Cuddle Party
…a few days later
Drake Parker was never one to feel guilty for long, but it was only the people closest to
him in his life that gave him any kind of credit regarding the "right thing". He and Emme
decided not to attend the official Teen Cancer Support Group anymore. Emme
wondered especially with her sketchy history there if people would consider them
selfish. Drake told her not to worry about it. She had enough on her plate to worry about
without having to wonder if other young cancer patients understood their need to want
to spend time together. It wasn't Clipboard Ted that Drake called. He made promises
that he intended to keep to his literally little friend Herbie Hancock. Who seemed the
most supportive of anyone in the truest heartfelt way regarding him and Emme getting
together. He still would help Herbie pick out a guitar and teach him out of play it too. But
that kid had so many problems Drake wondered if that was just not a fantasy that his
parents were encouraging to take his mind off his medical conditions? However, you
needed to experience the good things in life and that's what Drake had planned for
tonight. He and Emme were going to spend the night together and because Josh
offered to drive him over only due to the fact that he had to come in the kitchen to get a
can of Mountain Fizz at the same time Drake was on the phone and reheating the worst
chicken broth he ever tasted in the microwave in his Star 99 mug. And Drake was
going to let Josh drive him because he's been good lately with respecting his personal
space and not asking one question about his shaved head.
"Drake?"
"This broth is gross." He poured his cup down the drain.
"Did you eat today?"
"Yes, 'Mom'. What were you going to ask me?"
"How's Emme—the situation with her Mom and all?"
"How do you think she's feeling?" Drake kept his voice even-toned
"I didn't mean it the way that it sounded."
"Don't worry about it. I have to get my overnight bag."
Drake headed upstairs with a brown paper lunch bag that contained his
pharmaceuticals and supplements.
With Walter working late tonight due to the KDJY newscast being on an hour later than
usual due to some red carpet event and Audrey having to attend Megan's band recital.
Why else was she taking those oboe lessons?
It certainly looked like Drake was going to get away with his and Emme's sleepover.
But his brother better be up and ready to leave the lavish Watson property at ten o'clock
in the morning sharp. If they were going to get going before Audrey and Megan came
back then Josh figured he'd better start up Drake's car.
Josh was quite proud of his brother for following his true heart.
It was about damn time.
Emme sat in the study. It was like a miniature library with books along the dark walls
and the furniture with thick almost masculine lines to it. She normally hated this room,
but she felt it was the only place in this vast house where she could have peace and
quiet. Drake would be arriving soon and that made her body calm down a bit. The only
way she could keep her hands steady was to keep them around the scalloped white
with gold trim teacup.
Mrs. Martinez probably thought she ran away. Emme wanted to care, but couldn't. Her
cell phone vibrated against her body waking up her spirit.
"Hey…"
"Hi, Drake."
"Did your Mother change the pass code?"
Emme doubted it. That would have required effort.
"No. Why?"
"Josh can't get the gate to open."
"I can do it from the security panel."
She sounded so cut off when she had so recently come alive.
When Emme saw Drake she gave him the biggest hug she could muster. It wasn't a
"good day" in terms of her cancer, but it was the first time that something else weighed
on her mind. Her hands going up and down his back, which soothed the both of them.
"I'm so glad that you're here, Drake."
"So am I, Emme."
She latched on to his hand tight as she led him to her bedroom. On the surface it might
have seemed like this night was all about connecting their bodies as one, but when
Emme suggested to Drake that he come over for a "cuddle party" he knew it had
nothing to do sex, nor was he expecting it.
Emme needed to be held and comforted, He needed those things too, but this was her
night.
"Well, Don Juanoma, put your jammies on and I'll be right back." She lightly pushed him
towards her bathroom. Her smile was natural and Drake liked seeing it.
Drake noticed the long white tapered candles on each end table along with a book of
matches from the Hotel Del Coronado before he changed into his "jammies" he took
the liberty of lighting the candles. He'd have put on her CD player, but he never wanted
to listen to the Backstreet Boys on purpose let alone on a night like this.
Emme thought she'd never get back upstairs. Mrs. Martinez was trying to make her eat
toast and broth. She didn't want any. All she wanted to do was bring up two bottles of
juice and to get then slip into a guest room to change into her pajamas.
She suddenly hated how she looked. It wasn't what Drake's previous girlfriend's would
have worn to bed, that was for certain. The nicest nightgown she had didn't come from
a store expensive or otherwise. Her aunt from Seattle made it. It was made of white
cotton with little pink flowers sewn on. It hit her just below the knee. It screamed goody-
goody. Drake would find her positively horrifying that she wrapped herself in her pink
robe that she had on her desk chair.
"Thanks for lighting the candles."
"You're welcome." She handed him a bottle of apricot juice.
"You look nice, Drake." It was just a blue t-shirt and his gray and black checkered
sleeping pants.
He smiled.
"Why the robe, Miss Priss?"
"I look dorky in this nightgown. I don't want you to see after all."
"Well," Drake took a healthy drink of the juice before putting the bottle on her desk,
"You're forgetting one thing."
"What's that?"
He walked towards her and without any words untied her robe.
"You're beautiful."
Emme decided to let the robe fall off her shoulders.
"Thank you. I hope you're not a cover hog, Drake."
