Chapter Two – Getting To Know You
Mark and Susan returned to the party, the awkwardness between them gone. Doug and Carol looked at each other, bemused.
"I guess they're friends again, huh?" Doug laughed.
Elizabeth also noticed the more relaxed atmosphere around them.
"You flew? On a plane? In the air?" Mark was asking as they walked, a look of amazement on his face. Susan laughed and nodded.
"What's so amazing about that?" Elizabeth asked, placing a protective arm around Mark's back.
"Susan used to hate flying. Wouldn't get on a plane without hyperventilating!" Mark laughed.
"Ask her how she got over it," Carol said, joining in the conversation and smiling knowingly at Susan.
"How?" Mark asked.
Susan shook her head, trying unsuccessfully to look mad at Carol.
"Come on, tell me," Mark said, nudging Susan with his elbow.
"Yeah, Susan, tell him," Doug said, playfully.
"No, you'll laugh," Susan said to Mark.
"I won't," Mark argued.
"You will," Doug said. Susan threw her napkin at him.
"I won't, I promise," Mark said.
"Look, I just went to see someone about it," Susan said dismissively.
"What kind of person?" Mark asked.
"The living, breathing kind," Susan replied. Carol and Doug laughed.
"What am I missing here?" Mark asked. Susan sighed, knowing he wouldn't give up until he found out.
"He was a hypnotist, ok? I went to see a hypnotist," Susan said. Carol and Doug started laughing again, and despite his best efforts Mark eventually joined in.
"Hey, you promised you wouldn't laugh," Susan said, lightly punching Mark's arm.
"I'm not," Mark lied, trying to straighten his face.
As the evening continued, there was a lot of laughter from the old friends. It had been a long time since Mark, Susan, Carol and Doug had all been together, and the chemistry between them all resurfaced. Eventually, all the other guests left, leaving Susan, Mark and Elizabeth, who were all staying with Carol and Doug, to tidy up. Little Susie was helping Mark load the dishwasher.
"Are you a doctor too?" Little Susie was asking.
Mark nodded, as she passed him a dirty plate.
"I'm going to be a doctor too, when I'm big, just like Aunt Susie," Little Susie said proudly. Then she leant forward closer to Mark, and whispered, "Is my Aunt Susie a good doctor?"
Mark laughed. "Yes, your Aunt Susie is a good doctor. But don't tell her I said that, she'll get a big head!"
"Did I hear my name?" Susan asked as she came into the kitchen, followed by Doug.
"No," said Mark innocently, winking at Little Susie.
"Ok, little one, time for bed," Susan said to Little Susie.
"Oh, but Aunt Susie can't I stay up just a bit longer, please?" she pleaded.
"No, it's already really late," Susan replied.
"But I'm not tired. Please can't I stay up? Pleeeeaaase?"
"Yeah, Aunt Susie, let her stay up a bit longer," said Doug.
"Yeah, why not Aunt Susie?" said Mark. Susan gave them both an amused look.
"Because," said Susan, pointedly, "if she doesn't go to bed now, she'll be tired and grumpy tomorrow."
"But, Aunt Susie…"
"No!"
"Pleeeeaaase!" Little Susie said.
"Go on, Aunt Susie!" Mark said.
"Yeah, don't be a meanie," Doug said.
"Fine. I can see I'm not going to win this one," Susan said, exasperated.
Little Susie giggled as Doug and Mark gave each other a high five. Susan shook her head in amusement.
It took nearly an hour to clear up. When everything had been tidied away, Doug and Carol said good night. Elizabeth too made her way to bed.
"Are you coming?" she asked Mark.
"Um, sure, in a while," he said. He and Susan had been talking all night, but still had a lot to catch up on. He kissed Elizabeth and followed Susan into the lounge. Elizabeth watched him go, feeling slightly jealous.
Susan and Mark found Little Susie curled up on the sofa, fast asleep, clutching a doll. Susan smiled. She loved to watch Little Susie sleep, ever since she was a baby.
"Do you want me to carry her upstairs?" Mark whispered.
"Yeah, would you? She's getting a little heavy for me now!" Susan replied.
Mark took Little Susie upstairs, watching as Susan put her to bed and gently kissed her on the forehead. He remembered how much Susan loved the little girl that she had followed to Phoenix, leaving him heartbroken at the train station.
