Chapter 18: What Happens When It Rains

The knights must be some good luck charm or something. The weather had been beautiful ever since their arrival, the sun showing its face every day for more than three and a half weeks, never too hot, always breezy.

But then the run of luck came to an abrupt halt when the rainstorms hit Sydney. It had been raining for three days straight now. Not the polite drizzle kind of rain, but the fierce torrents of rain and wind. The most probable explanation was that Mother Nature had finally caught up with us and got thoroughly sick of Galahad's warped versions of the Bee Gees, which he belted out while he showered. Well, actually, after his showers as well, unfortunately.

Naturally, none of us wanted to venture out in this kind of weather. Only mum went out every morning to her yoga class (which she taught), then stayed out in some dry place till evening and joined us for dinner.

There were only four days till Le Divorce, and mum was acting as if it didn't exist. Seriously, I was more fidgety than she was. She hardly even acknowledged it, in fact, after having briefly announced it over the dinner table last week. She was so nonchalant about it that she could have been telling us that some archaeologist dug up a spoon somewhere in Egypt.

Geez. Didn't she even care about that fact that she was about to split from her partner of more than twenty years?

She was particularly early this morning, yelling something about getting a suit downtown before yoga and disappeared, while I was wrestling with Arthur for the last banana.

"What'd she say?" asked Christopher, finally emerging from the fridge having found his bottled Starbucks.

"She's getting a suit," replied Arthur.

"A swimsuit?"

"No, business suit, stupid," I rolled my eyes. "For the divorce, apparently."

"Ah, right."

In an effort to amuse ourselves when the rain started two days ago, we unearthed a brand new box of Sims 2 in the attic. We proceeded to rip it open and spent two thirds of the past two days fighting for the computer.

After breakfast, I began building a luxurious extension for my Sim with the entire household sitting around me, itching to throw me out of my seat.

"How come you're a billionaire?" pouted Galahad, whose Sim owned a tiny house with only a bed and a table to live on.

"Because I'm smart," I grinned. "Does zebra print look right with yellow?"

"No! That blue looks best," said Colette, poking the screen.

"When's my turn?" whined Gawain.

"Don't be a baby," teased Colette, patting him on the head. "It's my turn after Faye's."

Just then the front door slammed and we heard Franny's wellies screech as she skidded to a halt in front of the TV Room.

"I won! I won!" she shrieked, sending water flying off her raincoat as she did a funny dance.

"You won what, pumpkin?" asked Christopher.

"I won Puddles!"

"What's Puddles?" asked Arthur.

"It's a game, silly!"

"Oh."

"Franny!" called Dagonet from the hall. "Come here and take off your wellies, you're flooding the house."

Caught off guard, I screamed and fell face first onto the carpet when Gawain shoved me out of my chair and commandeered the computer.

"Hey! I'm not finished yet!" I protested, throwing myself at him in an attempt to push him away but he didn't even budge.

"Oh yes you are," Gawain made a face at me.

I scowled. "Cheat."

"I'm making hot chocolate with marshmallows," boomed Dagonet on his way to the patio with Franny's raingear. "Who doesn't want one?"

Silence.

"Okay, make yourselves comfortable and for heaven's sake get off that computer before you all go blind!" Dagonet stared sternly at Gawain, who groaned but obeyed.

Smugly, I turned off the computer and kicked Gawain playfully in the shin as he trudged away. The others snuggled cheerfully into beanbag chairs and puffy cushions. I joined Tristan on a gigantic fluffy purple cushion, leaning back against the sofa Arthur sat, cross-legged.

"Good morning," I smiled, and gave Tristan a cheeky peck on the cheek.

"Yuck!" called out Gawain.

"Jealous?" I said sweetly.

Tristan just shook his head and turned the TV on.

Galahad must have left us without us noticing, because he appeared suddenly, hauling a large paper box behind him.

"I found something!" he said excitedly.

"Oooh, Galahad found something!" teased Lancelot, trailing behind the box. Obviously he had only just finished his daily beauty rituals with his dark curls glistening.

"Your hair grew out again," I remarked as he sat down next to me.

"Yeah," he shrugged. "Might have to call Albert for an appointment."

"I like it that way," declared Colette from across the room with a flirty smile.

"Really? Looks like don't need to call Albert after all," winked Lancelot.

"You two are making me puke," I pretended to gag.

"My pleasure," he yelped as I hit him on his head.

"HEY! Aren't you interested in what I found?" asked Galahad.

"Very," nodded Tristan solemnly.

Arthur and Gawain snickered.

"Aw, come on, give poor Galahad a break," I spoke up in his defence. "What did you find, Galahad? Don't tell me, you found porn in dad's wardrobe didn't you?"

"FAYE!" yelled the whole room, unexpectedly.

"What?" I muttered weakly.

"Naughty girl," smirked Tristan. He didn't flinch when I punched him on the arm.

