ficwhatfic | The Price Legacy - Generation One

Marci and Joshua discuss when and how they should get married, and amid their planning, he finally opens up about his own past.

CONTENT WARNING: Abuse, homophobic slur, language.

Joshua was almost done.

All he had to do was add the finishing touches, and…

Finished.

Perhaps this surrealist painting was a little too juvenile, but he enjoyed the end result, and that was what truly mattered at the end of the day. Plus, Marci couldn’t stop laughing when she saw the initial draft, and honestly, the process was worthwhile if it elicited that reaction from her. Maybe other people would enjoy it as well.

With the painting finished, he went to Louis’ room to get him ready for bed.

Louis: “Dad? Am I still grounded?”

Joshua: “We already talked about this, Louis. Yes, you are still grounded.”

Louis: “Does that mean I can’t see Trevor tomorrow? We were supposed to go to the movies and get some ice cream.”

Joshua: “That’s exactly what it means. Tomorrow you’re coming straight home after school. You can visit your friend sometime next week.”

Louis: “He won’t be here, though. He’s going away with his parents on Sunday. I won’t see him for a whole month!”

Joshua: “I’m sorry. I already made my decision. You’ll just have to wait until he gets back.”

Louis: “Ugh! This is bullshit!”

Joshua: “Louis! Watch your language!”

Louis: “What’s the big deal? Marci swears all the time! You never tell her to shut up!”

Joshua: “I never told you to shut up! I just told you to mind your mouth. And remember, Marci is an adult, and you’re--”

Louis: “Just a kid. Yeah. I know. I hate it. It’s not fair.”

Note to self: get a swear jar for the house, immediately.

Joshua sat on the floor with Louis, to get on his level. He tried not to take it too personally when the boy turned away and gave him the cold shoulder.

Joshua: “Louis, you understand why I had to punish you, right? You can’t get into fights with your classmates. That’s not how I want you to resolve conflict.”

Louis: “But Henry made me so mad! He wouldn’t stop saying stupid things to me and my friends! What was I supposed to do, let him call me names or push Trevor around?”

Joshua: “No. Remember what I told you what to do in situations like that? You’re supposed to find a teacher or another adult in charge, and tell them what’s going on. Or go to the principal’s office and ask them to call me or Marci.”

Louis: “Then I would just be a snitch, and no one would talk to me! I had to defend myself against Henry, or he was never going to leave me alone! You just don’t understand! Why would you? You just think I’m stupid! Everyone else does!”

Joshua: “Hey, hey…no one thinks you’re stupid, you hear me? You’re very smart - and you’re smart enough to know better. And I do understand what you’re going through, Louis, more than you know. I’m so proud of how you stand up for yourself and your friends. You’re far more confident than I was at your age. But I don’t want you to solve all your problems with your fists. You can get hurt, or hurt someone else.”

Joshua: “Take me, for instance. I got into a really bad fight once, and now I can barely lift my right arm over my shoulder for too long. I had to learn how to paint with my left arm to compensate.”

That got Louis’ attention. He turned for a brief moment to stare at Joshua with wide eyes.

Louis: “Really? Why does it hurt so bad? What happened to you?”

Joshua: “Someone broke my collarbone, and it didn’t heal right. It aches sometimes, especially when it rains. So, take my word for it. If you can avoid fighting, take the high road. I don’t want to see you get hurt as I did. I love you.”

Even though Louis was clearly still upset about his predicament, he shifted to sit closer to Joshua.

Louis: “I’m sorry I got into a fight. And I’m sorry you got hurt.”

Joshua wrapped an arm around Louis and hugged him. He pressed a kiss against his hair.

Joshua: “It’s alright. I’m sorry you can’t hang out with your friend before he leaves.”

Louis: “Are you really going to keep me home tomorrow? Trevor’s not just a friend. He’s my best friend. I don’t want to go a whole month without seeing him.”

