Wine and Gossip

Mia
Pulling on her coat, Mia said, “You’ll be okay with Everlee tonight?”

Cooper rolled his eyes. “I can take care of my own daughter for one night.”

“I know. But you’ve been working long shifts and…” she trailed off. “I’ll just call Violet and let her know I’m not coming,” she decided.

“You will do nothing of that sort,” Cooper argued, helping her put her coat back on. “You girls… women,” he quickly corrected at her look, “haven’t hung out in quite a while. So you go, Everlee and I will be just fine.”

She pressed a kiss to his cheek. “And if I drink too much?”

“Crash in Violet and Charlie’s guest room,” he told her. Opening the door, he guided her out it. “Have a fun night, sweetie.”

Artemis
“Have a good night, Aaron,” Artemis said as she grabbed her jacket. She paused when her husband looked up from his paperwork. “Did you make plans for tonight?”

“Luke is coming over for dinner,” Aaron replied. “Assuming he doesn’t change his mind and go to help Eli with Sebastian and Danny.”

Artemis shook her head at the mention of her husband’s son from his first marriage. “If Eli is home alone with both boys, you probably aren’t going to see Luke tonight,” she pointed out. “Or he’s going to eat and leave as soon as he’s done. Why don’t you offer to take dinner over to Eli’s?”

Aaron considered for a minute and then nodded. “That might make Luke feel better.” He sighed. “I wish those boys would talk to each other.”

She crossed the room in a few quick strides, then placed a kiss on top of her husband’s head. “We can’t push them into accepting or changing who they are. I know we both want Luke settled and happy, but forcing him into it isn’t going to make anyone happy. Just continue to be your supportive self and he’ll figure out his way.”

“Have fun with the girls,” Aaron said in return.

Knowing he wanted to avoid the conversation, Artemis chuckled all the way out the door.

Violet & Charlie
Charlie looked up as her wife walked into their dining room. “Are you going to drop Danny off with Eli?” she asked. “Or do you want me to do it?”

Leaning over to kiss Violet lightly on the lips, Charlie replied, “No, dear, I’ll do it. Is he all ready to go?”

“I think he’s been ready for three days, ever since we told him that he was going to have a sleepover with Sebastian,” Violet answered. “Better go get him quickly before he decides to hitchhike his way to Eli’s.”

Charlie chuckled. “I guess that leaves you to finish setting up for tonight.”

“I will. Go get…”

A pre-teen boy almost burst into the room. “Mom! Are you ready yet?”

“Danny,” Violet finished. She beckoned the boy closer, hugging him and kissing the side of his head. “Have fun with Sebastian. Don’t eat yourself sick.”

“I won’t, Mama.”

It only took them a couple of minutes to gather up Danny’s bag and head out the door. With her wife and son gone, Violet began to set up for their wine night.

Girls’ Night In
Charlie was laughing when she opened the door to admit Mia, waving at Artemis who was coming up the walk behind the younger woman. “Come on in, there’s food in the dining room and Violet is opening our first bottle of wine.”

“Sounds great.” Mia entered, swinging her bag off her shoulder and setting it down on the small bench inside the door. As Artemis entered, she gave her a brief hug. “Hey, Artemis,” she greeted her step-mother. “How’s Dad?”

“Fine. Although expecting your brother for dinner tonight,” Artemis answered, setting her purse down next to Mia’s bag.

Mia giggled as she headed towards the dining room. “That’s funny. Considering Luke couldn’t talk about anything other than movies and pizza with Eli, Sebastian, and Danny tonight.”

Artemis accepted the glass of wine Violet held out to her. “I guess Aaron will be heading over to Eli’s place.”

“Why is Aaron going to Eli’s?” Charlie asked as she joined them. She also accepted a glass of wine, rewarding her wife with a kiss.

“Aaron was expecting to have dinner with Luke,” Artemis explained, “but it sounds like Luke has his own plans.”

This drew laughter from all of the women and they began to pick over the array of foods, piling plates high before heading towards the living room.

A while later, they had managed to empty a few bottles and all of them were feeling pleasantly tipsy. “Sooo,” Violet said with a giggle. “Who has the boys figuring it out before Christmas?”

Mia sighed, looking mournfully at her glass. “They don’t need to figure it out, they just need to act on it.”

“What do you mean?” Charlie asked, giving up on sitting up and leaning heavily against Violet.

“Luke knows that Eli has his soulmark,” Artemis explained.

“And Eli knows that Luke has his,” Mia added. “But neither of them will act on it.”

Charlie grinned as she struggled into a sitting position before leaning forward. “So we need to do something about it.”

“But what…?” Violet asked.

Mia giggled. “What could we do…?” she mused.

To be continued…