All-day long Johnny thought about his mother and girlfriend getting together talking. It's going to either be great or a total disaster. Personally, he thinks everything will be OK. His mother likes Ava. She always has, even when they dated in ninth grade.
His girlfriend, on the other hand, is super nervous. Why she is, he doesn't know. She dresses nicely. Not too trampy, not too buttoned-up, just right. Those skirts and dresses she wears are hot, Â smokin' hot. Her manners are way better than his own, and that's saying something. His mother had him enrolled in cotillion classes in elementary school. He knows what to do, he just chooses to not do it to annoy Sid.
Back to Ava, first, she fretted about her outfit. She described it to him "A floral skirt with a mint green and silver polka dot sweater and a red gumball type necklace. Do you think it will be OK? Should I go for a more classy look?"
The heck if he knows. He just grabs whatever is clean, usually something plaid or a polo. "I think it'll be fine Babe. You're worrying yourself over nothing." He kissed her cheek.
Then she fretted over their conversation. "What if she thinks I'm not good enough for you?"
Holding her hand, he stated with authority "Nah. Won't happen. If anything she'll think you're too good for me."
He thought he had succeeded in calming her down. However, lunchtime proved he was wrong. "What's your mom's favorite flowers. I want to stop on the way home and pick them up. I need to carry something. It's only proper."
Her favorite flower? No idea. None. Zero. Zip. "I don't know. Sid always buys her daisies, and she seems to like them. So I guess those?"
Taking her lunch out of the bag, she exclaimed "Seriously Johnny. You are no help. How can you not know your mother's favorite flower?"
Because he doesn't know. That's why. He never asked. But he does know "She loves lemon tiramisu."
Ava's face lit up like a rocket. "Oh! Thank you. That's perfect!" With a kiss on his cheek, now she knows exactly what to get her. Instead of the flower shop, she'll stop by Sweetie Pies. They keep tiramisu in stock.
Lunch was an odd affair. He and Ava, not so odd, but everyone else very much so. Tension is all around the table. Starting with his girl, first and foremost. She doesn't really speak to her "friends" any more than she has to.
Now to top that off, she does acknowledge Rachel's presence. Out of all of them, she is the one Ava talks to the most. And that's just super weird in itself, considering she's always spoken more to Joy or Charley. You can tell the girls notice this too.
While he no longer thinks Rachel is a weirdo, he can't say the same for his best friend. Bobby, for some reason, thinks she is. Personally, he thinks Bobby likes her, he's just making excuses. The guy hasn't had a decent girl in who knows how long. They love him and leave him. It's sad really. But who's he to talk? He dated Ali for two years trying to get over Ava, which never happened.
As he continued going around the table, he stopped at Tommy and Kara. He's liked her for a long time and finally asked her out. The only problem is his girlfriend could be a gossiper. Which honestly would fit Tommy, since he is one too. But then if she is, that would cause tension between him and Tommy.
Then there's Jimmy and Charley. Like the previous couple, all the same, things apply. Which leaves Dutch and Joy. The only other two who aren't together. Dutch is dramatic at best and he can make any awkward situation more so. But if anyone is truly odd it's Joy. Like Bobby thought about Rachel, he thinks the same of Joy. To him, there's something off about her. He can't put his finger on it. But if he had to put money down, Joy is his bet for spreading the rumor.
Like Bobby, he can read people too. He's a great reader of bullshit and she's full of it. He can tell. She tries too hard. There's so much more he can say about that, but he'll stop for now. Breaking him out of his thoughts is Ava's voice.
"Johnny, did you hear what I said?" she asked. "I'm taking your silence as a no." She spread peanut butter and jelly onto her English muffin. When she was done, she gave him the spoon. Knowing that he loves peanut butter, she left a lot on it.
Before he licked the spoon, he looked at her. "What did you say? I was thinking about something."
Pressing the two muffin sides together, she told him. "I wanted to know what time you'll be back from karate practice? If our conversation goes south, then I'll need to clock watch until you get there."
Oh, that's an easy question. "I should be home at six, six-fifteen at the latest. You'll only have thirty minutes alone with her."
"Alone with who?" Tommy wanted to know. He took some of Kara's chips.
Johnny stared at his nosy friend. "The ghost of Jimmy Hendrix. My mother." That got everyone talking about Ava meeting his mom. "She's already met, my mom. We dated in ninth grade, remember? It's not a big deal."
All the girls disagreed. "No. It's a really big deal," Charley stated. "Talking with your mother one-on-one is the equivalent of meeting the Queen."
Joy chimed in. "Which is true. She's meeting with the queen of your house."
