Chapter Text
December 1999
New York was not where Maggie was expecting them to end up, but pretty soon after Richie dropped out of college, he was discovered by a management team and taken to audition over in the Big Apple. He’d made it onto Saturday Night Live on his first round of auditions, and Maggie and Wentworth had never been prouder. So, they’d moved to New York, met Richie’s co-star (and girlfriend, which was an odd thing to find out, given that they’re sure Richie’s gay) Sandy Weekes (a tall, blonde woman, with a charming smile and quick wit), and had met his agent, Steve Covall (a short brunette, who’s brows are always furrowed and who constantly looks pissed off at the world. Like someone they must’ve known years ago, the name is lost to her now). They’re pretty much the only two people he hangs around with, but Maggie likes them well enough and enjoys their company.
She’s fifty years old, having a small party on the roof of her son’s apartment building in the freezing New York temperatures is not her idea of fun. Richie’s 23, Sandy’s 22, and Steve’s 26, they’re all young enough for this, but herself and Wentworth are not. The views of the city are nice, but that’s about all that she’s enjoying. The pair are cuddled up on a couch with a blanket over them, while the younger three party to their hearts content. Maggie’s pretty sure her son is high. On what? She doesn’t know. He’s graduated from weed, she’s aware of that much, and she’s not the biggest fan of his drug habits. God knows what goes on in that writers room, but she doesn’t like what it’s turning her son into.
He’s embarrassing himself, she knows that much. He’s checking Steve out constantly, he’s grabby with him in ways he isn’t with Sandy, and she doesn’t even look all that bothered by it. When there’s ten minutes until midnight, Steve and Richie disappear, leaving Sandy with Maggie and Wentworth. All three are acting like they don’t know what the men are up to, and Maggie feels awful for Sandy. Yet, she still looks completely unbothered by it, listening to Wentworth recount a story from Richie’s youth, though their memories of life before moving are fuzzy.
With ten seconds left to the year 2000, Richie and Steve return, noticeably disheveled. Richies zipping his flies back up and Maggie glances to her husband, who looks back at her with worry. The clock strikes midnight, and Richie pulls Sandy in for a soft kiss; acting like nothings happened. He’s always acting like nothings wrong and like he isn’t an addict and like he isn’t blowing his life up. Maggie feels her heart ache for him, and she just cuddles into Wentworth’s side.
August 2001
“Holy shit, you still have this?” Wentworth gasps as he picks up Richie’s raggedy old Kermit. Richie chuckles, high as a kite like usual (it’s cocaine, Maggie found a small bag of it a month ago. She’s planning an intervention at some point, its just a lot to plan), and he just says,” never got rid of him, pops. He stays right on my bed always.”
“That’s so cute.” Wentworth says, passing him to Richie, who places him into a box.
Saturday Night Live had been a four year run, and then Richie had been fired for his drug abuse. He was getting a reputation as a party animal, and his parents are petrified about his wellbeing. It had been Steve’s idea to move to LA and to try stand up, and so the Tozier’s are moving to sunny California. Maggie’s not sure how she’s gonna cope in that heat. They’re spending the evening packing up Richie’s apartment, and the place is a mess. Richie sniffs, blinks hard, and then continues to pack his stuff. Maggie and Wentworth glance at one another.
“Is Cassandra coming to the leaving dinner tomorrow night, Rich?” Maggie asks, and Richie’s distracted by something. He hums in question, looks at her, and then Maggie asks him again,” Sandy…is she coming to our leaving dinner tomorrow night?”
“No.” Richie responds, grabbing a Rubix cube and throwing it into a box.” Mom…we broke up a month ago, man.”
“What? Why?” Maggie asks. This is the first she’s heard of this. Richie sighs and responds with,” she’s a lesbian, it wouldn’t have worked out. We’re still friends, though, she’s just busy tomorrow night.”
“Oh.” Wentworth states as Maggie begins to fold a bunch of Richie’s t-shirts.” Well…I did think you were an odd pairing.”
“Wentworth.” Maggie sighs and Went states,” what? You thought the same! We did like her, Rich, it’s just…I don’t know. You never seemed comfortable with her.”
“She wasn’t comfortable with me, she likes women.” Richie reminds him and Went glances to his wife. They’re toeing the subject again. Richie keeps pulling back, putting up high, impenetrable walls, like usual.
“Leave it.” Maggie whispers to her husband, and so the topic is dropped yet again. Everytime they get close, Richie just locks himself away. They’re desperate to reach him, but if they ask outright, they fear he’ll close himself up for good and never let them back in! Avoidant and reclusive. Just like her.
March 7th 2006
“Don’t you recognise your little boy? Where’s your son, Margie? Oh where is he, Margie? Check on your little boy, Margie! I hear he loves pills and vodka this time of night!”
Maggie shudders awake, panting, cold sweat sticking tackily to her skin. Wentworth groans beside her as her phone continuously rings. Shakily, she grabs a hold of it, answering it without hesitation or even reading the contact name. She doesn’t have her glasses on, she can’t see the name.
“Hello?” She croaks, and a very frantic Steve Covall answers with,” Maggie?” She can hear sirens in the background, and she sits up a little, Wentworth lying on his back and staring up at her, confused.
“Hi, Steve, is everything alright?” She asks, trying not to sound panicked even though she’s getting more and more panicky by the second.
“It’s Richie he…he umm…he tried to kill himself.” He tells her and Maggie feels herself freeze. She drops the phone, Wentworth yelping as it hits him in the face, and then he’s taking over the call as Maggie stares blankly ahead at the wall.
She’s silent the whole car ride to the hospital. Went’s driving, both of them still in their pyjamas, wrapped up in their bath robes and shoes. Maggie can feel herself trembling as she sits in the car. Steve had told them that Richie was alive, that he needed his stomach pumped, and to meet them at the hospital. Though her baby is alive, she needs to see him to believe it, and her and Wentworth practically run through the hospital entrance to get to the reception desk to get to their son.
“Richard Wentworth Tozier, he was brought in like twenty minutes ago. We’re his parents!” Wentworth is saying to the receptionist, who just looks at the two before she’s saying,” sir, there’s a line of people in front of you.”
“I don’t fucking care! Where is my son?” Maggie yells, and then suddenly, Steve is running around the corner and grabbing them to take them to Richie’s room.
30 years ago, Maggie Tozier gave birth to a little baby boy, weighing nine pounds and eight ounces, at exactly 2:07 in the morning. 30 years later, to the exact date and time she brought her son into this world, she’s sitting by his bedside because he’d tried to take himself out of it. He’s asleep, hooked up to machines after having his stomach pumped, and she gently strokes his hair. Wentworth’s on his other side, head pressed against his son’s shoulder, quietly singing Kokomo by The Beach Boys, because singing would calm him as a baby. Especially that song.
“Who died?” Comes a croaky voice, and the two jump out of their skins as they look to their son, who is smiling sleepily at them. Maggie immediately whacks him on the arm, making him chuckle a little.
