I had the best day ever, so I decided to update! Hehe! Anyways, thanks SO
much for reviews and birthday wishes! Keep 'em coming......well, not the
birthday wishes! Hehe, but definitely the reviews since I am really working
to break 150! Thanks so much, and ENJOY!
Disclaimer: they're not mine.
Chapter Twelve
"So you had to leave the kids with your parents?" Chandler asked later that night at the party.
Monica nodded tiredly, "THAT was an experience," she said softly.
"What do you mean?"
"I had to tell them I was dating again. They didn't take it so well," she said, sighing.
Chandler sighed along with her, "Why not?"
"Well," Monica said softly, "I don't know if I ever told you this, but Richard was my dad's best friend. And Dad didn't take his death so well. But he wasn't even there when I dropped them off, it was my mom who gave me hell. She's just always disapproved of me. I don't know why, but it's always been that way. But she kept saying I was disrespecting Richard and putting Ryan and Micaela at risk."
Chandler was silent, contemplating. Finally, he whispered, "Do you think you're disrespecting Richard?"
Monica shook her head, "I think.....no, I know, he would've wanted me to be happy."
Chandler grinned, "And are you?"
Monica smiled, "Very."
***
The next day, Monica and Chandler arrived, together, to pick up Micaela and Ryan from Judy and Jack Geller's.
Judy Geller opened the door with a smile that quickly faded into a cold frown when she saw that Monica was not alone. "And who is this man?" she asked.
Monica took a deep breath, and replied calmly, "Mom, this is my boyfriend, Chandler. I thought you and Dad might like to meet him."
Before Judy could respond, Micaela came running. "Chandler! Mommy!" she cried. Chandler grinned and knelt down, the little girl running into his open arms.
"Hey, Cae," he said, scooping her up, and ignoring Judy's bitter glance, "How was your night?"
Micaela shrugged, but she was smiling, "It was okay," she said, "Olivia cried A LOT! She's such a baby."
Chandler and Monica both laughed, "Well, she's a lot younger than you, sweetie," Chandler said, and, kissing Micaela on the forehead, told her, "Cae, why don't you go play with your brother while your Mom and I talk to your grandma for a second."
"Okay, Chandler," Micaela said.
Monica smiled at the sight. If this didn't show Judy that her kids loved Chandler, she didn't know what would.
Micaela ran back into the living room and Monica looked at Judy expectantly. Judy sighed, "Well, dear, it does seem as though Micaela likes your, erm, Chandler, is it?"
"Yes, ma'am," Chandler said, extending his hand, "It's very nice to meet you. Ryan and Micaela talk about their grandma all the time."
Judy nodded stiffly, "That's nice," she said.
Monica had to keep from laughing. It was perfectly clear that Judy realized Monica had won this battle-but she was doing everything in her power to keep from admitting it.
"Is Dad around?" Monica asked, "Maybe he'd like to meet Chandler."
"He's out in the backyard with your son," Judy said, still rather coldly.
"Thanks," Monica said, motioning Chandler to go with her. As soon as they were out of Judy's earshot, Chandler spoke.
"Your mom's a real sweetheart," he said sarcastically.
Monica laughed, "Chandler, she's in a good mood today. Don't even complain! But I think she likes you, she just doesn't want to admit it."
"I hope so," Chandler said worriedly, "And maybe your dad will like me better?" he asked hopefully.
"Oh, definitely. Even though he was closer to Richard, he's also closer to me than Mom."
Chandler nodded, took a deep breath, and headed out to the backyard with Monica. As soon as Ryan heard his footsteps, he looked up from the game of Monopoly he was playing with Jack on the patio. "Chandler!" he called out, jumping up and running over.
"Hey, bud!" Chandler said, ruffling Ryan's hair, and putting a protective hand on his shoulder.
Jack stood up. "Well, Monica, who is this young man?" he asked.
Monica smiled, "Dad, this is my boyfriend, Chandler."
"He's our friend, too," Ryan added happily.
Jack smiled, and extended his hand, "Well, Chandler, it's very nice to meet you," he said, "Micaela and Ryan were raving about you this weekend."
Chandler blushed, "Thanks," he said, "It's very nice to meet you, too."
Monica stood there, smiling.
Once in awhile, parents did something right.
***
"So," Chandler said that night as he and Monica laid in bed together, "Your dad seems like a good guy."
"He is," Monica said, sighing, "It's mostly just my mom."
Chandler looked at her sadly, "What's with your mom?" he asked.
Monica let another soft sigh escape, "I don't know," she said, "It just seems like she's always......"
"Always what?"
"Always been disappointed in me. Like I could never do anything right. Like when I married Richard, she told some friends I was marrying an older man because I couldn't get one my own age."
"That's horrible!"
Monica shrugged, "It's life. Or life with her, anyway. She's always done stuff like that."
"To Ross, too?"
Monica laughed, "Hell, no! Ross has always been her little baby. In her eyes, he can do no wrong. He's been married three times, with one illegitimate son, and yet, he's perfect. I mean, don't get me wrong, I love my brother, but he has made mistakes, but in Mom's eyes, they don't count. But all of my mistakes count twice."
Chandler sighed and tightened his arms around her, "You don't deserve that, you know," he said gently, "You're perfect."
Monica looked up at him and smiled, "Thank you," she whispered.
"No problem," he replied, kissing her softly.
"I don't know I would've made it through this past couple of months without you, you know."
Chandler smiled, "Honestly, I wouldn't of made it, either. I mean, I would've survived and everything, but my life would be so.....empty. You guys are my life. I'm so happy I found you."
Monica smiled shakily. His words were so kind. But deep down, she really wondered just how happy he'd be when she told him the news she'd learned that night.