Joshua: “I know, Louis, but you’re still grounded. If I make an exception now, then you’re never going to learn your lesson. How about I let you two video chat tomorrow before you go to bed? And when he gets back from vacation, I can take you guys to the geek convention. It should be in the city by then.”

Louis: “I…I guess that’s cool.”

After he tucked Louis into bed, Joshua stepped out of his room and released the aggravated sigh he was holding in. Marci was walking by just then and took pleasure in his visible frustration.

Marci: “Uh oh. Is Louis still mad at you? You should’ve heard all the things he was calling you earlier when I walked by and checked on him. What a potty mouth!”

Joshua: “Trust me, I got a taste of that...and thanks to you, we need to implement a swear jar.”

Marci: “Sorry, muffin. He must’ve spent too much time with me and Don when we marathoned the General Buzz Grunt movies the other day. We’ll be careful next time. So what happened? Is he okay?”

Joshua: “He finally calmed down, but...I hate it when he’s upset with me. I always walk away feeling like a bad parent.”

Marci: “Aww, don’t even worry about it! You know how he gets. He’s going to rant and rave all night, but by tomorrow morning, he’s going to think you’re the coolest dad alive again, just as you deserve. So, are you coming to bed?”

Joshua: “Yes. I’m right behind you.”

Marci: “Your painting is rad, by the way! So bizarre! I thought the draft was funny enough, but seeing it in color? I laughed so hard, I almost peed my pants.”

Marci always knew just what to say to lift his spirits. He smiled.

Joshua: “Thanks. That’s what I was going for.”

These days, Joshua’s outlook on life was steadily improving.

When he started seeing a therapist for anger management and eventually went on medication to treat his anxiety and depression, he never thought his life would change so much. Since he moved back to Oasis Springs, everything fell into place. His career was picking up again, and he was gradually losing his excess weight. Louis was an exceptional student flourishing in his classes and already making new friends. They lived in Skyward Palms, one of the nicest neighborhoods in town. And best of all…

He was engaged to a wonderful woman, who was beautiful, clever, sassy, romantic, talented in the kitchen...

Marci: “God damn son of a bitching fuck! I got the biggest whitehead in my ass crack right now. It hurts when I try and poop. Can you check and see if it’s ready to pop yet?”

…and unapologetically brash.

All jokes aside, Joshua’s life with Marci was starkly different than his life with Katherine. It was new. It was exciting. And more importantly, it was easy. There was no strife or heartbreak, or differences so great that they couldn’t resolve them with a simple conversation to understand each other’s points of view. Marci didn’t hesitate to share what she wanted and didn’t want out of their relationship as Katherine did in the past, and he too felt free to express himself in a similar manner without the fear of losing her. In less than a year, they already settled into domestic life. Some might argue they were rushing into this, but why slow down and wait when you already knew you met the love of your life?

Speaking of which.

Joshua: “Hey, so...when did you want to get married? And how do you want to do this?”

Marci garbled something with toothpaste still in her mouth.

Joshua: “I only understood one percent of that.”

She spat the toothpaste out in the sink and rinsed her mouth.

Marci: “Sorry. I said, is it wrong that I don’t want a ceremony? Think about it! The wedding arch, the flowers, the catering, the song and dance at the end...it sounds exhausting and insanely expensive, doesn’t it? Why do that when we can just get our license and come straight home and stay in bed all day? Or am I being too cynical? Should I just suck it up and put on the big poofy dress and come at you to the wedding march? I can still do it if that’s what you want. We might have to be careful about inviting Johnny, though. My backup husband might speak his peace and profess his devotion to me just for the drama.”

Joshua: “As much as I would love to see that...to be honest, I don’t want a ceremony either. I was thinking we should just dress in our nicest clothes and go to the city hall.”

