Wouldn't It Be Nice

Acepilot

8 - * - * - 8

Chapter 2

8 - * - * - 8

After dinner, Alysa and Ty had taken on tea-and-coffee duties in the lead up to desert, which would be eaten a little later. Their parents had retreated to her Dad's study, and Susie had a good idea what they were talking about, so she decided to try and allow herself a quiet moment, to relax with her fiance and siblings in the lounge room. This was made much easier by the fact that the newer generation, fuelled all of Christmas day by the adrenaline and excitement that presents brought, were beginning to drop like flies into the nearest comfortable lap. Buster's son Randy Jr. had chosen her to fall over on, partly, she suspected, because she was sitting on the floor at Angelica's feet and he therefore didn't need to expend any effort into getting up onto the couch.

She could empathise with him. Between the long day they'd had, and the fact that Angelica was massaging her scalp in a very soothing manner, Susie was beginning to feel very, very relaxed.

"So, getting married, huh?" Buster said, finally breaking the silence that had settled upon the collected siblings. "How long have you been planning that?"

"It was quite recent," Susie told him. "We've talked about having kids before, of course, but it's only been a couple of weeks since Angelica proposed."

"I thought so," Edwin nodded.

"You thought what?" Angelica asked, looking up from Susie's hair to her brother.

"I figured it was you who proposed," he said.

"Why?" Susie asked, genuinely curious. "Why couldn't it have been me?"

"Is it because I'm the 'man', Edwin?" Angelica asked.

Edwin was saved from having to step on that land mine by the return of his big sister and her husband, laden down with trays of tea and coffee, which they distributed into the once again silent room.

"So do you two have any plans worked out for the wedding yet?" Alysa asked.

Susie tilted her head up to look at her fiance, who shrugged. "We've had a few discussions."

"The North City Rest," Angelica said, naming the most expensive and presitigious hotel in the county. "Nothing but the best for my girl."

"Very posh," Alysa agreed, nodding slowly. "Careful you don't spoil her too much or she'll never want to come home."

Buster chose this moment to cut into the conversation with a distinct lack of grace or subtlety. "You two sure you aren't too young for children?"

Susie picked up the tone in her brother's voice straight away. "No moreso than Alysa and Ty were," she told him.

Buster nodded, slowly. "Hadn't thought of it like that, I guess."

"Hmm." Angelica muttered.

The air of strained politeness was starting to get to Susie in the worst way, and the effectiveness of Angelica's fingers was starting to notably wear off. Part of her wished her parents would come back out into the room, just to give everyone something else to focus on.

"What if you have a boy?"

"Pardon?" Angelica asked, turning to face Edwin.

"Just...wondering. What if you have a boy? Or are you going to do it via IVF? To make sure?"

"Why do you think we wouldn't want a son?" Susie asked.

"Well, because...well, because you're both girls."

"Alright," Susie said, feeling something in her finally snap, "let's stop dancing around things here. Does anyone have anything they want to say about me and Angelica getting married and having a kid? And let's all be honest here. No holding back. If you've got something to say, let's hear it."

There was deathly silence for a moment, and she could see Ty, Marianne and Isla exchange looks as if conferring in silence to leave the Carmichaels alone. But no-one stood.

Finally, Buster sighed.

"I don't agree with the idea of a child not having a father," he said. "I just don't think it's right."

Susie nodded. She was not entirely surprised by this. She had known it was coming. But it was alright. Her siblings were entitled to thier many and varied views.

"A lot of kids don't have fathers," Angelica said, slumping back into the couch and looking ever so slightly like she used to before breaking into a sulk. "And a lot of single mothers do just fine. By that logic, we'll do twice as well."

Buster stared at her for a moment, before shrugging. "Whatever. It's not like my opinion is going to make a big difference here, anyway."

Before Angelica could respond to that, however, her father stepped into the room. "Susie, your mother and I were wanting to talk to you."

