure," Tanya agreed. "That would be nice. We can get to know each other a little better, too, maybe."
Aisha nodded.
"It'll be fantastic," Christine gushed. "And I'll get all of the best things, of course. Since goodness knows you can't get it around here. But once we have a date, I'll get it all ordered and I'll spoil you both. You'll never want to settle for anything less again."
Aisha and Tanya exchanged looks but didn't argue. Neither one felt like having that kind of debate with Christine. On the other side of the yard, the kids were all taking turns with the practice swords now. Marc was having fun fighting with the younger kids, letting them try to knock the sword out of his hands. Adam and Rocky hadn't put pads on anyone, but they were monitoring closely to make sure no one got hurt. The kids were working with the sword and on a little bit of general self-defense with the two men and each other.
Lilla was taking a turn with a sword against Marc. To the surprise of the fourteen-year-old, Lilla actually took the sword out of his hands without much effort. She followed disarming Marc, however, with something that made everyone jump—she screamed at the top of her lungs. Adam quickly jumped over.
"Lilla!" he exclaimed. "Let's not do that here."
She stopped, looking up at Adam crouched in front of her now. Everyone was looking at the six-year-old in shock.
"But you said practice self-defense," she said. "And we're supposed to get attention so someone can help us."
Adam sighed and nodded.
"You're right," he said. "And you did a good job remembering that. But let's not practice the screaming tonight, ok? You're going to scare our neighbors."
Lilla nodded. Behind them, one of their neighbors did actually poke a head up over the fence.
"Everything ok over here?" they asked curiously.
"It's fine," Adam assured them.
"I did self-defense," Lilla announced proudly.
"Oh, ok," they chuckled. "Good for you, dear."
They disappeared back to their side of the fence as Adam sighed.
"Now, no more screaming from anyone," he said firmly, looking around at the kids. "Alright?"
All of the kids nodded in agreement. Christine, her conversation with Tanya and Aisha interrupted by the screaming, was looking over in irritation now. Huffing, she stood and walked over to Jason as she rubbed her temple.
"I'm ready to go home," she said.
Jason looked at Christine in surprise, hesitating as he looked around.
"Oh," he said. "I mean, it isn't that late—"
"Jason, I'm getting a headache," Christine interrupted, pouting a little. "I need to go home before it gets worse…"
Jason sighed and nodded.
"Marc," he said, turning to their son. "Time to go."
"But dad!" Marc exclaimed. "I don't want to go yet—I'm having fun."
Jason hesitated again, looking between Marc and Christine. His wife was frowning at their son. Adam quickly offered a solution.
"I can give you and Marc a ride home a little later, Jason," Adam offered. "That way Christine can take the car if she needs to leave now, and Marc can still stay and have fun with the kids. It's not a problem."
"Oh, sure," Jason agreed, nodding. "That would be great, actually."
Christine looked at Jason in shock and some anger, though she quickly shifted her expression to something more annoyed than anything else. Jason took the keys out of his pocket to give to her.
"We won't be too late," he assured her. "And this will give you a chance to go home and take something for your head before we're home and bothering you. It'll be good."
"Yes, because going home by myself is always what I want," she said stiffly.
But she took the keys anyways and stalked away to the car. Jason watched her go, hesitating.
"Maybe I should go…" he muttered.
"Just let her go, man," Rocky said, clapping a hand on Jason's shoulder and shaking his head. "If she's mad, just give her some space to cool down. She said she has a headache, so she probably isn't actually mad at you. Don't need to push extra buttons."
He glanced over at Aisha who raised an eyebrow. Jason sighed but didn't argue. The two women walked over to join Jason. Adam and Rocky went back to supervising the kids.
"So, that's Christine," Tanya said, looking at Jason. "She's…"
"Different," Aisha supplied.
Jason frowned at them.
"What is that supposed to mean?" he asked.
"Nothing bad," Tanya quickly said. "She's just—well, she's not exactly the kind of person we're used to around here."
"She does seem a little high maintenance, Jason," Aisha added. "That doesn't make her a bad person."
Jason sighed.
"I know she can come across that way," he admitted. "Christine grew up in high society New York. She and Will had everything they could possibly want growing up. She really is a sweet person, she just doesn't always understand other people's perspective. Living without her parents' support has been a hard adjustment in the last few years. Please give her a chance."