Sorry that was a tad short, but I just got back from a tournement and I've been working all week. But hope you enjoyed, it.....please REVIEW!
Disclaimer: they're not mine.
Chapter Twelve
"So you had to leave the kids with your parents?" Chandler asked later that night at the party.
Monica nodded tiredly, "THAT was an experience," she said softly.
"What do you mean?"
"I had to tell them I was dating again. They didn't take it so well," she said, sighing.
Chandler sighed along with her, "Why not?"
"Well," Monica said softly, "I don't know if I ever told you this, but Richard was my dad's best friend. And Dad didn't take his death so well. But he wasn't even there when I dropped them off, it was my mom who gave me hell. She's just always disapproved of me. I don't know why, but it's always been that way. But she kept saying I was disrespecting Richard and putting Ryan and Micaela at risk."
Chandler was silent, contemplating. Finally, he whispered, "Do you think you're disrespecting Richard?"
Monica shook her head, "I think.....no, I know, he would've wanted me to be happy."
Chandler grinned, "And are you?"
Monica smiled, "Very."
***
The next day, Monica and Chandler arrived, together, to pick up Micaela and Ryan from Judy and Jack Geller's.
Judy Geller opened the door with a smile that quickly faded into a cold frown when she saw that Monica was not alone. "And who is this man?" she asked.
Monica took a deep breath, and replied calmly, "Mom, this is my boyfriend, Chandler. I thought you and Dad might like to meet him."
Before Judy could respond, Micaela came running. "Chandler! Mommy!" she cried. Chandler grinned and knelt down, the little girl running into his open arms.
"Hey, Cae," he said, scooping her up, and ignoring Judy's bitter glance, "How was your night?"
Micaela shrugged, but she was smiling, "It was okay," she said, "Olivia cried A LOT! She's such a baby."
Chandler and Monica both laughed, "Well, she's a lot younger than you, sweetie," Chandler said, and, kissing Micaela on the forehead, told her, "Cae, why don't you go play with your brother while your Mom and I talk to your grandma for a second."
"Okay, Chandler," Micaela said.
Monica smiled at the sight. If this didn't show Judy that her kids loved Chandler, she didn't know what would.
Micaela ran back into the living room and Monica looked at Judy expectantly. Judy sighed, "Well, dear, it does seem as though Micaela likes your, erm, Chandler, is it?"
"Yes, ma'am," Chandler said, extending his hand, "It's very nice to meet you. Ryan and Micaela talk about their grandma all the time."
Judy nodded stiffly, "That's nice," she said.
Monica had to keep from laughing. It was perfectly clear that Judy realized Monica had won this battle-but she was doing everything in her power to keep from admitting it.
"Is Dad around?" Monica asked, "Maybe he'd like to meet Chandler."
"He's out in the backyard with your son," Judy said, still rather coldly.
"Thanks," Monica said, motioning Chandler to go with her. As soon as they were out of Judy's earshot, Chandler spoke.
"Your mom's a real sweetheart," he said sarcastically.
Monica laughed, "Chandler, she's in a good mood today. Don't even complain! But I think she likes you, she just doesn't want to admit it."
"I hope so," Chandler said worriedly, "And maybe your dad will like me better?" he asked hopefully.
"Oh, definitely. Even though he was closer to Richard, he's also closer to me than Mom."
Chandler nodded, took a deep breath, and headed out to the backyard with Monica. As soon as Ryan heard his footsteps, he looked up from the game of Monopoly he was playing with Jack on the patio. "Chandler!" he called out, jumping up and running over.
"Hey, bud!" Chandler said, ruffling Ryan's hair, and putting a protective hand on his shoulder.
Jack stood up. "Well, Monica, who is this young man?" he asked.
Monica smiled, "Dad, this is my boyfriend, Chandler."
"He's our friend, too," Ryan added happily.
Jack smiled, and extended his hand, "Well, Chandler, it's very nice to meet you," he said, "Micaela and Ryan were raving about you this weekend."
Chandler blushed, "Thanks," he said, "It's very nice to meet you, too."
Monica stood there, smiling.
Once in awhile, parents did something right.
***
"So," Chandler said that night as he and Monica laid in bed together, "Your dad seems like a good guy."
"He is," Monica said, sighing, "It's mostly just my mom."
Chandler looked at her sadly, "What's with your mom?" he asked.
Monica let another soft sigh escape, "I don't know," she said, "It just seems like she's always......"
"Always what?"
"Always been disappointed in me. Like I could never do anything right. Like when I married Richard, she told some friends I was marrying an older man because I couldn't get one my own age."
"That's horrible!"
Monica shrugged, "It's life. Or life with her, anyway. She's always done stuff like that."
"To Ross, too?"
Monica laughed, "Hell, no! Ross has always been her little baby. In her eyes, he can do no wrong. He's been married three times, with one illegitimate son, and yet, he's perfect. I mean, don't get me wrong, I love my brother, but he has made mistakes, but in Mom's eyes, they don't count. But all of my mistakes count twice."
Chandler sighed and tightened his arms around her, "You don't deserve that, you know," he said gently, "You're perfect."
Monica looked up at him and smiled, "Thank you," she whispered.
"No problem," he replied, kissing her softly.
"I don't know I would've made it through this past couple of months without you, you know."
Chandler smiled, "Honestly, I wouldn't of made it, either. I mean, I would've survived and everything, but my life would be so.....empty. You guys are my life. I'm so happy I found you."
Monica smiled shakily. His words were so kind. But deep down, she really wondered just how happy he'd be when she told him the news she'd learned that night.
Sorry that was a tad short, but I just got back from a tournement and I've been working all week. But hope you enjoyed, it.....please REVIEW!