One Weekend in 2022


After so many years living in the suburbs, Ross sometimes forgot just how beautiful Manhattan could be when the sun came down and the city lights took over. He wouldn't trade their spacious house in Scarsdale for anything in the world, but he would be lying if he said he didn't miss a few aspects of life in the city. From the trendy rooftop restaurant Madison and Ben had picked out for tonight's event, they had a premium view of all of midtown and Ross wasn't prepared for the rush of nostalgia that hit him so unexpectedly.

Looking back, it comforted him knowing that he'd made the most of every phase of his now 54 years of age. Despite not being cool in high school, he'd been true to who he was then and dedicated time to what really mattered to him: his studies, his family, and his few good friends. Watching his future wife daily had also been a highlight of that time, even if from a distance and with nothing but blind hope she would one day reciprocate his boyish feelings.

Then going to college, meeting his best friend Chandler, falling in love with Carol, forming a good group of friends and seeing his career take off. Ross felt like he had everything going for him in his early twenties. And when it all came tumbling down after his first divorce, fate brought Rachel back into his life. The following ten years were a collection of ups and downs, adventures, and enough absurd stories to fill a book or two about living and dating in New York in the 90s and early 2000s. But those obstacles on their way only made their final reunion that much more special.

"This is it", they'd vowed to each other. And that was it.

The last eighteen years together had been nothing short of amazing. Not perfect, but real. Two children, a dog and a mortgage later, after seeing so many of their friends' marriages fall apart along the way, through thick and thin, she was still his first and his best choice.

Yes, it's been a great life for Ross Geller, and some nights it was OK to look back with some longing. At the end of the day, there was still a lot to look forward to.

He felt a blow of cold air hit his cheeks and instinctively turned to look over at his wife, noticing how the pores on her bare arms quickly rose up. He took off his blazer and covered her shoulders in one natural smooth move, one he'd perfected over the years since most nights between May and September Rachel willfully chose to ignore her jackets. She was manifesting the good weather, she would tell him, well knowing he would be there to offer her warmth if and when necessary.

Still deep in conversation with Monica, who was sitting to her other side, Rachel thanked him by patting his knee softly, a faint but true smile crossing her face.

His eyes continued to wander around the party, from the end of the table, where Emma, Noah and Leo were talking to Erica, Jack and Daniel, to the bar, where Madison's father stood in deep conversation with Carol and Susan.

Ross couldn't say he knew him that well beyond the usual pleasantries and small talk, but the man made him really proud when he said some really nice things about Ben on his speech tonight. And their boy really was something special, to everybody around him. Despite the initial shock after he'd found out about Carol's pregnancy and the childish competition they had going when they first started co-parenting, he thought he, Carol, Susan, and to some extent Rachel, had done a pretty great job raising him right.

His eyes wandered in search of his oldest son and found him standing next to Madison in a big group of friends. They looked so young and so beautiful together. But though they were chatting and laughing, Ross noticed Ben looked distracted. His body was there, one arm around his fiancée's waist while his other hand held a glass of wine, but Ross could tell his mind was somewhere else. He smiled weakly, well knowing how nerve-wrecking these events could be.

At this very moment, Chandler came back and sat across from him on their table.

"Damn, that's some good wine." He exclaimed and Ross chuckled. "They're not messing around here, are they?"

"Madison's an only child." He explained. "They're going all out."

"Well, if this is just the rehearsal, I can't wait until tomorrow."

"Yeah, it's gonna be something."

Chandler looked up from his wine at his friend.

"So how does it feel to marry a child? God, I can't even imagine one of ours doing that now. The twins leaving off for college in a few months has been stressful enough."

"I hear ya." Ross sighed. "Well, it's weird. It's hard to think of your child as an adult because in a way they will always be kids to you, right? But, you know, Ben is actually a lot older than I was when I married Carol. In fact, by the time I was his age I was already divorced."

"Sure, but you're not exactly a role model in this matter, are you?" Chandler joked.

Ross shot him a look and shifted his gaze back to where his son was standing before, but noticed he wasn't there anymore. Instead, Madison was posing for pictures with her girlfriends, and after some scanning his eyes found Ben loosening his tie and walking towards a quiet corner of the party.

"Hey, man, I'll be right back."

"Sure."

Ross caught up with Ben when the young man stopped on his track and took one deep breath in.

"Hey son, are you OK?"

Ben turned around and Ross was surprised by how pale he suddenly looked.

"I'm getting cold feet, dad." He said bluntly, not wasting any time trying to disguise exactly what was happening.

Ross was taken by surprise. He thought his boy was stressed out, yeah, but he didn't imagine it could be this bad.

