A/N: This a Desperate Housewives fanfic that I wrote for fanfictioncritiquegroup. Project had to include lyrics: "I learned it a little too late" and "there is no horizon we shall not pursue." Also the lines, "I just don't know" or "Shake it like a polaroid picture." Must include a fight, interpreted however. Must be between k-MA and 990-9900 words. And a secret was optional.
No matter how confident we are in our decisions and the paths we take, we always wonder what might have been. For my friends on Wisteria Lane, the images of what could have played out in their lives come up all too often. For Lynette Scavo, she found herself daydreaming about what her life would have been without her children.
Lynette rushed around the kitchen, sipping her cup of black coffee and gripping her proofs. With her shoulder to her ear she pushed her cell phone to her lips, "I don't care if the meeting was moved to nine-thirty, and I want my crew there for the overview in fifteen minutes. If you have to come in your pajamas and change into a suit later I want to see your groggy little faces in the board room!"
Tom took her phone and ended the call, kissing her on the cheek. "Honey, I don't know why you're stressing about this meeting. I know the clients are going to love what you've made up for them."
"Oh, trust me I know they're going to love what I've made up for them, but this should have been something my crew and I made up for them. That's why I have a team, for help." She placed her coffee cup down on the counter and faced her husband, wrapping her arms around him.
"I think you should punish them by being late for your meeting." He pressed his fingertips into her hips.
"Tom this is serious, I'm really ticked off here. I mean, it's what I'm paying them for is it not? To help me? To come up with ideas that I might not have been able to come up with on my own?"
"You're right this is a matter we should take into our own hands!" He lifted her onto the counter and squeezed his gorgeous wife tightly as he kissed her.
She lifted her tight pencil skirt so she could allow her husband between her thighs. As her elbow went back she knocked over her cup of coffee and their romance ended with a clank. "Oh geez, Tom," she shook her head, "You know what, complete accident." She smiled and kissed her husband, hopping down from the counter to clean up the mess they had made.
Tom looked down at his watch, "Oh babe, we're going to be late. I don't want see that team of yours clawing your eyes out for calling them to a meeting you don't show up to."
She threw her rag into the sink, "You're right, let's get the move on." She goose pinched her husband as they raced to the front door. Lynette stopped to lock up. A high pitched giggle danced across the air from the house of Bree Van de Kamp Hodge. Lynette turned to see Orson and her dear friend Bree hovering over the newly born son Benjamin. A tingling sensation built up in the back of Lynette's throat as she watched the happy couple place their son into his car seat. She looked over at her adoring husband who was getting into the driver's side of the car. A tear hit her hand and she realized that she was crying. She looked down at her aged hand, noticing the age spot that had developed between her index and middle knuckle. She placed her hand on her stomach and desperately looked up for her husbands eyes. She let out a sob, "Tom, I want children!" She let out a sigh, "I learned it a little too late."
Even though Bree Van de Kamp Hodge loved her new dear husband, Orson, she found herself yearning for the perfect family she always wanted with her first husband, Rex. She wanted to be the example of a traditional conservative Christian family. Yes, what would have happened to my friend Bree if her first set of unanswered prayers had been granted?
"Bree, does this tie go with this shirt," Rex held up a salmon striped black tie to his baby blue button up.
"Oh Rex darling you know that tie doesn't go with that shirt," Bree walked away from her vanity to Rex's top drawer to try to find a tie that would best suit his shirt for this the evening at the country club. Her dress flowed behind her, the same color as Rex's shirt, gliding rather than walking. She picked up a yellow tie from the drawer and helped Rex put it on, "So, what are we going to the club tonight for?"
"Just a small gathering. I talked Andrew and Danielle into coming."
"That wouldn't have been too hard. They've done their chores and their homework; I know they would love a night out with their friends at the club."
"They seemed excited to go."
Bree smiled as she finished the knot, "Good." She placed a kiss on her husband's lips and glided back to the vanity. She placed her fingertips on the stem of her wine glass. Condensation was dripping down making it hard to have a graceful hold. She had finished her bottle of red wine earlier today and was working on the whites. She felt the warmth of alcohol running through her body.
"Mom," Andrew peeked his head into the room, "Can you help me with my tie too?"
Bree moved her hand away from the glass quickly and looked up at her son, who was dressed in perfection like always. "Of course, honey." She stood up helping Andrew loop and swoop his tie, "Is your sister ready?"
"Yes mom, she looks very nice too, but not as beautiful as you look tonight," Andrew smiled at his mother.
"Thank you, Andrew. That was very sweet." She patted his chest, "There, you're all done. Go get your sister please and meet us down stairs, we'll be ready to go in just a few moments."
