Climax
Part 25
All Rights Reserved
Suze still couldn't get what Miranda told her at the picnic even after her conversation with Stanley, and it's been a week. Why was she thinking about this? Was there really a chance that her relationship with Stanley might break apart? She admits that she has been seeing Stanley and Mona getting close. Maybe a little be too close. They were starting to do everything together, and keeping Suze out of it. Like how they went for ice cream with the kids, and how they went to dinner with Mona's old family who haven't seen Stanley for a long time without inviting her. It was beginning to make Suze feel jealous and she didn't like it.
Maybe this is all going through my head, Suze thought. He would never do that, and he told me himself.
After constantly thinking that same thought every day to console herself, she came to one conclusion: she needs a vacation. She decided that she would go to her family's house for a little while with Noelle. She hasn't seen them in a long time and she needed to catch up on things.
"Suze, are you sure you don't want me to come with you?" Stanley asked again, laying on the bed of their room, in a plain white T-shirt, and gray sweats as Suze finished packing her suitcase. She planned to be gone for maximum of two weeks, and needed at least two suitcases to take up her clothes, shoes, and accessories.
Suze saying that she wanted to leave and see her family was very random to Stanley. He asked her if there was something wrong or if there something that he didn't know about, and Suze shook her head. She told him that she needed a break. But a break from what?
A break from you, a dark voice said in his head, but he protested against it. Why would she want a break from him? They were having so much fun together last week, which happened to be the last week they did something togetherbefore he started spending some more time with Mona. But Suze didn't seem to have a problem with it from his eyes. To him, she mentally encouraged it.
"Yes, I'm sure," She answered, zipping up her second suitcase. She walked over to Noelle's cabin, and under the bin, she took a large black duffel bag that she packed with Noelle's belongings last night. She placed it on the bed, checking if everything that Noelle would need, including her toys, were there. "I'll be fine, Stan. It's just two weeks."
"But I'll miss you."
"Why? It's not like you don't have anything else to do with someone other than me," Suze responded without thinking.
"Huh?" Stanley said, not understanding what she said. What did she mean by someone other than her?
"Um...I meant that I'll miss you too." Suze said with a nervous laugh, trying to change the subject. He was going to ask her a question about her comment but Suze quickly cried, "Noelle! It's time to go!" She set her two suitcases on the floor, making them stand on it's wheels.
The door opened, and there stood Miranda in a purple tank top, and a pair of blue skinny jeans with Noelle in her pretty orange sundress that matched her orange ribbon wrapped pig tails. Miranda dressed Noelle herself. She thought it looked better than her wearing a plain outfit like her father. Oh, genes has failed them once again.
Suze smiled at them. "Thanks, Miranda. She looks adorable. She's really going to need your fashion tips when she's a teenager."
"Well, duh! Of course, she is With me as her fashion designer, boys are going to be banging at her door when they see how sexy she is," Miranda bragged, smirking wildly at Stanley. She said it on purpose.
"Over my dead body, they will," Stanley fummed, lightly. He is happy that Noelle's teenage stage are still years away, but when the time comes, her life is going to be turned upside down if she tries to bring in more boys. She's already friends with a few boys at Day Care and if the amount of boys continues to grow as she ages, Stanley is not going to be a happy man any more.
"You know, I can actually have that arranged, but I won't," Miranda said. No sense of humor was detected in her voice. She wasn't really excited with the fact that Stanley was spending so much of his time with Mona. Couldn't his dumb self see that that was the reason why she was leaving to live with her family for two weeks?
Stanley could feel how serious Miranda was being by her tone. What went up her butt today?, Stanley thought. None of his questions were going to be answered. If only he was smart enough to notice.
The moment grew awkward, and Suze had to be the one to stop the silence. Dragging her suitcases, she went over to Miranda, giving her the suitcases while she took Noelle from her arms. "Aren't you so cute?"
"No!" Noelle barked, frowning. She hated what she was wearing, and what she hated more than that was the word, cute, only because too many people have called her cute.
"Just what I was thinking, Elle," Stanley joked in satisfaction.
Miranda rolled her eyes. "Well, someone has to have a sense of style in this family, and a whole lot of strength to force her into a dress."
"Either way, she still looks adorable," Suze said to her and gave her attention to Noelle. "Grandma is going to eat you up!" She cooed, pinching her cheeks. Noell flinched, and stirred in her arms. The three of them laughed at Noelle's reaction, and Suze removed her hands from her hands.
"Time to go, baby. Say bye to Daddy," Suze said, walking over to Stanley. She leaned Noelle's body over him so she could give him a kiss on the cheek, and Stanley gave her a kiss on her forehead.
"I'll see you soon," said Stanley.
"Goo'bye," Noelle tried to say as Suze left out the door with her. Miranda slowly followed them, carrying their stuff.
He watched them leave and sighed when the door was shut. Two weeks without his wife and kids. It's not he sisn't used to it. He's spent more 100 times longer without them, but this was different. They were leaving him.