The two women softened a little and nodded.
"You're our friend, Jason," Tanya said, patting his arm. "And if you want us to give her a chance we will."
"Thanks," he said.
They turned back to the kids to see Rocky standing with one hand on Damien's head while he watched the other kids with Adam. Damien had a sword and was swinging it wildly. Held out at arm's length by Rocky, the swings of the three-year-old just barely glanced against the pads he was still wearing.
"So, how long can he keep that up?" Jason asked, watching father and son in amusement.
"What?" Rocky asked, glancing over at Jason.
"That," Jason chuckled, nodding toward Damien.
"A while…" Rocky sighed.
"And Rocky still has to deal with it for another eighteen years," Adam laughed.
"Fifteen!" Rocky countered with a scowl. "He's already three."
Aisha sighed as the other adults laughed at Rocky's protests.
"Besides," Rocky continued, glancing at the determined three-year-old again. "I'm hoping he'll tone down a little more by the time he's five. Although, if he's anything like Tommy's kid I'll have a lot longer of a wait…"
Adam, Tanya, and even Aisha laughed. Jason looked at them in confusion. He hadn't even known Tommy had a kid.
"Don't worry," Adam chuckled, clapping Jason on the back. "You'll get to experience it for yourself eventually."
"Probably not," Jason muttered, shaking his head.
His friends exchanged frowns.
"Alright… what does that mean?" Rocky asked.
"Tommy and I don't exactly talk anymore," Jason said, rubbing the back of his head.
"Why?" Tanya asked curiously. "Though I guess none of us have really spoken to you in years."
Jason shook his head again.
"I don't want to talk about it," he said.
More looks were exchanged but the conversation moved on. A while later, Jason glanced at his watch.
"Uh, look," he said. "It's getting late, and Christine is probably going to be annoyed when I get home already since I didn't leave with her earlier to help with her headache. Marc and I should get going."
"But Jason—" Aisha started to protest.
"No, I need to get home and make sure she's alright," Jason said firmly. "Plus, I start my new job tomorrow and I really should get some sleep. Marc, let's go."
His friends sighed but didn't argue. Marc grumbled a little bit but grabbed his bag and headed toward the front of the house. Jason followed a little ways behind with Adam.
"So, you're still bringing Marc next weekend, right?" Adam asked, glancing at Jason as they headed toward the car.
"Possibly?" Jason said. "I haven't had a chance to talk to him yet. But I'll ask him tonight."
"Make sure you do," Adam said. "I really think he'd enjoy it. Especially after tonight."
"I will talk to him," Jason said shortly. "But I'm not going to force my son to do something just because I like it—liked it. A long time ago."
Adam raised an eyebrow at Jason but didn't press the issue as he unlocked the car. He dropped Jason and Marc off a little while later. Jason stopped Marc on the porch outside the house.
"I want to talk to you," Jason said.
"I didn't do it," Marc immediately protested.
Jason frowned.
"No, you're not in trouble," he said, then hesitated. "Unless there is something you need to tell me?"
He looked at Marc expectantly.
"No," Marc said, shaking his head. "But I'm always accused of doing things."
"That's not what this is," Jason sighed. "I just want to talk to you."
"About what?"
"About tonight," Jason answered.
"I'm sorry…" Marc immediately apologized. "I didn't mean to whine when mom wanted to go. I just—"
"Not that," Jason interrupted. "I said we could stay longer so that's not a problem."
"But mom's gonna be mad…" Marc muttered. "And it's my fault…"
Jason sighed.
"I'll talk to your mom, alright?" he said firmly. "Now listen. Did you like doing that—stuff—tonight?"
Marc frowned.
"Whining when mom wanted to leave?" he asked.
"No," Jason said, shaking his head. "The sword fighting and self-defense stuff."
"Oh, that," Marc said. "Yeah. It was cool—I mean, as much as it can be when there's a bunch of little kids involved."
He paused.
"But did you see the way the little girl took the sword right out of my hands?" he asked. "She's like half my size. I feel sorry for anyone who makes her mad when she gets older."
Jason sighed.
"Back to the question," he said. "So, you had fun?"
Marc nodded.
"Yeah," he said. "It was cool."
Jason eyed him hesitantly.
"Seriously, dad," Marc sighed. "I swear I'm not just saying it so I can sneak out to spray paint something later tonight."