“That’s not fucking funny, Richard!” She snaps and he stops laughing, almost like he’s suddenly realised the severity of the situation by the looks on their faces, as he says,” sorry, ma.” She’s looking at him with tear filled eyes, and his eyes instantly line with tears, too, as he sadly says,” I’m sorry, mama. I’m sorry!”
Wentworth lets out a painful sob that alerts their son, and then he’s hiding his face in trembling hands. Richie slowly reaches out for him and says,” shit, pops, I’m sorry. Shit! It’s your birthday, too, I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’m sorry, please forgive me! I was just feeling dramatic, I’m so so sorry!”
Richie lets out gut wrenching sobs, muttering apologies over and over again as his parents fuss over him. Wentworth is crying and trying to wipe his son’s tears away frantically, while Maggie sobs and strokes at his hair. He’s her baby, and he’s hurting, and she doesn’t know how to stop his pain. She can’t stop his pain, and it’s the worst feeling in the world.
Eventually, Richie falls back to sleep, with his dad holding his hand tightly whilst his mom goes in search of the man who got them here. Steve’s in a waiting room, cup of coffee in shaky hands, brows furrowed in a way that reminds Maggie of someone in her past that she can’t remember. She shakes the memory off and walks over to him, and he looks up at her with big, terrified, brown eyes.
“You found him?” She asks, and he nods, bottom lip trembling. Maggie’s convinced that her son and Steve have some sort of arrangement going on. She’s been aware of it for years, and she knows this man cares deeply for her son. He’s petrified right now, walking in on his partner (as Maggie is categorising it in her head though she’s sure it’s just friends with benefits) in that state, and having to call for an ambulance, and also call his parents. It’s clearly all too much, and he’s holding it all in, afraid to fall apart. Maggie pulls him up into a hug and he relaxes slightly against her, shaking in her arms.
“Thank you.” She breathes out, and then he’s letting out little sobs, his fears and worries ebbing away just from one, single, motherly hug.” Thank you so much. You saved my baby!”
“Mrs Tozier.” Steve sniffles, pulling out of the hug ever so slightly and digging in his jacket pocket. He pulls out a small piece of paper and holds it out to her.” He…he left this.”
She takes the paper from his shaky hands, into her own shaky hands, and she slowly opens it up. She’s scared to see what he’s written, scared to know his reasoning for trying to kill himself. But, inside is just one sentence.
To whom it may concern; see ya later :)
There’s something about that that pisses her off. She doesn’t even know if she’s allowed to be mad with her son right now, given the situation, but she’s so upset and she’s so beyond angry. He’d have left her without any answers, he’d have left her without an explanation, and it seems incredibly cruel to do so. Tears fill her eyes once more as she pockets his suicide note, and then she gives a firm nod and heads back toward Richie’s room. Steve sits back down in his chair with his coffee.
Richie’s still asleep when Maggie gets back to his room, and she passes the note to Wentworth before she sits down. He opens it slowly, scared of what it could contain, too, and then he’s frowning and looking at their son. Maggie takes the note back from him and gently nudges Richie awake. They need to talk about this. They really need to talk about this. He squints up at her, and then he sees the angry look on her face and wakes up in alarm.
“What?” He asks and she simply pulls out his note and hands it to him.” Oh…mom, I was being stupid. This whole thing was stupid, I wasn’t thinking straight. I was drunk and sad and dramatic, that’s all!”
“This situation isn’t stupid, not to us.” Maggie says, choking on the lump in her throat. Richie’s eyes well with tears once more.” You do realise that if you’d have been successful, we’d have no answers? Our son would’ve died and we wouldn’t have known why, you do realise that?” Richie slowly nods.” That’s so unbelievably cruel, Richard. Did we mess up as parents that badly?”
“Don’t say that!” Richie begins to weep again, reaching for his mother’s hand.” Mom, please don’t say that. Please! You didn’t mess up at all, none of this was to do with your guys’ parenting skills, I just—I hate myself. I dropped out of school to pursue a career in comedy, and I got lucky with SNL and then I fucked that up, and now I work part time at a bar and struggle to get an audience for my own stand up. I’m a fucking failure and I hate myself so fucking much, and I just couldn’t take it anymore!”
“You are so loved.” Maggie tells him, holding his hand as Wentworth strokes his hair.” You are so loved, Richard. From the moment you were born, we loved you endlessly. You are the funniest, most kind, most loving person I know and I hate that you’re hurting. You’ve been suffering for so long, okay? Your dad and I can tell, we’ve been trying to get your addiction to stop and it hasn’t worked and we are going to try and do better by you, I promise.”
“I’m sorry.” Richie apologises once more, and Maggie just kisses the back of his hand while Wentworth kisses his temple.
Richie’s visited by a psychiatric nurse, who has spoken to Steve, too. Maggie and Wentworth weigh in on Richie’s history with drug abuse, and Richie just sits quietly as he’s told they’re putting him in rehab. He’ll be on suicide watch for the first month there, and she recommends that he sticks with it. He looks at his parents, at their tear stained, worn out faces, and he agrees to go. He agrees to get better.
Eventually, Maggie and Wentworth head down to the cafeteria to grab some breakfast. They eat in silence. Wentworth keeps randomly bursting into tears, and Maggie just holds him as he cries. She can’t cry anymore, she just feels numb. Once they’re done with breakfast, she purchases two blueberry muffins and they head back to Richie’s room. Steve’s inside, and the pair are talking, and then Maggie watches as Steve glances around before he gently leans down and kisses her son on the lips. It isn’t a shock, she’s known for a while that those two had something going on, after all.
“How’s he doing?” Comes a voice from the other end of the hall. They turn to find Sandy rushing toward them.” Steve called, said Richie’d tried to kill himself. I knew I shouldn’t have left him alone last night, he was talking all kinds of crazy. Is he okay?”
“He’s…alive. I don’t think he’s okay, but he’s alive.” Wentworth responds as the pair pull the woman into a hug. She’s shaking like a leaf.
“He’s going to rehab.” Maggie informs her, and they manoeuvre out of the hug and then head inside Richie’s room. Out of the corner of her eye, she sees Richie drop Steve’s hand, and Steve gets up out of his chair to allow Maggie to sit down.
“Don’t scare me like that again!” Sandy states as she heads over and pulls Richie into a hug as best as she can.
“I’m sorry.” He tells her, kissing her cheek before she’s pulling out of the hug. Maggie sits back down, and then she pulls the muffins out of her bag
She passes one to Wentworth and one to Richie, and then she begins to sing happy birthday. Steve and Sandy join in, and father and son smile sadly to one another as the song draws to a close. Went takes a hold of Richie’s hand and he begins to eat his muffin. Richie, sadly can’t eat anything solid for forty eight hours, and so he lets his dad eat his muffin, too.
May 2006
The rehab is a small, private centre, and Richie’s stay is being fully funded by the Covall’s. It’s a nice place, it’s incredibly modern, and Richie doesn’t seem to mind it all that much. He complains about the food a lot, saying he misses his mom’s cooking, and he says the mattress on the bed is hurting his back and that he’s actually too tall to sleep comfortably on it. But, he likes the rec room, and he likes the music room. He spends a lot of his time in there just playing the guitar.
