Ever After 60
Ever After
Disclaimer: This is a story about gay people...if you can't read it or
Don't like gay people, leave. Go...bye. But if you like it, read it and
Write to me.
Davis and I made it to the hospital very quickly. My mind was spinning. So much had happened at the wedding. Apparently, Marco went agro on Julie, who I have to admit totally deserves it. This led to him walking reverse down the aisle and his mother tried to go after him, which caused her to collapse. Mom had relayed all the information to me. In all the chaos, there was no sign that anyone remember that it was New Years Eve. I barely remembered. Davis drove like a banshee to get here! As we entered the waiting room, our family and friends were all there. Davis walked to his Dad and Mom.
"What's going on?" I asked, "Is she..."
"She's critical." Mom said, "But stable for now. Michael, Marco, and Hannah are in with her."
"Is Laura going to be okay?" I asked.
"I don't know, baby." Mom said, hugging me.
"What happened?" I asked.
"I killed my mom." Marco said, standing at the door.
Chapter 60: Leave the Light on
"Nobody thinks that you killed your mom." Mom said.
"I think it." Marco said, "Thank everybody for coming, but she's not up to seeing people."
"Is she going to be alright?" Kerry Marchall asked.
"She's not doing good." Marco said, "She's in bad condition."
"We'll come back tomorrow." Mom said, "Kerry, can I talk to you outside?"
"About what?" Elizabeth asked.
"That's private." Mom said, leaving with Kerry.
Elizabeth looked from Mom and Kerry leaving to Marco. Marco looked from Elizabeth to me. I looked from him to Davis. Marco nodded and walked out of the room. I followed.
"You're not to blame!" I said.
"Really? I messed up everything." Marco frowned, "I messed up my mom, my wedding...us."
"I don't know what you're saying." I said nervously.
"I'm saying I royally screwed myself." Marco said, "You were right, about Julie and us."
I was silent.
"But you weren't at the wedding and my brother wasn't at the wedding..."
"I was going to Hawaii." I said, "I wasn't going to watch you marry some cow."
Marco chuckled, "So you take off with my brother. Classy." He smiled.
"I'm not going to defend my choice. I love you. That was never the problem between us." I said, "I can't do this right now. Not while Laura is..."
"It's not good." Marco said, "Talking to you almost made me forget."
"Why'd you change your mind about Julie?" I asked.
"You can thank Jennifer for that." Marco smiled.
"Ummm, say huh?!" I asked.
"She may be a bitch, but she has a soft spot." Marco said, walking away.
"Uh...saywhatnow?!" I asked.
"Hey." Davis said coming up behind me, "What's going on?"
"I...am not sure." I said unsure, "But I think Jennifer has a soul."
"Huh?" Davis asked.
"I'm going home to sleep." I said, "I need to think."
"Is this you going back to Marco?" Davis asked.
"No." I said simply.
"Are you sure? I mean, I won't..."
"I don't know where I go from here, but I'm not lying." I frowned, "I don't know who I love more. I love you but I love him too."
Davis nodded, "I can respect your honesty." He smirked.
"At least I'm not singing. I need to sleep." I smiled.
"Sweet dreams." Davis smiled.
I kissed his cheek and left.
-
"You really need to get your ass in gear." Ben frowned, "The book is going to be launched soon and we've got so much to do."
I sighed. He was right. I hate it when he's right. The book was being published in a few months. I couldn't think about that now. Laura was sick. She might not make it and if she did, she'd just be back. She has cancer and it wasn't good. It had spread, that much I'd overheard.
"Are you even listening?" Ben asked.
"No." I said quickly.
Ben sighed.
"I understand." I said, "I get it, but do you really expect me to think of anything else?"
"Look, it's sad, it is, but you've got to be ready for this." Ben smiled.
"I am ready." I said, "I mean, yeah, I'm not solely focused but..."
"That's it. You need to be." Ben said, "I mean, you dated that guy from Spartacus and now you're dating another high profile guy."
"His name is Jai." I said, "And you sound jealous."
"Why would I be jealous?" Ben asked, "This is about business."
"That's all it can be about." I frowned.
"Right...I thought you loved this Marco guy, now you're in love with this Davis?" Ben asked.
"It's complicated." I said.
"Why'd you ever come back here? The small minded bumpkins and backstabbing friends." Ben said.
"I'm not going to deny that people around here can be small-minded, but at the end of all of it, it's where my heart is." I smiled.
Ben stared at me, "How Gay." He smirked.
Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. I walked over and answered the door to see Michael with a trophy.
"We won!" Michael smiled.
"That's great! I totally forgot." I said, "Ummm, come in."
"I can't..." Michael began.
"Dude, another—hello." Ben said, joining me at the door.
"Hi." Michael smiled.
"Who's your guest?" Ben asked.
I looked between them and smiled, "This is Michael. He's a teacher." I said.
