As quickly as the snow fell onto the ground, is as quickly as Margo and Marks marriage was falling apart. After he vanished for a week he couldn't help but question their entire relationship. Mark was convinced Margo never loved him, that she was still in love with Harvey and apart of her always will be. Life around Millwood wasn't much different, Margo held the annual bbq in the summer and now she was asked to host the annual Christmas party at town hall, something Linda fought for and won every year. While enjoying brunch, Linda started to wonder why Margo was the town favourite go to girl.
"I just don't find it fair that you get to host the summer BBQ and now the Christmas dinner, if you weren't married to Mark, I would think you've been spending some extra time with Mr.Allan." Linda was always in a bad mood lately, especially with Taylor Rae being her new neighbour, the ladies sure missed Rayna.
"Linda how could you say that, after everything we've been through together? All of us. Why do we always have to compete with one another? We should be lifting each other up, not bringing each other down." Margo was also referring to Taylor, who made it her business to get on everyone's nerves.
"Oh don't look at me, I don't start anything." Taylor Rae rolled hey eyes, she was fed up with the way everyone treated her. "I can't help it that I love it here , ok?" Her weird fascination with this place had everyone thinking she was working for Mr.Allan.
"Oh shut it Taylor, we all know why you're here." Linda grabbed the bottle of champagne from the table to add to her orange juice. "Someone as useless as you doesn't get it on talent, perhaps you're another two bit whore brought in from the streets."
Taylor Rae's eyes widen, she grabbed her glass and threw the continents of it into Linda's face- both ladies were on there feet now. "You don't get to pretend you know me!" Taylor turned on her feet and made her way out the door.
"Linda how could you say something like that." Margo complained before running after Taylor Rae. "Taylor please wait, she didn't mean any of it."
Taylor was crossing the street and on her way back to her house, Margo was closely following. She quickly caught up to her as they approached the outside of her door, Raynas children were on the lawn playing while the nanny watched them. "Mrs. Mcclutsky, you can leave now thank you, come on kids its time for lunch." Taylor tried to smile.
"No! We want mommy to feed us!" The young girl yelled as she crossed her arms stubbornly.
Taylor's eyes began to fill up with tears, she couldn't seem to please anyone. " I cant do this.." She whispered looking into Margos eyes.
Taylor stormed into her home and slammed the door behind her. "Kids, would you like to come over to my home? Im sure Brooke will be awake soon." Margo smiled as she grabbed the children's hands.
Margo and the kids arrived back to her house, the ladies had moved to the living room now where they were playing cards, Linda looked up and saw Raynas kids ." What? She can't even take care of her new kids?" She rolled her eyes.
Linda's kids still hadn't returned home, she was able to write them once a week but no future plans had been arranged for them to come home, she still didn't know why she was the only one being punished.
"Taylor just needs some time to herself.' Margo said politely as she showed the kids to her daughters play room.
Linda scuffed. "Of all the years I've been here I never once asked for alone time."
Isabella was never one for expressing her feelings but she thought now might be a good time. "You don't think we're being a tad harsh on Taylor? I mean I remember my first months here, they were awful!"
"Perhaps she has a point." Delilah agreed in her sisters favour. "I think we should all apologize to Taylor Rae."
Linda started to laugh, she had no desire to form any real friendship with anyone else that wasn't already in her life. "You girls can apologize all you want, hell why don't you even bake her a pie - just leave my name off the card and out of your mouths." Whenever Linda was acting like this, her southern accent was always so thick.
"Alright the kids are playing, I think I might keep them here for awhile. Maybe you and Delilah could swing by later to grab some clothes for them?" Margo was looking at Isabella.
"Of course, we could go now?" Delilah dusted her lap off and hugged Margo goodbye, they all stood outside to exchange fair wells, everyone that is except Linda- she wanted to peek in on the kids playing, she deeply missed her children. "After we pack there belongings I will send them over later? Maybe our boys can have a night cap tonight? Christopher has been mentioning it to me since he saw Mark the other day in town."