So much has changed since then, Mark thought.
Mark and Susan crept out the room and then headed downstairs.
"Thanks," Susan said.
"No problem. It's not like I get much practice these days," said Mark.
"What do you mean?" Susan asked, as she settled down in a large armchair.
"Jen got a job in St Louis. She and Rachel moved nearly two years ago," Mark replied, sitting opposite Susan on the sofa.
"St Louis?" Susan said, surprised. "But I thought you'd agreed not to move away until Rachel was 18?"
"We did. I guess when it came down to it I didn't want the arguments. I figured Jen would win eventually anyway," Mark sighed.
"You miss her, huh?"
"Who, Jen?" Mark asked, laughing, before turning serious again. "Yes, I do. A few weeks a year isn't exactly what I thought a father would be."
"I'm sure Rachel understands a lot more than you give her credit for," Susan said, reassuringly.
"Yeah, I know. I just wish things could have turned out differently," Mark said. "Story of my life, huh?"
Susan smiled. "Some parts of your life seem to be going well. How long have you been with Elizabeth?"
"About a year," Mark replied. "And things are going well. Really well. I feel like maybe I've finally found someone else."
"Good for you," Susan said.
"So, what about you? Any cowboy in your life?" Mark asked.
Susan looked bashful, and Mark laughed.
"Oh my god, please tell me you're dating a cowboy?"
"I'm dating a cowboy," Susan laughed.
"So…?"
"So, it's only been a couple of months. I don't know. It's still new and exciting. And hey, he's got a pick-up truck, what more could a girl want?"
Mark laughed. "And what about Chloe? How is she?"
"Chloe's good. She turned out to be a pretty good mom," Susan replied.
"I can see. Little Susie's lovely. Do you see her much?" Mark asked.
Susan nodded. "I see her most weekends when I'm not working. It gives Chloe and Joe a break, and I like it being just the two of us."
"What about the drink and drugs?"
"God, Mark, you wouldn't recognise her. She's changed so much. She's not the same person," Susan replied, proudly.
"No slip-ups?"
"No," said Susan, cautiously. Mark raised his eyebrows, questioningly.
"I don't know. I just… God, this is going to sound terrible. I know it's still in her to screw up, and I guess I'm just waiting for it to happen. And sometimes…sometimes I wish she would just screw up. Get it over and done with. God, I sound like an awful person, don't I?"
"No," said Mark. "After everything that's happened, you're entitled to be worried."
"I guess," Susan sighed. "So, how are things at County? What were you saying about a stabbing?"
"Do you really want to know?" Mark asked.
Susan looked confused. "What do you mean?"
Mark told her the story about Carter, Lucy and Paul Sobriki. At the end, Susan sat and stared at Mark, shaking her head.
"I can't believe it," Susan said. "I just can't believe it."
Mark nodded. "I know."
"Poor Carter."
"The kid's been through hell," Mark said.
"That's an understatement. God, he was stabbed. How do you get over something like that?" Susan questioned.
"The hospital hasn't been the same since. It's like no-one dares have fun anymore," Mark said. "No music, no jokes, no laughter."
"Don't you just wish for the simple days, when all you had to worry about was whether Carol and Doug were on or off?" Susan laughed.
"Yeah. And look at them now," Mark said.
Susan smiled. "I know. They're so happy. It gives me hope," she said.
"Hope?" Mark asked.
"Sure. Fate. True love. All that mushy stuff," Susan replied.
"I didn't know you were such a romantic," Mark laughed.
Susan laughed too. "And you're not, I suppose? It might have been a few years, but I remember what you were like!"
Mark and Susan continued to talk into the small hours of the morning. There was a lot for them to talk about. They were finally interrupted by Elizabeth.
"Are you ever coming to bed?" she asked Mark, slightly irritably, as she poured herself a glass of water.
Mark looked at the clock on the wall. It read 2.55am.
"God, I didn't realise how late it was," Mark said getting up from the chair.
"Me neither," Susan said. "I guess I'll be the grumpy one tomorrow! Goodnight Mark. Goodnight Elizabeth."
Susan went upstairs, while Mark, feeling guilty, put his arms around Elizabeth.
"Missing me?" he asked. He kissed her lightly on the lips. "Come on, let's go to bed."