"Or ever," Jason frowned.
Marc rolled his eyes.
"What is this about, dad?" Marc asked.
Jason took a deep breath.
"Is that something you'd like to keep doing?" Jason asked.
"What? Hitting Mr. DeSantos with a sword?"
Jason laughed, shaking his head.
"Well, I don't know how often you'll get that chance to start with," he chuckled. "Rocky did take it easy on you tonight. However, if this is something you'd like to continue to learn about, Adam has invited you to start attending lessons at the dojo."
"Lessons?" Marc said, looking at Jason in surprise. "What do you mean, lessons?"
"I mean you would take classes with other kids and learn more self-defense and martial arts," Jason explained.
"Like what?" Marc asked curiously.
"Well, you'd start with basics," Jason said. "So don't expect to get a sword on your first day. I doubt they'll start you with weapons. But you can learn martial arts and, eventually, if you wanted to go that far, you could learn sword fighting. Even do competitions if you wanted or just do it for fun for yourself."
"That would be awesome!" Marc exclaimed.
"So, do you want to?" Jason asked.
Marc nodded eagerly.
"Yeah, of course," he said. "You mean I really can?"
He paused and Jason started to nod before Marc spoke up again.
"Wait—I'm not gonna be stuck in a class with a bunch of little kids, right?" Marc asked. "I mean, I'm just starting…"
Jason started to answer and then hesitated.
"Hold on," he muttered, pulling out his phone.
"Everything alright, Jason?" Adam asked, answering quickly.
"Yeah, it's fine," Jason said. "Quick question—Marc isn't going to be stuck in a beginners class with a bunch of little kids, right?"
Adam laughed.
"You should know the answer to that, Jason," Adam chuckled. "No. We typically break the classes up by size. People start learning at all different ages, after all."
"Marc was asking, and I just wanted to double check," Jason explained.
"He'll be with some yellow and white belts around his age," Adam said. "Some from the same school so he'll probably know them. Remember, most kids don't start learning martial arts at age three."
"I'm hanging up now," Jason grumbled as Adam laughed.
Putting his phone back in his pocket, Jason turned his attention back to his son.
"You aren't going to be with little kids," Jason said. "Adam says you'll be with kids your own age and that you might even know some of them from school. Does that sound alright?"
Marc nodded.
"Great," he said with a smirk. "I hope it's that jerk, Teddy. I'd like to hit him in the face."
Spinning, Marc headed inside.
"That's not the point—" Jason started to protest.
But Marc didn't pause. Jason sighed, muttering to himself as he followed the teen inside.
"It's fine. He'll learn that in his first class. It's fine…"
Monday April 30th, 2018
Angel Grove, CA
Jason knocked on the door and waited for an answer. Christine and Marc waited behind him. The door opened a moment later and his mother looked at Jason in surprise.
"Jason!" she exclaimed. "What are you doing? Come in, silly. You know you don't have to knock here. I thought it was the postman."
Jason frowned.
"Mom, it's too late in the evening for the postman to be coming by," he pointed out.
"Oh, no," she said, waving away his comment. "Mr. Allenson just likes to stop by and check on me when your father is out of town. You remember him, right?"
"But dad isn't out of town," Jason said, raising an eyebrow.
"So?" she said. "He is also friends with your father and sometimes stops by for a beer and a chat. Don't your friends ever just stop by?"
Jason frowned but didn't answer.
"Now get in here," his mother said, ushering them inside.
Jason led his family inside. His mother gave him a quick hug and then turned her attention to Marc. She pulled him in to a tight hug.
"Grandma, you're smothering me," Marc mumbled.
"You're getting so big," she exclaimed.
"Grandma, you saw me like a week ago," Marc groaned. "I didn't grow that much in a week."
"But I haven't seen you for almost fourteen years," she said, letting him go and taking his face in her hands.
"You saw me, grandma," Marc sighed, finally wiggling free.
"Not nearly enough," she sighed, shooting a look at Jason. "Now, come sit."
She ushered them into the kitchen where her husband was waiting at the table. Mr. Scott stood up to greet his son and grandson, as well as daughter-in-law. If a little less enthusiastically.
"I made your favorite, Jason," Mrs. Scott said as everyone took their seats. "Roast chicken and potatoes. And, of course, a nice helping of steamed spinach."