On his good days, it’s like seeing Richie reborn. He’s up beat, quick witted, and his comedic timing is on point; he can command the room with his charm, and he makes a lot of the other patients fall about in laughter. However, on this particular day that they’re visiting, he’s having one of his bad days. He’s sitting on the couch near the front window, legs tucked up, curled in on himself. In his hands, he has his old Kermit plushie, and he’s trembling all over. He’s noticeably irritable, and he’s sweating despite saying he feels cold. He’s watching people outside the window instead of looking at his parents, and they just take their time with him.
When Richie was two years old, he had his first stomach flu. Maggie learnt that day what it truly was to be a parent, how unconditional her love truly could be. He’d thrown up, and with some kind of superpower reflexes, she’d caught it in her hands. It barely even grossed her out, she didn’t have time to be grossed out, she just knew she had to calm her sick child. Her parents had never loved her like that. They’d loved her brothers like that, that was for sure, but never her. It was obvious that Wentworth’s parents had loved him like that, their eldest child, who was already looking to follow in his father’s footsteps. She used to be jealous of him. Now, she sits beside her son, who’s going through terrible drug withdrawal, and she just pulls him into her arms. He curls up beside her with his head in her lap, and she strokes his hair gently. Wentworth sits on her other side, putting an arm around her and allowing her to lean against his shoulder. They’re just one giant Tozier cuddle pile.
Within his first week of admittance, Richie had been diagnosed with a plethora of conditions that had made his parents feel guilty for not spotting them sooner. Though, his psychiatrist had told them it wasn’t their fault, that he grew up in a small town and a lot of Richie’s diagnoses were barely even heard of back then, let alone widely diagnosed. The first one had been ADHD— which he has to be medicated for—and then he’d been diagnosed with Autism pretty soon after. Then had come Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Chronic Depression and Generalised Anxiety Disorder. Maggie had cried when they’d first been told about Richie’s diagnoses, and his psychiatrist had handed them some pamphlets to read up on all of them. She’s making it her mission to understand how her son’s brain works, and she’s swears she’s going to protect him from his past demons, even if she doesn’t know what those are. He can’t really seem to remember, either. There’s gaps in his childhood like there’s gaps in her own, and she figures that she should probably see a therapist, too.
Richie hates his therapist, Maggie’s aware of that. He isn’t an open person, just like she is. He hides his insecurities under jokes and she hates that he acts just like she does. She just hopes that once he’s discharged, he’ll keep seeing his therapist. She just wants him to be happy, that’s all she and Wentworth have ever wanted for him.
July 2006
Maggie can still remember vaguely what it was like taking Richie home from the hospital just after he’d been born. The memories of where they used to live are mostly gone, she can’t remember the town, she knows they were from Maine. If a memory resurfaces, it’s usually got fuzzy edges to it, and there’s faces and names that she cannot remember. It’s the same for Wentworth and Richie, too, so she figures that it’s probably normal. Deep down, she knows it isn’t. They’d stayed for three days in the hospital with Richie because Maggie had lost some blood, and had also ripped during birth and they wanted to make sure she wouldn’t get an infection. Wentworth had happily placed their son into his car seat, and had been grinning so widely as they placed him into the back of the car. Richie had slept the whole way home.
Thirty years later, they’re taking him home from a different kind of hospital, and he’s dozing in the back as they sit in the LA traffic. The windows are rolled down, because it’s boiling hot outside, and Wentworth’s playing a Bob Dylan CD in the car that he’s humming along too. The pair sing along to the duet version of It Ain’t Me Babe and they hear their son chuckle softly in the back of the car at his dads impression of Joan Baez and his mom’s impression of Bob Dylan.
Sandy and Steve are waiting outside of the bungalow when they arrive home, and Richie’s met with many hugs and a huge fuss as Wentworth takes his bags inside. He’s staying with them for a few months until he feels better and ready to live on his own again. Essentially, he’s still on suicide watch for the foreseeable. Before they’d left to pick Richie up, Maggie had started preparing for dinner, and so she resumes where she’d left off. Richie asks if she needs help and she dismisses him, telling him to keep his friends and father company.
“I like helping you, mom.” He tells her and she smiles.” Dad can keep Sandy and Steve entertained for an hour so. Please, can I cook with you?”
Richie’s always been an eager cook. Wentworth isn’t the best at cooking, but Richie would help him in the kitchen a lot using the techniques his mom had taught him. Maggie often enjoyed her mom and son cooking time, and she’s taught him everything he knows. So, it’s a little difficult to remember that he isn’t four anymore and that he doesn’t need her guidance, he immediately begins cooking the exact same way that she does. It makes her incredibly proud as she takes a moment just to watch him. He looks content, a small smile on his face as he prepares some potatoes to be used as homemade skin on fries.
Richie’s favourite food in the world are burgers, and so, for dinner, Maggie’s prepared an array of mini sliders ranging from beef to chicken. They’ve made enough fries to feed eight let alone four, and Maggie’s also made a salad. It goes down a treat, with everyone singing her praises, and she bashfully lets them know that she didn’t do it alone. Richie helped. Which, makes him go all coy, too. After dinner, they play a rowdy game of charades in the living room, Richie commanding his adoring audiences attention and making Steve laugh so hard he starts to snort. He seems embarrassed by it, cheeks tinged pink, but Richie seems to revel in the sound and continues what he’s doing to make him laugh more. It reminds Maggie of someone from long ago, another short brunette from Richie’s childhood. His name fails her now.
Somehow, Richie gets out the karaoke machine, and he and Sandy do a loud rendition of Ricky Martin’s Livin’ La Vida Loca. Watching him right now, you wouldn’t think this was the same man who’d tried to kill himself only a few months prior. You wouldn’t think he’s the same man who’s just been discharged from an inpatient unit and is on suicide watch. He’s bouncing around his parent’s living room, laughing and singing and yelling with one of his bestest friends by his side. He’s trying to get Steve up to dance with him, but the older man just shakes his head with a grin, instead. Karaoke turns to dancing eventually, and Maggie grins as Wentworth spins her around to Don’t Worry Baby by The Beach Boys before Richie pulling her in to dance to Ike & Tina Turner’s Nutbush City Limits.
“I still find it so crazy that Richie looks like both of you!” Sandy says as Richie shimmies around with his mom whilst his dad is behind them dancing by himself, in his own little world. The three look at her as she says,” like, I feel like a child favours one parents looks over the other. Like…I look like my dad, Steve looks like his mom, but Richie…he looks like you both.”
“He looks like Mags.” Wentworth says at the same time Maggie states,” he looks like Went!” And then the pair look at one another before they’re looking to their son, who stares back at them, wide eyed.
“He’s got his dad’s eye colour and hair colour, and he’s got his mom’s lips and nose. His head shape is Maggie’s, hair texture is Wentworth’s.” Steve explains and they all turn to look at him.” He looks like the perfect blend of you both. Congrats, you accomplished a rarity!”
“And his personality is both of yours too, holy shit, how did you guys accomplish that?” Sandy asks and Richie just grins before he answers with,” because they’re the best parents in the world! And I’m lucky to have them. And I’m sorry for hurting them.”