Marci: “Hah! Thank God. I was scared it was just me. Dina wants to go dress shopping and pick out different flower arrangements, and she keeps asking whether I’d want a band or a DJ...and she’s not even my maid of honor! And if you’ve seen the prices for some of these services, you would shit yourself.”

Joshua: “Well, unlike Dina, I’ve been through the song and dance before - literally. I would rather we save up for a honeymoon, or put the money towards a house expansion. Whichever you wanted to do first.”

Marci: “Duh! Honeymoon! I don’t care where we go, but I could use a vacation! Fuck, I’m so happy we're on the same page. You have no idea. I’m really fucking excited about marrying you, don’t get me wrong, but…”

Joshua: “I am, too…but let’s do this our way. Want to go on Friday? We’re both off, and I don’t want to wait any longer.”

Marci: “Hell yes. Neither do I.”

They continued discussing their plans in the bedroom.

Marci: “I say we still have a party with just our friends and your family. Keep it small and casual. We can order some food, Dina can make drinks, Johnny can entertain, and Don can steal - I mean, grab a batch of cupcakes from the stand for us. Plus, we still need a new toaster. One of them’s bound to give one to us as a present.”

Joshua: “You know, most people want to invite their friends to a wedding party to celebrate the start of a marriage, not just for free gifts and…oh, who am I even kidding? We really do need a new toaster. And we could use more dishes. Put that on the registry.”

Marci: “That’s the spirit! Oh! We should still get pictures taken, too. I can rent a dress that you like, and you can rent a suit and get your hair done all sexy…it might be fun! And we’d have something to hang on the walls.”

Joshua: “Sure, I’d like that. I am a little curious about how you’d look in a dress. I only ever see you wear a skirt and heels for work.”

Marci: “That’s because I wore nothing but dresses when I was a little girl. People look at you and assume you only want to wear lace and pink, and by the time you’re an adult, you can’t stand the sight of them, you know? Now...well, skirts and dresses are fine, but I still prefer my jeans or shorts. But, I’ll put on a slinky little number for you. I know how my pencil skirt gets you going.”

Joshua: “Well, I’ll return the favor and get my hair done ‘all sexy’...whatever that means.”

Marci: “Oh, don’t worry. I’ll supply you with plenty of reference pics.”

Joshua: “Oh, and about the party...we don’t have to invite my family. I only keep in contact with my mom anymore, and even with her...I just wouldn’t feel comfortable having her here.”

Marci: “Really? What’s wrong with your mom? I mean, I just answered the phone for you the other day when she called. She seemed so sweet.”

Joshua: “Nothing’s wrong with her, but I just started reconnecting with her when I moved back out here. It’s still awkward. I haven’t even introduced her to Louis yet.”

Marci: “Reconnect? Wait, you didn’t talk to her for a while? How come I don’t know this?”

Marci: “Right, I get it. I keep my mouth shut about my past, right? Who am I to expect you to share everything? I don’t blame you if there are things that you don’t want to talk about, so...no pressure, seriously.”

Joshua: “It’s not that. I’m not holding back to keep you in the dark forever. I’ve been meaning to bring it up for a while. It’s just really difficult for me to talk about my childhood with anyone. It took me a long time to work everything out with my therapist.”

Marci: “Was it that bad?”

He didn’t say anything. He just nodded.

Marci: “I meant what I said, Josh. No pressure. If you can’t talk about it…”

Joshua: “It’s alright. I’m ready. I can tell you.”

“I told you that my real father died when I was a baby, right? My mother and I used to live in Willow Creek with my grandparents until she remarried and moved us out here to Oasis Springs. At first, it wasn’t so bad. We didn’t have the best house in the neighborhood, and my brothers and I didn’t have very many toys, either...”

“But I entertained myself in other ways. The only thing of mine I got to keep from my grandparents was a crafting table. I was always drawing, even then. As long as I could do that, I was fine.”

“Joshua! I know you hear me!”