Plates were already set out for everyone. Jason just nodded at his, but Marc and Christine both eyed their plates with hesitation.
"What's the green lump?" Marc asked, poking at his plate.
"That's the spinach, dear," Mrs. Oliver chuckled.
Christine made a noise of disgust as Marc continued to poke the spinach.
"This chicken is still on the bone," she complained. "And this isn't a Cornish hen, is it?"
She poked at the spinach herself as Mrs. Scott raised an eyebrow.
"And spinach?" she continued. "Spinach is not supposed to look like someone already chewed it. It goes in a salad."
Jason quickly interrupted before his mother could snap back.
"It's just a different way of eating spinach," Jason said, looking at Christine before turning to his mother. "Mom, thanks for dinner. I appreciate you thinking about me. But maybe let everyone serve their own plates next time? Just in case there is something someone doesn't like?"
He glanced over to see Christine scowling at the potatoes now, shoving them to the side of her plate.
"Potatoes have far too many carbs," she muttered. "It's no wonder you were so chubby when I met you, Jason, if this is how you always ate."
She looked over a Jason with pursed lips, eying him.
"Good thing we fixed it," she said with a smile, patting his stomach. "So don't let it slip now that we're back in your hometown."
Mrs. Scott scowled at Christine, as did her husband.
"Normal families love each other through thick and thin," she said shortly. "Whether it's actual problems or a waistline. And, for the record, Jason has never had any kind of problems with is weight. He has always been in good shape."
Christine's smiled slipped, turning into a little bit of a scowl as she glared daggers at Jason's mother. Jason just groaned, rubbing a hand over his face. Marc's entire concentration was now on his plate as he picked at his dinner. Mr. Scott tried to salvage dinner by abruptly changing the direction of the conversation.
"How was your first day at work, Jason?" he asked.
Jason sighed, relieved by his father's attempt. He answered the question as best he could, and it was followed by questions to Marc about school. Conversation continued awkwardly along the same lines for a while as Christine essentially refused to eat and Marc just picked at the chicken and potatoes.
"So," Mr. Scott said, looking at his grandson as they were all finishing up their meals. "Has your dad started helping you build a car yet?"
Marc's head shot up in surprise.
"No!" he exclaimed, looking at Jason.
"Dad!" Jason groaned.
His father frowned.
"Jason, I'm disappointed in you," he said, shaking his head. "It's tradition. I started your first car with you when you turned fourteen so you could have it when you got your license. And your grandfather did the same with me. Marc will be fourteen soon enough."
"Dad, we need to get a car!" Marc exclaimed excitedly.
"No, no one is getting a car right now," Jason muttered, pinching the bridge of his nose.
Marc started to protest but was interrupted by Jason's phone ringing. Jason pulled it out.
"Sorry," he said. "It's work. I'll be right back."
He stepped out into the hallway as he answered the call.
"Hey, Craig," he said. "What's going on?"
He paced the hall as he listened, nodding once in a while.
"Yeah, I understand," Jason said a moment later. "I'll be there first thing in the morning so don't worry about being there…"
He sighed.
"Seriously, don't worry," Jason assured him. "I know it's stressful enough when your wife is eight months pregnant without complications—do what you need to take care of her. Just keep me updated if you need any other time off for extra appointments or anything."
Finishing up the conversation, Jason put his phone away and turned to go back in the kitchen. He jumped a little in surprise when he turned to find Christine standing right behind him.
"I want to go home," she snapped at him.
"We haven't been here that long," Jason frowned.
"I don't care," she retorted. "Dinner is over, and I want to go home right now."
"Christine, I can't just run out on my parents," Jason said quietly.
"Why not?" she demanded, crossing her arms. "They've made it very clear they don't want me here. And if they don't want me around then they obviously don't love you enough either since they aren't even trying to accept our relationship. They never have."
"Christine…" Jason sighed.
"No," she interrupted. "You heard her. I don't understand how normal families work? Well, I'm sorry if I didn't have to grow up in the slums like ya'll—that's the appropriate term, right?"
"That's from the south," Jason muttered.
"Whatever," she scowled. "Would it be better if I started talking like a surfer dude?"
Jason sighed, but before he could say anything else his mother and Marc came walking out into the hallway.
"There you are, Jason," she said. "I cleared your plate, but there is more food if you wanted seconds."
