Caius D'Onofrio (poweroftheeye) wrote in shadows_rpg, @ 2017-12-20 09:18:00 |
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Entry tags: | #group scene, #september 2017, anthony, anthony x caius, caius |
Who: Anthony, Miriam and Caius
When: Tuesday, September 19th, Evening
Where: The Boathouse on the Pier
Status: Complete
It was sometimes difficult to get Caius to agree to have dinner with his parents. Generally Anthony didn’t mind it. He saw Caius nearly every day at work, or when they practiced Caius’s magic. Anthony had much better things to do than suffer through a ‘happy’ family dinner, and he was sure Caius felt the same way. But Anthony also knew that his wife enjoyed seeing her son, and since Caius had been gone for an entire week in Anguilla, Anthony had agreed to dinner at The Boathouse that evening with Miriam and Caius. He didn’t think it would take too long. They would eat, exchange niceties, talk about Caius’s trip and be done with it. The dinner would placate Miriam for a couple of weeks, at least.
Since it was a busy week getting things put together for the upcoming Oysterfest, Anthony had let his wife know that he would meet her and Caius at The Boathouse. He called ahead of time to speak with the owner to ensure they got the best, most private table near the large windows overlooking the ocean. Anthony was an investor in the restaurant, so they were always quick to accommodate his requests.
When he arrived that evening, he found Miriam and Caius seated and waiting for him. He waited until they had ordered their meals, including a bottle of wine for the table, before he refocused his attention on Caius. He had already seen him briefly at work the day before, and even now he noted how relaxed Caius appeared. Happier, in a strange way. A week lounging around in the tropics did wonders for one’s health, he supposed. “So, you’re looking well rested,” Anthony told Caius. “Anguilla agrees with you.”
“I was just telling him much the same.” Miriam had smiled as Anthony joined them, but had otherwise not derailed the beginning of their dinner by peppering her son with questions. Quite happy to ignore the tension that could suffuse their family get-togethers, she relaxed between her two favorite men. “I rather think we should have encouraged him to go sooner.”
Caius had wanted a couple of days before he made the announcement to his parents about what had happened in Anguilla. Well, half of what had happened, anyway. The other half, the more important half, was a secret. One he was kind of thrilled to keep, if he was being completely honest. He’d been extremely aware of the plain white gold ring that hung on the ever-present chain around his neck now, keeping his magic pendant company and adding some extra weight against his chest under his clothes. It was a nice little reminder of his bride.
He smiled at his parents’ comments and chuckled faintly as he sat back a bit. “I think it would probably agree with anyone,” Caius said. “It was absolutely beautiful. I can give you the name of the resort if you’d like. Perhaps you both could benefit from a visit too.”
“Your father has promised me a trip back to Italy,” Miriam replied, as the wine was brought to the table. “Although given our schedules, ‘promise’ might be a strong word for it.” Like her husband, she’d noticed the air of contentment that lingering around their son, and it piqued her concern. He rarely looked so, and she hardly expected that after a trip where no doubt tensions had run high, hand in hand with expectations. But she gave little of that worry away, just a tiny glance to Anthony, nothing more.
"I'll make it happen," Anthony assured Miriam, though his attention was still on his son. He did plan on taking a trip with his wife in the future. He just wasn't sure when it would happen. Not until after the holidays, at least. Things got far too chaotic in Point Pleasant during the last three months of the year, and Anthony knew better than to miss any of it. He waited until the waiter had poured wine in their glasses and left them alone again before he continued. "And how is Reagan? Did she enjoy herself?" Veronica Kelly hadn't had much to tell him when they spoke Sunday evening, although she hadn't sounded worried in the least.
Caius arched a dark brow at the mention of Italy, and gave an impressed sort of nod. That would be an incredible trip for them, and while it meant he would have to take over the business for a while, having his parents out of the country for a while might be something of a relief. He doubted his father would have the same ‘turn the phones off’ policy that he and Reagan had adopted, so it wouldn’t be a complete vacation, but some break was better than none. Caius knew it wouldn’t be until the new year anyway.