“At first, my stepfather Ronald didn’t seem like such a bad guy. He was an engineer for a power plant, so he was always working long hours. Most of the time, he was barely home. Then the push for cleaner energy production essentially made his job obsolete, so he was forced to work as a laborer until he found something better. But that was the same time he started drinking.”

“I don’t know if it was because he was home more often, or if it was the alcoholism that changed him...but I didn’t notice how angry and cruel he was until then.”

Ronald: “Look at me, boy! I called you several times! How come you don’t answer me?”

Joshua: “I...I dunno. I guess I didn’t hear you.”

Ronald: “You guess? So what’s the story? You didn’t hear me, or you were ignoring me?”

Joshua: “No, really! I didn’t hear anything! I’m sorry!”

Ronald: “Ech. Whatever. It doesn’t matter. What’s this I hear about gym class? The coach says you haven’t been participating.”

Joshua: “I…I don’t like gym class anymore. My chest hurts when they make me run.”

Ronald: “That’s what exercise is supposed to do! You gotta push through the pain!”

“I remember I kept telling him and my mom that my chest hurt during gym classes. It wouldn’t be another couple of years until the doctors diagnosed me with a heart condition. It never occurred to him that I was telling the truth. He just thought I was being lazy.”

Joshua: “I don’t want to. It hurts too much. Can’t I get out of gym class? My friend Tony gets to stay with Ms. Berry.”

Ronald: “You’d like that, wouldn’t you? Sitting at your desk all day and doodling, right? Do you want all the kids to think you’re some kind of sissy? No way. And you’re not getting held back a grade for flunking gym. Tomorrow, you’re going to say you’re sorry to the coach and get back out there.”

Joshua: “No.”

Ronald: “What did you say?”

Joshua: “I said no! I don’t want to go!”

Ronald: “You little shit. You will do as I say.”

Ronald: “And you will pay for talking back to me.”

“That was the first night he put a hand on me. It was just a shove, but it was the first of many to come.”

“And it was the night he took my crafting table away. He threw it out.”

“I was crushed.”

“I tried telling my mom what happened…”

“But she just told me I should’ve listened to Ronald. That he was just giving me a taste of tough love, just as his father did with him. That he treated me no differently than my brothers.”

“We both knew that was a lie. My brothers practically got away with murder in our household. Especially Jared. He was just as hot-headed as Ronald.”

“He was always picking a fight with me, then.”

“I always lost.”

“Jared heard Ronald say I wasn’t his real son, so he felt as though that gave him license to bully me.”

“My other brother Ray didn’t push me around, but he didn’t care much about me either. He and Jared were thick as thieves.”

“Growing up in that house? It was lonely. I could never measure up or fit in with them.”

“That didn’t change much better when we got older. Ronald was tough on my brothers too, but they learned how to step out of his way and put on a front around him. It helped they were his biological children, too. He wasn’t so quick to raise a hand towards them like he was with me.”

“I haven’t talked to my brothers since… since I moved out, I think?”

“Last I heard, Jared is gay. He came out a year or so ago. He lives with his husband in Brindleton Bay now.”

“Back then, I never had a clue. When I think about it now...he was constantly on his phone. He always said he was texting his girlfriend, but I think it was his husband. They were penpals back then if I heard right. He was clearly hiding the truth from Ronald that whole time. I think that was why he was so volatile with us.”

“Ray and I got along a little easier, though we weren’t close. We never were.”

“I have no idea where he is or if he’s even still alive. He doesn’t talk to mom or Jared anymore, either.”

“I think they were just as desperate to get out as I was. The three of us had no lives of our own. We were forced to get part-time jobs after school. Ronald insisted he couldn’t afford all the bills in the house, so he took our paychecks...”

“But really, he just wanted more beer money.”

“Life at home was rough, but...”

