Chapter 24 - Johnny - Family Matters
The cars lining the street at my parents’ house tell me that at least some of my sisters are here. I’ll never hear the end of it if I don’t bring Becca in to introduce her to everyone, especially since both Travis and I helped her today.
I had hoped I’d be introducing Becca to my family under different circumstances, like we were dating or having a baby or something like that, but introducing her as my friend is going to have to do. I certainly can’t tell my family about the relationship that we’re faking so that her mother will stop setting her up with horrible guys.
I take a deep breath and jump into it. “So my family is here and because we helped you today, they’re going to want to meet you. And we can’t tell them about our arrangement. They’ll fall in love with you and be heartbroken when we stage our breakup.”
“Okay,” Becca drawls and looks out the truck’s window at my parents’ house. “And? What’s the problem? You don’t want them to meet me?”
“What? No! Are you crazy? You’re the best.” I grab her chin and turn her to look at me, thankful that the more time we spend together, the more of my touch she can tolerate. “My family is… a lot to handle. I don’t know exactly how many people are in there right now, but I can tell you, no matter how many people there are, it’s going to be loud. And chaotic. Possibly even painful, but that part is mostly for me. I want you to be informed before we head in there. You say it’s best to go along with your mother’s plans because of guilt and manipulation? Well, imagine that, but from a loving, smothering mom, and five nosey older sisters. And all of their kids.” I sneak a peek at the house and sure enough, a couple of my sisters and my mom are standing in the doorway, and a few kids out on the lawn, waiting for us to get out of the truck. “It’s too late to turn back now, anyway. They’re watching us.”
Becca turns back around and looks out the window. “That doesn’t look so bad. There aren’t too many of them.”
“Yeah. Right.” I agree, knowing she doesn’t see any of the others who are staring at us from all the windows on the front of the house. “Let’s get this over with, then. We don’t want you to be late for…? What’s your date’s name?”
“Ugh, don’t remind me. I think his name’s Mike? Or Mark? Maybe it’s Mac? I don’t even know. She has them meet me at her house so she can introduce us, and play interference to explain my hideous disfigurement.”
“Your what?” I ask, just as her door opens from the outside. I know she said she had scars, but they’re not even noticeable. Did she actually just refer to them as a hideous disfigurement?
My sister, Millie, is standing at Becca’s door, holding it open. “Hi, I’m Millie. That idiot’s sister. You must be Becca. I’ve heard so much about you. We weren’t sure if Johnny was going to be brave enough to introduce us to his new girlfriend, so they elected me to come get you.” She holds an arm out, inviting Becca to get out of the truck. “Come on in, then. Mom’s been dying to meet you.”
Becca looks back at me, eyes wide. “You were serious?”
“Yeah. Sorry about this. I’ll get you out of here as soon as possible.” I hop out of my side and run around to Becca’s. It took a little longer to drop off the couch than expected, so it’s already coming up on dinner time. If I can’t get Becca out of here quickly enough, she’s going to get invited to have dinner with my family, and by invited, I mean trapped. Mom and Dad Donovan are not to be denied when it comes to invitations to dinner.
“Oh, Mom. Becca doesn’t like to be tou—” Before I get the warning out, my mom has her arms wrapped around Becca and she’s hugging her like she’s her long lost best friend. “—ched.”
I can’t be sure, but it looks like Beccaalmostmelts into the hug. I wonder if she’s as uncomfortable with being touched as she makes out? Seems like Mom’s hug has gotten through her defenses a little. It’s taken ages for her to trust me enough that I could touch her hand and help her down from the truck earlier today, and here Mom has her wrapped in an enormous bear hug.
Go Mom.
“Becca, it’s so good to finally meet you,” Mom says, still not letting her go. “Johnny has told us all about you.”
“Yes, he certainly has,” my dad says from the open doorway. “But he understated how pretty you are. Oh, my girl, you’re a right stunner, you are. Isn’t she a stunner, Agnes?”
Mom holds Becca by the shoulders and leans away to put her at arm’s length. I see Becca flinch when Mom first touches her shoulders, but the look disappears as soon as I see it. “Oh yes, Dennis, she certainly is. Imagine the beautiful grandbabies these two will make? Oh, my. It’s enough to bring a tear to my eye.”
“Mom!” I yell. “Boundaries, please. You can’t go talking about grandbabies the first time you meet a girl. And like I told you before, Becca and I are just friends.”
“Oh, poo. You’re no fun.” Mom says to me. She loops an arm through Becca’s and leads her to the house. “Come now, Becca. Let’s get you inside and get you something to drink. You can tell us more about yourself.”
Dad follows along behind Mom and Becca. “Johnny tells me you like a good beer. I can’t wait to show my special fridges in the beer cave.”
“Wait,” I hear Becca say as she disappears into the house. “You have more than one beer fridge? Let’s go look now.”
Dad’s and Becca’s laughter waft out as he shuts the door. Well, looks like I’m no longer needed. Becca seems to be holding her own, even with having her personal space invaded and her future procreation possibilities commented on.
“Is that your girlfriend?” my nephew, Mark, asks. “She has lots of tattoos like you, Uncle Johnny.”
“No, she’s not my girlfriend, buddy.”I just wish she was.“We’re just friends.”
“How come you brought her to dinner? Is it because she’s so pretty?” This from Drew, Mark’s little sister. “Do you want her to be your girlfriend? Nana made cake for dessert. I bet that Becca would be your girlfriend if you gave her some cake,” she adds helpfully, before skipping away to find something more interesting to do. She’ll probably go find Ariella and Arianna, Millie’s twin girls, to see if they’ll get off their phones and play with her. It’s highly unlikely, I’d say. I haven’t seen their faces since their twelfth birthday a couple of years ago, when they got their first phones.
“Mark, go on in and see if Nana needs any help, okay? I need to talk to Uncle Johnny for a minute.” Millie sends Mark off to join everyone else and soon it’s just the two of us left standing in the front yard.
“Well?” she prods. “Is this the one?”
I roll my eyes. I brought this on myself. I’ve spent so many years thinking every girl I met was the one that my family is always giving me shit about it.
