a.k.a. Part 2 to Mark's visit to his family
as told by Mark
still 2 August
The Exorcist theme sound once again plays in my head as Lizzy entered the room.
I could see Ella tense up a bit as Lizzy embraced her as introduced the two to each other,
"Glad to see you're not Maureen."
"That seems to be consensus." Cade scoffed from her position next to my father.
"Oh! Hello, you must be a friend of Mark's."
"Must I?" Cade replied nonchalantly.
Lizzy laughed, "You look familiar, have we met before?"
"I sure hope not." I could hear her mumbled.
"What was that?" Lizzie asked, she didn't hear.
"Oh, I just said I doubted it...I'm sure I would have remembered meeting you before."
"That's sweet."
Lizzy bounded off to find our mother. Cade leaned over to my father,
"Let me guess she's sixteen and holding?"
They shared a laugh as an eight year old wandered in the living room.
"Tate? You've really grown. Your mom went to the kitchen. Where's your Dad?"
The girl eyed me oddly, "Who are you…Daddy is in the kitchen, he's avoiding Grandpa."
"I'm your Uncle Mark."
"Oh." She walked to where Kenna was sitting and poked her.
"You wanna go swing?"
The two girls ran off.
"I forgot she wouldn't know me..."
"Now whose fault is that?" My father eyed me.
I rolled my eyes and went outside to greet Cindy who had just pulled in her husband, Eli, and her two, Bryant (the delinquent) and Abby, following.
"Mark. You came."
Cindy was five years older than me, but her hair was already showing gray.
"Ah, sis, don't sound so surprised."
"It's just...good to see you."
I could tell she was quietly criticizing me inside her head, while still being grateful that she was excused from hugging me due to the two casserole dishes she was carrying.
"Hey, kids."
From they're faces I could tell they had been warned about me.
That's Cindy for you.
Another hour went by before we were allowed to sit at the table for dinner.
Thank God! I thought it would never come. An hour of Eli bragging about how well bussiness was and of Cindy bragging about how great Bryant and Abby were. She claimed Bryant had simply been at the wrong place at the wrong time.
My father saddled Cade and I to sitting on either side of his place at the head of the table, Ella was wedged between me and Cindy, with Eli crammed on the edge. Much to Cade's dismay Lizzy sat next to her.
The four kids ate in the living room so the adults could talk.
"So, Mark, how long have you and Ella been together?" Lizzy's husband, Kyle, asked before my father had a chance to start on him.
"A bit. Actually, I was waiting for everyone to get here so I could tell you guys."
I could feel Ella's hand shakily slip into my hand trying her best to seem supporting.
"Ella and I are getting married...hopefully by January."
"Actually we were...um...thinking either late October/ early November or just waiting 'til April."
That took me by surprise that I didn't really notice my mother or Cindy gaping or Lizzy squealing like she was still in high school. October? Ella never rushed too fast.
"Welcome to the family. Do you two plan on carrying on the Cohen name?" My father asked.
I could see that Ella had gone pale; she must still be reeling from my mother's and sisters reactions. But, I knew what he wanted, both him and Cade eyeing me like a devil and an angel on my shoulder.
Dad: You started the announcements, go on.
Cade: You tell them and I'll lock you in a room with Maureen.
Cindy's voice interuppted the debate, "It is Mark's turn, Bryant was born within a year of Eli and mine's wedding...we wanted to make sure Mom and Dad..."
Lizzy rolled her eyes, "Cindy never gets bored of reminding us how she was the first to give Mom and Dad a grandchild. You tell us every time, when Kyle's parents came you went into a twenty minute spiel about it."
"I didn't"
I cleared my throat, "No, you didn't."
Lizzy stared at me, "How would you know, Mark? You weren't here."
"I meant she wasn't the first one to give Mom and Dad a grandchild."
I feel everyone's eyes on me, including Cade's death glares. I went on,
"Bryant's only twelve. Cade's nineteen, twenty in November. Maureen and I gave her up for adoption, but we kind of...found her."
