I'm so thrilled to finally be putting these chapters up. There will be slight spoilers for what's to come in SA but I couldn't leave them unsaid here.

Chapter 190: The Question of Marriage

The Rogers House - 13:42 PM

Merida took longer than she needed to get to Angela's parents' house. She idled in the airport's parking lot, thinking Blake would call her right away despite his plane not taking off yet. Love is weird but he's that type. Then her mother called her right after she sent the text saying Blake is her boy-friend. She couldn't even type it as a single word. It felt too weird despite making her smile like a schoolgirl. She hung up the moment her father started sobbing and a parking officer was making rounds to ticket cars.

The door was unlocked when Merida arrived but she knocked as she opened it so the others know that she's here. She walks into the kitchen to see Angela, Emily, Sigyn, Peggy, and Janet sitting around a kitchen island with fresh sangrias. Nobody's bombarding her so she thinks her parents kept it a secret for now.

"Anyways, what are we talking about?" Merida asks as she pours herself a glass.

"I'm talking about marriage and Sigyn is going to Camp with Xavier soon," Angela responds.

Merida hasn't even taken a sip and she's already feeling spaced out. "I didn't understand anything in that sentence."

"Darling, we're just discussing how I'm more concerned or maybe not concerned about Xavier since I haven't seen him so happy since Emily and Daniel's wedding," Peggy clarifies.

Sigyn ignores Peggy and sips her whole glass in one go. Merida guesses that's not her first glass either.

"Again, taking the credit," Emily states proudly. "My wedding fixed everything."

"Wedding of the century," Sigyn says through narrowed eyes. "Anyways, back to Angela who's probably never getting one at this point."

Angela glares at her. Sigyn smiles like an evil genius as she pours herself another glass.

"Hank and I aren't forcing you to sign a prenup if you're concerned about that," Janet says, holding her glass in her palm so daintily. "Hank and I signed one when we got married but it didn't matter to us since we wanted each other. That's worth more than all the money in the world."

"I thought you said it was so banks and the government couldn't claim your assets if something happened to the other that required money or seizing your fortune," Peggy prods, grinning.

Janet pauses, plastering a smile. " … details, Peggy."

"Facts," Emily corrects, "but I didn't make Daniel sign one. Although we handled some postnups in the possible worst-case scenario."

Merida snorts a laugh. "As if you two would leave each other."

"In case of other emergency situations."

"Like what?"

Emily purses her lips together on the rim of her glass, right where her lipstick marks are. "Till death do us part."

"You know whenever I bring up the subject to James, he likes to ask what's the point in marriage," Angela brings up. "He likes to say that he loves me too much to get the government involved, especially since we were born and raised in it."

"Exactly," Janet says, smacking the countertop. "You sign one so they can't get involved. I knew my son was smart."

Sigyn chokes on a laugh at James being smart, or on an orange wedge from the sangria. "I mean, is James wrong? Even I was raised in the government."

"I've known men like James and I've known him since he was born," Peggy says to Angela. "He acts like a bloke but Janet and I know he's the marrying type. He wants to settle and have children-"

"Mom!" Angela yells. Her face reddens to the same shade as their drink. "Focus on Xavier or something. Please."

Peggy eyes Sigyn who's poking at an ice cube in her cup. She knows the two girls were bouncing around being the centre of attention. "Camp is a special place for him."

"A place for him to brood and have nobody be concerned for him," Sigyn says. "Gotcha."

"We've been saying that after every year he's gone!" Merida exclaims. "Camp is a death sentence. Literally. He died one time ... or three times. I don't know."

Sigyn cheers. "Perfect place for me."

"He came back with a glitter beard one year, and then got bitten by some robot snake," Merida says.

"I told you that he messed with James's cologne and had hogs chasing after Sci-Tech," Angela adds.

Sigyn laughs. "Then Xavier was asking for death. Meanwhile, you're asking for a ring. The harder one."

Angela glares at Sigyn again and sucks her teeth. Done dealing with her and her brother heading to Camp SHIELD. "You know, James dances around the idea of marriage but does nothing. We've been together for almost a decade. Proposals don't happen if you get too far down the road. Mom, you can't comment since you and Dad married after three months after being engaged for, like, five minutes."

"Wouldn't be the first time that James popped the question," Janet mutters into her drink before taking a sip.

Angela stares at her, unsure what she heard. " … what?"

"He proposed to you when you were five."

Angela blinks, uncomprehending. She glances at her own mother who nods but her friends don't remember. "Again, what?"

"You were kids. It was adorable. He approached you with a small bouquet of clovers. I remember trying to find a four-leaf one with him but we couldn't find any so he figured a lot of three-leafed ones would suffice. You rejected him which was hilarious until he cried. I don't think he remembers it."

Merida is holding back so much laughter as she refills her glass. "Maybe that's why he still hasn't popped the question."

"He doesn't remember that!" Angela yells. She doesn't even remember that.

"Repressed memory?" Emily suggests, grinning.

"Now it's your turn to ask him," Sigyn says.

Angela downs her glass and puts it down on the countertop. "You know what? I will."

"That's my girl!" Peggy exclaims. "I proposed to your father."

Janet scoffs. "Yeah, after you declined him a few times. Must be genetic."

Merida shrugs as she scrolls on her phone. "Don't tell James I ever agreed with him but why get married?"

Angela sighs. "It just seemed like a given, something I've always expected and wanted to do. I mean, who am I to complain since James is great to me? The one time we broke up was a self-righteous attempt to protect me. He didn't rebound with anyone and wanted to improve himself. What more could a girl ask for that isn't a ring. Do you see yourself marrying Blake?"

Merida shakes her head. Forget the fact she joked about him asking for her hand at the airport. "People don't get married after five or whatever dates."

"They could if they were like yours."

Merida can't argue that point. They've had wild dates. "Badger James about it. Communication is the most important part of any relationship."

All the women stare at Merida blankly, shocked she, of all people, said those words. Merida doesn't notice since she's staring at her phone, waiting for Blake to call unbeknownst to them.

"So now you're giving relationship advice?" Emily asks to clarify that they all heard that correctly.

"My boy-friend writes relationship advice columns," Merida responds casually. "I'm qualified."

Emily blinks. "Merida, repeat that sentence."

"Blake writes relationship advice and we're in a relationship now."

Again, quizzical faces. Merida knows they're processing what she just said but it's funnier since they're all tipsy on sangrias, Angela and Sigyn included.

"You say boyfriend so weird," Angela says with a small laugh. "It's a compound word so you don't have to separate the syllables."

Merida's face burns. "Leave me alone."