Authors Note: I own nothing. No ownership rights to Beverly Hills 90210.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Monday after the Pig Skin Prom marked twelve days till both my birthday and my mother's first charity fundraiser. She had chosen that day because it ensured our family would be altogether; me, my wife, her and dad. She knew a birthday without Bren wouldn't be much of a birthday for me.
That week the mother's had been getting together daily to put the final touches on the event. All the tables had been sold with myself buying a whole table for my wife and I, and our friends; Jim couldn't be angry if we were all sitting together. The parents each would hold court in different corners of the ballroom their four tables in the centre but each pair at one of the four centre tables. Samantha would be MC for the evening bringing in the Hollywood element that Dad said the new money like himself loved so much. Mum wasn't phased by celebrity, they were all just people to her. Dad said the Uber rich lifestyle Mum had been born into saw the world in a different way. My Mum had stuck her tongue out at him for that. He had smiled and then sarcastically said the working class used a different gesture than that when offended. Mum had flicked him the bird and he had practically beamed- he lived to stir her up.
Saturday evening the gang and I got together at The Pit, Bren had somehow organised a cake; Brandon must have helped as I couldn't imagine her parents would have lent her the car for such an occasion. Bren said that as we would be at a stuffy black tie event on my actual birthday, I needed a burger and fries celebration to launch the week of birthday festivities. What I needed was for her to wear that off the shoulder top more often, I quietly whispered that to her as we all ate cake.
She smiled from her seat next to me, "that could be arranged but first you need to sort out this head cold. It's got worse since Friday, it sounds like it's moving onto your chest."
"Bren it's fine. The ocean was a little cold this morning and it's just made it a little worse."
She lifted one brow and tilted her head, a clear indication she was calling bullshit. I attempted to change the subject when I asked what was for my birthday.
"Well I'm thinking a nurse."
"You're going to dress up for me?" I gave her my cheeky smile, and then tried to choke down a cough.
"No I'm thinking if you don't get that sorted that you'll need one."
I roll my eyes, "Baby I'm fine."
Steve interrupts us then, "McKay I know it's your birthday celebration but do you always call your ex's baby?"
My fist clenching under the table was my only indicator that I was annoyed by our blonde joker of a friend, I hated this stupid charade. "Steve Bren and I, we are no one else's business."
"Don't let Jimbo hear you say that. Last night he practically gave me written permission to ask her to the charity event next Saturday."
I immediately turn to my wife, she doesn't try and pacify me she knows it's a losing battle. "Dad got very excited that Steve and I watched Footlose together, he's been trying all week to get me to accept Stuart's invite but as I haven't agreed he thought Steve and I would make a fine couple- his word's."
"And Bren baby we would."
Bren literally put her hand on my thigh to hold me down at his use of my name for my wife.
Brandon intervened then seeing the threat that the blonde idiot clearly did not, "Steve it's his birthday and he's sick let's try and be nice. Anyway no dates right, well besides Silver and Donna? There is eight on a table and eight of us, we share the limo and the whole night. Celebrate being forced to wear Monkey Suits by our parents on Dylan's big day."
"Brandon I love how you feel this is something forced, my mother is so excited. When Jackie assured her that she has a table for Daddy and her friends next to their's she was delighted. This is literally the event of the Beverly Hills season."
"Don you sound so much like Felice then it was scary." Donna goes pale at Kelly's remark.
"Yeah well it's all I have heard about since the event was announced at the weekly ladies lunch at the Beverly Hills Country Club. Mum is annoyed she wasn't on the planning committee like the rest of the parents, it didn't help that she couldn't make it to the McKay bbq because she was attending a church conference that weekend."
Bren jumps in, "I'm sure the next one, if there is one that she'll be included. Iris doesn't like exclusion and she knows how close we all are."
