by Haley Cass
But Kate shook her head. “While I’ve been reserved about you, I know you love my daughter. I’m not blind.”
She could feel the tension in her shoulders and for once, allowed the frustrated breath to fall from her mouth, rather than the practiced politeness and acceptance she always mirrored back. “Then why? Why are you so reserved about me, if you can see how much I love her?”
It was so confusing to her, as to why that of all things made Katherine genuinely smile. “I think you are exceptionally intelligent, Charlotte.
Smarter at reading people than anyone I’ve ever met, and that says quite a bit about you.”
She paused to take a sip of her tea, her words not seeming positive or negative, just honest. And Charlotte couldn’t quite figure out where she was going with it.
“But I also think that means you know exactly what people want to hear. You know exactly how to charm and enchant and give people what they want. Or, how to make people think you’re giving them what they want; which is a tremendous skill, one I even can admire,” she
acknowledged, but now Charlotte was finally hearing what she’d been looking for – a hint at the disapproval to come. “And it’s exactly what I don’t trust about you.”
The vocalized disapproval she’d been waiting on pins and needles to receive for years.
And the worst part is that she couldn’t even deny it, because it was something Charlotte prided herself on. Something necessary for her chosen life.
She took a sip of her coffee, maintaining eye contact with Katherine as she did so. Because she wanted her approval, but she wasn’t sorry for who she was.
“You’ve known me for only a few years,” she continued, “And you’ve figured out exactly what holiday and birthday gifts to get me – something some members of my own family can struggle with. But you had a read on me despite my keeping a distance. I think you’re a fantastic politician, who knows just how to play in a world of pretense. Related to that, frankly, I’ve been very concerned that your life is too public, too harsh, and that you are just a bit too much – too ambitious and too focused – to juggle who you are, with who Sutton deserves to be with.”
There it was. What Charlotte had been trying to figure out for years, laid out in front of her. And it actually hurt to hear, more than she’d expected. She took it in, looking down at her coffee for a moment as she bit at her cheek, because it felt like such a blow.
Perhaps because that was the thing she worried about the most when it came to her ability to be a good girlfriend to Sutton. But despite having those insecurities, she knew how much she valued Sutton’s happiness, her comfort.
“I suppose my gifts, and the fact that I always maintain my appearance to be put together hasn’t been in my favor,” she began, but – was there really anything she could say to dispel those particular thoughts?
She could make all kinds of promises, about exactly how much she not only loved Sutton but valued her, respected her choices and needs. But, wasn’t that the issue? How did she get Katherine to trust her words when she already expected them to be disingenuous?
“You’re correct about that,” Kate allowed, tilting her head toward her, before she regarded Charlotte carefully. “But what is in your favor, is that I heard you talk to my daughter last night, about the future. And please
excuse me because I didn’t intend to eavesdrop, but I was checking that the doors were all locked last night and you were in the den with the door ajar.”
It was surprising to feel embarrassment, because she rarely ever did.
But she did at that moment, refusing to let herself squirm, even as she cleared her throat. “Oh.”
Katherine’s hand reached out to cover hers, though, stilling even the urge to squirm. “And I know now that I’ve misjudged you.” She squeezed, causing Charlotte to look at her. “I’ve always worried about Sutton being so far from home. I feel a bit better knowing that she has someone like you in her corner.”
“She does,” the words came out softer than she intended, but it was impossible to feel any semblance of embarrassment this time.
Because the smile on Katherine’s face was that of actual warmth, and a bit of vulnerability was worth this victory.
***
21.4k Votes | Charlotte Thompson and Sutton Spencer
17.9k CommentsPosted by Monica_Mc 3 Years Ago
ewdavid 262 votes | Okay, but they are definitely engaged?? Did anyone else notice their pictures from the concert last night? There are rings, people!
Kelsi 25 votes | I mean. Just because they’re wearing rings doesn’t mean anything, though. Charlotte just lost her election for governor a month ago… seems like weird timing. Also am I the only one who remembers them talking about how they aren’t rushing into anything and like to take their relationship slowly?
lilaceyes 341 votes | I wouldn’t say getting engaged after four years is rushing into anything
QueenSansa 975 votes | They finally posted on their IGs! It’s official! We’re getting a fall Spenceson wedding yall!
3/09/24
Part 4
Sutton had imagined planning a wedding for a long time. She’d planned her own several times over throughout her youth and she’d never really thought of herself as being very fanciful. In fact, she actually believed many of her wedding details from her teenage years were meticulously planned, even now, at thirty.
But what she hadn’t considered, really, in those youthful plans, was the fact that she would be marrying a woman.
More than that, she never exactly figured she would be getting married to a woman who was likely to become a senator in less than a year, who had a former president as a grandmother, or who had Charlotte’s parents.
Though she’d been with Charlotte for almost six years, she’d only met Alison and Mitchell Thompson about nine or ten times. It was a far cry from the now familiar relationship she had with Elizabeth – not that she would necessarily call Elizabeth fond of her, exactly, as she was a very hard woman to please. But they saw one another very regularly, occasionally without Charlotte. It was an even bigger difference from the relationship Charlotte had with her family.