The Van de Kamps drove to the club. Bree was quiet; the feeling of wine sloshed in her stomach over pot holes, and swirled around turns. She had to keep her poise, but she could feel nausea setting in.
Once inside the country club, Bree looked for the any type of cracker h'orderves. She watched her family make small talk with the people that they have to make small talk with if they wanted to keep their social status.
Eventually, her stomach pain went away and she was ready for another glass of wine. She walked by the open bar to see what they had to sample. She saw wines of all sorts. Reds, blushes, and whites. She giggled to herself thinking about it, the colors of the wine can turn your face that color after too many. She then thought she knew she was drunk if she was laughing at that, but she ordered a glass of Merlot anyway. She turned to face the crowd that was gathering. Susan Mayer was with her daughter. Bree rolled her eyes. Even though Susan was her friend Bree knew that the only reason Susan had a membership here was because her ex-husband, Carl, is renowned lawyer in town. She looked at all the people who she thought didn't belong. Carl, was there as well, the cheating husband, adultery should be a crime. Edi Britt, was laughing in the corner trying to form alliances with future clientele, the tramp, doesn't she know that there is a skirt length dress code? Bree's eyes made it back over to her perfect husband, who was talking to a man by the music speakers. He was perfect. Perfect one night a week sex, perfect man to ignore you as you knit and he reads the paper, the perfect father of their perfect children who wouldn't get out of her perfect butt. Bree shook her head. She was drunk, and she shouldn't be thinking those things about her family. She placed her empty glass down on the bar behind her.
The speakers squeaked and Bree heard her husband's voice boom, "Bree Van de Kamp." The spotlights found her, and she felt the heat of not only the lights but the heat of the people around her staring into her.
"Happy anniversary sweetheart."
Everyone clapped for her, and she forced out a smile. The heat was causing her to feel sick again.
Rex walked to her and knelt down in front of her, "Bree Van de Kamp, will you make me the happiest man on Earth, again?"
Bree blushed as the heat rose from her stomach and through her lips. A look of sheer horror struck her face as she looked down her husband who was now covered in vomit.
Susan knew that Carl still had feelings for her. Before Carl was going to marry Edi he had told Susan that he was still secretly in love with her and would call off the wedding if she would remarry him. On lonely nights she thought about what her second chance with Carl could have been.
"So, um, Susan," Gabby danced in the awkward air sitting across the bar from Susan. "Oh Susie," she tried to give her most friendly tone, "Is it weird being back with Carl, you know, with Mike still living down the street?"
Susan placed her drink down on the bar, "You know, I thought it might be, since I do still have feelings for him and all, but I also have feelings for Carl who was my first husband. So, I just don't know. I guess we'll have to see how it plays out." Susan lifted her margarita glass to her lips and sipped on the frozen lime drink, popping her lips afterwards.
"This isn't really a situation to wait and see how it turns out."
"Hey did I invite you over for margaritas and gossip or did I invite you over to analyze my marriage?"
"I was just saying you don't seem too sure about this. I just want you to be happy, Susan." Gabby smiled and placed her hand on top of Susan's.
"I'll be fine, thank you." Susan slurped her last bit, "Do you want another one of these? I can blend us some more."
"Oh, no that's okay. Two is my limit on weekdays. I should be going though. I'm sorry if I ruined your night."
"No, you're fine. Carl will be home in a few minutes so I should clean this up. Thanks for coming over."
"Anytime," Gabby kissed Susan's cheek and placed her clutch under her arm. "My house for poker this week?"
"See you there," Susan smiled and walked Gabby to the door. Once she was gone Susan began to clean up the kitchen and prepare for making Carl a nice macaroni and cheese dinner.
About fifteen minutes had passed and just as Carl walked through the front door, Susan was placing the bowl of steaming macaroni noodles on the table, "Hi honey, how was your day?"
"Oh Susie-Q, you really didn't have to make macaroni and cheese again," he paused, "this week," another pause, "or ever."
"Carl," Susan grumbled.
"You know I'm just messing with you girl, but really, I think I'm good for dinner tonight. I'm just going to head to bed." He placed his jacket over the back of a kitchen chair, "Does Julie need help with her homework?"
"No she's staying over at a friend's house tonight."
"Even though it's a school night?"
"Yes, I allowed her to."
"Alright Susie, I'm going to head up to bed, see you up there in a bit." Carl squeezed Susan tightly into a bear hug.
