Snapshots of a life, lived

Girls' Night

"I'll just take the bottle," Autumn informed Sara dryly as she delivered two glasses of wine — one for Autumn and one for Marjorie — and a lemonade — for Charlotte.

"She doesn't mean that," Marjorie said.

"I am about to spend all night with the woman who sleeps with my brother and the woman sleeping with someone who used to be like a sister to me. I absolutely mean it."

"You know, I'm really starting to think we should talk about that."

Autumn raised an eyebrow. "We're definitely not talking about my drinking habits tonight."

"Well it's either that or Reece and Mia."

Autumn glared at Marjorie and took a sip of her drink. Charlotte raised an eyebrow at Marjorie, who shook her head. They were not the people Autumn was going to talk to about her drinking habits. That had to be a subject for someone else.

"So, Dad has the girls tonight?" Marjorie asked Charlotte. "How's all that going?"

"Yeah, it's good," Charlotte said, sipping her lemonade. "We haven't quite figured out custody arrangements yet — right now they just kind of go back and forth as much as they want. I think they miss us living in the same house, but they're handling it well."

"Have they uh... met Mia yet?"

"God no." Charlotte covered her face with one hand, sighing. "I don't know how to go about that. Mia knows they exist, obviously, and she's letting me do things at my pace, but I don't want to put any of them in a bad position. It hasn't been that long since we split. What are they going to think of their mum having a new girlfriend so soon? My ex knows, and he's fine with it, but I don't want the girls to start thinking I was cheating or something."

"Charlotte, they're nine and six. I don't think that's the conclusion they're going to come to."

"Maybe not now, but when they get older? When they start looking back on things? What if they hate me?"

"You've never shown your children anything but love, and never given them a reason to even suspect that they aren't the most important people in your life," Autumn, surprisingly, spoke up. "They might be a little confused by the whole situation, but they'll never resent you for it."

Charlotte blinked, surprised, and smiled a little. "Yeah. Thanks, Autumn."

Autumn hummed in acknowledgment and drained her glass, casting a look around for Sara. "How're things going with Reece?" Charlotte asked Marjorie. "Adjusting to living together all right?"

"Yeah, it's great. He really is perfect." Autumn coughed to cover a snort of laughter. Marjorie ignored her. "He cooks, he cleans, he folds the laundry. Do you know when the last time I had folded laundry was? I swear, I feel absolutely useless."

"You could offer to do things?"

"I do! He says I don't do it right, so I ask him to teach me. But I swear I'm doing exactly what he wants."

"He's always been like that," Autumn said. "Everything has to be done a certain way. I haven't been able to trace exactly what caused it, but I'm sure Father is responsible somehow."

Marjorie made a disgusted noise. "I hate that man."

"Join the club."

It took three glasses of wine for Marjorie to start forgetting she was with her boyfriend's sister. "So we get home from the restaurant, and Reece has me up against the door—"

"Marjorie," Autumn cut her off. "You may be drunk enough for this conversation, but I absolutely am not."

Charlotte bit her lip to keep from laughing. "You haven't talked much tonight, Autumn. How're things with Winter?"

Autumn was suddenly very interested in finishing her own glass of wine and waving down Sara for another refill. That was at least her fifth. "Fine. Everything is fine."

That was entirely unconvincing. "Right," Charlotte said slowly. Sara came over to refill Autumn's glass, then Marjorie's, and asked Charlotte if she wanted another lemonade. Charlotte continued once she was gone. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"There's nothing to talk about." Autumn took a long sip of her drink. "Everything is fine. Winter is great. He's the most perfect man to ever exist and I'll never deserve him."

"Hey now, back that horse up," Marjorie said. "Winter loves you. He practically worships the ground you walk on. Of course you deserve him."

Autumn was bouncing her leg as she finished her glass. Then she grabbed Marjorie's and drained that as well. "Wow," Sara said as she delivered Charlotte's lemonade. "It's one of those nights, then."

"Maybe bring some water," Charlotte suggested.

"Or a larger glass," Autumn muttered, tracing the rim of her wine glass. She took a deep breath, closing her eyes. "Winter is perfect. He has been nothing but kind and loving since... everything. And I... haven't been able to return that kindness."

"How do you mean?" Marjorie asked, tilting her head. Autumn still looked extremely uncomfortable; Charlotte wondered if she had been drinking to try and make it easier to talk. She was looking anywhere but at Charlotte and Marjorie now.

"Our... sex life... has been lacking."

Not something Marjorie ever expected to hear about the couple who had done the deed in the nursery. But all right. "Is it something in particular, or...?"

Autumn pursed her lips. Sara returned to refill both drinks and leave a couple glasses of water, and Autumn drained hers once again. "I haven't felt... particularly attractive... since the miscarriage."

Ah. Charlotte could see why she was struggling to talk about it. "I get that. I mean, I know it's not the same situation, but I felt like an ugly cow after I gave birth both times. Pregnancy really changes your body, even in the first trimester. It can take awhile to recover from that mentally, even if physically things have already gone back to normal."

"And I'm sure Winter still thinks your attractive," Marjorie added.

"Winter isn't the problem. As I said, he's perfect. It's me."

"Have you tried bringing it up with your therapist?" Charlotte asked.

"No. There are far more important things to address."

She was so close to understanding what therapy was about. But not quite there yet. "Well, you can always talk to us," Charlotte said.

"Absolutely." Marjorie toasted them both. "And for what it's worth, Autumn — I may be straight, but I do know that you're very attractive."

Autumn looked Marjorie up and down with a mischievous glint in her eyes. "I could fix that."

Marjorie, mid-sip, choked on her drink; Charlotte burst out laughing. "This bloody family is going to be the death of me, I swear," Marjorie muttered as she cleaned herself up. Autumn finally looked more relaxed and happier as she took another sip of her drink.