Suzie’s House 43: To Clear the Air

 Previously in Suzie’s house Ben helped his mom set the table.  Now they are sitting at the table for dinner, but it’s actually a few days later.  I’d link you to the episode involving Vin and Miranda, but it was on the newsletter as it wasn’t quite PG13 rated.

Everyone sat around the dining room table looking all stiff.  Ben thought maybe they should be eating in the kitchen at the kitchen table like he and Mom did before everyone moved in.  Then maybe everyone would go back to the way they were supposed to be.

Vin kept looking across the table at Miranda with these really sad eyes.  Whatever him and Miranda were arguing about before dinner must have got to him.  Miranda wouldn’t look at Vin.  She kept looking from Drew to Mom and back and talking about what she thought she might cook for dinner tomorrow.  It all sounded like leftovers to Ben, but he didn’t mind.  His mother’s leftovers were better than school food any day and miles better than the pizza his dad always fed him during visitations.

Drew and Mom both kept looking at him every few minutes, which made him nervous.  He didn’t think there was anything in his teeth or on his chin or anything, but he kept dabbing his napkin on his face in case he was wrong.  Probably they were just worried about him.

So far everything was ok.  Drew walked him to and from the bus stop, and the guy who shot Vin wasn’t there either time.  It was scary, but nothing was going to happen because they had each other, so why did they all have to be so tense.

He tried cracking a couple of jokes, but everyone just sort of smiled at him.  No one but him laughed.  After a while he gave up.

Then Vin leaned way off to the side.  His face scrunched up like he was in pain.  Ben thought maybe he was going to pass out or something.  Drew must have thought so too cause he got out of his seat at the head of the table and went over to grab Vin’s shoulders.

Vin unleashed the longest, loudest, most obnoxious fart Ben had ever heard.  It went on and on, stinking up the whole place.

“Whewhhh!”  Drew jumped back and fanned the air in front of his nose, making a face.

Ben couldn’t help it.  He started giggling.  Miranda held her hand over her mouth, but Ben could see her smile behind it.

“Vin!”  Mom said from the foot of the table.  She was trying to look all mom-like, but Ben could tell she wanted to smile too.

Vin just grinned and shrugged.  “A man has got to do what a man has got to do.” Like he didn’t mind at all.

Ben couldn’t help it.  Giggles turned into laughing and laughing turned into laughing so hard his stomach hurt and everyone else was laughing too.

Just like that everything was fine again.  Miranda wasn’t all stiff anymore and Vin wasn’t sad.  Even Mom and Drew were talking and smiling.

Nothing could ruin this home thing they had going.  Even when there were bad guys out there who wanted to kill them, and everyone got all tense it was still home.  Nothing could keep them from feeling good for very long.  Nothing could touch this.

Nothing.

The previous was Suzie’s House 42: A Little Understanding

This is Suzie’s House 43: To Clear the Air

Next is Suzie’s House 44: A Little Get Together