I shrieked when something solid hit me square in the face. I peeled it off my face and opened my mouth to yell at Galahad, but laughter took its place.

"Look!" I jabbed my finger at the laminated page. "It's Colette with her Cleopatra hair!" Heads crowded around my face and all hell broke loose.

Colette's eyes widened in alarm. "WHAT?"

Even Tristan chuckled when he saw the picture and I grinned evilly at Colette, who was stumbling over to my seat. I tossed the photo album to Gawain, who burst into peels of laughter.

"You were really cute, Colette," grinned Arthur. "Actually, you two looked more alike when you were kids."

"Yeah, until my beauty genes suddenly died off and migrated to Colette," I joked.

"Oh look! It's Christopher!" cooed Lancelot, peering intently into another album.

"You sound gay," snorted Galahad.

"Who sounds gay?" asked Dagonet, entering with a tray of colourful mugs. "What's this?" He raised an eyebrow at the big brown box.

"Photo albums!" I answered, waving mine above my head like a flag. "We're taking a trip down our memory lane. Thanks, Dag." I took a mug and sipped. "Ah, delicious."

"I want chocolate!" yelled Franny, bursting into the room in dry clothes. "Thanks Daggie."

"Watch out, it's hot," smiled Dag fondly.

"Ooooh photos!" said Franny excitedly, plopping onto Christopher's lap. "Let me see!"

And see we did. Um, that sounded weird. But we did.

We flipped through photos from our early years, and I had to smile at the goofiness of the photos. Even dad was in the photos- that was before he turned into Doctor Workaholic.

"You know, I sort of miss those days," spoke up Christopher.

I nodded. "Well, you'll have to go on missing them, they're not coming back."

We lapsed into companionable silence. I crawled to the box and dug deep until my fingers grazed a wooden cover. Closing my fingers around the wooden album, I pulled it out and gasped.

"What?" asked Galahad, instantly by my side.

"It's mum and dad's wedding album," I whispered, staring at the cover.

"'Eternally Jeanne and Ralph, 1983'," read Christopher. "Cheesy."

"Oh come on, big bro, those were the 80's," I rolled my eyes and flipped open the album. "Wow."

Franny made herself comfortable on my lap and gasped at the pictures.

"Your mother was really beautiful," murmured Tristan, peering over my shoulder.

"Is," I corrected him. "She's still beautiful."

"Mummy is beautiful," announced Franny belatedly.

"Yes, we know, pumpkin," Christopher kissed her head.

I smiled at the pictures of her in a divine white dress, practically glowing as she hugged her parents and friends at the celebration. And of course, there was dad, in a smart tux and his hair slicked back like Leonardo in Titanic.

"Dad was kinda cute, actually," admitted Colette.

"That sounds gross."

"Sorry."

We flipped through the engagement party, the wedding, the post-wedding dinner and I stopped short at a picture of my parents kissing in a balcony, the whole of Sydney sparkling below them.

"Geez, that's gorgeous," I breathed.

"Must have been a honeymoon suite somewhere," added Colette.

Turning over the page, two words caught my eye.

"'Shangri-La'," I read. "That must have been where they spent their wedding night."

Lancelot started talking about hotels downtown, but I wasn't listening. Something was humming in my mind. An idea. A shapeless plan. A determination.

"Do you have Jake's number?" I asked Christopher.

He looked up in surprise. "Sure, upstairs. Why?"

Tristan looked sharply up at me, and Galahad smirked. "Someone's jealous."

"It's important," I ignored the teasing. "Up you go, Franny."

"What's important?" called out Lancelot as I sprinted out of the TV Room.

"I have a plan!" I shouted, and ran upstairs to get my cell phone.

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"-so, who's chipping in?"

Galahad jumped up immediately. "Count me in."

"Me too," said Gawain.

"Why not?" shrugged Lancelot. "It's for a good cause."

Dagonet gave a firm nod and a grin, Arthur gave me a double thumbs-up, Tristan smirked.

I looked at Christopher and Colette. They rolled their eyes and said simultaneously, "Do you even have to ask?"

I grinned. "I love you guys."

Franny, who had been glued to Spongebob on TV, only caught my last line and hugged my legs. "I love you too, Faye!"

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"Doctor Ralph Parkhurst speaking."

"Hey, it's me," I said, crashing into the sofa with the mobile phone cradled between my ear and shoulder.

"Who?"

"Me."

"I'm sorry, I don't know any Me-"

I rolled my eyes. "I'm Faye."

Recognition flooded his voice. "Oh, hello sweetie. What can I do for you?"

Break off the divorce may be a good start.

"I'm just wondering if you'll be free this Sunday." I bit into a freshly baked chocolate muffin I stole from the kitchen. "Sunday evening."

"Why?"

"Well I'm just thinking that it would be nice for us- us as in the six of us- to have a dinner before- before, you know." Christopher should be proud of me. I sounded absolutely painful.