“I never stopped drawing. Even when I was too tired to hold a pencil. Even when I could barely keep my eyes open. It was the only way I could stay sane in that house. I couldn’t bring most of my supplies home. Ronald would only throw them away...but he couldn’t stop me from taking art classes, or sketching at lunch, or painting for our school mural. After a while he left me to it...but not without calling me names for preferring the arts over sports.”

“I kept a journal to draw, but I also used it to outline my personal essay for the application to attend Britechester.”

“All my teachers gave me glowing letters of recommendation. I got some scholarship money, too. I just knew I could get in.”

“I had no other choice but to work as hard as I did.”

“The violence at home was escalating.”

“Any time teachers noticed the bruises, I always said my brothers and I got a little carried away when we roughhoused. Maybe I sold the story too well. They also thought nothing of the weight I gained in my last few semesters. Ronald spent so much of our money on alcohol, we barely had food in the house. I’d take scraps from my friends’ lunches and use my spare change to buy chips and soda from the vending machines. All that junk food tore my body apart, but at least I didn’t go home hungry.”

“I wanted to tell a teacher what was going on, and there were a few times where I nearly did…”

“But I was scared for my mother. That in his rage, he’d turn on her. Back then, I never saw Ronald raise a fist towards her...but he didn’t have to. He found other ways to break her down and kill her spirit. She was completely isolated from her family. He moved her all the way out to Oasis Springs, away from everyone she knew. She wasn’t allowed to hold down a job or talk to anyone he didn’t like, and he controlled the finances.”

“She was the one who needed help, not me. I was her oldest son. I was supposed to take care of her. At least, that was how I justified it.”

“I acted as though I was giving Ronald my entire paychecks, but I was careful to put aside ten percent for myself every time. I was putting the money aside so I can afford to take myself and my mother away from Oasis Springs. Away from him.”

“I couldn’t wait to start the rest of my life, out of that house.”

“Then one day, I came home, and Ronald sat me and my mother down.”

Ronald: “I found this in your room. Explain yourself.”

Ronald: “Nothing? You have nothing to say?”

Ronald: “I want the truth. You know how hard I work to keep a roof over our heads. There’s at least one grand in this wallet. You coulda handed all this over. You know how much help I need with the bills. Why were you hiding this from me?”

Beatrice: “Joshua, please...just tell him. Tell him you were just holding onto the money in case of emergencies like I asked you to.”

Then I saw it: the black eye.

Maybe Ronald always hit her and I never knew it. Even so, it was the first time I ever saw a bruise on her. There she was, taking the fall for me and suffering the consequences when I kept her in the dark as well. She was trying to protect me.

That set me off. I wasn’t going to sit there and let her take the fall for me.

Joshua: “No. I was holding onto the money because I fucking earned it.”

Ronald: “Did you hear your son? See, it’s just as I thought!”

Beatrice: “Ronnie, please, he doesn’t know what he’s saying--”

Joshua: “Don’t defend me, mom! I don’t need it! I know exactly what I’m saying - and I didn’t do anything wrong! I worked for this money! It was mine to keep! What was I supposed to do, give you my entire paychecks just to watch you flush them down the drain, drop everything on liquor and cigarettes instead of groceries or fixing the house up?! I’m not doing that anymore!”

Ronald: “You ungrateful bastard. I didn’t have to take you in. Do you hear me? We coulda just left you with her parents! I took care of another man’s son all these years just to have you stab me in the back, like a goddamn coward! This is the thanks I get?”

Joshua: “Take care of me? That’s a joke! You never did anything for me! You never let me forget that I wasn’t your son! And you know what that means, Ronald? That means you can’t tell me what I can and can’t do with my money! I’m going to use my savings to take my mother and get out of here, to give her the life she deserves, the life that you’re incapable of giving her!”

Ronald: “Your mother won’t leave me. She loves me. She needs me.”

Joshua: “No, Ronald. You’re the one that needs her. Who else is going to clean up after you when you drink too much and throw up all over the bathroom floor? Who else is going to wash your laundry while you stay out late at the bar? Who else is going to cook your dinner while you kick your feet up and do nothing all damn day?”