"Wow, teachers never looked like that in school." Ben said.
Michael blushed.
"Mike, this is my literary agent." I said.
"Ben." Ben said, extending his hand.
Michael took it, "Nice to meet you. I'm sorry to interrupt. I just came to thank Adaen." He said.
"For?" Ben asked.
"Helping with my choir class." Michael said flashing the trophy, "We won."
"Success. I love the smell of it." Ben smiled.
"I've got to go, but it was nice meeting you." Michael smiled.
"Ditto." Ben smiled.
I chuckled, "I'll call you." I smiled.
Michael nodded and left. I shut the door and walked back to the living room. Ben followed and stared at me.
I turned to him, "What?" I asked.
"Is he your ex?" Ben asked.
"No, my ex is married." I chuckled.
"So, he's not seeing anybody?" Ben asked.
"Look, he's one of the few gay guy friends that I have. Don't mess that up." I said.
"So, I can't date and discard?" Ben asked.
"I don't think you even want to." I said, "It's in your eyes."
"My eyes...you're a poet."
"Oh, I know." I frowned, "Damn this poet's soul."
-
There was a knock on the door and I walked from my room to the front door. Mom was at the hospital and I was on my way too. Eric was with Jennifer and the twins somewhere. I hadn't gotten a chance to talk to her yet. Hope was also gone. I figured she was at Peter's house. I opened the door to see Kendall. Without me asking, she walked past me and stopped in the living room. She stopped and began pacing.
"Why is there a white girl pacing in my living room?" I asked.
"Because we are so caught." She said, pulling her hair behind her ear, "It's Jack. He's got a lead in the case."
"That thing's still open after all these years?" I asked, "I thought we were in the clear."
"Apparently, he's got a suspect." Kendall frowned, "He won't tell me who."
"Okay, maybe it's not as bad as it looks?" I said hopefully.
"We hit a guy! Then lied and it's been three years." Kendall said, "What are we going to do."
"Tell the truth?" I asked.
"If you're not going to be serious." Kendall said, heading to the door.
"I am." I said quickly, "You've had this over your head for three years. What if they arrest the wrong guy or, you know, girl? What if someone else gets hurt over this secret?"
"Someone like you?"
I chuckled, "Someone like Hannah." I said, "She's keeping this secret. What if what happened to me happens to her?"
"You expect me to just turn myself in?" Kendall asked, "Do you know what I have to lose?"
"Nothing more than the rest of us." I said, "Have you listened to yourself since you had this secret?! You're not Kendall anymore. You're consumed by this and it's a wound. A literal wound and you need to heal yourself."
"And you think this will heal me?" Kendall asked with disbelief.
"Sweetie, confession is good for the soul." I said, "I think you know it's the right thing in your mind. You've just got to show it in your heart."
Kendall stared at me. She looked so tired. I sat down beside her. Somehow, the hospital can wait.
-
Marco sat beside his mother, watching her sleep. He couldn't remember a time when she wasn't strong. She looked so weak now. He didn't know how he could live without her. She'd been there when he was strong and when he was weak. She'd seen him at his worst and never asked for anything in return. Laura was a great mother and accepted Marco as he was. She was everything to him and if he had to lose her now, when he needed her so bad, he wasn't going to let her go without a fight.
"She's so...weak." Hannah said, "I mean...Mom was always...healthy."
Marco nodded.
"I keep wondering who's going to take care of dad."
Marco chuckled, "Hannah, he's only fourty-two." He said.
"You know what I mean." Hannah said, walking over to Marco, "Mom was his rock. Remember when we'd go out? Mom would always leave the light on for us."
"Yeah." Marco said, "And on our birthdays, no matter how old we were, she'd make us those little cupcakes with the caramel."
"I call them crumpcakes." Hannah smiled.
"Hannah, she's not going to be okay." Marco said sadly.
"Maybe not, but there's one thing she'd want." Hannah said, "You and Adaen..."
"Our mother is laying in a bed, sick with cancer. My personal problems aren't important." Marco frowned.
"She's right."
Hannah and Marco jumped.
"You've been doing this dance for years. You love him. Go and get him." Laura smiled.
"Mom...are you okay?" Hannah asked.
"I'm in a lot of pain." Laura said, "But I just...I want you to be happy."
"How can we be happy? You're sick!" Marco said, "It's not..."
"Stop worrying about what you should do. It's okay."
"I'm not leaving your side." Marco frowned.
"So stubborn." Laura sighed, "Just like..."
Hannah and Marco watched her.
"I'm going to get dad." Hannah said, leaving.
"I've never care if you were straight, gay, or bi. I only care if you were happy and he makes you happy." Laura said, "If I don't make it, I need you to make things right."
"I will."
"And take care of your father and sister." Laura said, "I can't stress that one enough."
Marco nodded.