“Stop apologising.” Maggie tells him as she pulls him in for a hug.
“We’ve already forgiven you, we forgave you months ago.” Wentworth states as he joins the hug. Richie just chuckles softly, tears in his eyes as his parents engulf him in so much love. Maggie places a kiss to his temple while Went kisses his cheek, and then Richie, overwhelmed by the attention, moves out of the hug and continues to dance as the music changes to You Can’t Hurry Love. A ghost of a memory resurfaces in Maggie’s mind, fuzzy around the edges; and she laughs as her husband and son dance around together.
As a child, Richie often had nightmares. Maggie had thought it was some kind of generational trauma from whatever had happened when she was younger, that fear that she can’t name or place but knows her son now experiences, too. Whenever he’d have nightmares, he’d share his parent’s bed with them. The three of them would sleep cuddled up, as sleeping beside his mom helped calm him down. The last time this had happened, he’d been thirteen, and so freaked out by whatever it was he’d dreamed of that he was hyperventilating and it took him two and a half hours to fall asleep.
To Maggie’s complete surprise, she’s woken at three in the morning by her son shaking her shoulder. He’s blurry in her glasses-less vision, but she can hear that he’s crying, and that immediately alarms her. On instinct, she’s shuffling up on the bed slightly, thankful that they’d opted for a queen bed. She lifts up her comforter to allow him to get in, and he does just that. It’s a bit of a squeeze, she and Richie are 6’0 and 6’2 after all, but she’s just thankful that Went’s short.
“Whatsappenin?” Wentworth mumbles, half asleep, arms wrapped around his wife’s waist and his face pressing against her back.
“Richie’s upset, that’s all. Go back to sleep.” She whispers, and he doesn’t need telling twice, he just instantly falls back asleep, hand against his son’s arm in his attempt to comfort him. Like clockwork, Richie’s resting his head on her chest, just like he would do as a kid. Maggie brings her arms around him, one stroking his back, the other in his hair.” Bad dream?” He nods.” I’m sorry, baby, that sucks.” He never wants to talk about them. He forgets them pretty quickly but that fear still lingers, just like it does for her.
The worry she feels for her son hasn’t diminished. He’s 30 years old and she still worries over him every single day. She places a soft kiss to his forehead once he’s finally asleep, and then she just takes a moment to look at him, really look at him. He’s very pale and he’s got bags under his eyes that look like they could carry two weeks worth of groceries. He’s unshaven, with stubble dancing across his jaw in the same way it does his father. He’s already starting to grey, earlier than they had, and he’s got crows feet by his eyes that match Wentworth’s. He’s only 30 and he’s aged so much already because of all of this stress in his life and Maggie feels her heart twist with pain for her baby. She just holds him close to her and feels his heart beating against her, reminding her that he’s alive!
October 2008
Richie had said he’d continue seeing his therapist, he’d lied. They know for sure he hasn’t relapsed with his drug usage, but they also know it’s come close. He was doing well when he wasn’t working, and then Steve had started going on and on and on about getting back out there, restarting his career. It was too soon, they’d known that, they’d tried to delay it…but Richie was a grown man, and so, he’d continued on with restarting his career, abandoning his therapist and avoiding temptation. His parents worried about him. All they did was worry about him!
First on Steve’s agenda had been to hire a ghostwriter. Why? Maggie didn’t know! Richie was a talented writer, he was incredibly funny, and most of the popular SNL sketches from his time on there had been his own! Those paired with his impressions, he was being heralded as the next Big Thing in comedy. So it didn’t make sense to her as to why her son suddenly had to have a ghostwriter. He had just told her that his confidence had been knocked. She didn’t believe that, deep down. There had to be another reason!
They don’t like his comedy now. It’s not even his comedy, but it’s misogynistic and homophobic and nothing like her son at all. She doesn’t hate Steve, not really, because she knows her son is seeing him in some capacity even if he’s never said it. She’s just noticed things over the years. The secret glances, the hand holding and kissing in the hospital a few years ago, sneaking off together. Shes not blind and she’s not stupid, she just wishes he’d talk to them about it. They weren’t going to push him on this subject, he has to do it in his own time. It’s his thing. Not theirs. But she doesn’t like Steve all that much because of this career move, and she cringes her way through the first show of his first ever tour because they’re going to show their support. He needs their support.
As they wait outside of the stage door for him, Maggie really takes in the crowd that are also waiting to see Richie. There’s some college frat boys, but also a bunch of old white men who are definitely republicans too, and she hates that this is the kind of crowd her son’s ‘comedy’ attracts. Wentworth just wraps an arm around her waist, sensing her discomfort, and she gives him a tight lipped smile before the door opens and Richie appears outside. He waves to his fans, and grins as he begins signing merchandise and posters, and he takes some photos too. It’s really odd to watch.
“Mom, dad, hey!” Richie greets when he gets a spare moment, reaching them in the line. There’s three people behind them and they look stunned to be standing by Trashmouth Tozier’s parents. Richie pulls his parents into a hug and his excitement is so contagious that for a moment, Maggie forgets her discomfort.” How’d you find it?”
“It was good.” Maggie’s lying through her teeth, and Richie just says,” oh mom, don’t lie. I know you hate my comedy.”
“It’s not really your comedy.” Maggie states and Richie shushes her, smiling awkwardly to the people behind them. He makes a gesture to say that she’s old and crazy and Maggie glares at him.
“Don’t speak about your mother like that.” Wentworth sighs and Richie, instantly defensive, says,” well you guys need to remember not to say shit like that in front of fans. If you really hate what I do so much, why bother coming?”
“Because we want to support you!” Maggie tells him and Richie just rolls his eyes.
“How is it support if you’re just gonna bitch about how much you hated it afterwards, ma?” He snaps out and Maggie feels anger spike in her chest. They’re in public, people are watching. He’s 32 years old, he should not be having a temper tantrum in public.
“I said I liked it!” She states and he scoffs.
“You were lying! Just say something truthful, for once!” He tells her and immediately she’s saying,” I don’t like how Steve’s making you have this frat boy persona. You’re too old for it, for one, and secondly…it’s not you! None of this is you! And I am your mother and I care about you and I just…I don’t want you to have a career founded on lies!”
“Oh…go fuck yourself.” Richie states and then he’s moving on to talk to the final few fans waiting for him.
Maggie just stands in quiet shock as she watches him, tears in her eyes. She knows he can get cruel, because she’s the same. Every single trait she hates about herself, she’s passed onto her son, and all she can do is stand there and cry. Wentworth pulls her in for a hug, trying to shield her from the last few crowds of people watching them, and he kisses the top of her head as best as he can reach before he’s turning towards his son once he’s finished signing things.
“Don’t you ever speak to your mother like that again!” He scolds and the anger on Richie’s face is gone once he spots how upset he’s made her.” You’re thirty two years old now, Richard. Sort your shit out!”
“Okay.” Richie mumbles.
“Go and apologise!”
“Okay!” Richie groans before he’s heading over to his mom. He’s standing awkwardly with his hands in his pockets, and Maggie wipes at her eyes with the sleeve of her yellow cardigan.” I’m…I’m sorry, mom. I didn’t mean that. I just…I want you to support every decision I make. Even if it’s my awful comedy.”
