OS: Day Nineteen < | Challenge Home Page | > OS: Day Twenty-One

It's My Party...

Marnie woke up at dawn - alone, just as she'd been when she went to sleep, and for a moment, she tried fuzzily to remember why. Then it all came back to her. She'd been found out. The moment she'd had nightmares about for her entire adult life. Thinking back, the first time she'd lied to Bennie had been out of desperation. She'd been afraid she was losing him to another girl. So she'd lied. It had worked. He'd ridden to her rescue like the white knight she'd imagined him to be.. but everything after that wasn't exactly what she'd dreamed it would be. She'd been young when she first saw him, performing at an open mic night at a local bar. She'd immediately fallen for him, and refused to listen to his arguments that she was too young for him. What a mess that had turned her life into.

Her stomach feeling queasy, Marnie sat up, and felt. Still no bump - but then, it was still early for that. It's not like she didn't know what to expect. Why hadn't she checked the bottle of pain medicine in the cabinet like she usually did, so Bennie wouldn't have gone searching.... and for goodness' sake, why hadn't she just disposed of the birth control medicine!

It was just an unfortunate coincidence that the day after Bennie had gotten himself drunk on the way home from work was the morning she'd decided to go grocery shopping. Feeling even sicker, Marnie walked to the bathroom to wash off her face and calm herself. Surely Bennie hadn't meant what he said. He had a temper, sure, but he was always sorry the next day. And Marnie wasn't above apologizing to try to keep her family together. Steeling herself for Bennie's likely reaction, Marnie walked out to the living room to wake him up.

.... and ended up standing there, staring at an empty couch .. and driveway. Bennie's yellow truck was gone, too. Bewildered, she looked around, and the only things she could tell were missing was his keys, wallet, and what he'd been wearing. So clearly he meant to come back. Breathing a sigh of relief, she woke up the kids and got started on breakfast.

Jaz was the first to ask where Bennie was - nobody else seemed concerned... and Marnie had to tell her daughter that she didn't know where he'd gone. She emphasized that he'd be back, though.

By the time breakfast was cooked, Marnie's stomach had finally settled, and she made quick work of the fruit salad she'd made.

"Are we still having Dad's party, Mom?" asked Phoenix - reminding Marnie that she still needed to bake the cake and get the party supplies from the basement.

"Of course we are. Did you still need wrapping paper for the present you made him?" Marnie asked in reply.

"Nope! I found it in the box downstairs like you said!" Phoenix replied.

"You should remind your brother and sister to get their gifts out, too." Marnie said, patting Phoenix on the shoulder. She ignored Phoenix's snicker at Marnie calling Jaz his "sister", and headed back to the kitchen to bake Bennie's cake. It wasn't every day that a man reached his elder years, after all. She meant to make the day special.

Jaz was downstairs, taking care of the twins, who were curious about all the preparations for the party, and kept trying to open the gifts themselves. Scolding Braydon with a chuckle, Jaz rescued the gifts and hid them in the closet away from little fingers.

Phoenix helped set the table, while Myles and Marnie set up the balloons and the streamers. It didn't look half bad by the time they were done, either.

Checking her watch, it was about time for Bennie's shift to be over at the comedy club, so Marnie got the cake ready and everyone piled up the home-made gifts for their Dad. Then, she called everyone to dinner. Jaz had taken to sitting by the front window, watching for Bennie, but Marnie didn't want the kids to wait too long for dinner on a school night, and she insisted Jaz get up and come to the table.

Jaz took one more worried glance at the empty driveway and obeyed Marnie. There was an empty feeling in the pit of their stomach, and they were pretty sure it wasn't because they were hungry.

Everyone ate their sandwiches, and talked together softly, avoiding looking at Marnie, who kept getting up to check out the window herself. With the sun going down, and school the next day - Marnie finally told everyone to go get ready for bed, promising to wake them when Dad got home (if it wasn't too late .. and Marnie thought to herself.. and providing Bennie wasn't too drunk. She had nothing to go off of other than the fact that he'd been late - and drunk - the other night.. so maybe he was picking up a new habit?)

Picking up the twins one by one and getting them to bed was accomplished by rote, but even the twins were subdued tonight. Everyone seemed to be a bit worried. It really wasn't like Bennie to not be home - especially if it involved cake and presents.

Finally.. leaving the party set up.. you know, just in case.. Marnie headed to bed. Surely he'd be back in the morning....

OS: Day Nineteen < | Challenge Home Page | > OS: Day Twenty-One