Susie tilted her head back to look Angelica in the eye and try to plead with her to play nice. Angelica rolled her eyes and nodded, allowing Susie to gently dislodge Randy Jr. from her lap and rise up, trying to shake the pins and needles feeling out of her feet. "Sure thing, Dad," she said, following him out of the room and toward his study.

"I'm sorry about how it kind of came out at dinner - we haven't been having much luck with that today," she told him as they walked. "Lil accidentally spilled the beans across the road as soon as she and Phil worked it out. I thought Charlotte was going to faint for a moment, but then she was all about wedding plans and stuff. Angelica's got this crazy idea about the North City Rest, but I'm not entirely convinced we'll be able to pull that one off. We'll see how it goes, I guess."

When she paused to take a breath, Susie realised two things: for one, she was rambling. Secondly, the reason she was rambling was because she was the only person actually involved in this conversation: her father hadn't said anything.

Her hopes sinking a little, she followed him into the study, where her mother sat in the chair behind the desk. She looked as though she had been crying.

Susie took a deep breath.

She had told Phil and Angelica both that she was confident her parents would come through for her. She hoped that she wasn't about to be proven wrong.

"Susie, we want to have an open and honest conversation with you about this...situation that you're putting yourself in."

"Okay," Susie said, "what about it?"

Her parents exchanged looks that suggested neither wanted to be the first to speak, but finally her father turned to face her again. "We think that you're rushing into things, that you haven't thought this all the way through."

Susie raised an eyebrow. "I've been with Angelica for about five years, Dad. I've been living with her for three. I'm no younger than Edwin was when he got married and had a kid. Or Buster when he became a father. Or the two of you, for that matter. Angelica and I have talked about this, at length. We didn't just impulsively decide to do this, it's something we both really want."

"You think that now," her mother said. "But how do you know this isn't something that you'll come to regret later? A child is a big thing to have responsibility for."

Susie shook her head. "I know that, Mom. Why wouldn't I?"

Her parents stared at her.

Susie took a very deep breath. There was no more dancing around this issue, there were no more delaying tactics left. "This is beacuse it's Angelica, isn't it?"

Her mother's eyes finally locked with hers for the first time in the whole conversation. "Yes, it is. We both think this is a big mistake, that starting a family with Angelica is something you'll regret later. We don't want to see you jeapordise your future on her."

"Angelica has been my girlfriend for half a decade. She works hard, and makes more than either of you in a year. She loves me, and I love her, and we're ready to take this next step. So, with all that in mind, the only reason I can think you'd be objecting is because she's a girl."

There was a long pause before her mother sighed. "I know you think that it's normal, and maybe it is for you. But the world doesn't work that way, sweetheart. You and Angelica had something together in college, I get that, but what are you going to do in a few years, when you finally do meet a man you'll want to settle down with? How are you going to explain that you've got a child with another woman?"

"You think I'm just with Angelica because I've not met the right guy yet?" Susie asked, the sadness and cautiousness that had hung over her throughout this conversation slowly giving way to a slow burning anger. Incredulity began to slip into her voice. "When you told Grandma you were going to marry Dad, did she ask you if you had thought about what would happen when you met a nice white guy, because that would be better for you socially?"

Her mother's eyes flashed with anger and Susie knew she had perhaps pushed a bit hard. But part of her didn't care. "Susie, you think you want this, but you need to think about things realistically."

"I've heard this speech before," Susie told her, turning away. She couldn't quite bring herself to look either of her parents in the eyes. "Every time I wanted to do something to do with singing or art or dancing I would get the 'but think about it' speech. You gave up a career in singing to become a doctor, and I get that was the right thing for you. But now as a result of that I've spent my whole life being pushed to follow in your footsteps. And I have. I let you talk me out of being a singer, and out of being a teacher, and out of being a musician. But you will not talk me out of this because it doesn't conform to your view of what I should be."

She could practically hear her father's nostrils flare. "Listen up, young lady. We have pushed you all your life only to make sure that you made the decisions that were best for you."

