Song Two - We Need a Resolution by Aaliyah
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Alyson walked around the guest-filled mansion with a champagne glass in her hand. As she was searching for Kelly, she smiled, waved and hugged those she knew and those who just wanted to know her because of who Evan was.
Just as she entered the living room, she felt someone grab her arm lightly. She turned around to see it was Rick, Kelly's husband. He was so tall, she had to look up at him.
Rick was very well built partly because he was a cop and partly because he lifted weights. He had dark brown, medium length hair, that matched his brown eyes and tan skin from exercising in the sun daily.
"Hey!" She greeted him, "I was just looking for Kelly, where is she?"
She gave the tall man a hug, his chin automatically resting on her forehead. "Kelly is actually running around trying to find you," he informed her.
She placed her hand on her hip with a sigh, putting her glass to her lips.
"Great," she muttered.
Choosing to wait for her to show up, Alyson starts up a conversation.
"How you been Rick? We don't see each other as often as we use too. Getting promoted to Detective seems to be taking up a lot of your time."
Rick nodded, sliding his hands into his pocket, "oh yeah. We're currently on a case about a guy who was found dead in his car. First thought was suicide but when the family described him, it seemed impossible. Then we dug a little more and it definitely doesn't seem like a suicide"
"Wow," Alyson shook her head. "That's gotta be tough. For the family, I mean."
"Yeah, he had a wife and three kids. They're counting on me. It's not any easier when Kelly's complaining about how much I'm working."
Kelly came from an entrepreneur family. Her father owned a lot of estates around the country, so dating Rick who's childhood dream was to be a Detective wasn't easy. Rick was Hispanic and had grown up in a rural part of time where crime was considered a norm.
He lost his older brother due to crime when he was ten, from then, he wanted to join the police force and help make his neighborhood a better place. In fact, his family still lives in his childhood neighborhood.
Kelly wanted Rick to get into the investment business with her dad but Rick wanted to pursue his passion, and he did. Sometimes his job put their marriage on the rocks but they always get back on track.
"I feel really bad," Rick went on. "I know I haven't been spending as much time as I should with her. I haven't even been hanging out with Evan. This case has just been a lot for me, you know?"
Hearing that familiar adorable laugh from far away, Alyson looked to see Evan laughing with some of the guests.
"Yeah, but at least you recognize you've been slacking and you're willing to do better."
Feeling sadness come over her, Alyson looked away downing the rest of her champagne.
It didn't take much for Rick to notice. It was the same sadness that he had seen in Kelly's eyes every time they went through a rough patch in their marriage.
"Aly," he cleared his throat.
She looked up at him, "Yeah?"
"I'm gonna talk to Evan for you."
Alyson's face dropped. She rolled her eyes and looked away. "Of course she told you after I told her not to."
"She's worried about you."
"I'm fine. I don't need you to talk to Evan. I've got this under control," she lied through her teeth.
As a waiter walked past with a champagne tray, she switched her empty one for a new one, "I'm gonna go look for Kelly."
"Aly," Rick grabbed her arm and pulled her back. He turned her around so she was facing him.
"That look in your eyes, Kelly had that once too. Believe it or not, she's just like you. She knows how to play happy. I wasn't giving her the attention that I should have and I distanced myself. I almost lost her but I got it together and our relationship is stronger than ever."
Alyson pulled her arm out of his grip with a thoughtful look on her face.
"Let me ask you something, Rick. When men distanced themselves, is it really because of work?"
Rick furrowed his eyebrows not understanding, "what do -"
"Is work really the reason a man distances himself?"
It clicked and he knew exactly what she was asking. While Rick could vouch for himself he couldn't vouch for other men. Most of the force was full of men and he had heard plenty of stories; work wasn't keeping his peers away from their wives.
And Alyson knew that.
"If you really care for me as a friend. You won't talk to him."
Their conversation was cut short when Alyson suddenly got hugged around her waist.
