My Fair Ladies

Heal

Marjorie moved around the room trying to decide what to wear. It shouldn't be this difficult, Marjorie. It's just dinner with friends. She pushed each hanger along the bar with increasing force when she felt the familiar arms wrap around her waist. She leaned back into her feeling the calm wash over her body. "Sunshine what's wrong?"

She twisted herself to face the brunette and brushed a soft kiss on her lips. "Nothing my love. I think i'm just tired. Can you just help me pick? I don't know what to pick." The exasperation on her face concerned the brunette but she turned and pulled out her blue dress. "This one always reminds me of the Picasso blue calla lilies that you love."

Marjorie leaned in taking the dress and pressing her lips to the brunette's. "I love those flowers because they were the first ones you got me that weren't dead darling." She turned to finish getting ready when Autumn's hand clasped her wrist pulling her back slightly. "Marjorie?" She turned with a smile. "Yes beautiful?"

Autumn stood there for a moment unsure of herself. "Nothing. I love you. I'll see you downstairs." She pressed her lips gently to the brunette's cheek and dashed down the stairs. She moved around the kitchen with ease, but just under the surface her nerves were firing. She couldn't even remember the last time she cooked for him. In the almost year since they began trying to reconcile, they had either gone to restaurants or he had cooked. That was what she preferred but asking him to cook after she invited them seemed a bit much even for her.

Just as she finished setting the table and pouring the wine, the doorbell sounded. She heard Marjorie's heels clicking across the tile in the foyer and then smiled as her voice carried through the house. She used to get annoyed by how boisterous she was. Now ... now she didn't know how she would live without it. That was how she showed her love. It was the part of her her mother tried to stamp out. It was that part the shown through. It was the sunshine.

Marjorie and Char came through talking animatedly while the blond trailed behind them with a smile on his face. He looked up at his sister and nodded. It was just a look, but it was a knowing look. He knew too. He knew that she was the sunshine that pulled them both from the darkness. Marjorie had been everything he needed to become the man who could love Charlotte. He still felt shame around how it all began, but he knew they were all in the right place now. He had never seen Aut more open and vulnerable than she was with Marjorie.

She had been cautious about telling him about Viv, but he had seen the way they looked at each other. They fought that day just like they were kids again. He thought she was cheating, and she told him to stay out of her business. Once again Marj saved them from themselves. He still didn't really understand the whole thing, but he had to admit he had never seen the four of them so happy. That was enough for him.

He and Aut sit on one end of the table talking quietly as they ate while Marj and Char continued their animated discussion which was mainly nursery gossip. "Did you ever think we would be here?" He spoke so quietly she almost missed it. He was asking her to be vulnerable with him and she knew that was a huge deal. They didn't do that. Never. "No, I don't think I could even have imagined us as happy as we are. I am glad we are here together. That we made it out of the darkness and into the light ... together."