Part VI: In The Company Of The Cabots, Part II

   The front door opened and an attractive woman in her fifties answered the door.

Alex smiled when she saw the woman. "Hello, Mother." She said. "How are you?"

"Alexandra!" The woman cried, sweeping Alex into a tight hug "It's so wonderful to see you! How have you been? And what on earth are you doing here? You never come home unless you have something very important to tell me."

Alex wasted no time in getting straight to the point. After taking a deep breath, she dropped a bombshell on her mother: "Mother, I'm getting married… in a month… and I want you and Daddy to be there at my wedding."

Mrs. Cabot looked shocked for a moment, and then she squealed with joy and started babbling on and on about how happy she was that Alex was getting married. That went on for another five minutes or so before John cleared his throat and extended his hand. He was putting on a friendly façade for Alex's parents and he hated it…but he also wanted to make a good first impression on them.

"Hello, Mrs. Cabot." John said. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Likewise." Mrs. Cabot said. "Alex, is this…" She trailed off.

Alex gave John's hand a squeeze and she smiled. "Mother, this is John Munch, the love of my life and my fiancé.  John, this is my mother."

"Why, he's so handsome!" Mrs. Cabot said. "And please, John, call me Cassandra. I take it that Alexandra's told you a lot about me."

"Oh, she has." John said. "Some days she'll go on about you for hours."

Mrs. Cabot laughed at that. "Oh, please, come in. I'm sure that Richard would just love to meet you. Richard is my husband and Alexandra's father. I'm sure he'll just love you."

I highly doubt that. Alex thought as she and John were ushered inside.

As they were lead to the parlor, Mrs. Cabot asked, "John, do you make my daughter happy?"

John wasn't expecting to be asked such a question and he hesitated for moment. After a thought or two, he said. "I'm not sure, Mrs. Cabot. Why don't you ask her if I keep her happy and satisfied?"

Mrs. Cabot directed her gaze at her daughter and Alex said, with a smile, "Yes…John makes me feel like the most wonderful and loved person on the face of the earth."

Mrs. Cabot smiled warmly at John. "That's all I need to hear to make me happy. As long as you make her happy, John, I will always welcome you into my home. My husband, on the other hand, is a different story. He has never liked any of Alex's boyfriends, not even the ones who were so like him, and it's scary. He's determined not to see our baby's wedding day."

"And you are, Mrs. Cabot?" John asked.

"Oh yes." She said. "Nothing would make me prouder or happier than to see my little girl walk down that aisle."

"And for me to have kids." Alex whispered to John, who chuckled.

The parlor was a room that looked to John like an enormous living room. So far the house took his breath away. It was absolutely amazing. He couldn't believe that Alex's family had so much money. And he was beginning to wonder why they were having such a hard time paying for wedding expenses.

Just then, John's thoughts were interrupted by the sound of Alex's voice. "Something wrong, John?" she asked, looking at him worriedly.

"It's nothing." He told her. "I'll tell you later, ok?"

She smiled.

It took John a moment to find Mr. Cabot. He was sitting in a big chair beside the fireplace, reading a book.

"Richard?" Mrs. Cabot ventured.

"What do you want, Cassandra?" Mr. Cabot replied in a sharp tone.

Alex did all the talking. "Daddy, I'm getting married." She said. "See?" She showed off her engagement ring. "The wedding is next month. I want you to give me away."

Richard looked up and looked John up and down for a moment, and then he said. "Over my dead body."

"Richard!" Mrs. Cabot said. "Don't be rude!"

Not a good sign. John thought. 

Then, Mr. Cabot dropped a bombshell. "What political party do you belong to?" He asked John.

Alex groaned. The evening was not off to a very good start.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dinner was about ten times worse.

Mr. Cabot and John spend the entire meal either sniping or having all out shouting matches. In the end, Mr. Cabot threw both John and Alex out of the manor and told them never to come back.

On the train ride back to New York, Alex cried and the moment they got home, she locked herself in the bathroom and didn't come out until long after John had gone to bed.