-
"Faggot!"
I wasn't accustomed to hearing that word being shouted at me. I had finally gotten Kendall to leave when I was walking to my car. I stopped at hearing the word and turned to receive a punch to the face! I fell to the ground and looked up at Brad, who was now grabbing me. He pushed me against the door of the car and punched me again. I pushed him away and kicked his leg, causing it to buckle and him to fall to the ground. I stood slowly and wiped the blood off my lip. He charged me and we fell backward into the lawn now! We tussled for control before he pinned me to the ground.
"Filthy faggot!" He shouted.
"What in the Hell is your problem?!" I shouted.
"You and your liberal, gay agenda got to my brother!" He frowned.
I pushed him off me and he slid back into the car and paused with tears in his eyes.
"It's not right and you corrupted my brother!" Brad shouted.
I held my jaw, "There's nothing I could have done to make him gay, psycho!" I said angrily.
"You and your merry band of butt-pirates are taking over the whole town. It's not right."
"You know, at first I thought you were ignorant. But you're not." I frowned, "I think you're overcompensating."
"You think I'm a queer and in the closet?! I'm sick of you. Before you, none of this was existent."
"Oh yeah because I'm the first and only one in existence." I frowned, still keeping my eye on him.
"I lost my best friend, my entire belief, and now I'm losing my own family to your sickness? You keep your minions away from my brother." Brad said, standing and walking away.
-
Kerry Marchall walked into Laura Terrance's room. He was nervous. Last time he'd known Laura to be in the hospital was that their son was born. He'd picked precisely this moment to come in the room. Michael and his kids had just left. Lillian Lawrence had talked to him, discussed with him the severity of the situation and reminded him of who Laura and Marco were to him. Through everything that had happened, Marco was still his son biologically. If his kids could get along, why couldn't the adults?
"What are you doing here?" Laura asked weakly.
"Oh, Laura." He frowned, "I thought..."
"There are so many things I wanted to say and I imagined saying every single word to you." Laura said angrily, "But all I can say is that you need him."
"I need him?"
"And he needs you." Laura frowned, "As much as I would love to think otherwise, it's true."
"He has a father."
"He has a dad. You're his father." Laura frowned, "You've denied him for twenty-five years. I think it's time that you wise up. He's an amazing young man."
Kerry stared at her, "You did an amazing job with him." He said.
"You don't know him." Laura said.
"But I know you." Kerry said, "I'll do my best with him."
"Never give up on him."
Kerry nodded.
-
I walked in to see my mother standing with Michael, Hannah and Marco's father. I walked over to them and smiled. After my meeting of the minds with Brad, I wasn't entirely without blood. Upon seeing me, Hannah walked over to us too.
"What happened to your lip?" Mom asked.
"I was just hate crimed." I frowned, "How is Laura?"
Michael looked concerned but continued, "She's better." He said.
"What happened to you?" Mom asked.
"I was walking to my car and got jumped."
"By a gang?" Hannah asked.
"No, by a Brad." I said quickly, "It's a long story and...where's Marco?"
"He went to the cafeteria." Hannah said, "We all got a little hungry."
"I need to talk to him." I frowned.
"First you need to spill on why Brad kicked your ass." Hannah said.
"That is so debatable." I frowned, "Peter and Rocco, his little brother, have a thing going. He doesn't like that I'm gay and so is his little brother."
They stared at me.
"He blames me." I frowned.
"Are you okay?" Hannah asked.
"Yeah, I just really need to talk to Marco." I frowned.
Down in the cafeteria, Marco stood at a vending machine. He was lost. Nothing was the same in his world. The person he thought was his best friend over these years was lying to him the whole time to keep him away from the guy loved. And the person who told him was a pariah, but she had saved him from the biggest mistake he could have possibly made. The world was upside down. He turned from the machine, ready to walk before he bumped into his father, Kerry.
"Geez, where in the Hell did you come from?" Marco asked.
"I've been standing there for about five minutes trying to figure out what to say." Kerry said.
"Why say anything?" Marco asked, "It's been twenty five years and you've barely acknowledged me, so why start now?"
"Like it or not, you're my son." Kerry said, "I think we should put aside our differences. It's what your mother wants."
Marco chuckled angrily, "And how would you know what my mother wants? You cast her out like old trash and you want to say what my mother would..."
"it's what she just told me!"
"You're lying." Marco frowned, turning away from him, "She would want me to be with my father and sister."
"I am your father."
"No! You're not."
"I am. And I'm sorry I treated you any other way. You're my son. And I need to teach you something. Something about who you are." Kerry said, "She knows that you need me."
"She's wrong."
"I don't think she is." Kerry said, "I think I've been stupid for so long and now I'm asking you for another chance."
"No." Marco said, "I'm not your second chance."
"He's right." I said.
"What?" Marco asked, turning to me.
