Chaos Banished

Was that a honeymoon or was that a honeymoon?  Eden was still debating.  Like, a seal identification lecture was romantic?  And what about the penguin count?  “This is probably something you’ll never do again,” Steve told her enthusiastically.  Your damn right she wouldn’t be.  Couldn’t they have just gone to an aquarium?

Memories to cherish.  Take that moment she was in a kayak with her life partner—please!  She had never been in a kayak in her life, but she knew one thing about them.  They don’t overturn easily—unless Steve takes command and gives her instructions, as if he knew what he was doing, which he didn’t!  The wet suit offered minimal protection.  After that hair-raising incident, at least everyone knew their names.  Including the staff, who set limits on their adventures.  She wondered why.

Since it was her honeymoon, she tried, through gritted teeth, to be a good sport about everything.  After all, she had ambushed him into the wedding, as perfect as it had been in her eyes.  Wasn’t turn about fair play?  But on the plane ride back she couldn’t help but say, “Next time could we go someplace nice?”

The guy was clueless.  He thought Antarctica was nice.  Well, it had its moments, she would admit.  There were no wedding night jitters, as they had been sleeping together long enough to give one another pleasure.  It was definitely nice to cuddle up away from the outside cold and just languish next to one another.  Plus, she’d have to hand it to the ship, the food was good, no fried whale blubber in sight.  But she had to admit to being glad to get back to DC.

Almost as soon as they returned, Steve was off again, this time to Singapore.  And she was back at the Renwick, regaling everyone with the more gruesome details of her honeymoon.  It was definitely good for the laughs alone.  She tried not to notice Janet going around collecting, probably for a wedding gift.  True, she and Steve missed out on the bounty that a big wedding would have brought them.  On the other hand, as Steve said, what did they need?

In a way, it was nice to be alone in their apartment, to decompress.  And to text back and forth with Riley about her own future wedding plans.  Riley admitted something enticingly interesting, that it was the weekend after Eden’s marriage that she got engaged.  Spur of the moment but maybe Eden’s influence?  “But this is what you want, isn’t it?  I know you’ve had your doubts about, well, really what love consists of.  You know with Steve, I wasn’t slobbering all over him right from the beginning.  But he grows on you.  Like mold?”

Riley laughed.  “You’re awful, Eden.  Steve is going to give you exactly the life you want.  He can afford it, and he’s crazy about you.  As far as Mike, he’s a comforting presence in my life.  I believe we can make a go of it.  The only trouble is his extended family.  There’s such a swarm of them, I think they might be an issue in years to come.”

“What about the mother situation, with Mike being unofficially adopted?  How’s that playing out?”

“I still haven’t met the woman.  I think Mike is waiting for the next major holiday to drag me over there.  We only told his sister Mary the whole story.  I’m going to assume, most likely correctly, that she’s leaking it to the rest of the siblings.”

“Well, when you do meet his mother, here’s hoping you get along better with her than I get along with dear Sandy, Steve’s mother.  Every time I feel a twitch I’m sure it’s her sticking another pin into her voodoo doll.”

“Ooops, other line.  Sorry.  Talk later,” Riley ended the call quickly, leaving Eden mired in the thought of Steve’s parents.

How fortuitous of Steve to rush off to Singapore and leave Eden to deal with families, his and hers, in the aftermath of their surprise wedding.  He said there was no time to call his mother.  Hah!  The last time he was in touch was at the airport when they were about to board the flight to Brazil.  She couldn’t recall his exact words, but it was something like, “Hi, Mom, Eden and I are married and flying off to Antarctica.  Gotta go.  Our flight’s being called.”  From then on he just ignored the texts he got from his parents and his brothers, with, “They’ll never know I can be reached.  They’ll assume I’m in a dead zone.”

“Maybe they’ll wish you’re in a dead zone,” Eden replied.

So now with Steve gone, the duty somehow fell on Eden to address the families.  Her first call was to her mother, just after the company car picked Steve up.  Her mother hung up on her.  One down, Frank next.  He said he was a bit hurt about not being invited, but he understood the family situation.  Then Lily got on the phone and wanted all the details of the wedding and the honeymoon.  They talked and talked, and it was like old times, when they’d meet in the girls’ bathroom in high school.  “I loved the photos,” Lily gushed.  “You looked beautiful.  Then the photo of you with the penguin—”

“Let’s not go there,” Eden stopped her.  “And you?  What are your plans?” Eden asked.

“Everything on hold,” Lily admitted.  “Because of my father. I don’t want him at my wedding.  I know that sounds obnoxious—“

“I haven’t been following.  Sorry.”

“Well, the judge sentenced him to fifteen years, but he’s still walking around.  His lawyer is appealing the sentence, saying it’s basically life in prison. I think my father got off lightly.  When I heard of all the lives he ruined, I was just nauseous.  He didn’t even look contrite at the sentencing hearing, while I just couldn’t look anyone in the face after all that testimony, I was so distraught.  And my mother—cloud cuckoo land.  Well, I suppose he’s still her husband and she feels she has to stand by him.  But I don’t have to stand by him at my wedding and I won’t.  In the end we might have to pull a you and just do it on our own. Right now, when questions are asked, I’m just saying that Riley’s wedding comes first.  She should be the focus now.”

Poor Lily, Eden thought.  It was strange that at some point they’d be sisters-in-law—and nice at the same time.  Although that high school prom still rankled.

Eden supposed she should have called her mother back. Pleaded her case.  That’s what she was sure her mother expected.  Eden down on her knees as a supplicant.  But Eden didn’t want the emotional entanglement.  Instead, she wanted to bathe in the afterglow of her impromptu wedding.  But she did call Steve’s father and gave him some guff about how happy she was to be a member of his family and she hoped they could all get together soon to celebrate.  He must have had her on speaker because she heard Steve’s mother Sandy say, “Celebrate?  What’s to celebrate?”

Eden pressed on. “Steve’s off to Singapore now, but when he returns maybe we can drive up there and say hello.  I’m sure he’ll be in touch.”  The coward.

Duty done, Eden felt the tension ooze from her body.  She’d work, chit chat with friends, enjoy an apartment she could never afford, look forward to a life that might be a bit complicated at times.  But she was happy with Steve.  She was—happy.