I'll Be Your Superhero

Momma's Boy

Chapter 8

It was game night at Macy's house.

It started off like any normal Friday. Macy woke up, got out of bed and then began her morning routine. It wasn't until after she was done that she finally smelled the coffee brewing downstairs.

Her parents didn't like coffee. So who would be making coff-

Her thoughts left behind, Macy raced down the stairs and threw herself into the arms of the person brewing coffee.

He hugged her back tightly and she wrapped her legs around his torso as she buried her face in his neck. "God, I missed you," she whispered.

"I missed you too, Munch. I missed you too."

It was then that the tears struck Macy's eyes and she was so happy, that she was crying. Her big brother was home. He was home from serving over seas. He was okay.

Her tears turned into sobs as she gasped for breath. "Shh, Munch, I got you, I'm home now and I'm not going anywhere. I promise." She nodded and just held him tighter until her crying calmed.

They chatted for hours, not even allowing Macy to go to school. School wasn't as important as her brother. She could go back to school on Monday. By then, her brother could be called in. She needed to spend as much time as she could with her brother.

It came time for game night and the doorbell rang. Macy got up to get it and there stood Phoebe, Max, Nora and Billy. She let them in and Phoebe placed the chips she brought on the coffee table. As soon as she set them down, Macy's brother placed his hands over her eyes.

"Um, who's this?" she asked warily, standing straight.

"I'll give you one hint," her brother asked.

"Ronan!!!" Phoebe exclaimed and turned around threw her arms around him.

"Hey Pheebs. Good to see you too."

"You're home!! When did you get home?!" Phoebe asked, still clinging to him.

"Really early this morning. I snuck into the house because it was so late."

Phoebe laughed and Macy smiled brightly. Max waited his turn to welcome Ronan home. They shook hands and bro hugged. "Hey man, glad you're back. Haven't seen you in ages."

"Right back at ya, bro. It's been too long."

Macy giggled before wrapping her arms around the two of them. "My favorite boys," she said, smiling and kissing both of their cheeks.

"Whoa, what're you talking about?" Ronan asked, confused.

Macy's arms dropped as she looked at Max. "You forgot to tell him, didn't you?" Max asked and Macy shrugged.

"I-I guess so...?" Max rolled his eyes and Nora and Billy laughed in the background.

"Tell me what?" Ronan asked.

Macy nervously bit her lip as she slipped her hand into Max's. "Max and I are...together, now. While you were gone and we moved, Max and I, well, things happened and we realized that we love each other." Max nodded, backing me up.

Ronan looked angry, to say the least. What hurt more is that he looked angry-hurt. "Wrong thing to say," Ronan burst into flames.

"Momma!" Max exclaimed, standing in fear.

Macy pushed Max back and used her water affinity to drench her brother. "Not. Cool. Ro. Not cool at all."

Ronan glared, "I'm going upstairs to get changed. This better have been faux."

The house was silent except for Ronan's retreating footsteps. "I'm-I'm sorry about him. I don't know what happened..." Macy apologized and Max wrapped his arm around her to comfort her.

The game was set up and soon everybody was on a team. Nora and Billy were together, Max and Macy and Phoebe and Ronan. They were playing Game of Life.

Ronan kept glaring at the best friends who had become a couple while he was away. He didn't like it one bit, if the scowl on his face hasn't told you anything.

Macy rolled the die and got a 6. "And I am going to choose a card....hey, I'm going to Europe! And I can take a person with me!" She smiled at turned to Max, "Hey Handsome, how about we go hit up Europe?"

Max smiled and took Macy's hand. "You got it, Beautiful."

"I think it's time we take a five minute break to talk strategy." Phoebe said, her hands on her knees. Macy nodded and led Max up to her room. Nora and Billy went into the kitchen and Phoebe and Ronan stayed in the living room.

Once in Macy's room, Max and Macy sat on her bed. "Mace, you're killing him."

"No, I'm just trying to win."

"But you're killing him. Mace, he just came back from being deployed in another country and he comes home to his little sister dating her best friend."

She frowned. She hadn't thought about that. "Well, we can't change that. I don't know what to do Maxy."

----

Phoebe and Ronan were sitting on the couch next to the widow. "Pheebs, I-I don't know what to do," Ronan groaned, his face in his hands.

"Talk to her maybe? Why are you even angry?" Phoebe asked, attempting to cool down his emotions.

"I'm mad that I wasn't here for her first boyfriend, her first kiss, her falling in love with her best friend. She would come home from school so love-struck when she was younger and tell me all about Max and all that she and the guys did at school. And-and...I missed it. I missed the beginning of everything all because I've been gone. And I didn't want to be. I don't want to be gone anymore. I'm missing so much of her life."

"Ro, she loves you like no tomorrow and you know that. So if you just talk to her about it, maybe it'll all blow over because you know she'll understand."

"You're-you're right, Pheebs. Wait, they're back."

----

The game started up again. It was Phoebe's turn to roll and so he did. She and Ronan shared a look and she moved her figure to the center of the board, to take the long way.

The younglings groaned, as did Max. "I'm never going to see my momma again."

Macy looked at the two of them confused. "What are you doing?"

"Getting you two to talk to each other. Talk this out. You guys are inseparable, this can't be the thing that breaks you," Phoebe said.

"Ro, look-" "Mace, I just wanted to say-" the siblings started at the same time.

"You go first," Macy said.

"I'm really sorry, Mace. I-I shouldn't have gotten so...mad. I was just upset that I was missing so much of your life and... I really want to be here for you but I can't always be here." Ronan explained.

"Ro, I know. And I should have told you earlier. I'm really sorry." Macy apologized.

"We good?" Ronan asked.

"We're good," Macy smiled and hugged him, him hugging her back.

"Yay! Game's back on! Let's do this thing!!!" Billy exclaimed as they continued the game.

Hours later, after much complaining from Max, the game was up to Nora to make it or break it. She rolled perfectly and landed in the middle. The end result was beautiful. It was just a mini light show.

Macy and Max kissed; Ronan sat back, smiling to himself; Phoebe was sleeping and Billy and Nora were raiding the fridge.

It was an amazing game. The game of life.