Situations Change, Not People
This story takes place 10 years after the movie starts. Everybody's doing different things, they've all kinda gone their separate ways. Until Maureen approaches Mark while he's out with his wife on Christmas Day.
"December 25th, 1999...3pm, Eastern Standard time. For the 10th year in a row, I shoot without a script." Mark narrated as he pointed his new camera at his beautiful wife, Alexi Darling. To Mark's utter surprise, he was able to find love again after Maureen dumped him. He pounded out amazing footage for Buzzline week after week, making it hard for Alexi to resist his geekish charm. He was reluctant to date his boss at first, but as he always jokes now... "you know Alexi, she's just so damn pushy." Next Valentine's day will be their 8th wedding anniversary. Although that makes February 14th an uber special day, it'll always be somewhat tainted for the groom. The wedding was the last time his "family" had all been together. He hadn't seen Maureen or Joanne since. Last he heard... Joanne's law firm was doing very well and transferred her to Washington (Maureen went with). They didn't even bother to attend Collins' funeral 5 years ago. Before Collins past away, he, Mimi, and Roger had all gone to Santa Fe and opened up a restaurant like they planned. Mark didn't go because he couldn't give up Buzzline. Roger still calls Mark every once in a while... but he stopped visiting when he and Mimi finally tied the knot (again, Maureen and Joanne didn't show). And as for Benny? He's in jail now for some kinda fraud or something. Mark didn't know the details. Benny's whereabouts didn't matter much to him. Benny'd disappeared from his life long before that... when he and Alexi moved into a fancy loft in Manhattan, where they've been residing ever since.
"Hello, gorgeous!" Alexi smiled at the camera as her husband zoomed in on her pregnant belly. "Hello! Daddy loves you. What do you want for Christmas?"
"She wants to not be late for the show." Alexi answered for their first unborn child.
Mark frowned. He'd much rather shoot than go to some lame Broadway show with Alexi's business partner. He talked to the baby again, still filming "I guess daddy could shoot later. Oh, yes, yes, he could!"
"Oh," she snapped her fingers, remembering she had something to tell him. "Ava called before."
"And?"
"And she can't make it tonight. Her son's sick."
"Great," he said unenthusiastically. "We'll have an empty chair next to us then. I hope her place isn't taken by some freak."
"I'm sure the show will be freakless." She put her hand on his shoulder affectionately. "But we'll never find out unless we get a move on it."
"Alright, alright."
They kissed. "Thank you. Wear your blue tie, okay?"
He nodded although she had already walked out of the room before she could see his reaction. She probably just assumed he would do as he was told. He'd become somewhat of a lapdog over the years. Not that things were much different when it came to his relationship with Maureen. He just liked to play the submissive one, he guessed.