“I just want you to start being truthful. With yourself and with us!” Maggie tells him, and he nods.” We’re your parents, we love you. But…I don’t like watching you onstage and only seeing a stranger. You have so much talent, Richie. I don’t want it to go to waste!”
“I know, mama, I’m sorry.” Is all Richie can say. He pulls her in for a hug, and she holds onto him tightly.
They don’t see any of his other shows. It hurts them too much to watch them.
January 2014
On the morning of her sixty fourth birthday, Maggie is treated to a FaceTime from her loving son. He’s half asleep, hungover, but he’s smiling and making her laugh. Wentworth makes her breakfast and she eats it in bed while they watch a movie together. He gives her her gift, which is a new bottle of perfume and a brand new dress to wear for dinner tonight. It’s yellow. Her favourite colour. It’s a really chilled out morning spent with her most favourite person on earth, and yet, there’s this odd grief that hits her. Grief for her old friends that she can’t remember, grief for the two that never got to turn sixty four. One of them didn’t even get to turn thirteen!
Richie visits that night, cake in hand. He started making her birthday cakes when he turned twenty, and Maggie alway appreciates it. This year it’s a lemon cake, and it looks to die for! Richie also makes dinner for them, Maggie’s favourite of a pasta salad, and the three eat together in the comfort of the bungalow. Music is buzzing around the room, blending nicely with the sound of Richie’s laughter, and Maggie can’t help but feeling grateful that she’s here. She’s alive, with an amazing husband, and a son that she has so much pride for!
March 2016
Maggie remembers vaguely when she turned forty. She also somewhat remembered when Wentworth had turned forty. Richie had turned 13 that day, and now, he was turning forty himself. It’s an odd feeling. Have a child that age. Sometimes she regrets only having one baby, a part of her wanted for Richie to have a sister. They just never really planned for more than one child. They had their boy, and that was enough.
Wentworth is turning sixty six. His hair is fully grey now, and his glasses prescription is a lot stronger. Maggie’s still pleased with the fact that her hair is still blonde, but she knows that it won’t be like that forever. Richie’s starting to get grey sideburns just like his father had done at that age, even thought Richie’s hair had started greying a decade ago, and he’s got salt and pepper stubble when he doesn’t shave. They’re all old. All of them.
Maggie still makes Richie’s birthday cake, that tradition hasn’t stopped. But, this year, she also makes a second one for Wentworth. They don’t need to keep sharing their cakes. They’re old enough to have their own by now. Usually, per tradition, Maggie makes dinner for them and they have a night at home. This year, however, Steve’s in charge of planning and Maggie is sitting uncomfortably in a posh LA restaurant in a dress that seems too cheap to be in the building.
Though the food is good, it tasted expensive. The champagne, too. Richie and Wentworth are also visibly uncomfortable, though Richie is trying to seem as though he isn’t. He just tells his jokes and makes Steve and Sandy laugh, and Maggie wishes they were at home. She grew up on the poor side of town and although Wentworth had a nice paying job and they had a nice house when Richie was growing up, she’d never left that working class mindset. Though Steve is paying for the meal, Maggie isn’t exactly comfortable with that. She doesn’t like feeling as if she owes people. This is her son and her husband’s birthday, she should be the one treating them like she usually does.
Okay, so maybe she doesn’t like Steve all that much. He’s rich, grown up in comfort, and is use to throwing his money around. He’s changed Richie’s stage persona into something that Maggie doesn’t like, and he can be quite arrogant, too. She used to find it a little endearing. Now, though? She finds it annoying.
They sing happy birthday as the cakes are brought out, and Wentworth and Richie grin to one another as Sandy snaps some photos of them on her phone. They blow out the candles, and then Maggie feels dread begin to rise in her gut. It feels like somethings going to happen this year, something big. She hasn’t felt like this since Richie was thirteen and that was…twenty seven years ago.
September 2016
Things have changed since Richie bombed his set three days ago. He’s been M.I.A in that time, worrying his parents half to death, but there’s something about that time that makes something shift. It happens slowly at first…that first face she remembers from Derry being that of Teddy Uris of all people. And then Donald, and then eventually, Stanley. She’s awake when it happens, halfway through getting ready for bed, and she turns to Wentworth and asks if he remembers them, too, to which he asks if she remembers Frank Kaspbrak. Oddly enough, the name makes a face float to her mind, a dark eyed brunette. Not Frank, but his son. His son, who she’s certain her own son was in love with as the memories slowly filter in.
She remembers Mike, next, and then Will and Jessica. Thinking of Will makes her think of someone she hasn’t remembered since she was a teenager. Ronnie Grogan’s face floats into her mind beside Lilly Bainbridge. The memories infiltrate her dreams. That summer she was thirteen, fighting with Lilly, desperate for the attention of the Pattycakes. Rich Santos comes to her last. The fire at the black spot doesn’t come right away, no, first she remembers seeing him in the hallway staring at her. She remembers telling him to take a picture because it’ll last longer and then…she remembers the monster. In the form of a clown. It hadn’t even caused Rich’s death, no she can remember now that he died saving her. That she cared about him so much that she named her own son after him. Grief twists into mind, clogging up her throat, and she can see him sitting there, covered in soot and staring blankly ahead. Lifeless. They were so young, and they’d been through so much.
She remembers its words then. How it said to her that she was going to have a son, and how he and his friends were going to bring about its death. About how it had tried to kill her to stop that from happening, and Marge wakes up with a gasp, her heart racing in her chest. This must’ve been it. Richie and his friends must’ve killed that thing. Finally killed that thing.
“Why’re you crying?” Went’s voice makes her jump and she sniffles back the tears she hadn’t realised had fallen. He’s squinting up at her in the dark and she just falls into his arms.” Hey, what’s wrong?”
And so, she tells him. She tells him about it all. About that summer, about Rich, about the clown and she worries he’s going to think she’s insane. But…he doesn’t. To Maggie’s surprise, Wentworth believes every single word. He can remember that summer, too. He remembers their principal being killed by a giant clown, can remember being lured away in the lights like all of the other kids. She’d forgotten that he was involved, too, and she hates telling him that Richie got wrapped up in it all. That she’d been warned and hadn’t done a thing to protect him.
“Logically, what could you have done?” Wentworth asks her and she shrugs.” Our memories were tampered with, Margie. There’s nothing we could’ve done to help him…and you knew, deep down, he was going to kill that thing. That’s why we never moved.”
“I just hate that he had to go through the things I did.” Maggie cries and Wentworth rubs her back and kisses her temple.” Every single thing I hate about myself, he inherited!”
“You shouldn’t hate a single thing about yourself.” Wentworth says, lips against her head.” You’re perfect to me. I wouldn’t have you any other way and I wouldn’t have our son any other way, either.”
“I am so glad I found you, Wentworth Kenneth Tozier.” Maggie tells him, looking into those old blue eyes. He grins and says,” almost like it was fate”, before he kisses her gently.