Ronald: “How dare you! You think you know everything, huh? Your mother takes care of the house because it’s what she wants to do. It’s all she can do. How are you going to take care of her? It’s not like she can hold down a job, and you’re just a boy.”

Joshua: “My birthday’s coming up. I’m not a boy anymore. I’m going to be a man soon. The second I transition, I’m taking my mother out of here, and we are never coming back.”

Ronald: “Over my dead body!”

I took his word for it. For the first and only time in my life, I hit him.

He hit back, twice as hard. I just remember landing to the ground with the wind knocked out of me.

Ronald: “Get up.”

Ronald: “I said get up!”

Ronald: “What’s wrong?! I thought you wanted to fight! Come on! Fight me!”

Beatrice: “Ronnie, please stop! Leave him alone! You’re hurting him!”

Ronald: “Shut up, Bea! Joshua here wants to be a man so bad?”

Ronald: “Then I’m going to treat him like one!”

Joshua: “...Remember when you asked me why I paint with my left hand if I’m actually right-handed? I told you how I trained myself to do that, because I can only lift my right arm up for so long, that my shoulder cramps from an old injury. Well, that’s how it happened. He broke my collarbone.”

“I was in the hospital for a while. I had a few surgeries to repair some other fractures. When the cops questioned me, I told them the truth. They arrested Ronald for aggravated battery. I thought it was finally over, that my mother and I were going to get out and start over…”

“Then she used the money I saved and bailed him out.”

“That hurt worse than anything Ronald ever did to me. When I was released from the hospital, I went straight to Britechester and moved in with a friend. I never went back to that house, not even to get my old belongings. I was done.”

Marci: “I… I don’t get it. She got him out of jail, just like that? After what she saw? How could she just do that?”

Joshua: “I didn’t get it, either. Not then. For years, I refused to talk to her, even after he went to jail, even after she finally left him. I thought she was stupid for staying with him, and I hated her for turning her back on me...but I understand now. He controlled every aspect of her life, and I was asking her to abandon everything she knew and start over in a new city without money or job experience. She didn’t even have her own bank account, Marci. I...I guess I can’t blame her for being scared.”

Marci: “Oh, Josh...you have such a big heart, but you don’t have to make excuses for her. That prick could’ve killed you. She knew that, too. I know it was hard for her, but a mother is supposed to love and protect her babies. How could you forgive her?”

Joshua: “It took a long time. I still don't really understand her decision. Now that I have Louis, I can’t imagine standing back and watching someone hurt him, no matter who it is. All that anger and resentment, though? I carried it with me for years, and it almost ruined my life. So, I let it go for my own sake.”

Marci: “Is Ronald dead?”

Joshua: “Yes. It’s been two years now. He never stopped drinking, so his liver finally gave out.”

Marci: “Good. I hope he rots in hell. I’m just...I am so, so sorry.”

Joshua: “It’s okay.”

Marci: “How can you say that? It’s not okay! None of that was okay! You were just a kid!”

Joshua: “I know. I mean it, though. I’m okay. I wasn’t, for a very long time, but therapy saved my life. I’m a healthier person now. I’m a better father for Louis, too. I promised I was going to be strong for him. And now, I have to be strong for you, too.”

Marci: “You don’t have to be strong for anyone other than yourself, Josh. I mean it. What you went through, what that man did to you...you deserved so much better.”

Joshua: “I did get better. I have my son…”

Joshua: “And now, you.”

Marci: “Damn right, you have me. You’ll always have me. If anyone ever comes at you again, they’ll have to go through me. I’m never going to let anything like that happen to you again. I love you so much.”

Joshua: “I love you, too.”

***

They talked some more, and after awhile Joshua drifted off to sleep.

Marci watched him, mowing over his story.

