Chapter 15 - Margo Has a Meltdown
November edged toward December and the young ones were more and more anxious as the date for their SAT exam drew closer.
"It's not fair, Mickey. They put so much attention on one test on one day of your life!"
Cait and Naomi were in the hot tub with me. It was chilly in the twilight gloom. I shared my mug of hot mulled wine with them. Sex was not in the air, but the lithe bodies looked as good as ever.
"You are not to worry. Just go through the study guide and remember, the tricky questions are designed to test your judgment, on top of everything else."
Cait sat on my lap and pulled Nomi to hers. "Mickey, can we put in our essays that we have already demonstrated good judgment because we found you and made you part of our lives?"
Damn, there were instant tears flowing. Mine too. What to say. I tightened my arms.
"Hey," I said in a husky voice, "you are very special young women. It didn't start this way, but I am very attached to you..."
I couldn't go on, but sat there rocking quietly back and forth. After a few minutes, everyone sniffled and climbed out as Emily called dinner.
Emily raised her brows at me over the red eyes on the girls. I said, quietly, "It's complicated, they will be alright." Two heads nodded, "We are ok, he is the best guy we could hope for."
In bed that evening, Margo was inquisitive. "Emily says you and the young ones had a breakdown in the hot tub. What happened?"
"They are wound up over the SAT test. I gave them some stray advice, and all of a sudden they were in my arms crying."
My special girl kissed my eyes and lips and I felt her tears on my cheek. "Really? You too?"
She cried quietly on my shoulder and after a while lifted her head for a soft kiss, full of emotion.
"Mickey, I don't want to wait until spring for a dumb wedding."
"Wow," I whispered, "breakdowns in all directions. There is only a week until Thanksgiving and a month to Christmas. Your mother and my mother will have a fit."
"We can go to the County office that does marriage licenses. Emily and Edith will be witnesses and the clerk will do the words."
"You have to let the twins bring flowers or there will be another meltdown."
She was on top of me, doing a full body press. I asked, "What is a piece of paper going to do for your piece of mind?"
She cried again and mumbled, "I don't know, I just want to be all yours."
I turned us on our sides. "Hey, I love you dearly and will marry you tomorrow if you like."
Silence. I thought she was asleep when she asked, "Can we go tell Emily?"
"Now? In the middle of the night?"
Pulling me behind her, both of us bare as babies, she ran across the grass to Emily's house, and dashed into the bedroom. "We are getting married! Right away! No more delays!"
Poor Emily reached out for Margo, "Dear me, what is the matter? Was Mickey nasty to you?"
Margo was mumbling incoherently, clutching Emily. Sitting on the edge of the bed, I smiled and covered them up. The landlady realized soothing words were needed and told the crying body that everything was going to be ok.
Margo sat up and howled, "I know, I know!" I reached over for a tickle and had my hand slapped. She frowned, "He said the mothers will be angry."
Emily added, "And many friends, and other relatives. If you are crazy enough to do this, it has to be a secret and there has to be a regular ceremony in June, as you have planned. The bride always thinks the wedding is about her, but it really is mostly about everyone else."
My fiancee flopped down with a great wail, "Why am I so stupid and emotional?"
Emily looked at me and almost giggled, "Well, you might be pregnant."
This produced new wails, her head in a pillow. I applied a hand to a bare bun. "You promised to keep taking your pills. Said you would not have a baby bump at the ceremony."
She sat up and kissed first Emily and then me. "I don't care. We are going tomorrow if Emily and Edith and the flower girls can make it, and we are going to keep it a secret. The girls will torture me with giggling fits. If I am pregnant, we will move things up to Easter."
I crawled under the covers myself, holding Emily tight. "You are too hot to handle! Emily will protect me."
With a warm female body on either side, it was easy to go back to sleep.
When I woke in the morning, there was no warmth. Instead, there was whispered conversation coming from the kitchen. I didn't have any clothes and wondered what to do. Emily appeared in the doorway, saying, "You are required for a naked breakfast. Your girlfriends have discussed the crisis."
I ran at her, tossing my favorite landlady in the air. "A naked crisis, is it? Which treatment do you require?"
After a good beating on my head, she was returned to the floor with a wet kiss, exclaiming, "Margo, why do we let him in the house at all? Rude and crude is his name."
My beloved was seated at the kitchen table, her rosy naked boobs getting my immediate attention. She pointed, "Sit!"
Just then, Emily's phone rang. She picked it up and answered, "Well, hello, it is very nice to hear your voice. Let me put you on speaker."
Susan's voice enveloped us. "Good morning. I am just calling to see if any of your wild ideas from Joseph are still alive. I'm missing you."
This was a crisis we could do something about. I spoke loudly, "You are required to appear here at the earliest possible moment. We have design decisions to make. There is a meeting with the architect tomorrow morning. Will you be here?"