a/n: This takes place the summer after Alan's birthday party in Sons and Lovers. Also, I will switch POVs only when I start a new chapter. The character I'm doing will be at the Top.
Don
I dropped my coffee cup and repeated "Married...??" Dad and Natalie, his live in girlfriend, had gone on a summer cruise.
"Last night! The ship captain performed the ceremony" Dad said happily. How could he do this?? Was he ready? It wasn't too long ago that he kept mom's stuff in the garage!
"So it was uh...spur of the moment huh?" I made myself sound ..cheerful.
"I asked Nat when we took a helicopter ride the day before yesterday. "
"That's a uh..good place to pop the question! How's uh….married life?" I hadn't quite taken it in. Shock still affected me.
"Great! Though Nat's skipping dinner tonight to rest" he explained. "She felt tired and is worried about coming down with something."
"Oh..." It bothered me that he would remarry so soon!
"Where's Charlie? I tried calling him at home and at Cal sci"
"He's here...in the break room."
"Have him come to the phone. And don't tell him anything!!!!!"
"Okay..." I lied. I knew that to avoid problems, I'd have to warn my brother. He tended to say things without thinking when upset. "Hold on a sec."
"Don't take all day! The ship charges an arm and a leg per minute to use their damned phones." Dad warned me.
I almost ran to the break room. Charlie scribbled equations, and drank coffee at the table. His hair, uncut for some time, covered his face as he hunched over his work.
"Hey Buddy! How's it going?" I greeted him.
My brother started to ramble on about some 'illogical inconsistency', but I interrupted him.
"Charlie, there's something I gotta tell ya" I put on my serious tone. "It's about Dad."
"What..? Did something happen to him?" He looked at me with wide, worried eyes.
"Dad married Natalie on the ship" I said.
"Married???" He couldn't believe it. "Are you sure? Does it even count?"
"Unless Natalie is actually a Nathan, I'm afraid it does" I told him gently.
"Mom hasn't been gone that long!" he got upset. "How could he?" It was one thing for him to date, but another to take the plunge again.
"Charlie, listen, Dad's waiting to tell you the news. I need you to pretend that you don't know a thing and that you're thrilled when he does tell you."
"No!" he shook his head. "I can't get my head around it. Tell Dad that I left and you couldn't find me"
"Charlie…."
"Why?" He wailed.
"Shhh…easy .." I comforted him. My brother's voice had gone up a few decibals.
"What's going on?" Megan asked, running in. My brother's wailing seemed to have gotten her attention.
"My father just made the biggest mistake of his life!" Charlie lamented.
"Natalie and my father just got married" I explained to Megan. "On the ship"
"Oh...!" she said neutrally.
"Come on buddy, go say congratulations to Dad. He's on the phone. You can complain all you want afterwards" I urged him.
"Congrats for what? Making a horrible mistake?" he shook his head.
"They've been living together for a while buddy." I said, mostly to calm him down. "It's not as if he met her yesterday while playing shuffleboard."
"Dad's gonna regret this!"
"Charlie's too upset. Maybe he should talk to your dad later?" Megan suggested. I agreed. Charlie was gonna say something regrettable, and that was the last thing I wanted.
Reluctantly, I went back on the phone, and told Dad that Charlie seemed to have left.
"If you see him, tell me that I called, will ya?" In his happiness, Dad believed me.
"Sure Dad. Say Hi to Natalie for me"
"I will"
Quickly, I returned to the break room, only to find Charlie gone, not that I was surprised. He needed time to process this. I know I did! At least before they were married, there was this hope, that Dad would break up with her.
"Want some coffee?" Megan offered casually.
"Sure"
She poured me a cup.
"How are you taking this?" Megan asked gently.
"I'm happy that Dad is happy" I told her. Mom's loss still hurt sharply. I wasn't ready for a stepmother. "Look, let's uh...get back to work"
She raised an eyebrow. I went back to my desk,cleaned up the mess, put my face in my hands and sighed.
"At least he didn't marry a mail order bride" I muttered dryly.
TBC