"Mark would love that, what about you Isabella? Do you think Arnold will want to join the men as well? Maybe I can try my new martini recipe tonight, I'm trying to work the kinks out of it before I serve it at the Christmas party."
"Arnold will be there, all he does when he gets home is listen to the radio and eat cold cuts. I'm going to extend the invite to Taylor Rae, maybe she needs some time without Lin being here." The girls were trying to keep there voice down, they didn't want to start a fight with Linda if she overhead there plans for tonight.
"I agree, we all know its hard being here- even harder if you don't have anyone by your side." Margo felt blessed to have the opportunity to have her father, children and husband with her.. even her mother, whom she has yet to tell anyone about No face being her biological mother. "So its settled than, see you guys say around 9:00pm?"
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Margo was adding a few final touches to her small get together tonight before everyone arrived. She loved setting up for gatherings and preparing food, it was something that calmed her. She added a set of martini glasses for her and the girls and whiskey glasses for the men. It was decided between her and Mark that the men and woman would drink separately. The guests arrived on time, even Taylor Rae decided to come as long as Linda wasn't going to be there.
"Wow Margo, you have such a knack for parties- no wonder they keep asking you to host for the town." Isabella was admiring the fancy set up of glasses and decor set up outside on the patio- the place was lit up with small lights an hanging lanterns.
"Thank you Isabella, I find that decorating helps me stay calm. It's nice to have nice things." Margo smiled, she was adjusting some of the lights around the deck. "Have the others arrived yet?"
"Delilah and Taylor Rae were coming separately, we figured if we all left our homes at once - word would get around about this little party of ours." Isabella was setting the glasses out onto the neatly set table.
Once all the fixtures were set, the two ladies made there way into the home to await the arrival of the remains guests. Not shortly long after, the doorbell rang. Everyone was dressed beautifully, it felt like such a fancy party for no occasion. The ladies gathered outside where Margo had started pouring drinks and serving desserts.
"This is all wonderful, but I cant help but miss the presence of Linda.." Isabella knew if Linda found out about the party, she would have a fit.
"I cant say I miss her, but she does pride herself in being the only hostess amongst our group. Luckily we have Margo here who can throw a hell of a party.' Delilah raised her glass for a cheers.
Margo was trying to enjoy her night but couldn't stop thinking about Linda being at home alone, she lost her children and if she catches word of this she will feel like she lost her friends as well. "I don think Linda should know about tonight, what do you guys think?"
"Agreed." Delilah and Isabella answered at the same time- Taylor Rae however just smiled, Margo picked up on her change of mood.
"Taylor, how have you been doing with the transition and all? I'm sure you have left some sort of life behind?" Margo quickly thought of Harvey and the life she left behind.
"Mom and dad left me at a orphanage when I was two days old- I grew up back and forth from relatives until I decided to leave one day.. I wasn't a lady of the night or anything, however Lin put it- but I was on the streets for most of my adult life."
Margo realized that's why Taylor Rae loved it here so much, unlike the rest of them- Taylor Rae's life only really started once she got here, except she is only filling in for Rayna. She might never have the opportunity to start her own family or marriage.
"I will admit I didn't understand your reasoning for loving it here so much, but one thing you have to understand is that all of us have only ever adapted here against our will. My sis and me were kidnaped together, after work we were run off the road- when we woke up we were here.. Newspaper back home said it was a fiery car accident, we've personally chosen not to write home- to allow our parents to grieve." Delilah was trying not to cry, she hadn't thought about her parents in a long time, they had been their for almost ten years now.
"I'm so sorry, i've never looked at it from that point of view..." Taylor felt silly for boasting about how much she loved it there. "What about you, Margo? What did you leave behind."
The irony in the question was that she didn't leave much behind but a husband that she realized she didn't love once she met Mark. "Uh, my dad.. and I was also married to someone.." she said quietly , not making eye contact.
Taylor Rae found it odd in her lack of emotion compared to the sisters that were just talking. "well how did they kidnap you?"
"I was on Harvey's Bike.." She said quietly again, saying his name out loud made her feel anxious. "He went inside the gas station for food and that's when a big van pulled up behind me..." Vivid flash backs were going through her mind, she couldn't stop picturing the look on Harvey's face as the van pulled away.