"Bren are you still talking to Mrs McKay, I thought…"
Kelly's question goes unfinished, the stupid communication restrictions is something that the group has avoided discussing. I refuse to minimise my wife's role in our family more than I was already forced to do, it's a month from her birthday and if Jim finds out about my mother and Bren well he can now just suck it up. "I bring letters to the other. My Mum and Bren have been pen pals for over a year, god knows what they discuss but they send notes regularly."
"Well I can tell you the next note will be full of me asking your mother to take you to the doctors."
"Bren come on I'm fine, it's a cold, and regardless my mother has no power over my medical needs. I'm emancipated remember."
"Fine we will wait till you are coughing so much that as your next of k-" She stops. I quirk my lips in a smile, looking only at her. She realises her mistake. She's my next of kin. When I got my lawyer to certify our French marriage contract as legal, he ensured that all legal documents for me now reference her as my sole legal heir. When she turns eighteen he will certify the returns for me. "Dyl just go to the doctors please."
"If it gets worse I will. Promise."
It got worse, well actually the cough died down it just moved deep onto my chest. On Wednesday night having spent the afternoon in the bay I felt rubbish. I took myself to bed early. I didn't talk to my wife as usual, when I didn't answer my line that night she must have rang the house line. My mum came up to check on me, I could hear her talking to someone feeling my warm head but I couldn't muster the energy to open my eye's.
The next day I pulled myself out of bed, I missed my wife and as dreadful as I felt I wasn't going to miss a chance to see her. She took one look at me an insisted I go to the doctors then home. I refused until she walked me to my car, missing part of first period to do it. I begged her to come home with me, I felt terrible I wanted her close. She kissed my brow and promised to call and check on me throughout the day. I didn't go to the doctors I went home instead, I was to tired. My parents fussed seeing me return home, Mum insisted on making soup, Dad insisted I do a steam thing his Nan in Ireland used to do for him as a kid. I sat at the kitchen table with a towel over my head breathing over boiling water. It didn't make me feel better I was just too tired to feel better but Dad felt like he was helping.
I went to lay down and Mum brought up soup around lunchtime along with the phone. Bren was calling on her lunch break wanting to hear what the doctor said. If I wasn't sounding so sick I know she'd be yelling at me for not going. Two hours later she rang back my Dad brought me the house phone with a smirk. She had booked me an appointment for the next morning at the doctors, Steve remembered he and I had shared the same doctor as kids. My wife guessed that my aversion to going to one now probably meant I had not been to one in years.
The Doctor put me on antibiotics, believing that I had an infection from the polluted water brought on by the rain last week. He told me if it wasn't better on Monday, giving me two full day's on antibiotics then I needed a chest X-ray. He insisted I stay home for the rest of the day and rest. It was another day without my wife. I got home grumpy and went straight to our room. I put on my pyjamas and wore my wedding ring; in made me feel slightly better. I slept through lunch and woke up to feather light kisses on my brow, I must have a fever.
"How are you feeling?"
My eyes pop open, "I'm not dreaming?"
"No. Brandon drove me over, I'm supposedly helping him collect his tux for tomorrow night. We have about forty minutes till he comes back. Your Mum is out overseeing the preparations for tomorrow night with the rest of the Mum's and your Dad is working on his boat."
"So I have my wife all to myself?"
"Yes but get your mind out of the gutter husband you are sick. You still have a temperature and you sound terrible."
"Fine. Will you at least lay down with me, so I can hold you?"
"Of course."
I shifted over and she climbed into our bed. When I gathered her close she felt the ring on my hand. My voice was hoarse my chest hurt but having her next to me was the best I had felt in days. As she played with my ring, spinning it around I looked up from my position resting on her chest. "Can you wear yours?"
She smiles and kisses my forehead. "You're so warm baby but your feet are so cold." She says this as she lifts her necklace off and undoes the latch. When her rings are in her palm I pick them up and put them on her finger then kiss it. I lay my head back down then listening to her heart beat. She runs her fingers through my hair, I'm so relaxed I can feel my body begin to fall asleep, I try and fight it I just want to be awake with her. It's a losing battle though and I'm asleep within minutes.