She never would’ve guessed Joshua, her sweet fiance, endured so much pain in his childhood. He was so put together, so thoughtful, so hesitant to hurt anyone’s feelings. Then again, he told her how many years he spent angry, lashing out over the slightest offenses, all the time he spent in therapy...it made so much sense now.

They had far more in common than he realized.

Perhaps if Marci came clean, and told him the truth about herself and why she came to Oasis Springs, he would understand. Perhaps he wouldn’t blame her for what she had to do. Perhaps…

No.

It was too risky.

As much she hated keeping him in the dark...

She couldn’t risk losing him.

***

On Friday, just as they discussed, they went down to city hall and got married.

Joshua and Marci decided to keep their respective surnames. Mainly because they didn’t want to go through the process of changing them, and Marci had just started warming up to her own. Deep down, however, she knew better: if he asked her to take his name, she wouldn’t have hesitated if it meant making him happy.

Joshua: “Are you sure you want to invite everyone over tonight? I thought you wanted to spend the rest of the day in bed. I wouldn’t have minded that…”

Marci: “So we sacrificed one day. Big deal. We have our whole lives ahead of us now...and I’ll just make it up to you tonight when everyone’s gone.”

The last time Joshua and Marci held a party, it was for their house warming. That evening, just a few months later, they greeted their friends as a married couple.

Dina: “Ohmigosh, I am so happy for you guys! And mad! Still really happy, but! Ugh! Marci, why?! We had flowers picked and everything!”

Johnny: “Joshua Hay! I got a bone to pick with you!”

Marci: “See? Didn’t I warn you, muffin? Go easy on him, Johnny.”

Johnny: “No promises, missy! Sir, of all the dames in this town, you just had to pick my back-up wife as your blushing bride! What have you got to say for yourself?”

Joshua: “Johnny, I would say that I’m sorry...but no, I’m really not.”

Nina: “I really, really wish you guys didn’t elope.”

Marci: “Damn, Nina, I never expected you to be so sentimental about this. Sorry to disappoint you, but a big wedding? It really isn’t my thing, and Joshua wasn’t into it either.”

Nina: “Oh, I don’t care about that! I just know I’m never going to hear the end of it from Dina. She was so excited about planning your wedding, it felt like she was marrying you herself.”

Marci: “Ohhhh, don’t let her hear you say that...though it wouldn’t be the first time a 'straight' girl accidentally fell for me.”

Dina: “You two are soooo embarrassing! Would you please stop making silly faces and just take a normal picture with me?”

Don: “Just so you know, my offer still stands. If you have second thoughts, I’ll be your getaway driver. We can even go right now.”

Marci: “Pfft, so you say after downing half a bottle of champagne! Do you have a death wish, dipshit?”

Don “You joke, but picture it. You and me, driving out of here on a warm summer day. The top is down, the wind is blowing through your hair...and I blast all the music you can’t stand because I’m driving. Sounds like a dream if you ask me.”

Marci: “Puh-leeze! More like a nightmare! Ten minutes in and three Drake songs later, you’d already be dead and stuffed in the trunk. Let me have total control of the radio though, and then we’ll talk.”

Don: “All joking aside, I really am happy for you guys. That husband of yours, he’s a decent guy. Take it from the master here: don’t fuck it up.”

Marci: “I’ll try not to...and Don? Thank you.”

Don: “For what, the cupcakes? I owed you, remember? It’s no big deal.”

Marci: “No, not that. When I was having my freak out a few weeks ago, you knocked some sense into my noggin. Who would’ve thought, you of all people talking me into marriage? That one’s for the books.”

Don: “I mean, if you ask me, I still don’t think marriage is for everyone, but I knew you were full of shit when you said you wanted to run. Anyone else could’ve seen right through your act.”

Marci: “Yeah, well...I don’t care what anyone else would’ve done. You were the one who came through for me. So, thanks.”