"Do you still love him?" Taylor Rae asked curious.
"I love Mark." She said firmly, but perhaps not convincing enough.
"You can love more than one person.."Isabella spoke softly, she too loved someone back where she was from- but still loved her husband here in Millwood.
"I guess I haven't thought about him in a while, we use to write constantly when I first got here and than I got settled." Margo was picturing the last time she actually saw him when he an her father broke into this place to save her, the things they discussed and seeing him leave was one of the hardest things she's done in her life.
"So why don't you write your father anymore?" Taylor Rae's new job was to overlook the outgoing mail every week.
"Excuse me?" Margo asked confused, how could she possibly know that- perhaps she wasn't the only that knew of her father moving into this place.
"Ive been working at the post office since I've got here- Isabella and Delilah now make sense on why they don't send letters out, but how come you don't?" Taylor was working back to her old ways of getting on everyone's nerves.
"I don't think its any of your business who I correspond with." Margo got up to refill the tray of desserts. 'Excuse me, were out of lemon bars." While standing in the kitchen to catch a break from Taylor Rae's interrogation, she and her husband locked eyes for a moment.
She loved him, she loved him in a way she never thought possible. He was the father of her child and couldn't bare the thought of losing someone she loved again. Margo knew that she had to prove to Mark that she wasn't having second thoughts about their marriage, just as she was leaving to return back outside she met Taylor Rae standing behind her.
"I'm sorry for what I said, I didn't mean to pry at you.. I just find you peculiar is all." Taylor Rae grabbed the tray of desserts from Margo and headed back outside.
Margo didn't know why Taylor found her peculiar, perhaps it was something she thought she should contact her mother to find out Taylor Rae's intentions, after all she was listening to everything the girls were talking about regardless. Margo excused herself to the washroom half hour later, really she wanted to step into the kitchen pantry where she knew were hidden cameras.
"I know you are listening, and I haven't mentioned you too anyone since our last and only conversation, but Taylor Rae is on to me, if she finds out about you being my mother and that my father is living here as well, no one will trust me anymore! Fix it!" Margo had told Mark about her father living here but she hadn't mentioned her mother being no face, she knew it was a conversation she needed to have with him, that and to confirm that Mark is the only mans she will ever love.
"Sorry ladies, but I think the night is about over, don't you guys?" She began gathering the dishes and placing them on the trolley next to the table.
"We should do this next week, hey ladies?" Isabella was helping gather dishes, along with the other ladies.
"I agree, to the wife's club!" Taylor rae finished off her drink.
"I wouldn't really say it's club, Taylor.. but yes next week sounds good.. we should consider inviting Linda though.." The last thing Margo wanted was for 'the wife's club' to get back to her.
After the clean up, Margo closed the door behind her guests.. Mark was in the bedroom getting ready for bed. Margo slipped into something more comfortable and climbed into bed next to him. "Can we talk?"
"Im tired Margo, maybe tomorrow.." Truthfully he didn't want to talk to her at all about there problems.
"No, were going to talk now." She leaned over him to turn his night light on. "Why are you angry with me? Is it because of the letters? Because you know when I sent those we weren't even married yet, I was technically still his wife."
"That's it, you just said it. You will always still be his wife Margo. Think about it, how can anyone in this place legally get married? I went to see Harvey that weekend you got back, and surprise surprise he never filed for divorce. How could he? I mean Margo is just a missing case file back where your from... you will never be fully mine Margo, that's why I've been pushing you away- this place cant run forever.. Sooner or later someone's going to slip up, and you'll go running back to him when it does. You were forced to marry me, to have my children."
"I was forced here, ripped from my life.. I was arranged to live with you, to eventually help repopulate this town. But I was never forced to fall in love with you, Mark. You're right, one day if this place gets discovered - I will go running back to him, but not because I love him, ill be going straight to him for a divorce... So one day I can finally call you my husband."
Mark was silent, they both looked at one another and were finally on the same page - for the first time in a long while, he leaned in and kissed his bride to be.