"Are you serious?"

Ben stood nervously for a few seconds before nodding his head, visibly conflicted about his feelings.

"Well, OK, let's uh, let's talk." Ross led him to an empty table, where they sat on benches across from each other. He watched him and thought of his next words carefully. "How are you feeling? What are you thinking?"

Ben pondered hard and then tried to explain the thoughts running wild in his head.

"I guess it's the idea of forever, you know. How am I supposed to know how both of us are going to feel in, say, five, ten years. God, moms have been going strong for nearly thirty years now. How do you know even how who you're going to be after that long?"

Ross nodded in understanding, but then thought it was best to take a step back and start with the basics.

"Hey, do you love her now?"

"Well, yeah, I do." Ben sighed. "A lot."

Ross smiled in relief.

"Son, nobody knows how they're going to feel and who they're going to be in in thirty years. You just gotta find someone who you enjoy being with, who is willing to stick around and find that out with you. And, yeah, there are always risks, of course. And if it doesn't work out, that's not the end of the world. There are, well, alternatives. Which is not the most romantic thing to be said on someone's rehearsal dinner, but there you have it." Ross paused. "But if you love her and you love being with her, I'm afraid this might just be some good old – and normal – pre-wedding nerves."

Ben looked up at his father and nodded slowly.

"Did you feel this way before you married Rachel?"

Ross chuckled lightheartedly because it almost sounded absurd.

"Now, that's not a fair comparison, Ben. I was 37 and at that point I had spent over half of my adult life pretty much dreaming of that very moment. It was long overdue. But was I scared of messing up once again? Yes, I was."

"What do you mean once again?"

Ross pondered if and how to share his and Rachel's history with his son.

"You were probably too young to remember, but Rachel and I didn't always have the most stable relationship."

"Oh yeah." Ben said as this revelation evoked little flashbacks of his childhood and details about his father and stepmom he'd forgotten about after so many years of solid marriage. "You were single for a long time between mom and her, right?"

"Yeah, we were on and off for about ten years after your mom and I split, before we finally got married.

Ben furrowed his brows, thinking of something.

"You married someone else around that time too, didn't you?"

Ross sighed exasperated.

"Oh, great, I was hoping that would come up." He said with sarcasm, which made Ben chuckle. But, well, if this was an honest conversation, maybe it was for the best that they spoke candidly of the good and the bad examples. Besides, it looked like Ben was slowly starting to feel more at ease, so that was encouraging. "That was uh… Well, it was a mistake."

"Two divorces, dad? You might actually not be the best person to be giving me advice right now, you know?" He teased his old man, who didn't dare confess it was actually three divorces. But since he'd ended up remarrying the third, well, that didn't really count anymore now, did it?

"Or you could say it gives me more experience in the matter."

Both laughed and a brief silence followed.

"So, 37, huh?" Ben asked, looking nervous once again and Ross could easily read his mind, thinking of his own 27 years of age.

"Yeah, but I was in my twenties when I married your mom."

"And look how well that turned out."

"Hey, come on now. Things were different back then. It took your mom a while to figure out who she was and, as much as it hurt back then, in the end everything turned out for the best. It gave us you."

Ben smiled.

"So, you don't regret marrying her?"

"Not for one second. Despite everything, we really did love each other, and it was good while it lasted. And, like I said, we got you out of it."

Ben smiled weakly at his father, but then looked pensive once again.

"But you do regret the second one, right?"

Ross pondered about it.

"I do, yes. But that was just a stupid mistake, son."

"How do I know I'm not making a mistake now?"

"Ben, we're talking apples and oranges. I'd known her for six weeks before I asked her to marry me. I'd just broken up with Rachel and I was in a really bad place when she came along. I guess I just needed something to hold on to. Besides, she was British, so part of the reason we got married so quickly was so we could both live in the same country."

Ben looked at his father with eyes wide.

"Jesus, dad. Even I could have told you then this was a bad idea."

Ross laughed again at his own expense along with his son. Well, at least his little miserable story seemed to cheer him up.

"I don't want this whole freak-out to give you the impression that I don't like Mads. I like her a lot too. I'm just nervous, I guess. And I just heard the final tab of how much this whole weekend is going to cost and…" Ben trailed off and sighed. "I mean, I know her parents are happy to do this, and this might be nothing for them, but it's a lot of money, dad."

Ross nodded. He knew Madison's family was wealthy and he sympathized with his son. It was the same after all with Rachel and her family.

"I know, son. But it's their daughter, and this could be something she's always dreamed of. And it's just one weekend – and it's just money. What really matters is all the years of love and companionship you guys get to share now. And that's priceless."

Ben looked thoughtful.

