Heart and Soul [bxb]

Chapter Forty-Four

*This chapter contains multimedia relevant to the plot*

"Why do we have to do this again?"

"Mom decided," Johnny mumbled, without opening his eyes.

"It's dumb," Lydia whined.

"Don't be like that," their father said from his seat on the couch, next to Johnny. "Your mom says family time is important and I agree."

"But why does Tuesday have to be family night?" Lydia asked. "It's so random!"

Johnny opened his eyes, lifting his head from the couch back cushions. "And why now?"

"Because I decided more family time was my New Year's resolution for two thousand eighteen, and Tuesday night is as good a night as any," Johnny's mom finally came into the living room. She brought a game box in her hands and wore a bright grin on her face. "It's a rule and it's settled," she asserted after taking a look at her children's faces. "Tonight—scrabble."

"Please, don't." Lydia rolled her eyes, letting her head loll back dramatically.

Their mom gave her a well-known look. A carefully brewed mix of hurt, challenge and determination. Johnny and Lydia exchanged a look of their own. Yup. Lydia had learned the skillful art of emotional manipulation somewhere.

"Are you going to choose the activities for these things every week, or do we get a say too?" Lydia asked.

"If you play scrabble tonight, I'll let you choose next week," Johnny's mom said.

Lydia grinned. "Deal."

"Do I get to choose some day?" Johnny asked.

"If you put a smile on for the rest of the evening," his mom retaliated.

Johnny forced himself to oblige. "We're watching Cosmos: A Personal Voyage," he said through a phony grin.

"Then we're reviewing every Auburn Tigers game of the season on my turn to pick," Johnny's dad warned.

"No TV on family night," Johnny's mom declared firmly. "We have too many screens in our life already. Especially you, mister."

Johnny faked a hurt gasp at the personal accusation. He had just the right amount of screens in his life. Starting with his phone, which he fished out of his pocket to text back to Carter's latest reply.

Just as he was about to type something back with a smile on his face, his dad snatched the phone away. There was a flash of panic in Johnny's mind as his dad held his phone while the message string with Carter was still open. The screen went dark and Johnny held in the sigh of relief. 

"You heard your mom. No screens."

Johnny nodded innocently. "Got it. I'll keep it in my pocket," he promised, extending his hand out to get his phone back.