Not being able to help himself, Dutch spoke too. "I love meeting people's moms. It's like reading an instruction pamphlet as to why they're completely nuts. It reminds me why I stayed away from the chick, to begin with." The guys agreed with him.
The rest of lunch was spent asking Ava what she plans to wear or discussing plans for the weekend. It's never too early to plan ahead.
After school, Johnny met Ava by her car. "Remember, you'll only have thirty minutes with her. Then I'll be home. Everything will be fine. My mom's nice and she likes you." Â He kissed her forehead. "Just don't go in my room."
Raising an eyebrow, she commented on that. "Why? Do you you have things I shouldn't see in there like girly magazines?"
With truthful words and a genuine voice, he admitted "I did." He saw her face seemed downcast. "But not anymore. I got rid of them in September. Truth." It is true. He tossed them out back then. If he wants to do things right with her, then it's got to start there. "I just don't want you to see my mess. Besides, why do I need those magazines when I have you? You're the real thing."
Before she got into her car, she hugged him. "You say the sweetest things."
He shook his head. "I don't say them. I mean them." He released her and waited for her to get in, then closed her door.
The car ride home was stressful. She kept worrying herself into a frenzy. Even when she stopped at Sweetie Pie's, she distressed herself about the dessert. What if she hates it? Her mind is full of what-ifs. She bought a large brownie cookie and ate it, while she waited for the tiramisu to be packaged.
Once at home she put the tiramisu in the fridge and went to change. However, as she put on her outfit she changed her mind. She put on a leopard print sweater dress and tall black boots, instead. For some reason, the need to look better flashed in her mind. Leaving her hair down, but fluffing it, Ava touched up her makeup.
She grabbed her hobo and went to reclaim the desert. However, horror overcame her when she saw Chase eating it. "Oh my gosh!" Stalking over to him, she snatched the remaining tiramisu away. "Mother!" Her voice could be heard a mile away.
Linda came running into the kitchen. She took one look at the two in the kitchen and knew her son had done something. "What has he done Dear?"
Motioning to the sweet treat, she explained "He ate the tiramisu I was going to give Ms. Laura. Mother, what am I going to do? It's ruined!" This is the last thing she needed.
Upon examining the dessert, her mother said "This can be fixed. We'll just cut this part off and no one will know. The good thing is there's so much of it, that it should be alright." She took a knife out and began cutting the portion Chase ate off. When she finished, she showed Ava.
Ava looked at it. Though less, it's still full enough to be fine. Turning to her brother, she remarked "Must you try to get on my nerves?"
He looked at her with his brown eyes. "Must you try to be perfect? It has to be tiring." He walked out of the kitchen purposely eating the piece of dessert he cut off.
Shaking her head, she put the dessert back into its box, thanked her mother, and left. When she pulled into Johnny's driveway, she closed her eyes to calm her nerves. She could always fake a headache. But she couldn't do that to his mother.
With the dessert on one arm and her courage on the other, she got out and walked up the paved walkway. Her free hand rang the doorbell. Johnny's mother opened it and greeted her. "Ava! I'm so glad you're here. And what's this you have?"
Handing her the dessert box, Ava replied "A lemon tiramisu. Johnny mentioned you like that."
Laura Weinberg nodded. "I do. It's one of my favorites." She smiled warmly at her son's girlfriend. "Come on in. It's chilly out." As soon as the girl entered, she closed the door and directed Ava to follow her.
As they walked through the house, Ava inspected his mother. Blonde hair impeccably dressed and always smiling. Her nerves have risen to the occasion. In the kitchen, the dessert was placed into the fridge and Laura led her to another room. A smaller sitting room off of the kitchen, towards the back of the house.
The two of them sat on a tan sofa. The room is sunny and full of light. The colors in the space are calming, like the ocean (blues, creams, greens, grays). The decorative objects are feminine and the pictures on the wall give it a homey feel.
Ms. Laura gazed at her. "So Ava, how have you been? I realize I have two years to catch up on, but I'd like to." A plate of tea cakes and glasses of sweet tea had been poured. Laura picked a cookie up and bit into it.
Well if her boyfriend's mother wants to know about her life, then she'll tell her. Ava gave her the cliff notes version of the past two years. She finished by saying "I dated a guy from the baseball team, Burt, but it didn't work out. He just wasn't right for me."
Nodding Laura said, "Good. Because Johnny is." She knows her son and Ava are perfect for each other. The fact he gave her the bracelet is proof enough.
Not believing her ears, Ava asked "How can you say that?"
She pointed her finger at the bracelet. "That bracelet says it all. Johnny gave it to you. He never gives jewelry as presents. When he and Ali dated, I once asked if he wanted to get her jewelry for Christmas or Valentine's Day. He said no, so I asked why. Because I don't love her enough to buy her jewelry. That's my mother's bracelet. It has a matching ring. She left it for me and I gave it to him. Even at age eight, he told me he was going to give it to someone he loves."