"He has a lot to atone for. He hasn't been a good father and he needs to prove to you that he is."
"I never asked you." Marco snapped.
"You never asked but I'm telling you! I know you." I frowned, "It hurts but if he wants to get to know you, why not let him?"
"He had twenty-five years to prove this...to show me, and now he wants a magical shot?" Marco asked.
"We've all been stupid. Incredibly stupid. We all need a second chance." I said quickly.
Marco looked between us.
"It's what your mother wants." I said.
"Think about it." Kerry said, leaving.
Marco and I watched him walk away. Marco's eyes then fell upon me.
"What happened to your lip?" He asked.
"Long story." I frowned, "We have a lot of long stories."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Marco asked, "Is this your very thinly veiled way of saying you choose me?"
"I always have." I said.
"Does this mean we're together?" Marco asked.
"I've got to talk to Davis." I said.
Suddenly, Hannah came running up at her full speed.
"Something's happening. She's dying!" Hannah said.
-
[Never Let Me Go by Florence and the Machine begins]
Florence Welsh: Looking out from underneath,
Fractured moonlight on the sea
Reflections still look the same to me,
As before I went under.
And it's peaceful in the deep,
Cathedral where you cannot breathe,
No need to pray, no need to speak
Now I am under.
I knocked on the door to the huge house and waited on the doorstep. Laura died. Her family wasn't taking it very well at all. I had to tear myself away from Marco just long enough to do this. The door opened to show Davis.
"I was just going to the hospital." Davis said, "I heard."
I was near tears, "We have to talk." I was all I could muster.
Florence Welsh: And it's breaking over me,
A thousand miles onto the sea bed,
Found the place to rest my head.
Never let me go, never let me go.
Never let me go, never let me go.
Christina and Kendall walked into the police station. They were so scared that neither could feel anything but the other's hand. They had finally plucked up the courage to turn themselves in and they walked right up to Jack Jerman, who looked at the girls oddly.
"He have to...umm..." Christina stammered.
"Confess." Kendall said quickly.
Florence Welsh: And the arms of the ocean are carrying me,
And all this devotion was rushing out of me,
And the crashes are heaven, for a sinner like me,
The arms of the ocean deliver me.
Though the pressure's hard to take,
It's the only way I can escape,
It seems a heavy choice to make,
Now I am under.
Harry stood in the doorway, watching his wife cry while she held her sleeping son. It was then that Harry saw the error of his ways. He needed to go the physical therapy and soon. He needed to be here with his wife and son. Michael had stayed at the hospital to fill out some papers. Ballard had been the doctor on call for his mother-in-law that night and now no one could fine Ballard. The family found itself at this place. Now. It had to be now. He had to let go of pride and be the man his wife and son needed.
Florence Welsh: In the arms of the ocean, so sweet and so cold,
And all this devotion I never knew at all,
And the crashes are Heaven, for a sinner released,
And the arms of the ocean,
Deliver me.
Never let me go, never let me go.
Never let me go, never let me go.
Julie laid in the bed, trying to recount the last few days of her life. Her life was in turmoil at the moment. The last few hours of her life had been spent in Eric's club, swallowing copious amounts of alcohol. She'd never spent New Years in a bar. In all the excitement, everyone had forgotten that it was a new year.
"So, are we...supposed to..." Julie began.
"I don't know." Eric said, rolling over, "I have no clue where we go from here."
Florence Welsh: Deliver me.
Never let me go, never let me go.
Never let me go, never let me go.
Deliver me.
Ballard killed stumbled into his apartment. He had been drinking heavily. He had lost a life and not just any life. He'd lost the life of his friend. This was the first patient he ever lost and he wasn't sure how to take this loss. It was New Years! He'd completely forgotten. He flipped on his television and was shocked at what he saw.
"Tonight, we have confirmed that two women have turned themselves in to the police for a hit-and-run from last year." The reporter said, showing mug shots for Kendall and Christina. Ballard jumped up and grabbed his coat, heading out of the door.
Florence Welsh: In the arms of the ocean, so sweet and so cold,
And all this devotion I never knew at all,
And the crashes are Heaven, for a sinner released,
And the arms of the ocean,
Deliver me.
I walked into my room and slid the keys on the nightstand before flipping off the television. Hope nor Mom was home. I looked over to Marco, who was laying to the other side of the bed, sobbing. My heart broke for him and I knew he had to be a little broken. I couldn't imagine. I took my shoes off and threw them to the floor, crawling up behind him. To my touch, he turned to me and I grabbed him in a hug as he cried into my chest.
Florence Welsh: And it's over,
And I'm goin' under,
But I'm not givin' up!
I'm just givin' in.
Oh, slipping underneath.
Oh, so cold, but so sweet
-
Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed. Please give me some feedback because that's how I get started. So, I want you guys to tell me how I'm doing.