After surviving the monster named Misty, Johnny felt compelled to live in the moment. The thing is, at his lowest moment he discovered who he is and what he's really made of. That whole ordeal has taught him to let go of the past and just live. Living is the greatest adventure. He doesn't have to chase extraordinary moments or do extraordinary things. The key is to find happiness in what's right in front of him. He just has to open his eyes and pay attention.
Life isn't out to get him all the time. He doesn't have to go looking for a fight or be anxious about everything. He can just live. He can get up each morning and realize the day will have both good and bad moments. That's life. Just deal with the bad when it comes and appreciate all of the good that's waiting. Just take it all in and deal with it, the best he can. And the thing about that is, he doesn't have to deal with it alone.
The whole ordeal showed him a lot about the people he has in his life too. There are a lot of great people around him. He has his family. He has his friends. Then he has friends that have become family. But there's also his wife. His wife is his love, his family, and his best friend. She's all three. Love is not about how many days, months, or years you've spent together. It's about how you love each other every single day.
Life is also about making moments and memories together with the one you love. That is exactly what he's going to do, make memories and live life with his wife and friends. On Spring Break he'll be making a ton of memories with Ava. He only needs to get through this week. Dinner with the in-laws on tonight, the soccer game Wednesday, guys afternoon and dinner with friends Thursday, dinner at the country club on Friday, and dinner with the grandparents on Sunday.
They actually may postpone Sunday dinner and leave for Spain Sunday morning. That's not been set in stone. But it seems like there's dinner with someone almost every night this week. Good grief. He loves people. He loves food, but he also loves quiet too. If thought bubbles ever appeared over his head he'd be screwed.
After one last comb of the hair, he met Ava in the kitchen, where she had brewed a big pot of coffee and had breakfast ready. Putting bacon on his plate, he told her "You know I feel like my greatest accomplishment yesterday, at school, was not saying what I was thinking out loud."
Giving him a weird look, Ava passed him a napkin. "Why is that?" Having already eaten, she began fixing her cup of coffee.
"Because everyone wanted to know about your cousin. I got tired of hearing her name. She's gone to the nuthouse. Time to move on," he explained. Just thinking about Monday makes him ill.
Of course, their friends wanted to know what happened. That's fine, but everyone else can kiss off. Once people learned she had withdrawn from school, naturally they all flocked his wife (and to him). Did they care when Ava was hit in the head with a ball? Did they care when gossip was spread about her past? Did these losers care when gossip was spread around about their relationship?
No. But now they suddenly care enough to talk to Ava about her cousin. He wonders if people ever look both ways before getting on his nerves. And if he had a quarter for every time someone got on his nerves, he'd have a sock full of quarters to beat them with. It's just that simple.
Ava agreed with Johnny's remark. "I know what you mean. But the fact she pulled out so suddenly made people wonder. For me, the weirdest part was my ex-friends asking about her. Like I care." She sipped her coffee. "Anyway, today should be better. We have dinner with my parents tonight. I know you have practice after school today for your game tomorrow. Since I'm driving myself today, I have to stop by the grocery store in preparation for tonight. Is there anything you need?"
She took out her list and pen, to write down what he might say. "Yeah, I need Gatorade, Gator Gum, and some beef jerky. Oh and use the coupon for laundry detergent. I used the last of it last night to wash my uniform." He ate big bites of his breakfast, while his wife added his things to her list. She also put a stain stick on it. The grass stains in his uniform are hard to get out.
While he cleaned up his breakfast mess, he asked "You're still coming to my game tomorrow right?"
Looking at him, she said "Of course. I wouldn't miss it for the world." He gave her one of his thousand-watt smiles.
After breakfast they both kissed by and got in their respective vehicles, to drive to school. She hates the days they ride separately because Johnny always drives fast. He ends up leaving her in the dust. Then when she does get to school, she has to park out in no man's land (cause all the good spots beside him are taken). SO frustrating!
When she parked, in the available spots way off from the building, she took her things and began walking. She passed people who waved hi. They've never waved hi a day in their lives. Is she to believe that since Misty is gone, these people suddenly care about her? Fake people are so fake.
But then everything returned to normal, as soon as she came upon her friends. Thank goodness for Dutch. She walked up on the weirdest thing she's heard in a long time. Dutch was saying "Did you know that boobytrap spelled backward is partyboob? I know. I realize I just wowed you all with my intellect."
Tommy died laughing, while Jimmy just shook his head. Ava came to stand beside Johnny, who slung an arm around her shoulders. "So what'd I miss besides Dutch's partyboob?"
Pointing his finger at her, Dutch declared "Not much. Now, word on the street is, you're attempting to fix Jimmy up with some chick. When are you going to do the same for me?" Dutch doesn't really want to be fixed up with anyone. He rather enjoys the single man on the street life.
"When you decide you actually want to date someone, then I'll fix you up. In like twenty years, right?" Ava laughed while he mocked her.