"I guess."

"Hey, from what I'm hearing, I think you two will be just fine. She's a great girl Madison, we like her a lot."

Ben nodded and blushed slightly. He was not one to usually openly talk about his feelings out loud like that, which made this son and father moment that much more special.

"Thanks dad. This really helped."

"Good. Just know it's not always going to be easy, but it's going to be worth it."

Ben nodded.

"Got any other pearls of wisdom to share? You and Rach have been married for how long now?"

"Nearly 17 years. Wow." Ross couldn't believe it himself. Where has time gone? "Well, I would say don't sweat the small stuff. Remember to laugh together, that's important. And uh... Just be there for each other. Somedays she'll want you to help her solve a problem, but somedays she'll just need you to sit down and listen. And if you're unsure of what she wants, just talk to her. Communication is key."

Ben smiled at his father and nodded in appreciation.

"Listen to your old man, Ben." Both turned around to see Rachel approaching them, Ross' blazer still draped around her shoulders and a glass of champaign in her hand. "Took us many years to learn those lessons ourselves, especially the one about communication."

She sat down next to them and cozied up to her husband, laying a hand on his thigh and leaning her head against him. He responded by encircling an arm around her and kissing her hair.

"Hey you."

"Hey. Giving your son some marital advice, are you?"

Ross and Ben smiled at each other.

"Something like that."

"So, Rach…" Ben started. "How does 'till death do us part feel like 17 years down the road?"

Rachel smiled at both men.

"I'd recite my vows again any day of the week." She declared truthfully. "I mean, are there times when your father drives me crazy and I feel like murdering him? Sure." Both men laughed and Rachel gave her husband another squeeze on his thigh. "But I wouldn't change a single thing about this."

Ross smiled and nodded in agreement before leaning in to place a loving kiss on her left temple.

"Me neither."

After their little moment, they looked back at Ben, who was watching them with renewed determination in his eyes.

"God, Ben. I can't believe you're getting married." Rachel said. "Did I ever tell you that I was there at the hospital the day you were born?"

Ben nodded.

"Flirting with the doctor who helped deliver me, yes."

"Oh, so I'm guessing you heard your father's version of the story then."

"Weren't you?" Ross asked her.

"Well, yeah." Rachel admitted. "But that was before we mastered the art of communication." She teased him and Ross laughed.

They hung out together for the next few minutes, just the three of them. Talking, sipping their drinks, and having a good time. Ross really admired the adults his kids were all becoming, so smart, funny, and genuinely good people.

"OK, I feel like I've been here too long now. I think I should go back to entertain my guests and hang out with Mads now." Ben turned to his father and offered his hand for a handshake. "Thanks for the talk, dad."

Ross let go of his wife to stand up and pull Ben into a warm fatherly hug.

"Anytime, son." He kissed his hair. "I love you and I'm really proud of you."

"Love you too, dad."

By the time Ben left and Ross retook his seat next to his wife, she was looking at him with genuine adoration in her eyes. Watching him being so openly affectionate with his children was one of her favorite things in the world.

"OK, so I guess now we need to talk about our little argument."

Ross nodded slowly.

"After I proclaimed how important talking is in a relationship, I feel like we can't not."

Rachel chuckled.

"So, honey, what's the problem with letting Leo go to this thing? I mean, I know he's only fifteen, but he's not going to do anything too crazy. Isn't it better if we trust our kids and then they know they can always be honest with us?"

"I don't know, Rach. I just- I worry about him. In a way this is like new territory to me. I didn't always get to be involved with Ben with it came to stuff like this, and with Emma… Well, with Emma it was so easy. She's so much like me."

She paused for a few seconds, processing the words he'd just put out there.

"The implication being that you don't like the fact that Leo is more like me?" She then asked with one raised eyebrow.

"Well, yeah." The swift change on her expression made Ross quickly correct what he's said. "In high school, Rach."

He squeezed her thigh and gave her a half smile, hoping to clear out any misunderstanding between them.

"He's nothing like that, Ross." She reassured him.

"He's a great kid, I know that. He also got your good heart. But the parties and the girls and being in the football team… I guess it's just weird for me because I can't really relate to any of it." Ross sighed. "You know very well that that was not my experience in high school. And what I do know about the popular crowd…"

"Honey, this is not Lincoln High in the 80s. And even if he does make a few stupid mistakes, I mean, isn't that what your teenage years are for? If we're being completely honest, I worry about Emma too."

Ross furrowed his brows.

"Why?"