When I wake again my room is dark, I'm by myself but there is a scruffy looking horse shaped stuffed animal on the next pillow staring back at me. I smile she left me Mr Pony.
When the limousine pulls up Brandon yells up the stairs, "Bren it's time. Come on you don't want to be late Mum will kill us."
I tuck my chain under the neckline of my shoestring sheath dress. Dylan wanted me to wear aquamarine but I couldn't find one that was appropriate for the occasion, instead I opted for a silk teal dress. When I get to the top of the stairs I see my husband waiting for me at the front door.
"You look stunning."
"Thank you. Should I even suggest again that you skip tonight? You're sick-"
"It's my birthday I want to be with you." When I get down the stairs I lean up to feel is brow, he's still too warm, I then kiss his lips. He deepens it, the throat clearing has him barely pulling away. "B your Dad's left already with your Mum, it's my birthday, I'm sick, so let me kiss my girl in peace." He doesn't wait for a response, he leans down and kisses me again.
I can tell how sick he is when he can't hold the kiss as long as usual, his lungs unable to take in enough air. As I put my hands under his jacket I can feel he's also lost weight. I pull back and look at him. He can tell what I'm asking. "Soup. Three days of missed meals and lots of soup. And yes I feel like shit, the antibiotics are fucking strong and making me woozy but it's Mum and Dad's first big night in society, and it's my birthday."
His face is full of begging, he really is too sick for this. He's not contagious so it's not others I worry about but him. He should be resting. I lean in and kiss his nose. "Stay close tonight, no dancing and if it gets too much tell me I've got Iris and Jack's back if you need to go home, my father won't make a scene with everyone around."
He smiles, "staying close to you is my favourite thing. Now it's my birthday where is my gift?"
I laugh, at times I can imagine him just as a little kid. I imagine our children will have that same playfulness. I reach into my clutch and pull out a box, he gives me a curious look unsure what it could be. When he unwraps it and lifts the lid he immediately smiles. He picks up the cufflinks and looks at the lettering, I answer his unasked question. "The M is for McKay and the H-"
"Is for house. Did you design this?"
"Ever since you told me about your dream I've been thinking. On the spine of a good book is the publishing symbol, I started doodling and came up with this. If you don't like-"
I'm cut off by his lips, when he pulls back he's beaming. "It's perfect. I can see it now on the letterhead, on doors, on books. I love it. I love that you are all in on my dream. I love that such an important symbol will be something designed by you-" he leans down closer to my ear. "I love that the Mrs McKay will have designed it."
The sound of Brandon clearing his throat as he comes back out of the kitchen has us leaning apart. "Okay we are officially late to pick the others up. Are you two ready to pretend to be good again?"
"Nope." "Yes."
I look at Dylan, "Baby it's you birthday but not mine."
He groans, "fine I'll be good. Though you really should have worn a different dress to make that easier on me." I laugh as Brandon hits Dylan on the shoulder.
As we walk out of the house with Dylan's hand resting on my lower back Brandon finally asks, "do I want to know what happens on our birthday?"
"I stop being good."
I roll my eyes and look over at my twin, "it's best you don't ask what that means."
As we pick up the others it's a lot of fun seeing them all get in the car with their glamour outfits. Kelly is wearing a light blue dress. It makes her hair pop she looks beautiful. Donna is wearing a coral dress she looks stunning, and Andrea is wearing a dark navy. Dylan greets everyone but spends most of the car ride with his eyes closed resting- he really shouldn't be up, you literally can hear his chest rattle as he breathes.
When we arrive there are photographer's out, Dylan boldly places his hand on my spine and makes me pose with him for the local paparazzi. As we get inside I give him a look, he smiles and declares "it's my birthday."
I giggle, "is that going to be your excuse all night?"
"Yep it's my birthday gift to myself. I'm going to be a little naughty and steal as many moments with you that I can."
"You are sweet but considering you can barely stand up right now I think you are being overly ambitious. Let's just get you to your seat okay."