"Cade as in her?" Lizzy asked.
I nodded.
Silence.
Even more Silence.
"What the fuck is this shit you're trying to pull?"
It was Cindy...wait, Cindy?
Cindy never cussed.
"Cindy, can it. It's in the past, there's nothing we can do. At least we know now."
Cindy was fuming, "No, Dad. Mark waltzes in here after a decade of disappearing, on the day that is supposed to be about Dad, and tells us one, he's marrying a woman who has a five year old to prove she isn't exactly white-dress material, but that's okay because precious little Mark is in the same boat with a twenty year old daughter whose done who-knows-what with who-knows-who with God-only-know intentions."
Lizzy glared at her, "And you releasing your inner bitch just really tops the evening off."
Cade glares at me from across the table, I can see hear holding back tears, "I told you...I told you...I'm gonna go check on Kenna."
After she had left the room my father quietly laid one into Cindy finally ending with, "Right now it would be best if you left. Your husband and kids can stay but you should go. It's one thing to insult your brother...I've accepted that you feel you have to compete, but it's quite another to insult your niece and Ella, both of whom were already shaken as it was. You are forty-one years old. Act like it, Damnit."
It wasn't too long after Cindy and her family left that my little group left. The only one talking on the way home was Kenna going on about how Tate had showed her how to do tricks on the swing.
When we got to the loft I followed Cade up the stairs,
"Cade!"
But I was only met with a door slammed in my face.
"Mark," I could feel Ella's hand on my shoulder, "That wasn't what anybody was expecting, just give her a few moments to fume."
"Are you okay? Cindy can be..."
"I'm not marrying Cindy, I chose to marry you. As much as I want to impress your family, it's your opinion I'll pay attention to. Cade's been through a lot but she's tough...emotionally she just a little beat, just give her time...and if that doesn't work, try a bribing her..."
I chuckle a bit as Kenna got bored and ran into the loft to a waiting Roger, Noah and Benny.
"Didn't go so great, did it?" Benny asked cautiously.
"How'd you guess?" I asked worn out.
"Well, the door slam, not to mention the countless apologies left on our answering machine in the span of twenty minutes. Your Mom wants Ella to call when she can and your dad left Cade a message as well. And Lizzy sent her regards, too, which included some choice names in Cindy's direction." Roger summed up.
Noah who had quietly been sitting on Roger's lap decided his father hadn't been specific enough, "Da lady in da box said bitch."
I was too exhausted to really do anything about that at the moment, I vaguely heard Roger telling me he'd take the couch again so that Kenna could have a bed and Ella and I could...talk.
After Kenna had been taken care of Ella and I made our way to bed. But there was something that I had been meaning to ask,
"Hey, Ella?"
"Hmmm...?"
"Why October/ November or waiting 'til April?"
"We'll talk about it later...tomorrow."
Author's Notes:
So, there it is...and now we can move on to bigger and better problems...like Ella...I attempted to subtly give a warning hint: those who can count to eight or nine will go far and there is another hint in the chapter "Don't let the right moment slip away"...the kindergarten scene...
This chapter was written with help from my little cousin, Tate (yes, she insisted I write her in, but we're like sisters so who was I to refuse?), who spent the 4th with me. So if it's really bad blame her...just kidding...maybe.
carsonheir: interesting quote...Thanks as always.
BwayDiva: Thank you. Mark has his moments...spoke a little too soon, eh? Lizzy belongs in creepy movies everywhere...
Lils: Well, what can I say to that? Having a reader like what they're reading is always a plus...
L.M. Ward: Does this chapter get pompoms?
Harper's Pixie: Glad you found this; however, I am curious to know how far past ch. 1 you got? Are you still hooked?
I realize this is a day late but better said than unsaid.
if one you're American: Happy 4th of July; in a happy Independence day kind of way
if you're not (just in case): Happy 4th of July; in a happy Monday kind of way (although I realize that most of the time Happy Monday is a sort of oxymoron)
until next time, this is me...signing out