To say the relationship her soon-to-be wife had with her parents confused Sutton would be the biggest understatement. Charlotte spent weeks without getting a call or text from them and didn’t think anything of it. They didn’t think anything of not spending holidays together.
Even last year, when she’d tentatively proposed they spend some of the holiday season with the Thompson’s rather than the entire week with her own family, Charlotte had given her the most puzzled look.
“What do you mean? We always go to your parents’ house for the holidays.”
Sutton had gesticulated wildly because, “Exactly. We’re engaged now and I’ve never spent more than a meal with either of your parents. Don’t you think that’s…” She’d bit her lip, because she didn’t want to insult Charlotte or her parents, even though she could never understand their dynamic. “Weird?”
Her fiancée had taken a few beats with a contemplative frown, doing what Sutton knew she always did – give every angle of a situation a full
thought breakdown. Before she answered slowly, “I suppose it is. But it’s not…” A small sigh escaped her, as she pushed her hand through her hair.
“I know that my relationship with them isn’t the most normal. And now that I know what it’s like to have what your family has, I think about it. But it is who they are and that’s okay. Just very hands-off most of the time.”
There were a thousand questions Sutton had, most of them regarding the concern she had for Charlotte and how their distance affected her. If it did.
Charlotte’s sly but sweet grin flashed over her face then, as she’d grabbed Sutton’s hips and pulled her close. She let out a yelp, concerns fleeing as she found herself squarely on her lap.
“It’s a sweet thought, darling. But my parents are going to France for the holidays with some friends
, anyway.”
So, really, it came as an utter shock to her that Alison became so involved in the wedding planning. Sutton had been shocked when the woman – a near spitting image of Charlotte, if she added on twenty-five years and was instead a blonde – came strutting into their home months ago, wanting to go over every detail that had already been planned.
She hadn’t factored in the fact that Alison and Mitchell had high-society guests and expectations. She also hadn’t factored in Elizabeth’s own standards. What was always bound to be a rather large and lavish affair, given both her family and Charlotte herself, had soon turned into the biggest event of the year.
It wasn’t as though she’d thought her significant other would have no input in the wedding… but she’d really thought she and her mother would have the majority of the say in the matter. It wasn’t that she was unhappy with the decisions that had been made or that she didn’t have a final say in most matters – especially because Charlotte typically seconded whatever she wanted.
It was just… a lot.
She didn’t want to complain. Not when Charlotte was already so busy with preparing her senate campaign and was always jumping into wedding planning whenever she had a free second.
Not when she was getting married to the love of her life, regardless of the details.
There were debates about where it should be held – Manhattan, Boston, or Virginia – that lasted for what seemed like decades, which was
after a destination had been ruled out. Both she and Charlotte had quickly put their foot down on that.
A Virginia wedding had won out in the end. Married in the luxurious rose gardens in the Thompson mansion courtyard, especially as the Thompson family home was also large enough to house the entire wedding party and the grounds could easily serve as a beautiful, convenient reception.
Sutton heaved out a deep sigh as she remained on the bed in Charlotte’s childhood room. More like suite, that had either been redone since Charlotte had lived here or, more likely, it had always looked like this.
Too elegant for a child to have properly lived in it.
Regan echoed her sigh from where she lay, flung next to Sutton on the bed. She’d followed her back to the room over an hour ago, after wrapping everything up for the night.
“Damn. Growing up, I always thought you were rich. After that rehearsal dinner with the Thompson horde…” She broke off on a low whistle.
A laugh worked its way out of her throat as she nodded. “Tell me about it.”
The dinner had been, like much of the plans for the wedding tomorrow, extravagant. More people than she would have possibly imagined would be at the rehearsal dinner – there were clearly some additions to the list when she and Charlotte weren’t looking.
Which – was fine. It was fine. Not exactly what she’d thought, but it was okay.
They sat side-by-side in silence for a few moments, looking around her bride-to-be’s room, before both of their gazes landed on Sutton’s wedding dress. It was hanging pristinely in the garment bag in front of the bay window. The sweetheart top with intricate beading, before it cinched at the waist to flow down to the floor… it had been something there’d been no debate over. Sutton had known it as soon as she’d put it on, as had everyone else in the room with her.
Regan’s warm hand landed on hers. “Festivities start tomorrow at three in the afternoon. That gives us sixteen hours to abscond into the night. One last chance to duck out of here and just be Sutton and Regan again. What do you say?”
She couldn’t help but laugh. “I say Emma might have a problem with that.”
Regan giggled. “Yeah. But Segan would live forever.”
“Segan?”
“Our couple name, duh.”
Blue eyes rolled as she pushed her shoulder into Regan’s. “How dumb of me.”
A beat went by before she felt Regan turn her head to look at her. “It’s really happening, then. You’re getting married. To Stunning Charlotte Thompson.”
Sutton turned her head to look at Regan too, mirroring her pose as both of them leaned their heads back onto the headboard. “It’s really happening.”
The warmth in her stomach that moved up to fill her chest was what made the smile on her face appear and refuse to leave even as she rolled her eyes.