"I'm fine mom, but thanks," Jason said quickly.
"If you say so," she said. "Now, Marc and I are running to the store to pick out something for dessert. While we're gone, there's a few things I'd like you to do around the house."
She handed Jason a small piece of paper. He took the paper, frowning.
"Umm… ok?" he said, glancing at it.
"It's just a few small things," she said. "Changing some smoke detector batteries and lightbulbs since your father isn't supposed to be on a ladder or step stool right now. You should be able to be done before we get back and then we can all enjoy dessert. Now come on, baby."
She addressed Marc with her last statement.
"Grandma, I'm not a baby," Marc protested.
"You're my baby," she countered. "But don't worry. I won't ruin your reputation with the public—I never managed it with your father despite my best attempts."
She chuckled and looked over at Jason as he groaned.
"Yeah, sharing my baby pictures with my friends to embarrass me," he muttered.
"Someone had to keep you humble," his mother said fondly. "And that's why we keep pictures with us, after all. It isn't just because we love you. Now, come along, Marc."
She took Marc with her and headed out the door. Jason just shook his head as they left. Christine scowled after Mrs. Scott, crossing her arms as she turned back to Jason.
"See what I mean?" she demanded, gesturing after his mother.
"That was nothing, Christine," Jason said.
"No, she's always disrespecting you," Christine snapped.
Jason shook his head.
"She showed embarrassing baby pictures to a few people while I was in high school," Jason said, trying to shrug it off. "It wasn't a big deal and, frankly, I needed to be taken down a peg or two at the time. Besides, it was never to anyone who would actually be mean with it. Just some friends or their parents who would do some good-natured teasing."
"It is still not ok," Christine huffed. "And I wasn't talking about pictures anyways."
She snatched the paper out of his hand and waved it at him.
"She gave you a chore list!" she exclaimed.
"It's fine," Jason frowned. "It's just a couple of little things. Like she said, dad isn't supposed to be on a ladder right now. I can handle changing some batteries and lightbulbs. It isn't a big deal."
"Yes it is!" Christine exclaimed. "She didn't ask if you were ok with it, she practically ordered you to do this. Your mother is just expecting you to do whatever she says without asking. You aren't a child anymore and this isn't even your house."
"It's just a few things, Christine," Jason sighed.
"It isn't the amount of things, Jason," she countered. "Your mother just doesn't view you as a grown adult who can make his own decisions. I freed you from that and she doesn't like it. That's why she doesn't like me—she's threatened by me because I let you be an adult."
She sighed.
"But I guess if you want to go back to being momma's little boy and not thinking for yourself then…" she shrugged. "I guess I can't help you."
She spun and headed for the front door.
"Where are you going?" Jason asked.
"I'm going home," she snapped.
"We came in one car," Jason pointed out.
"I don't care," she said. "Just give me the keys. You can get a ride home from your mother. Or better yet—sleep here. This is apparently your home now since you're doing chores around the place."
She snatched the keys away from Jason and stormed out the door. Jason was left alone in the hallway. Frustrated and angry now, Jason paced up and down the hall for a while as he waited for his mother and son to get back. When the door opened a little while later, he was still stewing in the hall.
"We're home!" Mrs. Oliver called as she walked in. "Jason—where did your car go?"
She looked at him expectantly.
"Christine took it," he said. "She, uh, had some things she needed to take care of at home."
"Oh, well, more dessert for the rest of us then," his mother shrugged.
"Christine doesn't eat dessert," Jason said shortly. "So, it's nothing different and you know that."
"How would I know that?" she asked, frowning. "And why do you sound so upset right now?"
"I'm upset because you aren't respecting me," Jason said irritably. "You're treating me like I'm a kid still living in your house and I'm not. I'm a grown adult, mom."
She frowned.
"Where is this coming from?" she asked.
"Does it matter?" Jason retorted. "It's true."
Mrs. Oliver took a deep breath and handed the dessert to Marc.
"Take this to your grandfather in the kitchen, dear," she said with a smile. "Have him get it ready for us and I'll be in shortly."
Once Marc was gone, Mrs. Oliver turned back to her son with her hands on her hips.
"So, you don't think I see you as an adult?" she asked.
"No," Jason answered. "I think you still see me as that awkward teenager who was living in your house and had to do chores and things as part of the household. I don't live here anymore. You can't just give me lists of chores to do and expect me to do them."