October 2016
There’s a nervous energy to Richie as he and Maggie cook together in the kitchen. She’s seen him antsy before, but right now, he’s downright twitchy. She watches him from the corner of her eye, at how he’s shuffling his feet as he chops up some carrots, and she smiles. Maggie places a gentle hand on the small of his back and he immediately relaxes under her touch.
“Hey, I forgot to thank you, by the way!” Maggie begins, and Richie gives her a confused look as he says,” thank me? Thank me for what?”
“For defeating Pennywise.” She says casually like it isn’t a big deal.
Richie freezes then, unsure of what to say. He’s tense and the rooms silent apart from the whistle of the stove and the humming of Africa by Toto coming from the radio. Then, Richie relaxes, looking to his mom with uncertainly. She just smiles at him and points at the scar on her eyelid. He gasps.
“How…how did-“ He begins, and he’s starting to shake, so Maggie just slowly turns the stove off and makes her way over to him. She takes his hand and guides him to the table, where they sit down beside one another. She holds onto his hand and he looks at her, blue eyes wide with fear.” Mom-“
“Twenty seven years before your first cycle was mine. 1962.” Maggie states and then, somehow, Richie’s eyes go wider, changing from fear to shock.” The eye thing was partly the clown and partly me. It made me think my eyes were bugging out of my head like that infection snails can get. It wasn’t actually happening, though, and I took a tool to my eye. I was lucky I only caught the lid.”
“Oh that eye at the Jade of the Orient makes so much more sense now.” Richie breathes out, and Maggie gives him a confused look.” We went out to dinner when we met up and it scared us using the fortune cookies. An eye popped out of mine. It must’ve been teasing me about your eye but I didn’t know how you hit your eyelid so I was just confused.”
“That’s fucking cruel.” Maggie spits out and Richie just shrugs as he says,” that was nothing compared to the other shit it was doing.”
They’re silent for a moment before Maggie shakily asks,” it killed Georgie, didn’t it?”
“Yeah…yeah, it did.” Richie responds solemnly. Maggie feels emotion rush to her chest and she coughs back some tears.” That’s what started this whole thing off. We were trying to find him for Bill but…we found It instead. It almost killed Eddie and Stanley this time, too. Did…did it kill anyone you know?”
Her mind flashes back to Teddy Uris, Matty Clements and Phil and Susie Malkin. She hadn’t known them, not really, she’d only passed the boys in the hallway at school. But, she did know Donald eventually, and learnt about Teddy along the way. She saw how much Stanley had reflected him, and she feels her heart ache at the thought.
“It killed Stanley’s uncle…one of his friends and his sister and…a boy called Matty.” Maggie begins, and then she thinks of Rich. About the fire. Tears spring to her eyes again.” But, for me, that wasn’t even the worse one…and it wasn’t even because of that thing! It was because of the town!”
“What happened?” Richie asks gravely, watching how her face contorts with emotion. She sniffles back some more tears before she continues with,” there was this…this boy. I hadn’t known him long but I liked him. It was only silly puppy love but it meant something at that age. I didn’t even realise until it was too late. Until…until he was saving my life.”
“Eddie saved my life.” Richie tells her, and she looks at him. Vulnerability is written all over it as he says,” I got caught up in the lights, Eddie rescued me. Saved my life and almost died in the process.”
“Your dad got caught in those.” Maggie says and that seems to stun him.” Mike’s father and grandfather, too.”
“I forgot you knew Will.” Richie says and Maggie smiles a little before she states,” he was one of my best friends. Ever since I was thirteen!” Richie smiles.” Do you remember learning about the fire at The Black Spot?”
“Yeah. We had a project on it and you started getting all panicky and couldn’t explain why.” Richie comments. Maggie sighs softly and there’s something on her face that makes him ask,” don’t…don’t tell me you were there?”
When Maggie nods, Richie lets out a gasp and it takes her a short moment before she continues with,” we were there for Ronnie. Her dad had been wrongly accused of the murder of Teddy, Phil and Susie and so he was being hidden in The Black Spot. Then, a bunch of racists came in and torched the place. My life was saved because of a boy who had fallen in love and every single day since I’ve felt this guilt. I couldn’t remember him until last month! Yet some part of me clung onto him. You were named after him. Rich Santos, Ricardo, we thought Richard suited you better.”
“I thought you and dad were eachothers first loves.” Richie states and Maggie chuckles a little. She squeezes his hand.
“We are. He is my first love, my first real love because that puppy love was allowed to grow into something more.” Maggie explains and Richie smiles.” What Rich and I had was only that…puppy love. Because it wasn’t allowed to grow into anything else. I have never loved anyone the way I love your dad, Richie, okay? He’s made me a better person. He’s truly my other half, my soulmate. I adore the socks off that man!”
Richie giggles then, and then he grows nervous once more, looking away from her. Maggie ducks her head, trying to gain eye contact from him, and she says,” what do you want to tell me, hmm? What’s bothering you?”
“I…I need to tell you something but…I need dad here, too.” He stammers out and Maggie nods before she’s grabbing her phone and texting Wentworth to come downstairs. He’s sick and trying to nap, and the pair laugh as he walks in bundled in his comforter, his nose bright red with a tissue sticking out of one nostril. He’s got a bad case of bed head and he looks soft and cozy and Maggie pulls him in for a hug as he sits on the chair beside.
“Whasappenin’?” He asks, nose all bunged up. Richie chuckles softly.
“Richie has something he’d like to tell us.” Maggie explains to her husband, who smiles to her and their son before he’s giving Richie his full attention. Richie stares at his parents and then he stammers out a,” so…uhh…th-this is something that I should’ve told you ages ago. Umm…but I’ve been too scared. Mostly because of Derry and the clown and…I don’t know. I just didn’t want you to hate me.”
“We could never hate you. You’re our son.” Maggie states and Richie gives her a small, tearful smile.
“I…I’m gay.” He admits, not looking at them. Maggie smiles at Wentworth, who’s practically beaming. When his parents don’t say anything, Richie looks up at them, surprised to find them smiling at him.” You knew didn’t you?”
“Yes.” Wentworth responds casually as Maggie says at the same time,” we had a hunch. We just wanted to wait until you were ready to tell us.”
“That makes sense.” Richie breathes out as a few tears fall down his face. He swipes them away and Maggie asks,” were you and Steve seeing eachother?”
“Kind of.” Richie answers with a sniffle.” But…I ended that. I’m…I’m seeing Eddie now.”
“Kaspbrak?” Wentworth asks, shocked. Richie nods.” Holy fuck! What? Wait, wait this is so cute, the son of my best friend is dating my son. Why am I about to cry? Oh I wish Frank knew! Oh my god!”
“It’s new, it’s only been a few weeks, he’s in the middle of getting a divorce!” Richie chuckles as he hugs his dad. Maggie grins and leans over, kissing his temple.
“I had a hunch about you two, as well.” She tells him and Richie smiles.” I’m so happy for you, Richie!”
“Yeah, me too!” Richie replies and together, the three all laugh before Richie’s pulling away from the hug, overwhelmed.
