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While there was still a slight chill in the mid-February air, the sun was shining the brightest it had in months. So rather than take a bus or cab - since her moped was still at her old storage unit in Redshore City - Suki decided to enjoy the weather and took a nice walk through the park from the Calatonia City Terminal to the New Moon Theatre.
After finishing their Beauty And The Beast run a month earlier, Buster had already started working on the early drafts for a brand new project to perform in Redshore's Majestic Theatre, and Suki had spent the past few days meeting with the Majestic's board of directors to figure out the schedule for such a production. After the phenomenal success of Out Of This World, it was an easy pitch to make, and now Suki was back in Calatonia to relay the good news to Buster and his troupe.
While she had expected the theatre's main lobby to be completely unoccupied - as it often was whenever they didn't have a show to put on - Suki couldn't help being surprised at the sight that she saw when entering the staff lounge. Most of the cast and their family members were all gathered around a single table - or rather, several tables that had been pushed together to accommodate their numbers - and seemed to be doing some kind of gift exchange.
"Aw, honey, it's beautiful! I love it!" Meena was almost crying at the sight of the sparkly blue bracelet that she'd just unboxed, which upon closer inspection had the words Your Majesty inscribed in silver on the front.
The elephant couldn't resist blushing whenever Alfonso used her favourite nickname, not helped by the resounding "Aw..." she got from her cast-mates, but she quickly turned back to her phone and made a dramatic kissing gesture for her boyfriend on the other side of the video chat. "Ugh... I really wish you were here, baby..."
"Alright, Nooshy, you're up next!" Rosita said as Gunter passed the lynx her present, before turning to the door and seeing the saluki that was making her way over to them. "Oh, Suki, you're back!"
"Hmm... hey, everybody. Ooh!" Suki grunted slightly when Porsha immediately shot up and trapped her in a tight hug, though after a moment she gladly returned the embrace, giving the young wolf a quick kiss on the forehead while they separated. "So, uh... what's going on here?"
"We're all tradin' presents, Aunt Suki! It's not my turn yet, but Ash got me this one!" Porsha was nearly shrieking with excitement as she held up the tiny, still-wrapped present in her hand. After a moment, the young wolf suddenly gasped, before quickly pulling Suki into another, slightly less bone-crushing hug. "Happy Valentine, by the way! Y'know, it's crazy, I always thought this was just something Mom made up, but I never realised it was a real holiday!"
While Porsha rambled on, Suki seized up and her eyes bulged to their widest point, as the realisation suddenly hit her what the date was - February 14th, Valentine's Day itself. She felt her her hands getting sweaty as she started to hyperventilate, though her brief panic attack briefly paused when she finally noticing the absence of the troupe's diminutive showman.
"Wait... where's Buster?"
"Yeah, Moon went upstairs about five minutes ago..." Ash said, lowering the glittery red sunglasses - clearly a gift from Porsha - that she was wearing. "He said he had to get something."
"Oh, okay..." Suki cleared her throat, keeping her handbag close to her chest as she took a few steps back. "Right, well... I'll just go see how he's doing. You guys keep handing out your presents."
"Don't be too long then, mate!" Nooshy laughed as she started tearing open her present, fishing out the tyrolean hat that Gunter had gotten her. "We're going on alphabetical, so S isn't that far off!"
Suki chuckled, then quickly made her way up the stairs towards Buster's living quarters. Finding his office on the right side of the hallway empty, she went across and entered the opposite door to his apartment. Or rather, their apartment, as Buster had insisted it was since they'd gotten together back in September.
"Buster...?! Honey, are you in here...?" She called out to no reply, though her question was soon answered by the growing sounds of clumsy clattering from the main sitting area.
"Come on, where is it? Ugh, it's gotta be here somewhere!" Buster continued rummaging through the bottom drawer in the cabinet, not noticing Suki as she came in, only to jolt up and hit his head on the higher drawer when he heard her laughing. "Ouch! Oh... Suki, hi!"
"Hmm... hello to you, too." Suki smirked. "So... what are you looking for?"
"Eh, nothing much, I just thought I'd give my drawer a quick - AH-HA!" Buster suddenly shouted aloud when he finally spotted his lost treasure, quickly fishing out an A4 sized wrapped present with an envelope attached. He then clambered up onto the couch, prompting Suki to sit down on the end of it as he passed them to her. "Happy Valentine's Day, sweetheart!"