Don: “You’re welcome. Just remember, every time you guys have an anniversary, you’re actually celebrating me, Don Lothario, the man who saved your marriage from a premature demise.”

Marci: “Hah! I didn’t give you that much credit, but keep telling yourself that if it makes you feel good.”

“Uh oh.”

Dina: “I know that look on your face.”

Don: “Do you? And what look is it?”

Dina: “It’s your hangry expression! You brood when you haven’t eaten. It’s kind of cute, but you really shouldn’t drink on an empty stomach.”

Don: “Right. You got me. I’m starving. Go and tell Price to order the pizza already.”

When the party was over, and the last of their guests finally dispersed, Marci took Joshua straight to bed as promised.

She wasn’t sure why that night felt special. Neither of them was virgins waiting to get deflowered, and a sheet of paper hardly changed anything between them.

Still, it was such a rush, gazing down at Joshua and realizing he was no longer just the cute and timid guy she scoped out at the Rattlesnake Juice, the same guy who took a chance on her when he could’ve had anyone else.

Despite her promise to sex him up from dusk to dawn, they only did it once.

The rest of the night, they just talked. About everything. About nothing in particular. They had plans, some of which still needed to get ironed out.

They couldn’t make up their minds on where to go for their honeymoon. Joshua wanted to go to Sulani and swim in the ocean water, and Marci wanted to camp somewhere and sleep under the stars. He suggested flipping a coin as a compromise, but neither of them felt like reaching down for their pants on the floor.

They discussed expanding the house, as well, and threw ideas at each other. Marci wanted more kitchen space. Joshua wanted a studio for his work. They both wanted Louis to have a bigger bedroom.

So many ideas and plans, so many things to figure out… but they weren’t in a rush. They were simply excited about the future and eager to spend that time together.

Eventually, Joshua dozed off in her lap, and a restless Marci watched him sleep.

She couldn’t believe how lucky she was to have found him, another kindred spirit desperate to make a connection with someone. She understood how it felt to spend half your life feeling unloved and unwanted as he did, and the void inside that practically nothing could fill. His love and affection for her, though? It came pretty damn close.

There was nothing Marci wouldn’t do for him if he asked, and she knew he was more than willing to deliver that same promise to her. She still wasn’t without her share of fears and insecurities. Someday he might just wake up and change his mind about her, about them. She still might lose him, whether it was due to her or factors outside their control. Tonight, however, she turned her brain off and let herself be the blushing bride. Tonight, she was Joshua Hay’s wife...

... and he was her husband.

They didn’t own one another per se. They were still their own people. But they just chose to stay together, against all odds, no matter what. They were each other’s homes now.

She was never to take that for granted.

***

AUTHOR'S NOTE

1. Well! This was supposed to be a side story from Joshua's perspective alone, but as with chapter eight, it grew into its own thing and tied into the rest of the story nicely.

I always wanted to focus on his childhood and why he transitioned into a hot-headed adult. As difficult as it was to put this story together and torture the poor guy, it really helped me understand him as a father, as a husband, and as a person overall. His motivations and anxieties made a little more sense to me.

2. The marriage certificate isn't from the game! I downloaded it from here. I got the beer can clutter from here, as well.

3. The surrealist painting is a default replacement. I circulated through so many of the default paintings with Joshua, I got tired of looking at the same ones over and over. I found my current replacements here. And of course, the very first painting Joshua spits out, it's an eggplant with chicken legs. I couldn't stop laughing. I think he just has this weird and offbeat sense of humor, and only Marci really gets a taste of it.

4. Ronald is, um, not my creation. He was actually made by my sister, but his original counterpart looks a little different. She made him and his grandmother alongside a fix-it-up house for a lilsimsie's challenge, and their backstory was, um, very dark! He was originally a lazy geek who killed his grandmother off with a poisonous pufferfish, and now he does nothing all day but play video games and trash the house. He was exactly what I needed, so I aged him up, made him bald, and gave him a beard.