He picked up his wine glass, his heart beating a little harder at the direct mention of Reagan. His wife. It was incredible to think about. A tiny smile crossed his face before he took a sip. “Reagan enjoyed herself immensely,” he answered once he’d swallowed, glancing between his parents. He’d thought a lot about the timing of his announcement during dinner, and wondered now if he ought to speed it up. Maybe once they started eating. “We plan to go back in the future, at least once or twice.”
Although Miriam’s smile did not falter, she hesitated as she studied her son. She expected that he would enjoy the trip, assuming Reagan would downplay any strife in the interest of having a good vacation, but she couldn’t put her finger yet on what seemed off. Whatever it was, he gave the impression of pent up energy. “Not too soon,” she teased. “Trust me, each time it gets a little harder to return to work when you’ve just been in paradise.”
Anthony had been married long enough that he knew all of his wife's little idiosyncrasies. He could practically hear the wheels turning in her head as she studied their son. The smile didn't fool him one bit. She was concerned, although Anthony doubted she had any reason to be. He didn't expect Caius to launch into a diatribe about how stressful the vacation had been. Their son rarely told them about his problems with Reagan, and he didn't expect Caius to start now. He took a drink of his wine and settled back comfortably against his chair. "Taking a break from everyday monotony is good for your health," Anthony agreed. He paused as he set his wine glass down. "Is it safe to assume that you and Reagan have once again reconciled?"
They were going to corner him into spilling the beans early, weren’t they? His parents were nothing if not perceptive, and they always had been. Caius should’ve known better than to think he could sit on it. He wasn’t terrible at lying to them about certain things, but he was too emotionally close to this one. He chuckled faintly and sat back in his chair, drumming his fingers on the table briefly as he looked between Miriam and Anthony. “That would be safe to assume, yes,” he murmured, a little half-grin taking over his face for a second. Caius cleared his throat and smiled at both of them. “I was going to wait to say so, but we actually got engaged while we were away.”
Miriam had been prepared to commiserate over Caius and his on-again, off-again love, fully expecting that the vacation would bring about the ‘on-again’ status only as sure it would be off once more, given another week back in the working world. The sheen would grow thin, old arguments rising to the fore. All as predictable as the sun rising each morning, although she remained grateful for it all the same.
But not this. “You proposed?” she gasped, setting down her own drink. Her premonition. This was not the direction she’d looked in, to be certain. Dread settled in her stomach, but she let her smile widen, artfully, for all the world looking like a mother hearing joyous news from one of her children. “Caius, I had no idea! Why didn’t you say anything before you left?” She leaned a little forward, even as one hand reached for Anthony’s automatically, her fingers closing around his. Her skin was cold. “Or was it a spontaneous decision?”
While Miriam feigned pleasant surprise, Anthony merely narrowed his gaze, his dark brows drawn together thoughtfully. His wife's hand upon his was not a grasp of happiness, but of worry. He had assured her last week that they had nothing to worry about. This was.... an unfortunate, unexpected road bump, but not impossible to unravel. His mind was already working over the many solutions at his fingertips. "That must have taken Reagan by surprise," he said simply. "Considering the two of you had not even been dating leading up to this trip. What prompted this?" He didn't even attempt to sound happy about it, because he wasn't. But his indifference was not unusual for Anthony D'Onofrio, so he doubted his tone would trigger any suspicion in his son.
Considering his and Reagan’s past, Caius hadn’t expected them to be over the moon or anything. He was sure his parents assumed the engagement would be the same sort of rollercoaster as the rest of the relationship had always been. But it would stick this time, because they’d gone ahead and really sealed the deal. There was no backing out now. Caius’s fingers itched to toy with the ring around his neck, but he kept his hands on the table. He smiled back at his mother, not seeing her reaction as anything other than genuine. “I just wanted to surprise everyone, I suppose,” he said with a chuckle. Really, he hadn’t wanted anyone’s opinion interfering with his decision, so he’d even bought the ring out of town.