"No, they were the decisions that were best for you. You saw your life and it was so good that you wanted me to have it too. Well, guess what? I can. I'm going to be a doctor. And I'm going to be a great doctor, at that. But I'm also going to get to have my perfect marriage, whether you like who I choose for it or not."

"Damn straight," Angelica's voice cut in from the doorway, all three Carmichaels turning to face the young blonde. "I think the great tragedy here is that for how much you always said you were proud of her, how much you tried to get her to follow in the path you set for her, you still don't trust Susie's judgement. Either she's got her head on straight or she doesn't, I don't think you should have it both ways, and I say she very much does. Of course, I would say that, since she agreed to marry me after all."

"I don't think you have any place in this conversation," Lucy told Angelica, "it's none of your business."

"I've gotta disagree with you there," Angelica said, her voice cooling several degrees. "You see, whether you like it or not, I'm going to spend the rest of my life doing whatever I can to make Susie happy. She's going to be my wife. So her happiness is very much my responsibility. And when I think something - or someone - is threatening that happiness, you can bet your bottom dollar that I am going to be here to help her. Everything about this conversation is my business."

Susie took a long step sideways to stand shoulder to shoulder with her fiance, slipping her hand into the blonde's. "Mom, Dad, we're getting married, next year. And we would love it if you would come and be there. If you don't, or can't...I won't say that I'll understand. But I hope that you can find a way to understand that this...this is me finally doing what will make me happy, not what will make you happy. And I hope you can love me regardless."

The look of paralysed shock on her parents faces remained there so long that it burned itself into her memory, before she finally squeezed Angelica's hand and turned away, walking away from her stunned parents and back toward the lounge, to get the things she and Angelica had left there. She had a strong feeling that today was very much over, and that her parents and her both needed time and distance.

She heard Angelica tell her parents, in her brightest and bubbliest voice, "Merry Christmas!" before shutting the study door and following her.

8 - * - * - 8

Eight months later...

8 - * - * - 8

"Stop fidgeting," Lor ordered.

"I can't help it," Phil muttered. "I hate these stupid suits."

"I'm not a big fan of this get up either," his girlfriend told him, indicating her own very nice dress, "but if I'm putting up with it then so are you, buddy."

"It's nice to have a sympathetic girl at my side."

She rolled her eyes but leant over and gave him a kiss on the shoulder. "You're a big, well-behaved boy and I'm very proud of you for wearing the suit. Now sit still and shut up."

Whether Phil would have succeeded in following this suggestion, the pair never found out, as there was a tap on his shoulder. He turned around to see Kimi Finster. "Hey, Kim. What are you doing out here?"

"Your presence is requested by the bride," she told him, "so if you could kindly come with me?"

Phil looked wary. "You make that sound nice and ominous. Which bride?"

"Angelica. She wants to know if you think her nail polish matches her dress," Kimi said, to her credit completely straightfaced. "Susie, you dope. Come on."

Phil rose from his seat, leaning down momentarily to kiss Lor. "I'll be back. I hope."

"If you don't survive, I'll wait six months before I date anyone. Unless he's really cute."

Phil stuck his tongue out at her as he followed Kimi away from the congregation and toward the back of the hall. "What's going on?"

"Susie just...needs to talk to you about something," she said.

Phil had an uneasy feeling settling in his guts. "Right."

When they arrived at the door to Susie's ready room, Kimi gave his shoulder a squeeze and slipped off toward Angelica's. Phil took a deep breath and knocked on the door. "It's Phil."

"Come in."

He winced at the sound of her voice, pushing the door open and slipping inside.

The room was extremely nice - not surprisingly, he'd hardly expected Angelica to get married anywhere other than the very best. The North City Rest was not cheap but by god, it was worth it. Susie was seated in an armchair worth more than Phil made in a month, her head tilted back and staring at the ceiling.

Phil sat on the end of one of the room's two beds. "Hey."

"Hi," she said.

Neither said anything further for several minutes. They simply sat there. Phil drummed his fingers against each other. Susie pinched the bridge of her nose.

"I didn't really expect them to come."

Phil bit his lip rather than call her on the lie.