Dad paused. "Sure, I'd love to. Have you booked a table yet?"

"Yeah," I breathed a sigh of relief. "I booked a table at seven at the Shangri-La. Just ask the reception and they'll show you the way."

"Shangri-La?" Dad sounded surprised. "Do you know how much money I'll have to spend?"

"Oh, the dinner's on us," I said lightly. "Don't worry, we've got everything under control."

"If you say so," he said suspiciously.

"Relax. Just dress up nicely, and I'll see you there," I said. "Alone."

"Of course, of course."

"See you then."

"Love you, sweetie."

I found it hard to say the same. But I gritted my teeth and managed to say a quick "love ya, dad" and hung up.

"I'm back!"

"We're in the kitchen mum!" I yelled. "Dinner's about ready."

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"Okay, I'll be with you in a sec," called back mum.

I heard one of the guys yelling "hi Mrs Parkhurst!" as I continued to set the table with Tristan.

"Do you think she'll go?" I asked him.

He shrugged. "Hopefully."

I sighed. "Let's pray that she would put aside her damn pride for an evening."

I saw Tristan smirk from the corner of my eye. "What?" I asked, stopping to confront him.

"Nothing," he replied.

"You smirked just now."

"I always do," he answered smoothly.

"C'mon, spit it out, big boy," I sidled to his side and glared up at him, but I couldn't help the smile that was curving my lips.

He put down the last fork and faced me, his dark hair falling onto his face but I could see his eyes. "You're very much like your mother."

I tilted my head to the side and arced an eyebrow. "How so?"

"Your damn pride," he smirked again.

I laughed and pinched his arm half-heartedly. "You know me too well."

He grabbed me by the waist and stole a kiss. "My pleasure."

"Come on, you two! It's dinner time!"

We turned around and saw Dagonet grinning at us.

Tristan gave me a gentle push. "Go on."

I made a face at him. "Slavedriver."

"I'm going upstairs to change."

"Don't change," I protested, tugging the corner of his crumpled white shirt. "I like this shirt. It looks nice with your jeans."

Nice was an understatement. He looked hot, as usual. But well, he didn't need me to tell him. He knew it very well.

He smiled lopsidedly. "A compliment coming from you?"

I tossed my hair over my shoulder in mock snobbiness. "Take it or leave it."

He bowed jokingly. "I'm flattered, my lady."

"Geez, what an ego," I sighed dramatically.

Tristan gave me a look. "Now who's talking?"

But he didn't go up to change. I felt a ridiculous swelling in my heart that he actually listened to me.

As soon as Dagonet's famous lasagne left the oven, the whole house magically appeared at the table without being told, ready to do some serious eating. I waited till everyone was into their second helping before I decided to approach the Big Issue.

"Hey mum," I interrupted Arthur's enthusiastic dissection of Romeo and Juliet (the Leonardo version), which he just saw on TV. "Are you doing anything this Sunday evening?"

Mum scrunched up her face, and answered, "No. I don't think so. Why?"

I glanced at Tristan and he gave me a reassuring nod. "Well, I was just thinking we could have dinner at a nice restaurant."

"That's a lovely idea," chriped mum. "There's a Chanel dress I've been dying to wear anyway. Franny! You're eating like a wolf!"

Franny squealed. "I'm a wolf! Aaaawwoooooo!"

To my little sister's delight, both Galahad and Gawain joined in her howling, which nearly made her choke on her fish chowder.

I cleared my throat noisily, then kicked Galahad under the table, which finally shut him up.

"Actually," I said loudly. "I was thinking of a family dinner."

"We don't mind," added Arthur smartly.

Mum smiled kindly at him. "Are you sure? I bet there will be enough seats-"

"I already booked the table, actually," I cut in. "For six." I added nervously, meeting Christopher's eye.

Mum raised a newly shaped eyebrow. "Six?"

"Yeah, you know," Christopher came to my rescue. "Colette, Faye, Franny, me, you- and dad."

"A reunion dinner before the big day," added Colette quickly.

Mum looked at me, Christopher, then Colette, then said coolly. "Why not?"

"We'll take care of the details," I smiled. "You just need to dress up, show up, and eat up."

She reached across the table and squeezed my hand. "I'll be there. It's very thoughtful of you, sweetheart."

"Oh it's nothing," I said dismissively.

"Ah, I nearly forgot," said mum suddenly. "I got my suit this morning. Do you want to see it? I may have to take it downtown for a bit of tweeking."

"Sure," me and Colette said at the same time.

But trust me, you won't be needing it, I thought with a smile.

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I've struggled between two directions of the plot for some time, and I think I've made the right choice. This really is my last chapter before my exams, I hope you guys enjoyed it! Thank you for the fantastic reviews, and in case you didn't know, I've started a new story, Nudge. It's another Tristan story, which I'll continue after my exams.

That's all for now, everyone! Happy belated Easter!