“As for what prompted it ...” Caius made a thoughtful face for a moment. “It just finally felt like the right time. It was inevitable, but things just clicked into place.” A lot of it had to do with his recent uptick in power, he knew that. Anthony probably knew that too. It had imbued Caius with a strength and confidence he hadn’t felt before, so of course it felt right to make the move to finally make Reagan permanently his own.
Miriam looked over at Anthony, but that, too, was part of the charade, the reluctant elation when Anthony would see the more serious question in her eyes. “Caius,” she started, as she looked back, “as exciting as this is, and you know I love Reagan very much...I worry about your choice to do this now. Before you left, you and Reagan had chosen to be apart, again.” She placed light emphasis on the last word. “Marriage doesn’t solve the problems in a relationship, darling. It’s not a panacea for soothing such issues in compatibility. The same things that brought you together and pushed you apart will still remain after the ceremony has ended.” She regarded him with concern. “I want to see you both happy….and heartbreak from an engagement is much worse than heartbreak from a simple breakup, because the expectations are so high.”
Anthony allowed Miriam to take the reins for the moment. She was much more composed and had always been able to speak to their children in the kind of tone Anthony had never been able to perfect. He would have been more direct, and probably less tactful, causing tension between the three of them before their meals even arrived. His fingers itched to pull out his phone and call Veronica, to see if she knew what had happened yet and what she planned on doing to fix it. But he held off for the time being, more than willing to hear what Caius had to say. He wouldn't be swayed into believing this was a good idea. Obviously it wasn't, given the family's history, but Anthony could only hope some sense could be talked into their son before Anthony had to take control again. He never enjoyed manipulating Caius's life, no matter how necessary it unfortunately was.
Caius felt a flicker of defensiveness at that ‘again,’ though his expression stayed mild and pleasant. It hadn’t been his choice to break up the last time, it had been Reagan’s. And now that he’d given her what she’d wanted from him for years, he doubted that would be happening again. She was as committed to making this marriage work as he was. They’d finally matured enough to do it right, both of them. That was what he firmly believed now, at least. “I understand your concern,” he told his mother, smiling faintly at her. “And believe me, I thought long and hard about the decision. Most of our problems in recent years have stemmed from my reluctance to take the plunge, so to speak ... so those are resolved now.” He chuckled and picked up his wine again, his dark gaze ticking to his father’s face briefly. “I feel settled now. Ready for it.”
Miriam smiled, although Caius’ gaze left hers. “I’m glad. This is a momentous decision, Caius.” She let a small bit of disbelief color her eyes for when he met hers again. “This last time, it was again because you would not propose? I confess, I am not happy for that. Perhaps this is a bit….’over-protective mother’ of me, but she put you through a lot of stress, and sadness, because you would not do things on her schedule?” She glanced to Anthony with a small sigh, and back again. “Marriage is not a goal, Caius, not an endpoint. Being together should have been more important than an arbitrary objective.” She was seeding doubts, but at least this much was true. Miriam always thought it a foolish thing to hold out for, refusing to be with a person because they would not conform to an unnecessary plan. “But perhaps I am just being critical because your father and I suited so well.” She squeezed Anthony’s hand, a picture of marital harmony that was meant to convey this is what you should be aiming for, not what you have now. She wanted that for him, and had the benefit of knowing that this was not it.
Anthony realized then that it had been the magic and surge in power that had boosted Caius's confidence, making him believe he was ready for a lifelong commitment. It was starting to make sense. Caius wanted to prove he was, or could be, as powerful as his father before taking such an important step in his personal life. Anthony couldn't really blame him. Power was intoxicating and seductive. It made one believe they were capable of anything. It had certainly made Anthony believe that Miriam could be his, when she had belonged to his brother. He took what he wanted without much thought to the consequences, and now Caius was doing the same. He listened to Miriam speak, but watched Caius. Anthony understood what Miriam was doing. Seeds of doubt disguised as motherly concern. But studying Caius now, Anthony was realizing that this situation would call for far more effective means of interference. "Your mother worries," Anthony said with a faint smile, as if making excuses for her. "But I have to admit that she has a point. Neither one of us want to see you locked into a life that perhaps is not best suited for you."
