Chapter 8: Dancing the night away
You don't make time like you used to
Got a new girl, new friends, brand new
I swear it's like I don't even know you
Yeah, I miss the old you
Life has fallen into a pattern lately. Apart from Polly's son coming to live with her, and Reinke hitting it off with him immediately, all is well.
Though there is one thing. Or rather, someone.
Marie rolls her eyes as she sits next to John, her husband squeezing her hand and filling her glass with rum. "Here you go, love." Marie smiles, kissing John on the cheek as Katie yells a loud "iiieeuwww!"
Reinke laughs, nodding at Michael, deep in conversation with him as she grabs some more meat to add to her plate.
The return of the son of Polly had been a shock, but had quickly been taken into the family as Reinke and he hit it off.
Does she think Reinke has a crush on Michael? Yes, she is sure of it.
Finn and Eva are softly talking, lost in their own world as Isaiah rolls his eyes.
Marie smiles at the people gathered around the house, who have become like family to her.
The only one she does not like ? Grace.
"You okay, sister?" Marie gives Arthur a fake smile, eyes rolling harder at Grace's cackling laugh.
Not only is she stuck up but also thinks them lesser people than her. Even though she married one of them.
But Thomas is going to manage the legal business together with Michael, so he is so much better than them.
"My family will be at the wedding." Grace says. "You will finally see what a good upstanding family is like, not like some people here."
Marie groans, deciding to down her rum in one go, and ignore Grace.
The day of the wedding downs bright and early. Katie walks next to Marie, talking softly to her as George draws Arthur with him.
Milly is walking next to them, grown so much in the meantime. It has been about five years since she first met them, and they have all grown so much.
And somewhere, Marie feels sad that she does not have any children of her own. Not for lack of trying on her and John's part.
"Stop breaking your pretty head over it, love." John had said as Marie had opened up about her worries for still not having a child.
"If it comes, it comes. You know I have
enough monsters running around. I would love to have a child with you but if we do not get one, know that the children love you like their own mom."
And she knows that. She loves those kids as her own. So, though it is difficult, Marie has tried to let it go. Maybe it is not meant for her and that is allright.
It is cold in the church, John tucking her into his side. "Thank you, dearest." Marie mutters, John squeezing her arm. "You're welcome, darling."
She does not like Grace, but she is happy to see Tommy get married and she does love her nephew. She is happy he finally seems to have found someone to fill that void.
This new you, this new dude
Don't know him, don't want to
I wish that I still knew
The old him, the old you
The party is in full swing, the blinders much more subdued than normal. Marie shuggs another glass of champagne, talking with Polly and Lizzie.
Michael and Reinke are dancing, as are Finn and Eva. Isaiah takes turns with Finn twirling Eva around, said girl laughing, clearly slightly drunk.
The band is still playing and Marie has lost her notion of time, stumbling around a random corridor.
She just knows her husband is doing
something illegal, something she is sure Tommy forbade them.
But who cares ? No witnesses, no foul, no harm.
"Mom, are you drunk?!" Artie asks, as George grins. "Nooooo! " Marie yells and than stops. "Maybe a little!" she admits sheepishly. "Can i have some champagne, Marie? " Katie asks and her stepmother gives it to her, smiling softly.
They go back to the room where the party is still in full swing, until the breaking of glass draws attention.
R.I.P. to the old you
I miss the old you
It's like you're dead to me now
R.I.P. to the old you
I fucking miss you
"Do not touch me!" Marie hears her best friend shout angrily, visibly upset, and alarmbells are going off in her head. She needs to know what is happening, stat.
"Stay here." She says to Milly and Katie, going towards the source of the sound.
"What am I to you?!" Reinke keeps on screaming, tears running down her cheeks.
"You tell me you love and want to be with me, and than you go and fuck that tramp behind my back ?!"
There are murmurs going through the crowd, the band still playing but being overshadowed by the arguing couple in the hall.
"Stop being so overdramatic, Reinke. It was just a bit of harmless fun. It is not like i proposed to you, right ? " Some of the younger blinders are snickering, and Reinke gets quiet, tears shining in her eyes.
