Complications // A Falice story

Chapter 59

It's been an hour since FP started driving them back home. Alice was sitting to his right and FP was looking at her every now and then making small talk about every little thing he could think of until he built up the courage to tell her what he talked to with Michael. "So I spoke to your dad."

"What about?" Alice turned to look at FP who hesitated for a second and Alice was quick to notice that. "FP?"

"The walking down the aisle thing." FP said the mood in the car changed instantly.

"What the hell did you do?" Alice asked raising her voice and FP lowered the volume to the music knowing that it was definitely not the time.

"You were sad about-"

"No no no!" Alice cut off FP. She pointed a finger at him as she spoke. "Why did you have to do it?"

"Because-"

"I didn't ask you to!" Alice said getting angrier. She would've walked out of the car that moment if she were able to. "I don't need anyone to fight my battles for me."

"I know you-"

"I'm not a spoiled little brat. I don't expect to get what I'm asking for." Alice waited just a second to see if FP wanted to intervene, but he didn't seem to want to so she kept on talking. "Things in my life were never easy and usually I didn't get what I asked for so I had to take it. Don't you think that if I really wanted my father to simply be there for ten seconds and walk me down that aisle he would be there? But it isn't all I want, I want him to want it. I could've promised him to stay away from his family if he'd done that and he would have." Alice took a short break to take in a few breaths.

FP just looked at the road in front of him. Alice had a point with everything that she was saying, but all he wanted was to help her and he wasn't going to be sorry about that. "What will happen after we get married? You'll be my spokesman?"

FP turned for a second to look at Alice, but just for one short second. He thought that it wasn't fair for her to tell him that since he just wanted to help, but FP remained silent. She could yell at him because he didn't want to fight.

Alice hadn't said another word for hours despite FP's attempts to make conversation about something else than the last thing they - mostly Alice - spoke about. Eventually FP has had enough of her silent treatment and he told her what he's been thinking since she yelled at him. "I didn't talk to your father because I think you're incapable of doing so and this...this wasn't your fight." FP could feel Alice's eyes on him, but he just looked at the road. "It was ours because he hurt you and I love you. What he did wasn't fair to you and I wasn't going to just stand by and watch you being in pain. You've been through hell and back, I don't want you burying yourself in work again. I just want you to be happy."

FP made a turn with the car and he paused, he hoped Alice would say something but she didn't. Instead she turned and stared out her window. "It's been hard with your daughters, really hard on you and on us too. At least on me. Watching you, you had that look in your eyes. All hope was gone, all happiness, everything. There was just a shell of who you were and there was nothing that I could've done. I hated it, but now I had the chance to help and I used it. I don't care that you're mad at me now because all I did was because I love you."

Alice swallowed hard as FP said the last words. By the sound of his voice Alice knew FP had tears in her eyes and she knew it for sure when she saw him lifting his hand to wipe them away. She just took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Alice let it all sink in what FP spoke with her father, what he just said, the way she yelled at him a few hours before and her daughters. Alice opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. She was angry at FP and herself, sad about those few days, about the way she yelled at FP and her daughters and she was also curious if Michael was going to walk her down the aisle or not because FP didn't tell her, but Alice didn't ask.

They never thought it was possible for them to spend hours together in the same place and not say a word to each other. They made no stops on the way home and FP was exhausted when they arrived because he was the only one driving. "We should-"

"I'm going for a walk." Alice told FP as she got out of the car and he called her name a few times, but she didn't turn around and FP decided to give her some time. He just walked inside thinking that he'd get the bags the next day and FP was the happiest to see his little boy, although he couldn't help but worry about Alice.