"Aunty Aly!"
Alyson looked down to see her four-year-old niece, Angel.
"Angel!" She knelt down and hugged her, "oh my god! You look so gorgeous!"
Alyson pulled away, touching her beaded braids, "look at your hair. It's so pretty."
The adorable four-year-old blushed, "mommy did it."
"I bet she did," Alyson could always recognize her sister's work.
Looking up, the aunt noticed her older niece, Nicole, looking annoyed and like she wanted to be anywhere else but there.
"Hey, hun," she hugged her. "You okay?"
Nikki rolled her eyes, crossing her arms over her chest, "your sister took my phone."
"Only because you skipped class," Angel pointed out.
"Shut up," Nikki almost raised her hand to give her a good sisterly smack.
Rick smiled, watching the two.
"Girls, you remember Rick?" Alyson asked.
"Well, I know Angel won't." Rick held his hand out to Nicole, "but I've known you since you were three."
Nikki shook his hand, "of course, I remember you, Rick. You're the only guy I like that my mom -"
"That I what?" Mia joined the conversation.
Nikki grimaced, looking away, "nothing."
Meanwhile, Rick's eyes were on Mia's outfit.
"She looks beautiful doesn't she?" Angel looked up at her mother in awe.
"Thanks, sweetheart," Mia caressed her face.
"She always looks great," Alyson hugs Mia and gives her a kiss on the cheek. "I'll be back, I gotta go find Kelly."
Alyson walks off, leaving the four.
Rolling her eyes at a staring Rick, Mia looks at Nicole, "why don't you take your sister to get some food. I'll be over in a minute."
"Can I have my phone back?" Nicole asked.
"After we talk about why you think it's okay to skip class, maybe."
Nicole bit her tongue, holding her hand out to her sister, "come on."
"Nice seeing you guys," Rick waved at the girls, only receiving a wave back from Angel.
"I can't believe that's Nicole," he shook his head. "It seems like yesterday I was carrying her on my shoulders."
"Yeah," Mia nodded, "sometimes I wish she was that age again. She talks a lot less."
Rick laughs, putting his focus back on Mia.
She sighed, "why are you looking at me like I didn't see you today? Matter of fact I see you almost every other day."
With Rick being a detective, he was always at the hospital checking out the morgue or on victims who had been admitted.
"It's not my fault you don't dress up all the time. You never did. So when you do, it takes me back."
"So you're saying, I don't look good unless I'm wearing a dress?"
Rick sucked his teeth, "come on, I'm not saying that."
"It sounds like that's what you're saying."
"Why do you always have to be a smart ass, Mia?"
She grinned, "because it's fun and I like seeing people sweat - especially you. Look at you, all flustered. You're gonna sweat out your suit."
"Ha, ha," Rick laughed sarcastically.
"On a serious note," Mia crossed her arms over her chest. "How's the case? You find anything?"
As she listened, Mia took a glass of champagne from a waiter walking by.
"Nothing yet. It's one of the cases where you gotta read between the lines. It's gonna take some time."
"Well, don't stress, you're never good when you're stressed. You were promoted to Detective for a reason. You'll figure out."
"Thanks," Rick gave an appreciative smile. "And I became a Detective because of you. If you hadn't believed in me, I'd be some suit wearing nine to fiver loser."
Mia squinted, "you know you just described Evan right? I mean, the guy's rich but he's a rich loser."
Rick chuckled, "still not a fan of him, huh?"
"Nope, I don't like him," Mia said bluntly. "Didn't like him then, don't like him now."
"But to be fair, Mia, you hate everyone who isn't your kids and Alyson."
"No, there are people I'd rather not spend my time around and people I'd rather do away with."
"You know I'm a cop, right?"
"Like that'd stop me," Mia gave him a wink that made him blush.
Mia's mood instantly went downward when Kelly decided to join the two.