It is clear Michael does not want to lose face and is being cocky, but Marie knows Reinke. Her friend has had enough. She is clearly done.
You're acting like the people that we hated
You're hanging with the worst and I hate it
All you do now is get too faded
You think you're the shit now
"You're right, Michael." Reinke says with a bitter smile, sniffing slightly. "After all, we don't own each other anything."
"Reinke..." Michael says but Marie appears next to her friend and hands her a handkerchief, shaking her head at Michael.
"Come on, sister. Let's dance, yeah?" Arthur appears next to Reinke and drags her to the dancefloor, giving her a glass of rum he obliges her to drink.
More likely to help Reinke drown her sadness.
Michael opens his mouth to say something to Marie, when a seething Grace comes barging in.
"Can you people never act normal?! Do you always have to cause mayhem everywhere you go ?" Marie's eyebrow raises slightly, squarring her shoulders. If Grace thinks
she can talk to her that way, she has another thing coming.
"You people ?" Marie asks, the blinders around them quieting down. "What do you mean with you people ?"
"It is your broad of a niece Charlotte that was fucking around with Michael, and while he is an idiot for even doing that, they both should be held accountable."
"Reinke-" Grace sputters, but Marie bristles, her voice gaining momentum.
"Reinke did nothing wrong. Next time, go ahead and blamd the people responsible, Michael and Charlotte. Reinke thought Michael loved her, and than she finds out he fucked someone else."
Marie gives Michael a cold look. "I think her feelings are warranted in this situation."
"But what, Grace? Did my wife do something wrong, eh?" John interrupts the rising tension, appearing behind Marie.
The blonde gives him a warm smile, his eyes crinckling nicely as he grins.
"Well John, you see..."
"I feel like dancing, darling. Join me?!" Marie turns, effectively cutting Grace off.
John looks up at Grace and than to his wife, snorting, clearly knowing what Marie is doing.
"Yeah, love, let's go."
R.I.P. to the old you (R.I.P.to you)
I miss the old you (I miss you)
It's like you're dead to me now (dead to me)
Marie grins and drags John to the dancefloor, joining a increasingly more drunk Arthur and Reinke.
The evening is drawing to a close. John and Marie are slow dancing, Marie's head lying on John's chest, eyes closed as she listens to his heart beating, his voice humming along to the song that is playing.
"John, come ere." Marie hears Tommy say, her husband sighing and cursing under his breath as he lets her go.
"Round up the kids, it's time to go home." Marie nods, Peter and Hannah dragging a drunk Reinke to their car, her younger
sister following.
"George, can you get your siblings? We are going home."
George grumbles but nods. "Thank you."
"You are choosing her over us? We are your family, Tom. Your family!" She hears John shout.
"Grace is my family now. As Marie is yours!" Tommy booms in answer. "She is stuck up broad who thinks she is better than us!" John explodes, anger coming off of Tommy in waves.
"Reinke ruined my wedding!" Grace comes in between, Marie quick to intercede.
"Leave Reinke out of this. You would do
well to speak to that broad Charlotte and Michael. If Michael made Reinke promises and she was naive enough to believe him, than the fault lies with him. Not her." Marie angrily whispers.
"Let's go, darling. We don't want to overstay our welcome." Marie sneers, turning on her heels towards the door.
"The door is always open for Charlie and you, Tom." Marie finishes. "Once you remember who your family is."
Tommy is stunned into silence as Marie grabs her husbands hand and drags him out of the door and into the car, the kids sleepily blinking at them.
"Tom has lost his way." John later says, as Marie is combing through her hair.
"I know. I understand he loves her, but he cannot forget everything she pulled. And the arrogance of that woman, i swear."
John sighs, pulling the covers over them as Marie snuggles into his arms. "Yeah, i don know."
"We can only hope he comes to his senses. And in the meantime, the door is always open."
John nods.
Yes, they can only hope Tommy comes to his senses.
This new you, this new dude
Don't know him, don't want to
I wish that I still knew
The old him, the old you