"I'm so happy that you're here!" Suze's mother, Marie screamed in excitement, as Suze came in with Noelle in her arms, and her duffel bag in another while Miranda was walking inside with their baggage.
"I'm sorry that I can't stay,' Miranda apologized. "I've got a afternoon date with Drew. Can't be late." She set their stuff on the floor by their couch. "Bye, guys. Bye, Elle." Suze and Marie gave their goodbyes, and Noelle just gave her a grin before Miranda rushed out the door, closing it behind her.
"Oh, god! I'm so happy you're here!" Marie screamed again, pulling Suze and Noelle into a tight hug. Noelle started squirming so Suze set her on her feet, still squished in her mother's arms.
"Mom, you said that already," Suze mumbled, her head pressed to Marie's shoulder by her mother's head.
"That's because I can't stop being happy!" She replied. She hasn't seen her daughter in a long time, and she just expects a hello from her? No way, mother love is coming through. "George, Sophie, guess who's here!"
George was the first one to come down the stairs, grumpily. His wife interrupted her from a nice nap that he has everyday once he comes home from working the late night shifts as a security guard at a science lab. His eyes only half open, he yawned, and walked to the living room in his gray T-shirt, and a pair of white polka-dotted red boxers.
"What, honey?" George said, rubbing his eyes. Suze giged at his father's lazy appearence. It never got old.
"Look who's here," Marie said. George let out another great yawn, and tried to open his eyes wider for a mid-second. He didn't have to do it again to know who those two special people with his wife are.
"Huh," George muttered. "What happened? You realized that you're too good for that poor sucker, and left him?" Suze sighed. Another thing that never changed; his dislike of Stanley. Could it be that Stanley used to be a well-known player? Or that Stanley, accidentally, spilled coffee all over his new Jersey shirt at their family breakfast?
"No," Suze said, and went over to give her step-father, who she can look up to as a father, a hug.
"Then all of a sudden I see you at the front door of my house?" George questioned. "You could only be here if something happened."
"You know I came here to see you and that big belly of yours," Suze fooled with a grin on her face.
Her step-father laughed, and Suze released him. George turned to Noelle, and crouched down to her level. "Now how's my best granddaughter doing? You being a good girl?"
Noelle shook her head, and flashed her grandfather a devious smile. She slowly wobbled to give him a hug.
"That's my girl!" George cheered, hugging her back. "Keep giving your mother a hard time so she can learn a lesson!"
"What lesson?" Suze wondered, crossing her arms on her chest.
"George, when will you stop and finally accept that Stanley is here to stay?" Marie asked, disapproving her husband's attitude.
"When I see that he's behind his actions and has been a good boy," He simply replied, careless.
"And?"
"I still don't see it."
Marie groaned, annoyed, and tried to plaster back the smile on her face. "Where is Sophie? I swear that girl is such a hard head!"
"Mom!" whined the one and only, Sophie in her short spring jeans, and yellow flowery shirt. She was hurrying down the stairs, mad because she was interrupted painting her nails purple. "Why are you--" She stopped to see her older sister, and her little niece along with her parents. "Oh my god!"
Sophie spread out her arms, and Suze did the same. She closed her eyes, expecting her sister to attack with hugs and love. Seconds later, Suze felt nothing so she laid her arms by her sides, and opened her eyes to see Sophie squeezing Noelle in her arms.
"Oh, I love you so much!" Sophie said, drowning Noelle with kisses. Noelle smiled, and giggled in reply as her auntie started to tickle her stomach.
"Wow, I really feel the love," Suze said, sarcastically to her sister. Sophie laughed, and Suze joined, their laughs chiming in unison. "Oh, come here! You know you're my second favorite!" She gave her sister the hug she desired with Noelle still stuck in her arms.
"Yeah. That makes me feel so much better." They laughed again.
"What are you doing here?" Sophie asked Suze. "The only times I thought I was ever going to see you is when you want us to take Noelle off your hands."
"Does everyone think that I'm always here for a reason or a request?" Suze said.
"Yes," Sophie and George said at the same time, and then laughed at how they had the same response.
Marie chuckled, and wrapped her arms around her daughter's waist. "They're just playing, dear We're very happy that you're here. We're always here for you."
"And we've got so much to do!" Sophie shrieked, hurting Noelle's ears.
"And I'm going to need your help if we're gonna' make the best darn barbecue in the state," George added, greedily.
Suze nodded and smiled at them. This is just what she needs; some time with her family. A way for her to stop thinking about what may be, and focus on what's happening now. This is her vacation from negative thoughts. But the question is: Are they just negative thoughts or is it the blooming truth?
Part 25 has ended with a repeating question: Are they just negative thoughts or is it the blooming truth?
Author's Note
Hey guys! I'm back with Climax-Part 25. I'm sorry for not updating sooner, but I'll try to update again. I know I'm being slow with you guys but just to let you know. This novel is coming to an end with a few or more parts. Yeah, I know. So sad. I don't want to let go of my characters.