"Oh, that's what you think?" she said, raising an eyebrow.
"Yes," Jason repeated in exasperation. "That's what I think."
"Well, let me tell you what I think," his mother countered. "I think you are a member of this family, which means this is still your house. You will always have a space here whether you actually live here or not because you are a member of this family. Just like your father and myself. Just like your son. And whether you do chores or not does not change that fact."
She shook her head.
"However, if I have taught you anything it should be that in order to show someone you care it sometimes means inconveniencing yourself a little bit to do something nice for them," she continued. "That's what families do for each other."
Jason started to protest but his mother held up a hand to stop him.
"If you want to be treated as an adult, fine," she said. "But that means you had better act like one. And that means asking for help when you need it whether you want to ask or not."
Jason stared at his mother in surprise.
"If you don't want to do chores, that's fine," she said, shaking her head. "And if you don't want to help us with things we can't do? Then by all means don't. But I hope you will eventually grow up and realize this—being an adult doesn't mean giving up childish things that you grew up with, it means taking responsibility for those things yourself so someone else you care for doesn't have to. But if you want our relationship to be distant then that's your choice. But you are not going to hurt my chance at finally having a real relationship with my grandson. That means you will still be seeing us whether you and your wife like it or not."
Spinning, she stalked out of the room and left Jason staring after her. A few moments later, his father came walking out to see where he was.
"Dad, did you hear that?" Jason asked, frowning.
"Of course," his father answered. "How could I miss it?"
"Can you believe she said all that?"
His father chuckled, shaking his head.
"I can't believe she held it in as long as she did," he said.
"Dad!" Jason exclaimed.
"Don't 'dad' me," he said. "You know your mother. And besides, she's right."
Jason sputtered.
"She's taking advantage of me being here," he tried to argue.
"No, she's not," his father countered. "She's being an adult and admitting there is something we can't do and need help with. Now."
He paused, eying Jason.
"Are you going to have dessert with us or are you going to walk home to your wife?"
Jason hesitated, looking between the front door and his father. Mr. Scott sighed.
"Alright, go on," he said, sounding a little disappointed. "We'll bring Marc home later. Let us know when works for you for us to have Marc over for dinner again."
Without waiting for a response, he turned and disappeared back into the kitchen. Jason stayed where he was in the hall. For a few minutes he just stood, staring at the list he was still holding in his hands. He finally took a deep breath and moved. But instead of heading out the front door or into the kitchen, Jason walked down the hallway to the closet and pulled out the step ladder he knew his father kept there.
A while later, Marc and his grandparents came out into the hall. All three stopped in surprise to see Jason putting away the step ladder in the closet.
"Oh, Jason," his mother said. "We thought you'd left."
"Uh, no," he said, rubbing the back of his head as he looked awkwardly at his feet. "I, uh, I finished the list you gave me. But you're out of lightbulbs. I'll grab some more the next time I go shopping."
"We'd appreciate that," his mother beamed. "Did you want some dessert to go? Your father was about to take Marc home, but I can get you a plate."
Jason shook his head as he walked over to join them.
"No, it's fine," he said. "I don't need dessert tonight. The ride would be nice though."
"As long as you're sure," his mother said, giving him a hug and a kiss. "Then I will see you later. And I'll call you tomorrow about setting up a meal for next week."
Jason nodded, hugging her back.
"That works for me," he said. "It'll give me a chance to look at my work schedule. Just not Saturday afternoons because Marc will be at the dojo."
"Oh, yes!" she exclaimed in excitement. "He told me while we were at the store and I'm so excited. And before I forget, I'll pick him up after school tomorrow. I'm going to take him to get some gear since he said he doesn't have anything."
"Mom, that really isn't necessary," Jason sighed. "You don't have to."
"I know, but I want to," she said. "I have fourteen years of spoiling to make up for."
"Yeah, dad," Marc grinned.
"Go get in the car," Jason said, shaking his head. "Do you need a list, mom?"
Marc and his grandfather headed outside as Mrs. Scott shook her head.
"I know what he'll need," she said. "I shopped for things for you for enough years. And if I manage to forget something, I'm sure Adam can lend him something until one of us can get it."
Jason nodded, smiling at his mother.
"Love you, mom," he said, hugging her. "I'll talk to you tomorrow."