"And look what we have here." Kelly held her hands behind her back, "what's this?"
Mia held in an eye-roll, "not tonight, Kelly. This party is important to Evan which means it's important to Alyson. Let's be on our best behavior."
"Of course, you're right." Kelly agreed, getting a relieved look from Rick.
"I just have to say though," the blonde immediately knocked her husband's relief right out of the window. "Rick and I were just talking about you earlier."
"Really?" Mia feigned interest. She looked at Rick, "I hope good things were said."
"Oh yes, always good things to say about you, Mia."
"Kelly, stop it," said Rick.
"Rick and I . . . well, I was laughing about how Rick always thought you were the one he was going to marry. It's crazy how things turned out differently!"
"Yeah!" Mia kept playing along, "You guys are so cute together! Also, I have to know," stepping up to Kelly, Mia leaned toward her ear. "Did you get a little work done? Your lips look a lot stiffer than usual these days."
Mia pulled back, looking a pissed Kelly right in the eye.
"You bitch -"
"Hey, hey, hey," Rick held Mia's arms and backed her away from Kelly, "not here."
"How about after the party?" Mia suggested.
"Mia . . . " Rick raised his eyebrows at her.
Mia looked at his hands and Rick quickly pulled away. He turned to look at Kelly who was so pissed, it was like steam was coming from her ears.
"Kelly -"
"Hey, guys," Alyson unknowingly joined the drama, "Everything okay?"
Glaring at Rick, Kelly locked arms with Alyson, "everything's great.I've been looking for you, we've gotta talk."
She pulled Alyson away, leaving Mia and Rick alone.
"Congratulations," Mia said sarcastically, "you just put yourself further into the doghouse. You didn't need to calm me down. I have enough respect for you to not hurt your wife, Rick."
"So we're just going to act like you didn't try to kill her with your car today."
"Oh my god," Mia laughed. "She told you that? You know me . . ."
"Yeah, I do," Rick's seriousness made her stop laughing."I know that you never liked Kelly but -"
"No," Mia shook her head at him. "No, you don't have the place to ask me for special favors anymore. Plus, Kelly isn't a saint. She's never liked me either."
"Can you blame her? We were pretty serious and even now, we're still friends."
"Then that's her problem," Mia snapped. "I've tried distancing myself but you keep -"
"Because you're one of my closest friends. If anything, you're basically my best friend."
Mia shrugged, "maybe I shouldn't be. For your sake."
She turned to walk away but Rick pulled her back by the arm.
"What do you want?" She couldn't look me in the eye.
"I think you should talk to your sister."
Instantly concerned about Alyson, Mia looked at him, "about what?"
"Things with Evan aren't doing well and I think it's really weighing on her."
Evan and Alyson's marriage haven't been well for some time and Mia knew that. However, Alyson had stopped bringing her marital problems to her sister because she never liked what Mia had to say.
Rick's advice made Mia realize how bad things have seemingly progressed. She knew it was bad but since Alyson stopped talking about it, she assumed things were going to get better or they already were.
Mia looked across the room at Alyson who had received a Victoria Secret bag from Kelly.
"Surprise," Kelly sang.
Alyson frowned, giving her glass to Kelly as she took the bag. Kelly gazed around, sipping on the champagne as Alyson peeked into the bag.
"Lingerie?" She looked up at Kelly, her eyebrows furrowed. "Seriously?"
"You in that, and I bet he won't be able to resist. It'll be a perfect time after the party," Kelly looked into the air, a smile on her face in thought.
"Thanks, but I doubt it's going to work," Alyson took back her champagne, giving the bag back to Kelly.
"Why would you say that? He's a guy, it has to work." Kelly follows after her, "you told me not to tell Rick to talk to him and I didn't. I'm trying to help, the least you could do is try."
Alyson stopped in her tracks, turning to the blonde, "you might have told him not to talk to Evan but you did confide in Rick, who if I know well, has probably told Mia to talk to me."