"I guess that's for me to know and you to find out."
For about ten minutes it was a wonderful snog and snuggle fest, but Drake knew when
they stopped for air and she had time to reflect with her head on his shoulder that the air
would turn.
Emme tried to keep the tears in. She didn't want to ruin their cuddle party.
She wanted to experience touching more body parts. Emme wanted to be the brave
little soldier but couldn't contain herself.
"I-I'm s-sorry, D-rake." She sniffed.
He kissed her head, "I keep telling you, you never have to say you are sorry."
"I know it sounds foolish to you."
"You're jumping to conclusions again."
"I miss going out with my mom. I was going to say you probably think it's foolish to go to
a ritzy hotel just for a cup of tea. The last time we were there my mother had a coffee
and she said you were a nice boy."
"I wouldn't say that's foolish."
"I know our shopping trips could probably feed a small third world country and I would
throw away everything in this house that's not a necessity, if I could have my mom back.
I had girlfriends that I pushed away, but my mom was always my best friend."
"I'll be your best friend."
Emme kissed Drake on the chest.
"Thank you. My mom is my best girlfriend. We did everything together and Drake you
have to promise me that if I don't make it----"
"Hey! Don't you dare, Miss Priss. Don't you dare say that."
"We have both be realistic we have cancer. May I finish?"
"Go ahead."
"Promise me that you'll make sure my mom gets help."
What could he say to that?
"I promise. But you'll be here to help with that too. You will beat your cancer. We both
will."
Emme was too much of a realist, but she was also a romantic at heart and appreciated
that Drake was trying to make her feel better about the situation.
"I just want you to know that the woman you met and talked to in the beginning was
close to who the real Beverly Watson is. Her drinking was under control, but I was a fool
to think it could actually be contained. My mother never hit before me except a little tap
on my hands to not touch the hot stove. Would it bother you if I checked up on her? I
need to know that she's somewhat okay."
"No, it wouldn't bother me."
"I'm the one that has cancer and I have to check on my mother. Life is not fair."
Drake offered to go with her; he'd stay in the shadows so Mrs. Watson wouldn't see
him. But Emme said she had to do this herself.
Emme walked down the already long hall to get to her mother's room. Her steps were
quiet and deliberate. There was no sign of Mrs. Watson in the Californian King sized
bed although the bed linens were obviously unchanged and the smell of the liquor was
enough to make Emme's stomach turn.
She noticed two empty wine bottles on top of the dresser. She really wanted to go over
there and smash them all over the floor in little pieces. Emme kept on walking and she
put out her hand to open her bathroom door.
The room was empty. The bathroom counter was a mess. Tops were off cosmetic
cream jars, the tub was filled with water, and the toilet needed a flush.
"Mommy."
Emme kept walking past the bathtub and to the small spa area where her mother was
found in the Jacuzzi with the jets turned off fully clothed drinking out of a whiskey bottle.
She could've easily turned her body around and quietly left without her presence being
felt, but Emme couldn't back down this was her mother.
A woman she loved very much.
"Mom, let me help you out of there."
"d-d-d-d-on't y-you t-t-tou-ch m-me."
"You're going to get sick. I'll get Mrs. Martinez she really is your babysitter."
"w-w-h-ore."
Emme blinked her blue eyes hoping that if that cruel word had to be said it was about
Mrs. Martinez and not her own daughter. Not the mother and daughter team who
watched television in bed together and liked to eat ice-cream out of one big bowl.
This was not Beverly Watson. This was a shell of a former being.
Drake didn't say a word when Emme finally returned twelve minutes later. She kicked
off her slippers and went back to placing her head on his chest.
"I-I love you, Drake."
"I love you too, Emme. What happened?"
"My mother called me a whore."
Which was ironic considering Emme just had her first kiss not too long ago when she
went to the Premiere with Drake. Drake Parker was and would be her first everything.
"My G---"
"I don't want you to hate my mom, okay? I told you before that's not Beverly Watson, it's
not…it's n-not."
She spent the better part of the evening sobbing into her boyfriend's chest until she fell
asleep.
Audrey was convinced that Drake had Josh drive him somewhere. Probably to Emme's
house, but she was too tired to go upstairs and see if he was upstairs in bed. It was one
o'clock in the morning when she felt Walter beside her.
"Walter…"
"Did I wake you, honey?"
"No," She rested her head on her husband's chest, "I owe you a big apology."
That was something else that she didn't like to do.
"Audrey---"
"No, let me finish. I should be happy that Drake is finally confiding in you. I see Drake's
girlfriend Emme's family falling apart and I don't want that to happen to our family."
"It's okay."
"It's not easy being a mother and letting Drake fly away into adulthood was always
going to be something that would have been very difficult for me to do—the cancer just
makes it harder to do."
"I know. And he's not shutting you out. He just needs us for different things."
"I'm very relieved that he trusts you. Just let him know that if he wants to talk about
whatever it is with me---I won't judge."
Drake would never want to talk to Audrey about this subject for all of the coffee in
Colombia.
"Will do," he kissed his wife on the head, "Goodnight, Audrey, I love you."
"Night, Walter. I love you, too." With contented mind Audrey Parker-Nichols fell asleep in
her husband's safe arms.