To Be Happy Now

"Mom!" Alaska exclaimed with a bright smile, flinging her arms around her mother's neck. Her mother kissed her cheek and gave her daughter a smile.

"Hey, ma," Ricky hugged her when Alaska let go. When they let go, he peered out the door and furrowed his eyebrows. He turned to Laura and said,

"Where's dad?"

Laura's smile wavered and she glanced at Alaska, saying, "Oh, he's so busy with work that he couldn't make it."

"Of course," Alaska forced a smile.

Ricky rolled his eyes but said nothing. He didn't want to cause any tensions by saying whatever was on his mind. Also, the look Alaska gave him told him to drop it.

They went to the dining room and Alaska sat down with her mother.

"So, dear, how are you feeling? Been going to the doctor's regularly?" Laura asked. The look she gave her was different–like sadness, heartbreak, a forced happiness. Alaska didn't like it one bit.

Alaska nodded her head, slowly. "Yes, mom."

"How's that been going?"

"Good."

"Okay," Ricky burst in from the kitchen, holding two platters of food. "I want to take credit for this, but Alaska did it all, so I can't."

Alaska shot her brother a smile and her mother beamed. They all took spoonfuls of the delicious food and dug in, just like a typical family dinner like they always used to have when Ricky and Alaska were younger. Alaska would be helping her mom in the kitchen if she was done with her homework and whenever she would hear the garage door, she knew her father was home and run into his arms. They didn't always eat dinner together, but whenever they did, it was always exciting.

"Mom?" Alaska looked up at her mother. "Is dad okay?"

Laura's smile flickered but she nodded her head. "He's fine, sweetie. You know how he is..."

"I don't get it," Ricky piped up. "His daughter has ovarian cancer and all he can do is work in the basement?"

Laura sighed. "This hasn't been the easiest of times. Your father is taking it very hard–his only little girl has cancer..." She was staring at Alaska. Alaska suddenly felt extremely uncomfortable but she missed her dad. She was always the 'daddy's little girl' type.

"Yeah, but it's been like two months since she has had it and we haven't seen him since," Ricky pointed out.

"I miss him," Alaska said, quietly.

A silence fell over them, with only the sound of their silverware hitting against the plates. Alaska sighed. She didn't feel very hungry anymore.

"Ricky?" Laura said, suddenly. "Is that a hickey?"

Alaska snapped her head and just before she could even see it, Ricky slapped a hand over his neck and said, "No," with a blush on his cheeks.

"No way!" Alaska laughed. She tried to pull Ricky's hand away but he shoved her off. Alaska hit him and it all of a sudden turned into a fight like they had when they were kids and were fighting over petty things like 'who got the last scoop of ice cream?' or something. Laura had to pull them apart.

"You both are not five!" She said, trying to hide the laughter.

Ricky grumbled. "I like girls."

"Hey, whatever happened to your love for Hayley, huh? Did you ditch my best friend or something?" Alaska crossed her arms, giving her brother a disapproving look.

"I'll have you know, we went on a date, but it didn't really work out," he shrugged. "So, we didn't do anything about it. Plus, she's dating John O'Callaghan–I can't really do much there, now can I?"

"It's obvious you like her, Ricky," their mother commented.

"I don't!" He exclaimed, a little too quickly.

Alaska and Laura exchanged looks but they pursued the subject no more. Ricky was grumbling to himself about it and Alaska rolled her eyes at him.

"What about you, Alaska? Are you dating anyone?" Laura wiggled her eyebrows.

Alaska's cheeks turned red. She still hadn't told her family about Austin. Mostly because of Ricky's reaction, but she couldn't escape this time. Both of their eyes were on her, staring her down.

"You are dating someone!" Laura exclaimed. "I know that look!"

"Look?" Ricky said. "What look? Who on earth are you dating that I never had this knowledge of?"

"Austin," she mumbled, but nobody heard her.

"Whaaaaat?" Ricky leaned in to hear better.

Alaska cleared her throat and she said, louder, "Austin."

"Who's Austin?" Laura exclaimed, excitedly. Alaska glanced over at her brother, who was staring at her, dumbfounded.

"Austin Gibbs?" Ricky asked, slowly. She nodded her head.

"Oh, Austin! Ricky's friend!" Laura pointed to Ricky. Alaska nodded her head again.

"YOU'RE DATING AUSTIN?!" Ricky exclaimed, flabbergasted. Alaska jumped back from the loudness of his voice. His jaw was on the ground.

"SINCE WHEN?!"

"It's been a few weeks," Alaska replied.

"No," Ricky shook his head. "Nuh uh. My best friend is not allowed to go anywhere near my baby sister. Nope. I don't allow this."

Laura scoffed. "Oh, please. Austin is such a sweet boy. He needs someone like Alaska. And vice versa."

Alaska smiled at her mother. At least she was for the relationship. Ricky, on the other hand, looked like he was going to explode with emotions unknown.

"We've taken you into consideration, Ricky," Alaska said. "I mean, I'm your sister, he's your best friend. Isn't that the best scenario? Wouldn't you rather it be your best friend instead of some random guy you don't know?"

"Yeah, but I know Austin!" Ricky retorted. "Before Kat, he was this womanizing freak who didn't believe in love. After Kat...well..."

"Exactly," Alaska rested her case. Austin was gone for two years–how would anyone know how he was like in that department?

Ricky sighed. He gave his sister an unamused look and said, "Okay, I'm going to have a little chat with Austin about this."

Alaska rolled her eyes but let him be. Ricky would never rest until everything was fully settled.

They resumed dinner and had occasional talks about what was happening in the world, how Ricky's job was, what Alaska's chemotherapy friends were like, just random things in their life–like how a usual family dinner was like. Only with their family, they bickered and bantered and insulted. It was mostly for good fun, but that was how they did it.

It was like a typical Sumner family event.

Except that everything was different. Geoffrey wasn't there, Alaska had cancer, her mother was sad, and her brother was trying his best to make it all seem normal. But nothing was normal anymore, and they all eventually realized it.

The Sumner's sat at the table, a silence hanging in the air. Alaska stared down at her lap trying her hardest not to cry or run out of the room. She glanced at Ricky who was drinking wine, quietly, with a lost look in his eyes. Her mother was wiping silent tears away.

"Mom?" Alaska whispered.

Her mother gave her a watery smile. "I'm sorry, sweetie."

"For what?"

"You have cancer and your father refuses to accept that his daughter is dying." Laura sobbed. Ricky went over and held her in his arms. Alaska sighed and closed her eyes, holding her head in her hands. She didn't know what to do.

Nothing was the same–nothing would ever be the same. Their lives were turned completely upside down and there was no going back at that point.

And they all had to accept it somehow.