Caius looked at his mother again as she was speaking, the fine muscles under his eyes tightening up just a tiny bit. What was this? He had thought they would be happy that he’d finally made this move, instead of dicking around with his young romantic life like he’d been doing for so long. He was closing in on thirty, for gods’ sake. Caius tamped down on his instinctual impulse to defend Reagan -- as much as he’d hated her leaving him, he understood why she had. Marriage definitely hadn’t been an ‘arbitrary objective’ to her, and it hadn’t to him either. Otherwise he would’ve proposed forever ago. “Well, we can’t all be so lucky, I suppose,” he said with a touch of coldness, glancing down at his parents’ joined hands. He smiled as he said it, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Our trials have made us stronger as a couple. This is what we both want, and I think we can decide for ourselves what’s arbitrary or not. ... I of course appreciate your concern,” he added, just to say it again. They hadn’t even gotten their food yet, it was too early in the evening to offend his mother.
Choosing to pretend she didn’t see the cool look he slanted them, Miriam nodded with a small smile. “You know your father and I want the best for you, and we have experience that we hope you value, as you have valued our advice in the past. It has not always been easy for us, but we always knew the greater goal we worked towards.” She had to tread carefully, and for now, she choose to ease up slightly. She and Anthony were not going to dismantle this in the course of one dinner. That would only backfire upon them. “But we have time, do we not? Have you chosen a date?” Her smile turned amused. “This may be the most fun Veronica and I shall have for quite some time, interfering with your far-too-simple ideas for a wedding.”
It was time to rein it back a little. They couldn't fix over one meal, and if they kept pushing, they would make the situation worse. Caius could be stubborn, and trying to talk him out of marrying Reagan would only make him dig his heels in harder. "Well, I'm sure whatever Reagan wants, Reagan will have," Anthony said, amused as he picked up his drink. "There is a lot to think about, a lot to be done. We don't have to worry about it all in one evening. We're happy for you, Caius. We just want you to be happy." It was definitely more than that, but nothing Caius could fully comprehend at the moment. Soon, but not just yet.
The thing was, they didn’t sound too happy. At least not as happy as Caius would have expected them to be at this sort of news. Maybe his expectations for excitement had been too high or something. He was just their first born, their only boy, the heir to his father’s companies and the D’Onofrio name, which meant more than most other names around here. Him getting married finally should be kind of a big deal. At least that was how he saw it. Caius did his best to brush it off, taking another drink from his glass and giving a faint chuckle at the mention of Reagan’s mother. It was going to be a pain in the ass for months, he had no doubt. Reagan’s instinct that they should do it privately, their way, had been spot on. “Thank you,” he said to Anthony first. “I am happy.” That much was true, no matter what his parents thought. “As for a date ... no, not yet. I’m sure it won’t be until next spring or summer, at least. Winter is not Reagan’s season.”
“And it’s too soon! We need time. Surely you won’t begrudge your mother this.” Miriam gave him a mock pout. “I shall only have this chance twice, all things being ideal. And surely your sister will be twice as difficult.” She smiled at that, indulgently. Her mind raced, but it was nothing she could say aloud at the moment. Later, when she and Anthony were alone, they could make their next plans.
"We have time," Anthony said, more to his wife than anything. The two of them, at least. They would talk later and figure things out. He didn't want her panicking. They had been down this road before. Not with an actual engagement, but he somehow doubted that the cycle of Reagan and Caius had been broken with one ring. "Let's just enjoy the evening and our dinner and celebrate Caius's engagement properly. Hopefully next time Reagan can join us and we can toast you both," Anthony said, lifting his wine glass to salute Caius. "I know you both will be very happy together."
The comment about Sera relaxed Caius a tiny bit more, and he laughed softly. No doubt his sister would demand a wedding on the level of royalty. She would get it, too. Thinking about Sera’s wedding made him picture his and Reagan’s future nuptials ... they wouldn’t compare to the wedding on the beach, but she was going to be stunning in a full wedding gown. It gave him chest flutters to think about. His wife. Caius saluted his father back. “Thank you,” he said again. “Salud.” Caius took a drink from his glass, slipping easily back into that warm happiness he’d been floating on for days now.