"Because maybe she should be making a few mistakes herself, Ross. Or being a little carefree for a change. Sometimes I think she should be meeting other boys, having more fun… But it's her life. And I guess this may be her idea of fun, so it's not my place to intervene or anything. Best we can do is advise them and raise them to be good people. But at the end of the day, they're not ours to keep forever. We raise them to the world, right?"

They held hands and he thought about her words for a few silent seconds.

"Our nest is going to be empty soon, huh?"

"Oh God, don't." Rachel chuckled emotionally and carefully wiped the corner of her eye. "I promised myself I would save all my tears for tomorrow."

Ross chuckled too.

"Come here."

He pulled her into a kiss, which she gladly accepted. After they broke, they looked at each other and smiled.

"What was that about, by the way?" She asked in a warmer tone, nodding her head towards the direction Ben had left.

"The kid's nervous."

"Ah, I get it. He's young. This gives me flashbacks to running away on my wedding with Barry."

"Oh God." Ross chuckled. "No, I think they'll be OK."

"I know they will. It's just normal to feel nervous I guess."

Ross looked at her and smiled.

"Were you nervous when we got married?"

"Well, yeah." His furrowed brows made her smile. "Not that I was having second thoughts or anything, I was just anxiously excited. It was long overdue, Dr. Geller."

Ross laughed in amusement.

"That's exactly what I just told Ben."

Rachel smiled and stroked the side of his head softly, staring at him lovingly.

"And it's been a good ride, hasn't it?"

"The best."

"Do you remember that time Emma did that experiment by not telling us when she lost that one tooth? She placed it under her pillow and then interrogated us when she didn't get any cash for it?" Rachel asked him and he laughed.

"I do, yeah. And how with Leo we actually had to get real with him because he tried fooling us for the longest time into thinking he still believed all those things just so he could keep getting free stuff?"

Rachel laughed back.

"They really are different. But we've already proven that's not a bad thing." She concluded.

They smiled at each other and leaned in for another kiss.

"So, what are we going to do about him?" He asked.

"If you feel so strongly about waiting another year or so before we let him go to these parties, then he can wait." She answered.

Ross nodded slowly.

"We can sleep on it and talk about this later. We got another son to marry first."

Rachel nodded back, a guarded smile on her face.

"Do you think they'll have children right away? I'm not ready for that yet."

Ross laughed openly.

"One step at a time, Rach. Come here."

He pulled her into another kiss, this time longer. When they broke, she ran her hands over his shoulders, a longing look in her eyes.

"I really like this shirt, you know." She said with a low, husky voice.

"Yeah? The shirt or the man inside it?"

Rachel smiled and Ross leaned in to kiss her again when they got interrupted.

"Hey, can we head home now?" Leo asked and walked towards them unbothered, like it wasn't the first time he'd interrupted a little romantic moment between his parents because, well, it wasn't. "I'm tired, and I still have some homework I want to finish before the wedding tomorrow."

Rachel chuckled and looked at Ross.

"He's more like you than you think." She said quietly to him, before turning back to their son. "Sure, sweetie. Best to save our energies for the big day tomorrow."

"I'll go tell Emma." He announced.

"Oh, and Leo."

"Yeah?"

"The prom and the party… Your father and I will talk about it, OK?"

He furrowed his brows in confusion.

"Why?"

"Because we're your parents and that's how it works."

"But you said-"

Both Ross and Rachel raised their eyebrows at him, so he stopped talking. The boy looked more confused than annoyed, but also too tired to argue.

"OK, fine."

He left them and Rachel turned her face to look back at Ross, who was still watching their son leave.

"Is that a new jacket?"

"And shoes. And pants. And the shirt too, of course."

"Is Iris still taking care of it?" He asked about Rachel's assistant side-hustle reselling their kids' barely used clothes online.

"You know it."

He chuckled.

"OK." He stood up and offered her his hand. "Let's go get some rest for the big day tomorrow."

She let him pull her up and wrapped her arms around him, the longing back when she looked into his eyes.

"I hope that's not all we're gonna do tonight. Didn't you hear what I said about your shirt?"

He chuckled and stroked her back.

"OK, I guess you and my shirt are having a good time tonight."

She giggled.

"Funny."

They kissed again.

"OK, let's go then. Tomorrow's going to be a long day."


My initial idea for this was to write a one shot based in 2022 and this chapter was going to be it. I decided to expand it as I got more ideas, but this one is my favorite, I think. Just the notion of them being together for this long, through ups and downs, advising and inspiring Ben fills my heart with joy. Anyway. I also now have a Twitter account. It's actually what pushed me into writing this story, the girls there share so much love for David and Jen daily and it truly inspires me. If you want to follow me there, I'm TinaChaves_1 – I don't really post much, it's more for interacting and seeing some beautiful R&R content.

See you next chapter!