They’d only been over at Ava’s less than an hour when she glanced out the window and noticed a pair of headlights slowly making their way up the lane. “Who in the world could that be?”
Shortly after the remark left her lips, she noticed a bright yellow emergency services rig pulling into the yard. “It must be Aiden,” she said.
The door flew open minutes later and Shane blasted through the door with a heavily-covered bundle in his arms. Aiden followed closely behind. “Hi, Mom. Can’t stay but thought it best if Shane and Carson weren’t alone in this.”
Ava drew her youngest son into her arms and helped him undo the blanket. Soon, a little face appeared with a big smile on his tiny dimpled face. Carson let out a delighted coo and then stuck his thumb in his mouth, completely content and unaware of danger.
Ava pulled Aiden into a grateful hug. “Thank you, son,” she said. “I would have worried.”
Tom pointed out the window. “Here comes somebody else.”
Ava burrowed her brows into a concerned frown. “Who else is out there in this?”
In unison, Katie and Willa answered her. “It’s Evan and Christel.”
Ava didn’t know whether to be extremely happy they would all ride out this storm together, or to feel concerned that her family would take such risks in order to gather. She shook her head. None of that mattered now. What mattered is that everyone was here, and they were all safe.
“I can’t stay,” Aiden announced. Despite groans of opposition, he gathered a few water bottles from his mother’s refrigerator and headed for the door, promising to stay in touch.
“Are you sure you’ll be all right?” Wimberly Ann asked, wringing her manicured hands with worry as he closed the door behind him. “It’s so dangerous out there.”
Mig pulled his girlfriend into a shoulder hug. “He’ll be fine, honey. This is what Aiden does.”
Ava swept a kiss along her son’s cheek on his way out the door. “Please don’t take any undue risks.”
Katie grabbed Willa by the hand. “What say we divert our attention from what’s going on outside? I propose we play a game.”
“A game?” her daughter said, looking more than a little skeptical.
“Yeah, a game,” Jon said, joining his wife. “Let’s play charades!”
Ava was with Willa. She doubted that a simple game would implement any meaningful diversion. Even so, she played along. “I’m in.”
Tom nodded. “Count me in.”
Wimberly Ann’s worried expression brightened. “Oh, that sounds fun.”
Mig begged off. “I need to keep an eye for incoming calls,” he explained. “Play without me. I’ll be the cheerleader.”
Shane quickly grabbed his favorite spot on the sofa. “You’re on.”
They divided up into teams with two captains…Jon and Shane. Evan, Willa, and Ava were on Shane’s team. Christel, Katie, and Wimberly Ann were Team Jon. They flipped coins for Vanessa, who ended up with Shane.
“Isn’t that unfair?” Willa asked. “I mean, that gives us an advantage.”
“Not really,” Ava quickly asserted.
Vanessa rolled her eyes and let out a playful huff. “Say what you might but I beg to differ. I am a master at charades.” She narrowed her eyes signaling a serious challenge was about to take place. “Game on!”
Vanessa stood. “Me, first.” She moved her hands like a camera then lifted four fingers in the air.
“A movie. Four words,” Willa shouted.
Vanessa nodded and held up one finger.
“First word,” Ava said, a little more sedately than her granddaughter.
Vanessa grinned and waved, then walked away like she was leaving.
“Goodbye,” Shane hollered. This caused little Carson’s eyes to pop wide open with surprise. They waited for him to cry, but all he did was smile.
Vanessa shook her head, silently urging for them to try again.
It took several more attempts before Vanessa motioned to pass and went on to the second word. She used her thumb and forefinger to indicate it was a short word. Before waiting for a reply, she motioned that the third word was also short.
Ava nodded. “Go on. We’ll fill those in.”
Vanessa smiled and held up four fingers.
Evan casually put his arm around his wife.
“Hey, no fraternizing with the enemy,” Jon said, grinning, but with a resolute look on his face.
Evan dropped his arm. “Gee, sorry. This family takes game night seriously,” he murmured.
Vanessa repeated her motion and held up four fingers. Immediately, she acted like she was getting blown by a strong gust. She mimicked being barely able to walk and shielded her face with her arm.
Willa crossed her arms against her chest. “Oh, that’s too easy. Wind.”
Vanessa nodded wildly and pointed to her niece. Willa had guessed correctly.
Evan leaned forward on his knees, cocked his head and grinned. “Gone With the Wind.”
Vanessa couldn’t contain her excitement. She jumped up and down. “Yes! That’s it!”
Ava looked between Evan and Vanessa. “How in the world did you get that?” She pointed to her sister. “From those clues?”
Evan shrugged. “Just lucky, I guess.”
Vanessa blew on her fingernails and shined them on her shirt in victory. “No luck needed. That was an exhibition of pure skill,” she taunted. She turned to face her sister. “I repeat…pure skill.”
They played like that for over an hour, surprising Ava at how she’d been wrong. The game was serving to keep their minds off the storm after all. She was just about to get up and serve up some snacks when a crash sounded just outside the multi-slide glass doors leading to the lanai and pool area.
They all rushed to the window and Ava flicked on the outside light to discover a tree limb in the pool, along with several pieces of Ava’s patio furniture. Leaves and smaller limbs were strewn across the tiles. Beyond the pool area was pitch black. A deep groaning howling sound sent warning that a savage storm continued to rage across the island.
Ava chewed her knuckle. The force of the wind was nothing to fool with. She could only imagine the damage it would leave behind.
Mig tossed his phone to the counter. “Service is gone.”
“Maybe we should turn on the television,” Christel suggested.
Evan picked up the remote and the television thankfully flickered on. The weatherman looked harried. He ran his hand over the top of his hair as he announced, “It won’t be until morning that we know the extent of this storm and the resulting damage. I think we can safely say the destruction is expected to be extensive.”