Marjoreece - Written In The Stars

Reece Opens Up

Autumn quietly watched Marjorie throughout the course of the day. She seemed distracted. Even more so than normal. Autumn could see her looking things up on the computer and hear her sighing. Eventually, she got fed up. "Marjorie, for the love of God, what are you doing apart from being annoying?"

Marjorie was startled by the sudden sharpness of Autumns tone as she spoke. "Nothing. Nothing, OK?" Marjorie replied quickly. Autumn rolled her eyes at the response, knowing she was hiding something. "Marjorie, despite what you seem to think, I'm not stupid. I do know when you are hiding something. Let's just save both of us the bother. What are you looking at, and why do you keep sighing?"

Marjorie sighed again, causing Autumn to glare at her. "OK, OK, I'll talk. Just stop looking at me like that." She said defensively. "Before the other day, I'd been planning a surprise for Reece and timing wise, it needs to be tonight."

Autumn stared at Marjorie as she stopped talking. "And? What's the problem?"

"I don't know whether now is the right time. I don't want him to think that it's pressure or something like that again."

"Then put it off for a few weeks and then do it." Autumn replied, sounding bored of the conversation. "I don't see what you're stressing out over."

Marjorie span her computer screen round to face her deputy. "I've been researching this for weeks. I've had a lot of spare time while I was on maternity leave, and the twins were sleeping. This week, the rings around Saturn are visible from earth. According to the weather though, tonight is gonna be the only clear night to see it, so if it's not tonight, he may not see it for quite a while."

"So you do it tonight then. I still don't see the issue, Marjorie."

"I told you, I don't want him to feel like there's some... I don't know.... Ulterior motive, I guess. Like I'm doing it to get something out of him. I was planning this long before we had that argument the other day. I can't prove to him that I'm not just trying to butter him up or something."

"Marjorie, it's Reece. He loves you. He wouldn't think that. He'll be shocked someone has planned anything like that for him, and chances are, after the last few days, he won't think he deserves it. The challenge won't be getting him to believe that you haven't done it for a reason. The challenge will be getting him to believe he deserves to be cared for like that." Autumn had been talking while continuing with her work. She now looked up for the first time. She could see that Marjorie was seriously considering what she's just said. "If anything, Marjorie, he's probably thinking he needs to make it up to you for how he's behaved the last couple of days. Even if you don't think he does." Autumn added. Knowing that was exactly what Reece was thinking. She watched Marjorie for a little longer. "Marjorie? Just do it. As you were planning. It will probably be good for both of you."

Marjorie turned her screen back around to face her again. "You're probably right, Autumn. Thanks."

Later that evening, Reece had taken the twins up to put them to bed. He'd asked Marjorie when they gave the twins their dinner, if she wanted anything, and she'd asked if they could wait until after the twins had gone to bed. While he was upstairs, she got to work. She'd already been out on her lunchbreak and picked up a load of food that she'd managed to keep hidden from him on the way home. She put a few bits in the oven, hoping against hope that this would be the one time she didn't forget about it and burn it. She turned and went into his office to pick up his telescope before taking it out and setting it up in the garden, along with a blanket, the food, and a bottle of wine. She carefully lit some candles to line the path to where she had everything set up. She walked back into the kitchen to be greeted by Reece standing there looking concerned.

"Um, gorgeous? Please tell me you haven't tried to cook?" He gingerly asked.

"Bugger!" She shouted, running over to the oven just in time to save everything from being ruined. "I can't believe I forgot about it. Marjorie, you are such a pillock!" She muttered to herself. She soon felt two arms slide around her waist as Reece pulled her back into a hug.