She hugged back but felt pain in her stomach. She had had surgery for her wandering spleen just a few weeks before and she was still going through some healing. She constantly had to remind Carl that she wasn't bouncing back from it as fast as they both would like. He must have forgotten tonight. As soon as Carl walked up stairs Susan curled up in pain, bracing herself on the counter. She tried to think of something that would ease it. She didn't want to go to the hospital at risk of seeing her ex-lover surgeon, and she didn't want to tell Carl because he'd make her go. She remembered that she had saved some codeine for painful flare ups. She quickly scavenged through the medicine cabinet and found her orange prescription bottle. After downing a pill she hobbled over to the sofa, hoping to relax it off. Minutes had passed and her head began to spin.
Carl came down the stairs in boxers, and scratching himself, "Hey, Susie-Q, you coming to bed, or not?"
Susan lifted her heavy head, "Oh, no schwe-sweetie. I think I'm going to get some fresh air before I go up sch-tairs."
Carl passed gas and elephant stomped back up stairs, "Alright, see you when I see you."
Susan scrambled to the door, trying to stay upright as she walked. She walked to the middle of her yard and took a deep breath.
"Susan?" Mike was across the street taking Bongo for a late night walk.
She lifted her head, her heart pounding into the back of her throat. She had longed to hear his voice again for weeks and now that she has she didn't know what to say back. "Oh hey, Mike."
"Are you okay?" He walked across the street to her.
Anything, she thought to herself. Just say anything. "Sch-ake it like a po-la-roid, Mike Delfino!"
"What?" He stopped on the sidewalk in front of her house.
She knew that wasn't exactly what she had practiced in her head for weeks. She felt the grogginess take over, and fell onto her lawn.
"Susan!" Mike ran over to her, "Susan, can you hear me?" He took her head into his hands. "Susan, have you been drinking?"
"I had some mar-gar-shritas."
"What else did you have?"
"I took," she closed her eyes, "some co-sheen"
"Codeine?"
Susan had fallen asleep in Mike's hands, snoring as if he were holding a bear instead of fragile woman.
Life does not always turn out the way we plan. Events in our lives can change us into people that we never thought we would be. For Gabrielle Solis, losing her first child was the even in her life that was going to change her. She began to doubt her choice to not have children with Carlos when they were able and madly in love. Yes, Gabby started to think about what it would have been like to have children with Carlos.
Gabby stood outside Briarcliff waiting for Charlie to run out the doors. It was his first day and Gabby had been pacing in front of the school all day. She held her clutch under her arm, standing straight, with a big smile on her face. She was ready to greet her son with open arms and lots of love. She stood on her tippy toes when she got a glimpse of Charlie's floppy hair. She watched him carefully bounce down the stairs, holding onto the rail like a good boy.
Charlie ran into Gabby's arms, "Mom! Oh my gosh, today was great!"
She kneeled down placing her hands on Charlie's cheeks, "Really baby? Tell Mommy about it."
"We talked about dinosaurs! And I got to learn about-about-about all sorts of stuff!"
Gabby held back the tears of joy, "That sounds fantastic honey! Want to walk home to tell daddy?"
"Oh my gosh, yeah mom! Dad is gonna wanna know about those dinosaurs."
Gabby held her son's hand and walked with him toward their home on Wisteria Lane. The kicked pebbles, and swung their hands in the beat of their walking.
As they approached their home, Gabby lifted Charlie to carry him inside. She kissed him on the cheek and walked into her beautiful home.
"Hey there's my big man!" Carlos was already home for the day, as he planned to be every afternoon for the rest of Charlie's school career. Carlos held his son in one arm with Charlie sitting on his hip. "And there is my beautiful wife," Carlos pulled Gabby closer for a soft kiss.
Gabby smiled; she was happy, simply happy.
If we spend our time dwelling on what could have been, we will miss the life that we are currently living. Everyone would like to believe there is no horizon we shall not pursue, but sometimes the life we left behind is best left behind.
"Alright boys, upstairs we're about to start our card game," Lynette gave her boys a bag of chips and sent them upstairs with a smile on her face.
And even though we dream of something all our lives, when we finally get it we may find out that it did not live up to our expectations.
"So Bree, how is Orson?" Susan asked. Bree smiled, "Wonderful, just wonderful."
Perhaps, the life we never wanted turns out to be the one we wanted the most.
Gabby looked out window, watching Carlos walk along the sidewalk with Edi, longing to be where she was. "Right, Gabby," Lynette tapped Gabby on the shoulder. "Huh, what," Gabby came back to the game, "Yes, that's right."
We may long for a second chance, but in our hearts we know not to take it.
Susan placed her hand on Gabby's, whispering, "I know, I've been there and I hated it too."
At the end of our lives, when we get to see it all flash before us, will we be satisfied with the way it turned out?