Work Text:
They’re sitting on the couch after dinner when it happens. They just had chicken alfredo, homemade by Frank with oven ready garlic bread Mel bought and baked for them. The kids are with Abby, Becca at Middle Hill. Neither of them have work in the morning. It’s a calm, quiet, stress-free night with just the two of them.
Frank is on his phone, probably playing solitaire or doing the Wordle, when he says, “Oh my god. Mel.” His voice is colored with shock and awe. He sits up, staring at his phone in disbelief.
“What?” she asks with worry, putting down the book she’s reading, giving him her full attention.
“It happened.”
“What happened?” she questions again, irritation flaring in her mind at the lack of communication.
“It! It happened!”
Her brows raise in astonishment. “It? Like it it?”
“Yes! Turn on the news!” He’s vibrating with excitement now.
Mel turns the TV onto their local news channel, and there, in big, bright letters, it’s confirmed. Every newscaster in the country must be covering it, to varying degrees of sadness and joy.
It was not a surprise. It was a long time coming, really. He’d been on the decline for years, but admittedly Mel began to think it would never happen. The evil always seem to live forever while the best people are taken far too early. She’s seen this a million times since becoming a doctor.
“Oh my god,” she reiterates.
“Go get the champagne!” he cheers.
“It’s above the fridge, I can’t reach it! You get it!”
“Good point. I’ll be right back.” He presses a long, celebratory kiss to her forehead, and heads to the kitchen.
The champagne is the fanciest non-alcoholic bottle they could find. A French bubbly from a specialty wine website charging $119 plus shipping. They’re both sure it tastes disgusting but it’s the principle of the thing.
They pop the bottle on the back porch, so they don’t ruin any of their furniture, spraying each other with the fizzy liquid.
The fight is not over, will probably never be over. There is much more work to be done. There is evil built into the framework of the country, and another spineless coward ready to step into the former's place. A whole administration with the same goal, millions of people supporting it. But there is celebration to be had, too.
The world is full of good moments and bad moments, good people and bad people. The key to life is finding the good in all of it, and this is certainly a good moment. Sticky champagne clinging to their clothes and skin, Frank’s mouth on hers, tasting like bubbly citrus and apple, his arms circling her waist as fireworks explode above them. Find the good.