“Even with all of the extra… pomp and circumstance.”
Regan ignored her – interesting, given that her best friend had many choice comments about how their original wedding plans had all been blown out of proportion. “So, when’s the wife due back to your room?”
Sutton checked her watch. It was after eleven now and Charlotte had ducked after the rehearsal dinner with a quick kiss, almost two hours ago.
“Any minute now, I guess. She had to wrap up some last minute stuff.” She knew how much finagling Charlotte had done to take off the next two weeks for a proper honeymoon.
Sutton hadn’t minded having to postpone it; she understood that was what she was signing up for with Charlotte. But her fiancée had insisted.
“I think we have enough time.” Regan vaguely stated before she hopped off the bed and quickly ran to where her dress was hung up.
“Time for what?” She pushed herself up, confused, as her best friend grabbed the dress and held it out to her.
“Time for you to give me a final fashion show.” Regan wiggled her eyebrows exaggeratedly, before she walked the dress over to Sutton. “Come on. I want to see you in it.”
Sutton scoffed. “You’re going to see me in it tomorrow, lunatic. I’m not putting it on tonight.”
Regan aimed her with a look. “You’re going to tell me, Sutton Spencer, that you haven’t tried this dress on religiously? Because if my best friend hasn’t been butterflies-in-the-stomach-every-night level excited before her
wedding… I am going to abscond with you in the night so you don’t make a mistake.”
Sutton tried to glare. She really did. But the corners of her lips pulled up in a reluctant smile. “Fine. Fine. I may have tried it on a few times since I got it from the seamstress.”
Regan’s triumph was palpable. She started pulling down the zipper of the garment bag, humming an over-the-top wedding march.
Before Sutton couldn’t contain herself anymore and, “Okay! But only for a few minutes. Charlotte hasn’t seen my dress yet and I don’t want her walking in.”
Twenty minutes later, she’d changed and was staring at herself in the full-length mirror, running her hands down the bodice. Regan was standing next to her, giving them a nice picture with her in her wedding dress and her best friend in the dress she’d worn to the rehearsal dinner.
Her friends' eyes were wide and serious. “I know I’ve seen you in it before, but… Jesus Christ, Sutton.”
She found herself with an armful of Regan, her arms banded around her waist tightly. “You’re getting married.”
“Yeah,” she breathed back, hugging her friend just as hard.
“Tomorrow.”
As Regan pulled back, her eyes were watery, even with her mischievous glint. “And I hope you know that I’m always going to hold it over you two that it was my doing. It will be the last thing I say on my deathbed.”
“As if you ever let us forget it.” Sutton slid her hands to her friends forearms, squeezing.
She froze at the knock on the door. Before she hopped as best she could in her floor-length gown as it opened, trying to figure out a way to get behind the changing screen. Alarm shooting through her, she hissed at Regan, “Charlotte can’t see me yet!”
As the door swung open, though, it revealed Emma. She arched an eyebrow at the two of them as Regan beamed at her. And Sutton’s entire body relaxed. It was one of their only surprise agreements – for neither of them to know what the other’s dress would look like before the day.
“Do I have perfect timing or what?” Regan proclaimed.
“We’re all ready.” Was all Emma said before she grinned softly and shook her head slightly at
Regan. A fondness she wanted to pretend was
exasperation after all these years. She turned to look at Sutton and a different smile slid over her face. “You look amazing.”
“Thanks. But what are you ready for?” Suspicion curled low in her stomach as she crossed her arms to look at Regan. “I told you – no more bachelorette party extravaganzas. I mean it.”
Regan took her role as Maid of Honor very seriously. And had proven it by not having one big bachelorette party. But instead there had been – so far – four “extravaganzas” as Regan labeled them.
Her best friend immediately looked affronted, then defensive. “Okay, hear me out!” She rushed to continue before Sutton could argue. “We had the Regan and Sutton night. Then us three. Then with us and Alex and Alia.
Then the party back in Boston with Isla and Jane. But we haven’t had anything where the entire bachelorette party has been able to all gather in one place. Tonight is the only night! And it’ll be quick. We’re all just going to have some champagne and tell some stories about how much we love your sunshine face.”
Which, all right, Regan had a point. Because of everyone’s schedules and locations, they hadn’t been able to all have a time where they were all together.
She pursed her lips. “Tomorrow is going to be so long and I want to have some time here with Charlotte before we go to bed.” But both of them knew her resolve was nonexistent. Still, though, this was Regan. “I mean it.”
Regan turned to look at Emma, who was watching them both with her hands on her hips. “Can you vouch for me here, babe?”
Emma arched a teasing eyebrow before she relented. “It’s true.
Everyone’s already down there, just waiting on you.”
Her best friend wrapped her deceptively strong hand around Sutton’s and tugged. “Come on. We have time.”
“Not too much time.” She reluctantly took a few steps before she looked down at herself. “I need to change.”
But she was only pulled harder, forcing her to walk as Emma’s strength was added to Regan’s.
“You said yourself we don’t have too much time. It takes you forever to perfectly put your dress back.”