Before they could say anything else, the first bell rang. The day plodded along at a snail's pace. A quiz in history and math, real conversational French in French class, two new poems to analyze in her poetry elective, a time test in typing (where her typewriter ran out of ribbon), and a boring chemistry lecture.
After school, she complained to Rachel about the typing test. "My typewriter ran out of ribbon. It was counted against me. Even Mrs. Jackson couldn't find a replacement ribbon, but she still held it against me. I had to use an older model, in the back of the room, for the rest of the class. So ridiculous!" She's completely incensed and upset.
Rachel agrees with her friend. "That's pretty rotten. The older models are terrible. They're clunky and lag along. It's like the seventies all over again."
As the two were walking and talking, their old friends Charley and Kara stumbled upon them. Ava and Rachel began to turn and walk in another direction. The other two girls shouted, "Wait". The two friends turned around to see what these phonies want. If they ask about her cousin, Ava is going to scream.
The two ex-friends walked up closer. Charley said, "I'm sorry for how we treated you, both of you."
Oh, so that's what they want. Now that her cousin is gone, they want to be friends again. "Thank you for your apology," Ava replied with a smile. She swiveled on her heel.
Kara stopped her. "Wait. Can't we be friends again?"
Are they serious? Rachel spoke up. "No. An apology doesn't make up for months of lying, gossiping, and slander. Not to mention, flat out bullying in PE."
Ava was truly thankful for Rach at that moment. One loyal friend is worth a thousand fake ones. This is why she stated, "No. You believed and told lies about me. You both were already looking for ways to be against me. I trusted you both. Your words mean nothing because your actions spoke everything I needed to hear. I accept your apology, and I forgive you, but I don't accept your friendship."
Both she and Rachel turned around and left. They both could have brought up the fact the two girls broke up with Tommy and Jimmy in the worst way possible. But they didn't. What they both said was sufficient.
The two parted ways at Rachel's car. They made plans to ride together after school tomorrow, to the soccer game. When they hugged by, Ava went to her own car and headed to the grocery store. She has all of the coupons Johnny shoved into her hands before he left the house. So she and the coupons entered the store, ready to get everything for dinner that evening. Since it's her parent's first time at their house, she really wants to make a good impression.
That's why she's making a cheesy tortellini bake in the oven. To go with it, a large Italian salad, fresh garlic bread, grilled asparagus, and a French coconut cake for dessert. Yes, she realizes a French coconut cake defeats the Italian food theme. However, her mother loves coconut cake (and so does she).
After purchasing all of the dinner items, plus Johnny's add-ons, she went home to get started cooking. The cake is the first thing she made. Having just put it in the oven to bake, Johnny walked in. Raising her head from the cookbook, she greeted him with "How was practice?"
Walking to the fridge, he responded. "Long and hot." He reached in and pulled out a cold bottle of Gatorade. He downed it in one serving. Then he turned to her and began talking. "I know Sunday your father asked my forgiveness, which to be honest is a weird concept for me since that's never happened before. But there's still this part of me that feels like I'm not good enough. Which let's be honest, you're way too good for me."
He saw her start to open her mouth, knowing she's going to disagree with him. "Let me finish. You're way too good for me, but for some reason, I'm good enough for you. I just want to be good with you for the rest of my life. And I plan on showing your father tonight, how good I can be. Maybe that will enough for him eventually. All I can do is try."
Staring at him, she asked, "Can I talk now?" He smiled and shook his head yes. "Good because you are good enough for me. I've told you that before. Do I need to say it again?"
Hopping onto the island, he opened his arms. She walked into him. "Yes, you do. Cause I'm feeling insecure. So help me out, wife."
Chuckling, she told him "You're feeling vain is what you're feeling right now." His face looked wounded at her words, and she knew he was teasing. "But fine I'll tell you again. I'll tell you every day if I need to. You are my true love. I knew it in ninth grade and I know it now. When I saw you I fell in love. I fell in love with your smile, your kind words, your humor, your hair, your muscles. I'm joking." He decided not to tickle her for the hair and muscles comment.
"Johnny, it's you and it's always going to be you. Even if I had the choice between you and hundreds of guys or things that I've always wanted (like this new purse I've had my eye on). I would still choose you, every time. We were always supposed to get married. Whether it was a year from now, five years from now. It doesn't matter because it's always you. Just because people don't understand our being married in high school, doesn't mean it's not right." She brought his hand up to her mouth and kissed it.
"My dad will be fine. Both my parents will be. They'll come around eventually. And even if they don't, I'll still be alright. Angry at them, but alright. My grandparents love you and your parents love me (Sid included)." They locked hands at her words.
Looking into her eyes, Johnny declared "So tell me more about my great hair" â- he whisked his head back, which made his hair do the sameâ- "and my muscles." He flexed his biceps. She rolled her eyes and started to back away. He wouldn't let her and held on tight. Then covered her mouth with his, for a sweet kitchen kiss.
Pulling apart, she continued to cook while he went to shower and change. Pretty soon Johnny was about to take the bread out of the oven, hoping it's not burned. He was watching TV and didn't pay attention to the clock. Just as he was opening the oven, Ava returned to the kitchen after changing into a magenta T-shirt dress. A sigh of relief overtook him, at the sight of the bread being crisp but not burned.