Noticing Ava's surprised face, she added "The ring, your bracelet's mate, he plans to give to the girl he wants to marry. It's the only piece of my mother I have left. For Johnny to give that to you means he loves you and considers you worthy enough to have it. I agree with him."
Disagreeing, Ava admitted "But how can you think that? I broke up with him. He never broke  up with me." This has bothered her for so long. It feels nice confessing it.
With a look at the girl, Laura patted her arm. "I know Ava. I've known you did all along." Another astonished expression graced the girl's face. "He never told me, but I knew. When he came home upset and crying, I knew. He told me he had dumped you. Now please hear me. I don't hold it against you. But I am curious why you dumped him exactly and what led the two of you back together."
Oh, she knew this was going to come up. How could it not? "Well, I'd like to start at us getting back together. Neither of us planned it or expected it to happen. But I guess timing is everything." She saw his mother nod.
"We were both a place where we're ready for each other. I think that needed to happen too." She sighed a long sigh. "I broke up with him because I realized a lot of things. One is some of the actions he was taking, concerned me. I also felt like he was too cool for me, too popular. I felt those were more important. I had no idea how wrong I was." That was when his guy friends became a huge priority. Her ninth-grade brain was jealous of them and his ninth-grade brain was all a young teenage boy.
Before Ava could say anything more, his mother spoke. "His heart is big enough for all of you but more for you. You're his girl. They're his friends. You matter more. Trust me."
Crossing her legs in the other way, Ava admitted "I know that now. I just didn't understand it then. But also Ms. Laura, the scary thing was I knew I loved him then. I knew it. I also had this feeling, that I can't explain like he's the one for me. That's totally crazy because people just don't meet like that in ninth grade."
Taking Ava's hand, Laura exclaimed "But what if you do?"
"Then that would make sense, seeing as how we're back together. I think we needed to grow apart to grow up. My mother always says what's meant to be will find a way. I love your son and want what's best for him. I hope that it's me in the end. But if it's not then I'll gladly step aside, so he can be happy" she confessed all of that. She didn't plan on saying any of it, but she did.
Neither of them heard Johnny's car drive up. Neither of them heard the front door open. And neither of them realized he was listening to their conversation. That he has been since Ava explained about his friends.
Laura patted Ava's hand. "I know, believe me, I know. Your love is everything to Johnny. Even in ninth grade, I saw something special about the two of you. I think that's why I could never really warm up to Ali. She's a nice girl, but she wasn't you. That coupled with the fact the two of them would argue a lot, made me not entirely happy. As a mom, you always want the best for your child. I want the best for Johnny in all areas of life, especially love." She looked away from her son's girlfriend and stared at a picture of her boy as a child.
While she stared at the picture on a shelf, she spoke. "I've only ever seen him truly happy and truly himself with one girl and that's you. It was that way in ninth grade and it's the same now. That's how I know you're special. When two people are really in love with each other you see it in their eyes. Their eyes shine full of admiration, attraction, and undying, unspoken feelings for each other. The eyes twinkle and smile. Without words being spoken there's an invisible rope connecting them together. I see that in both of you."
Her own eyes returned to connect with Ava's, who's had tears. "My son isn't easy to love. He can make it hard because his heart has been dragged around. But when he loves, it's completely. No half measure. And it's beautiful. He's not perfect, but I know he loves you. Spoken and unspoken."
With tears, Ava announced, "I'm not perfect either but he's perfect for me." Johnny left to change at those words. He can't listen to anything more. He's already intruded too much as it is, but he didn't expect to hear any of those words. If anything he expected them to be complaining about his faults. As he ascended the stairs, he treasured those words in his heart and rolled them over in his mind.
There's a lot to unpack there. In his room, he went to his closet. Inside his closet is a chest of drawers. He opened one of the drawers. Bedsides all of the boxers and undershirts is a box. He took it out and unfastened the latch. Inside that box is a ring box, which he opened. Staring at the ring, the mate to Ava's bracelet, something inside him jumped.
Before this piece of jewelry felt heavy and burdensome. Now it feels different. It feels light. It's like it knows where it belongs and to whom it should belong. He snapped it shut and hid it away.
She walked into his life as if she had always been there. Like his heart was a home made just for her. Why is that? Why is she the only person who can make him calm and believe he's better than what he really is? And yet something inside him screams she's the one he'll love forever. But forever is a big word.
He's been let down by love before. It's not easy for him. This is why he's giving nothing away and proceeding with caution. Love is a bug and it has always bitten him in the ass.