"I mean, Mom's never exactly been shy with her...views on this wedding."

"No, she hasn't," Phil agreed. "Still doesn't give her the right to let you down like this."

"I didn't want to drive a wedge in my family like this," she said. Phil wasn't entirely sure she'd heard a word that he'd said. "It wasn't my intention. I just wanted to get married, you know? Start a family with the woman I love."

"I know."

Susie looked up at him. "If this is hurting so many people, is it really the right thing to do?"

Phil got up from the bed and walked over to her. "Seems to me that the person most hurt is you. So I think it's your call. Do you want to marry Angelica?"

Susie nodded, tears brimming in her eyes. "More than anything in the world."

"Then it's definitely the right thing to do," Phil told her, putting both hands out in front of her. She placed hers in his and allowed herself to be pulled up out of her chair. "If I wipe your tears away am I going to ruin some elaborate effort of make up?"

She laughed, just a little, but it was enough. "No, I think we should be safe."

Phil fished a clean hanky out of his pocket and dabbed at her face, before offering it to her and letting her blow her nose. "You should consider yourself lucky. Most peoples exes wouldn't let them get snot all over their accessories."

Susie smiled at him. "Do most peoples exes act as fill-ins for absent fathers?"

Phil shrugged. "No, but I'm sure I could make an exception." He kissed her softly on the forehead. "Let's get you married."

She smiled and the two of them left the room, working their way through the North City Rest toward the function room where the grand event would be taking place. "So, you and Lor talking about marriage yet?"

He snorted. "Highly doubtful. We're only eight months in. And neither of us are really 'marriage' kind of people. So for the time being it's really not in the plans."

Susie snorted at that. "You'd be surprised, Phil."

By the time they arrived at the sortie, Kimi was tapdancing nervously. "Thank god you two are here. Angelica is already halfway down the aisle. It was almost going to be something out of a bad TV show."

"Ye of little faith," Phil ridiculed. "Don't trip over."

Kimi stuck her tongue out at him.

8 - * - * - 8

Susie Carmichael concentrated on taking deep breaths, putting one foot in front of the other, and clenching Phil's fingers like a lifeline to reality. She thought she might in fact float away.

At the far end of the aisle stood Angelica Pickles, looking to all the world her confident, unflappable self. All the world but Susie, anyway: she could see that her bride was nervous by the little facial tics and eye movements that would be all but invisible to everyone else. It comforted her a little to know that she wasn't the only one feeling that way.

When they got to the front, Phil kissed her on the cheek - before leaning across and doing the same to Angelica - and strode quickly over to take his seat next to Lor. She only caught most of it out of the corner of her eye, though, as she was too busy staring at the blonde in front of her.

All thoughts of her absent parents and their fight, of the problems they might face and the issues they might have, flew out of her head, because in that moment she knew very clearly what was next for them.

They were going to get married, and have a child. At least one. And they were going to move into the house they'd been looking at on the northern edge of town, near the hospital so Susie could be close to work. They were going to be a family. They were going to be in love.

They were going to be happy.

Susie Carmichael and Angelica Pickles had plans.

8 - * - * - 8

Sorry this took so long, it's pretty inexcusably late. I've been caught up in other projects - moving city, working on music, other stories, finding a job, that kind of thing. Anyway, things are getting back on track now. This story has been something I've wanted to write for a very long time, of course, and I'm so glad to have finally finished it. The "had plans" line is of course a throwback to the earlier stories as well as this one - this does form a trilogy with "The Best Laid Plans" and "The Gruen Transfer".

This story also, of course, ties in with Tertiary and the forthcoming From Here On, in which Susie and Angelica and their son, Sean, will be recurring characters. Lord Malachite and I are putting the finishing touches on the first few episodes and hope to have them out in the near future. We've set up an account especially for it (currently called fromhereon) and will be posting snippets and specially written 'previews' there soon. Keep your eyes peeled.

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed Wouldn't It Be Nice and I always appreciated feedback, on the couple, the story or anything else you read here.

Acepilot (10/09/11)