November 2016
Facebook is still an odd concept to Maggie, but the moment her memories had come back, she’d found Lilly and Ronnie instantly and befriended them. It was easier to find Lilly as opposed to Ronnie as Ronnie is married and Lilly isn’t. The three had gotten to chatting, had realised they live close together, and had agreed to meet up. So, Maggie sits nervously in their meeting place, a little coffee shop in downtown LA. She hasn’t seen Ronnie in 54 years, or Lilly in 42. They’re all older, wiser, with whole lives they’ve lived.
Ronnie is the first to arrive. Her hairs long and in braids, and you wouldn’t think that she’s nearing seventy apart from a few wrinkles around her mouth and eyes. She pulls Maggie in for a crushing hug, both of them chuckling tearfully. Then, the moment they pull apart, Lilly arrives. She’s got a pixie cut that’s greying at the temples, and she wears glasses now, but it’s definitely the same Lilly Bainbridge that Maggie grew up with.
She learns that Ronnie is now a principal at a Highschool but is close to retiring soon. She’s got a husband that she married at 23, and she has three sons and a daughter ranging from 42, 39, 37 and 33. Lilly is a therapist, and she has a girlfriend that she’s been with since 1991. Compared to Maggie, their lives sound thrilling, whereas she’s confined herself to the hell of Derry for most of her life.
“Okay, Margie, your turn. We wanna know all about your life!” Ronnie states as she sips on her latte. Maggie just blushes as Lilly nods along.” Well, we see the wedding ring, tell us all about him!”
“Lills knows him.” Maggie states and that makes Lilly gasp out a,” you’re still with Wentworth?”
“Fifty years this year.” Maggie responds with a grin.” We’ve got a son, too. Richie. The love of our lives.”
“Richie?” Ronnie gasps out as Lilly asks,” after Rich?”
Maggie nods, and then she pulls out her phone. Last month, they’d found a bunch of Richie’s baby photos and he’d scanned them onto her phone. She smiles as she shows the two her son. It’s her favourite thing to do, showing off her baby, and she shows the pair a photo of Richie during his eyepatch therapy. He’s beaming up at the camera, eyes huge under his glasses, and the women coo over him.
“He looks like you did with that eyepatch on!” Ronnie chuckles before Maggie’s swiping to a different photo. This one’s of her, Went and Richie at his graduation. He’s standing in between them, all three wearing matching smiles at the camera as Richie holds his diploma above his head.
“He was valedictorian?” Lilly asks and Maggie nods as she states,” just like his mama!”
“You were valedictorian?” Ronnie asks and Maggie and Lilly nod together.” Awh man, I wish I’d heard your speech!”
“It was really funny.” Lilly states.” But then again, you always were hilarious.”
“Wait it’s just clicking in my head…is your son Trashmouth Tozier?” Ronnie asks. Maggie grins.” Holy shit, we loved him when he was on SNL!”
“So did Went and I.” Maggie giggles.” I can’t wait for him to write his own stuff again.”
“Margie Truman has a famous son. I never saw that coming.” Ronnie states, making the two women laugh.
Inevitably, the conversation takes an upsetting shift. They end up talking about Will; and Maggie tells them all about Jessica. She tells them what she knows about Mike, about how he and Richie and their friends defeated the clown. All in all, Maggie’s glad to have her friends back in her life. She hadn’t even realised how much she’d missed them. They’ve been close to her this whole time and she hadn’t even known. The world works in such strange ways.
December 2016
Their bungalow isn’t small, not by any means, but when you throw in eleven people, then the bungalow seems tiny. Maggie’s in the kitchen with Eddie and Stanley trying to help her cook. Richie and Wentworth are on drinks duty with Bill while Mike, Sandy, Beverly, Ben and Patty all set the table. It’s loud, and it’s busy, but Maggie’s finding herself smiling more than she has in years. Her friends are back in her life, her son’s friends are back in their lives, and things are finally looking up.
They’re doing a holidays celebration. Stanley’s helping Maggie with the kosher food side of things while Eddie’s on dessert duty. She appreciates their help, she’s missed them, and learning that they almost died a few months ago makes her appreciate them more. As the three cook together, Maggie learns more about their lives, about all of the losers lives. Eddie isn’t the only one in the middle of a divorce, Bill and Beverly are, too. Beverly is with Ben, and Eddie wagers that Bill has something going on with Mike though there’s not much proof. Maggie’s missed them, all of them, and she can’t wait to get to know Beverly properly, too.
Dinner is loud, and rowdy, but most Tozier dinners are. They’re a loud family, but this is even louder than usual. Dinner is filled with laughter and bad impressions and so many stories that it lasts for three hours. Maggie has decided that she adores Beverly and hates that she wasn’t around long enough to be apart of the group that hung out at the house. She adores Patty, too, and is so thankful that Stanley had found her. Dinner is full of stories. Stories of Highschool, of their college years, of their careers. Richie even lets slip that he’s working on something for Netflix and that earns big cheers from the group.
Charades is always the go to. Wine drunk charades is even better. They’re screeching with laughter as Ben tries to act something out, and Maggie catches Bill’s hand lazily resting on Mike’s thigh. They haven’t noticed, and Maggie grins. Maybe Eddie’s hunch was right, his hunches tended to be from what she could remember. He was just like his dad in that way.
It doesn’t take long until Wentworth’s fired up the stereo and Kokomo is blasting around the living room. He and Richie are immediately up and dancing, and then Richie’s pulling Stan up to dance with Patty following. Sandy’s soon dragged up by Richie, too, while Eddie sits on the couch with Bill and laughs. Beverly and Ben are up and dancing as well, and Maggie makes her way over to Mike; who’s sitting and watching them all with a grin.
“Hey kid.” Maggie sighs and Mike smiles before he says,” hey, Mags.”
“I found something a little while back, I figured you’d prefer to have it.” She tells him, digging into her pocket and producing a photo. She passes it to Mike, who takes it and opens it up with a small smile on his face.
The photo is from years ago, back from when he was a baby. It’s of him, Will and Richie. Mike’s in one of his dad’s arms, a tiny little thing, while Richie’s in the other arm, slightly bigger and older. Will’s grinning happily at the camera, and as Mike stares at the photo, he can’t help but tear up.
“Thank you.” He whispers, allowing Maggie to pull him into a side hug.
“He loved you so much.” Maggie tells him and she feels him nod against her.” And I’ve reconnected with other people who knew him, too. I could introduce you at some point?”
“I’d like that!” Mike beams at her.
As the night winds down to a close, Maggie watches tiredly from the couch as the losers all dance together, apart from Bill and Mike. They’re sat together, grinning at their friends as they dance. Landslide is playing and Maggie’s tearfully watching as her son dances with Eddie. Their arms are wrapped around one another and they’re swaying somewhat in time for the music. They’re talking to one another quietly and Eddie is grinning widely, the pair looking at one another with so much love in their eyes. Richie’s never looked happier.
July 2017
The Fourth of July party is at the Uris residence this year. To Maggie and Wentworth’s surprise, Andrea and Donald are also in attendance, and the four immediately catch up. Yet again, it’s an odd feeling of discovering you’ve missed a person so much despite not having remembered them for so long. The house is busy, and Stanley’s on grill duty. Bill and Mike, final exclusive, are cuddled up on the swinging bench whilst Richie is winding Eddie up by drinking a bunch of soda and burping in his ear. Ben, Beverly and Patty are all gathered around a table, playing scrabble.