At six-thirty the doorbell rang. Both Johnny and Ava answered it together. With smiles, they welcomed her parents into their home. They led them into the kitchen and had them sit at the island. The couple figured they could start in the kitchen, then end their eating in the dining room.
The first thing out of her mother's mouth was "I have to admit, I had no idea what condition you'd be living in. Never in my wildest imagination could I have pictured this. Your house is impressive and in such a good location, with hardly any neighbors. I've never heard of Sandcastle Cove, but it seems quaint and friendly."
Both Ava and Johnny thanked her. "It's more than we ever imagined. It checks off all of our boxes. The price was perfect and the land that comes with it is a really nice incentive. But we couldn't have been able to purchase this were it not for Johnny's smart thinking and investing in seventh grade." Ava loves to talk about her husband's financial mind. It's one of his lesser-known, brilliant qualities.
Nick Green echoed his wife's sentiments and added something more. "I really do want to apologize for my rash assumptions and behavior, when you told us of your marriage. It was so blindsiding that I wasn't sure what to think or how to respond. I said the first things out of my mouth. I also worried about where the two of you would live and what you would live on."
Seeing his daughter and son-in-law grimace, he continued trying to set things right. "But then my parents informed your mother and me of the arrangement you have with them. I knew then that the two of you were serious. They also told us about how money-smart you are, Johnny, and where the two of you live. Our minds were put to ease."
He looked off in the distance and shook his head. "The only thing left was a full apology to you both. It's hard apologizing for your own careless words and actions. But again, I do apologize. Linda and I wish nothing but the very best for you."
As Ava served the appetizer salad, she acknowledged her father's words. "Thanks, Dad. We accepted the apology last night and we do again today. Now enough apologies. Let's move forward, as a family." They all grabbed hands as a family and squeezed them before they dug into the salad.
Everyone actually ended up eating the whole meal at the kitchen island. Her mother said "It's comfy in here. Why carry everything into another room, when it's just the four of us? You don't have to impress us. The house already did that on its own." As if the house wasn't impressive enough, then her daughter's cooking is. Linda had no idea how her child could cook so well, when she, herself, cooks so poorly.
After dinner, Johnny and Ava gave her parents a tour of the house. Just like his own mother had done, Linda enthusiastically praised everything. She went on and on about the decor and the furniture, but she really loved the master bedroom and bathroom. "Oh, Ava! This is just so wonderful. All of this is more than I could have ever wanted for you."
The two of them stayed in the bedroom. Ava has things she wants to show her mother. Since the two females were waylaid, Nick shared something important with his son-in-law. They were sitting in the living room together. Nick turned to Johnny and told him "Giving away my little girl isn't an easy thing to do. You must know that, especially since we thought we'd have her for a few years longer. But since that time has come, I am so very thankful I'm giving her to you. Linda and I always thought it would be you. Thank you for loving my daughter, providing for her, and supporting her. You may not have been born into our family by blood, but you are born to be a part of it. And we love you too, Johnny."
Well crap. He really didn't want to cry today. However, the tears had a mind of their own. After wiping his face with his red henley shirt, Johnny didn't know what to say. How does one respond to that? All he can do is try like he told Ava before.
"Thank you, Sir. Those words mean a lot. I love your daughter. She's the light in my darkness. All of her experiences and lessons were learned with you and Ms. Linda. All of it led her to me. Thank you for teaching her and creating family traditions with her. I didn't have a lot of those growing up, but I do now. She's been bringing a lot of those traditions into our home." He wiped a few more tears and sniffed.
His next words he chose carefully. "Throughout her life, you have been Ava's rock, so that she could learn how to be mine. I know you didn't know me when you began raising her all those years ago. But you raised her to be the woman I'd love and marry. You raised your little girl to be my perfect match and my best friend. And for that, I will always be thankful."
Johnny didn't know it but his wife and mother-in-law heard everything he said. Both ladies had tears in their eyes. They entered the room, Johnny saw them crying and knew they had heard him. Linda took him by the hand and gave him a huge hug and a kiss on the cheek. Nick gave him a hug, as well. Ava just held his hand, speechless (and overcome by emotion) at his heartfelt words.
When her parents left, there was peace in their home. Everything is as it should be. But Johnny wasn't done yet. "Everything I told your father is true. I meant it."
Hugging him to her, Ava said "I know. I love you." Then she told him, "You're such a big teddy bear."
Huffing out a breath, Johnny pushed her back a bit. He needed to see her face and she needs to see the disgust written on his. Him a teddy bear? Never. "Maybe only for you. But you're my wife, so I can be." Then he pointed his finger at her. "Do not go saying that in front of the guys, or anyone else. You'll ruin my reputation as the top Ace Degenerate." They laughed and hugged some more. Then they relaxed watching TV until time for bed. He has to get good sleep tonight since his game is tomorrow.