Kelly scoffed, "what does she know? The only good guy she's ever dated is Rick and she managed to screw that up."
"Don't talk about her like that," Alyson stood up for her sister. "She's been through a lot and you know it."
Kelly crossed her arms over her chest, "sorry."
"Look, I asked Rick if a guy distancing himself is usually because of work and . . . he couldn't give me an answer."
Kelly rubbed her arm, seeing the worried look in her best friend's eyes, "you think he's cheating?"
"Most men do, right? I don't have much to go on, Kelly," Alyson downed her champagne before switching the empty glass with a full one as another waiter walked past.
"Hey, not all guys are the same. You're getting ahead of yourself." Kelly pulled her to the side, so they were close to the wall. She stood in front of Alyson so no one noticed her looking like she was about to have a nervous breakdown.
"I just don't know what to do, or what to think."
"Stop assuming and just try. Try for your own sake, okay?" Kelly told her. "Look, Rick may have never cheated on me, but it feels like it when he gets wrapped up in his job. The good thing is, we work on it and we always get through the tough times. If we didn't try, Rick and I wouldn't be here today."
Alyson avoided her gaze, taking a sip of her drink.
"So, what are you going to do?" Kelly asked her. "Assume, sulk, drive yourself crazy?" She held the VS bag up, "or are you gonna try?"
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"Thanks for coming," Alyson hugged her sister.
"You really need to stop thanking me," Mia rolled her eyes. "You know I support you in everything that you do."
Feeling tears well, Alyson quickly pulled away from her sister and gulped. To avoid looking at Mia, she looked inside the car where Angel was asleep in the backseat and an agitated Nicole was sitting shotgun. With her arm propped up on the door, she stared forward, her mind elsewhere.
Looking at Nicole herself, Mia rolled her eyes, "she'll be fine. I haven't been that hard on her. I just took away her phone."
Alyson crossed her arms over her chest, "not that I'm a mother or anything but did you hear her out?"
"Of course," Mia nodded. "But for some reason, she didn't want to talk." Lowering her voice, Mia leaned toward her sister, "his birthday was this week . . . it marks a year that we left."
"Oh my god," Alyson pulled her sister into another hug. "You're right. I'm so sorry . . ."
"What that I left my abusive husband?" Mia scoffed.
"No," Alyson pulled away, taking a hold of her arms. "Of course not. Sorry that I didn't remember."
"It's not for you to remember. Besides, it's not something I see as a celebration. Lucky, yeah but not something to celebrate."
"Don't say that." Alyson rubbed her arms.
"I thought he would have found us already and honestly, sometimes, I think he will." She nods to Nicole, "I think she feels the same way too."
Shaking her head, she moved on, "but I'll talk to her, it's fine. I want to talk about you."
"What about?" Alyson backed away, immediately getting tense.
"Since when do you go to Kelly about your marital problems and not me?"
Alyson rolled her eyes, "damn it, Rick."
"I know I don't say the nicest things but it's just because I love you enough to be honest, Aly. It's me your talking to, your sister, your twin, your flesh and blood. If its anyone who knows about a man who won't ever change, it's me."
"I'm not doing this," Alyson turns and starts walking away.
"There's only so much hope you can have before you have to accept reality!" Mia's words made her stop. "People change, Aly, sometimes for the worse and sometimes they stay like that. Sometimes, though it's hard, you gotta move on."
Whirling around, Alyson looks at her sister with so much disappointment in her eyes, "this is why I go to Kelly because unlike her, she has faith that I can save my marriage. Hate Kelly all you want but at least she knows that leaving someone you've made a life with isn't easy. I thought you out of all people would understand that."
Mia flailed her arms, watching her sister make her way toward the house.
"You're still coming to movie night tomorrow, right?!"
Standing at the top of the stairs, Alyson yelled, "of course."
Mia couldn't help but smile as she got inside the car.