The announcement is made during dinner. Maggie should’ve expected it really, given that Patty hasn’t been drinking all day. Stanley’s wearing the biggest smile on his face as they tell everyone that Patty’s expecting; and all of the losers are yelling as they pull the pair into a hug. Donald looks a little stunned, and Andrea is crying happily as she’s pulling her son and daughter in law for a hug, too. They get passed to Donald next, and he holds Stanley close to him.
“Do a better job than I did.” Donald tells Stanley, who easily responds with,” you didn’t do a bad job, dad. Really, you didn’t.” And that brings tears to Donald’s eyes as he holds his son tighter.
It’s a night of big life changes, it turns out. Once Mike, Richie and Ben have set up the fireworks, all of them standing together on the back porch, watching them go off. Pretty blues and greens sprinkle the sky, and Maggie feels Wentworth’s arm around her and she grins. Then, out of the corner of her eye, she spots Richie fidgeting with a little black box before he’s turning to Eddie.
“I gotta say something!” Richie announces loudly, pulling everyone’s attention onto him as he goes down onto one knee. Maggie and Wentworth let out a gasp as Eddie asks,” what the fuck are you doing? Get up!”
“No, Ed’s, I gotta say this. Please!” Richie states and Eddie’s begun to tremble as Richie sighs before he continues with,” Edward Kaspbrak, I think I have loved you since the first time I heard you laugh. Which, according to my mom, we were only a few months old! So much time has been wasted, and it wasn’t our fault, and the world is so cruel for that. I’ve spent my whole life missing you, spent my whole life waiting for you and finally…finally I have you! I’m sick of waiting, now, and…and so, Edward James Kaspbrak, will you marry me?”
They all wait with bated breath as Eddie just stares down at the open ring box. Richie’s shaking a little, tears lining his eyes as Eddie chokes out a,” yeah…yes. Yes I’ll marry you, of course I will!” Instantly, Richie’s back on his feet and sliding the ring on Eddie’s finger before he’s kissing him with such a fierceness Maggie’s shocked that Eddie’s nose isn’t broken. As fireworks ring out, they all cheer loudly as they pull the pair into crushing hugs. Wentworth’s a sobbing mess, and honestly, so is Maggie.
August 2017
“Best way to break an egg is on a smooth surface.” Richie informs Lilly. They’re at the bungalow making pancakes, and Maggie watches as Lilly bonds with her son. Ronnie is indulging Wentworth by letting him explain fun facts about his guitar and teaching her chords. Eddie is sat beside Maggie with a grin on his face. He loves watching Richie in the kitchen, the same way Wentworth loved watching her.
“You are so much like your mother.” Lilly tells him, and Richie grins before he responds with,” thanks! She’s the best woman I know.”
Lilly laughs at that and nods, before she’s following Richie’s next instructions. Maggie just smiles as she watches them before Ronnie’s heading over and joining them, too. Wentworth heads to the fridge and begins pouring out some lemonade for everyone and Maggie just takes a moment to take in the scene in front of her. Her son is laughing along with her best friends, while her husband is making their son in law laugh by making stupid voices at him. This is something Maggie never expected to happen, and as she heads over to join Ronnie, Lilly and Richie, she truly lets herself be overwhelmed by the love she has for them all.
January 2018
Richie had been single for so long that Maggie had given up all hope of ever attending his wedding. So, it’s a strange feeling as she stands in his hotel room, tying his bow tie for him. Beverly had made all of their suits, Wentworth included, and had even made Maggie’s dress. Richie’s a bundle of nerves, Maggie can tell from the way he’s chewing away at his bottom lip, and she just smiles as she smoothes out the shoulders of his suit jacket.
“Look at my little man, all grown up!” Maggie says as she ties Richie’s bow tie. He rolls his eyes with a smirk as he states,” ma, I’m 18! I’m not a little man.”
“You’ll always be my little man. All ready for your senior prom. God, how time flies!”
“Look at my boy, all grown up.” She says as she caresses his cheek softly. Richie chuckles tearfully.
“Ma, I’m almost forty two. I’m not a boy.” He tells her and she just responds with,” you’re always gonna be my baby, you know that, don’t you?”
“I know.” Richie states.” I love you.”
“I love you, too.” Maggie responds before she’s pulling him in for a tight hug.
She and Wentworth are walking Richie down the aisle. Mike is walking Eddie, whilst Bill is officiating. Stanley is Richie’s best man, Beverly is Eddie’s, and Ben is doing a special reading. The ceremony is beautiful, truly it is, and Maggie even spots Sandy and Steve tearing up from where they’re sat beside one another. At first, Steve hadn’t liked Eddie, but they’ve grown since then. They get on quite well, actually. As Richie gives his vows, Maggie cries alongside Wentworth. Richie’s a mess, but Eddie is somehow worse as he gives his vows. The second Bill declares that they’re married, the two are kissing tearfully as the crowd cheer the loudest they’ve ever cheered.
The wedding dinner is full of lively chatter, and the speeches given are met with laughter and tears and so many stories that nostalgia tugs on all of their heart strings. Then, the music begins to play, and the night begins to blur with alcohol consumption and a lot of dancing.
God Only Knows by The Beach Boys blasts around the venue as Richie and Eddie dance together for their first dance. Richie’s singing along, and both of them are tearful as they look into one another’s eyes. Maggie watches them from where she’s sat beside Wentworth, wrapped up in his arms comfortably. Slowly, others begin to join in. Stanley and Patty are swaying to the music together, Patty heavily pregnant by this point but still managing to dance around with her husband, the pair grinning happily to eachother. Bill and Mike are laughing as they dance, while Ben and Beverly are just enjoying one another’s embrace, eyes closed as they waltz around the floor together. Ronnie is dancing with her husband, while Lilly is dancing with her fiancée. Maggie giggles tearfully as she feels Wentworth press a soft kiss to her temple.
“We did good with him.” He mumbles against the side of her head and Maggie grins as she says,” yeah…yeah, we did.”
Eddie’s suddenly, loudly, protesting something that Richie has said and Richie’s laughing so loudly that it echos over the music. He just pulls Eddie in for a kiss, smiling against his husband’s mouth as the song begins to come to a close. All of this trauma and torment has built up in both of their lives, but Maggie knows she wouldn’t change it for a second. Because it’s led her to here, to now, in this moment…watching her son on his wedding day. She knows Frank’s here in spirit, can oddly feel him in the room. She can feel Will and Jessica, too…and even Rich. Maggie wipes at her eyes before she’s pulling Wentworth up onto the dance floor just as Brown Eyed Girl by Van Morrison begins to play. Immediately, Wentworth’s singing to her whilst Richie sings to Eddie, and she and Eddie laugh along loudly. They’re in love with Tozier men, and they love with their whole heart.
These are the people who truly have built their houses in her heart, and she’s so glad that they actually get to stay. She beams at Wentworth, and he pulls her in and kisses her gently.