The Untitled Piper Watson Project

Dinner Disaster

Piper's POV

Thankfully, my parents and Mack's both agreed to the dinner, which made our lives a whole lot easier. The dinner was tonight, and I was so nervous. I wanted to cook everything myself, just to prove even more to Daphne that I was wife material for Mack. I was in the kitchen and I had six hours to whip up the dinner that would decide my future. "Don't stress." said Mack as I started chopping up ingredients. He came to my side. I blinked rapid stinging tears out of my eyes. "Piper, don't cry." He said, rubbing my shoulder. I laughed. "It's the onions, Mack." He sat at the island as I started sorting everything out. "You know," he began. "A year ago I never thought I'd meet someone like you. Let alone be normal again. I'm glad I get to have that now." I smiled. "Me too. Now get outta here and make yourself sexy."

***

I looked at myself in my bedroom mirror. My red hair was tamed in a tight bun, and I was wearing a scarlet red dress and red lipstick. I went downstairs to see Mack setting the table for 6. I begged Jennifer to come in order to ease the tension, but she said it was my personal matter, and chose to go out with Rose instead. Mack was wearing a nice polo shirt and dress pants. "You look nice." I complimented. "Thanks." He kissed my cheek, careful not to smear my makeup. But I just couldn't help myself. I pushed Mack into the wall and kissed him fiercely, full lip and tongue action. Then the doorbell rang. I sighed. "Great." Sure enough, both our parents were waiting impatiently on our porch. Daphne marched right past me and embraced her son. Vince gave me a smile and a shoulder pat. I hugged my parents, and my dad shook Mack's hand and my mom gave Mack a hug. Hmm. We all went to the table and I served the food family style. On the table I put a salad, chicken and potatoes. Me, Mack and Vince sat on one side, Mom and Daphne on the other, and Dad at the end of the table.

"So..." I coughed. "As you all know, me and Mack are engaged." No one said anything. "There's been some disagreement as to whether or not this is the best thing." Mack continued. "So we thought having you all together would clear some of your doubts." Daphne was the first to get her word in. (no surprise there) "I just think it's a bad decision on your part, Mackenzie." she said. "It seems as if you just acted on impulse, and I can't believe after all you've been through—-" "May I interrupt you, Daphne." Dad cut her off in the middle of her rant. "Mack and Piper have been seeing each other for a year now. It doesn't make sense to me that you are voicing your opinion now." Daphne scoffed. "I never approved of this little relationship. Nobody listens to what I have to say." "That's because nobody cares." I spat. Daphne looked at me in disgust. "You make things very hard on yourself, Piper. Here you are, desperately trying to get my approval and here I am, getting berated by not only you, but also your parents."

"You're not exactly helping your case, Mom." Mack muttered. "By being a hypocrite." I took Mack's hand. This dinner was already going downhill. "How am I a hypocrite?" Daphne demanded. "All I've ever wanted was what's best for you and to keep you sheltered from all the harm in the world and now I'm sitting here arguing with you about how you want to get married to this girl. Mackenzie, you lost so many years of childhood and I'm just not ready for you to grow up. It doesn't matter who the girl is. I can't do it." Mack was speechless, and to be truthful, so was I. From the moment I'd met Daphne in person, I'd always thought her to be a cold, heartless woman. But now I knew that she did have a heart. She'd worked so hard to try and get back all those years she lost with Mack because of the misfortunes of his life. And now she'd never have that chance, since he was giving himself away. To me. Daphne Gibbons did indeed have a heart. And that heart was broken by her son.

"Mom," Mack said gently. "I understand why you're so sad, but it would make me so happy if...you just came to my wedding. Please." Daphne said nothing. Mom and Dad awkwardly chewed their food. Vince looked like he was going to throw up. After sitting for several minutes with her hands pressed against her face, Daphne straightened, picked up her fork, and started eating the food in front of her. As she bit into the chicken she nodded in regard. "Excellent dinner, Piper." she complimented. "Are you a jack of all traits?" I smiled and shook my head. "Nope, I'm an Ace of Spades." I looked at Mack and wiggled my eyebrows at him as I raised my drink to my lips. "Your sister is a lesbian, is she not?" Daphne asked suddenly. This startled my parents, and Mom scooted her chair away from Daphne. I hesitantly eyed my parents before responding. "Yes...ma'am. She is." Daphne sipped her drink. "Have you ever thought of following her example?" Mack stared at her in surprise. "Mom!" She looked at him innocently. "What? It's just a question." I glared at her. "No."

"Why don't we talk about your child?" Dad suggested coldly. "My daughter isn't the one who tried to commit murder." I gasped. "Dad!" Mack waved it away. "Don't worry about it. Your dad isn't the one who's in the wrong here." "How's the book coming along, Piper?" Daphne asked. "Oh, wait. You haven't written anything in months." I crossed my arms. "It's a work in progress." "You're one to talk." said Mom. "Considering my daughter had to spend her hard-earned money bailing your son out of jail because he was a suspect in a murder investigation." "That was a long time ago, Mom." I countered. "And he was innocent." "Just how he was innocent when he went away and left you to sulk around for weeks?" Mom said. The question hung in the air. Mack's thumb stroked my hand. Daphne sighed. "Maybe if you had just died in the accident, we wouldn't be here right now." That crossed the line. I stood up abruptly, and I felt Mack's hand on my shoulder. I shrugged him off and threw my napkin on the table. I was about to storm off when Dad was yelling angrily at me to sit back down, even though I knew I wasn't the one he was really mad at. "No, Dad!" I cried. "I'm not 12, if I want to be alone, I'm gonna be alone! Everyone just leave." I ran up the stairs and slammed our bedroom door. Well, that went well.