"Oh... well, now this just makes me feel bad that I didn't get you anything..." Suki chortled, her tone striking a mix between playful and genuinely ashamed. "I mean, I just... well... Porsha and I haven't celebrated Valentine's since... since, uh... well, anyway, I just... since then I've never really thought about it."
"Aw, come on, Suki, it's nothing to feel bad about!" Buster laughed warmly as he sat beside took her hand. "You're the only gift I need!"
From any other individual, such words would have sounded like the very laziest of lazy pick up lines - in fact, Suki was quite certain that she'd heard something similar from at least a drunken old buffalo that had tried to hit on her a few years back - but with Buster it was different. No matter how silly or corny his catchphrases and compliments, he was never anything but completely sincere, and Suki couldn't help feeling her cheeks burn pink and her heart flutter like crazy whenever he said such things to her.
"Well, it's not gonna open itself..." Buster held the present and card out. "Porsha had a pretty big hand in this, so I definitely think you'll like it."
Suki hesitated for a moment or two, then gently took the items out of Buster's hands. The shape and weight of the present made it seem like a picture frame - whatever picture was inside the frame, if there was one, was still very much a mystery - but she figured it was better to read the card first. The envelope was sealed with a heart-shaped symbol, and the Minion-themed card itself was quite juvenile, which only made the message inside even more jarring.
Happy Valentine's, Suki!
Wishing all the best to the love of my life (and Porsha's too!)
From your favourite cute, cuddly koala, Buster - XOXOXO
While she had felt herself getting slightly misty-eyed, it was only when she saw Buster's concerned reaction that Suki realised she'd let an entire monsoon of tears come flooding down her face. Dark lines of wet makeup had streaked down from both her eyes, and the pinkish hue on her cheeks had inflamed to a full, embarrassed red, so she quickly removed her glasses and buried her face in her hands. "Oh God, I'm so sorry!"
"Aw, no... no no no, please don't get upset, Suki!" Buster stood up beside Suki, still only reaching her shoulder level, and threw his arms around his girlfriend in a comforting embrace. "Come on, I don't care that you didn't get me a gift! I wasn't expecting one! Porsha told me you guys never had any time for Valentine's anyway..."
"Well yeah, but I... I... I used to..." Suki sniffled hoarsely, sitting back up while she tried in vain to dry her eyes. "Back when Stephanie was around."
Buster let out a small sigh, and his ears drooped a bit, but he still kept a comforting grip on Suki's hand. "Yeah, um... Porsha said her Mom always used to make a big deal out of Valentine's."
"Hmm... yeah, she loved it." Suki chuckled, her voice taking on a more bittersweet tone as her mind drifted back to some happier memories. "Jimmy always made a big deal out of Christmas, and Halloween, and... and all the other stuff, but... but Valentine's was always Stephanie's big day."
"TA-DA!"
Suki's eyes widened when Stephanie removed her hands from her face, revealing a small folded out table that had been set up on the balcony. There was a single lit candle in the middle, besides a Polaroid camera and a bottle of red wine with two roundish glasses, while the beautifully lit night skyline of Redshore City was just the cherry on top.
"But I... this doesn't... ugh..." Suki took off her glasses to clean them while Stephanie shuffled past her, being taken even more off guard when the young wolf removed her coat to reveal one of her most stylish - and most figure-hugging - black dresses. "Miss Frangipane, I already told you -"
"Blergh!" Stephanie put her finger to her mouth as she pretended to gag, already seeming a little tipsy. "Suki, I already told ya to stop with that Miss Frangipane crap!"
Suki rolled her eyes. "Fine. Stephanie, Mr. Crystal isn't gonna be home tonight, so this whole -"
"This isn't for Jimmy, Suki, it's for me and you." Stephanie playfully wiggled her eyebrows as she grabbed the wine bottle, putting in a bit of strain before she popped the cork off and started filling the glasses. "Last couple months, feels like I've barely been seeing ya, so I figured we needed a little girl on girl time..."
Suki stifled a laugh, though she still tried to keep a straightforward tone. "Stephanie, this is highly unprofessional."
"Ooh, how terrible!" Stephanie said dramatically, before lounging back and crossing her legs while she drank from one of the glasses. "Ah, come on, Suki, it's Valentine's! Live a little!"
Suki bit down hard on her bottom lip, glancing behind her to make sure no one was there, before quickly stepping onto the balcony and closing the curtain behind her. "Alright... just one glass..."
Before Suki knew it, she was on her fourth glass and laughing hysterically with an even more inebriated Stephanie, while they exchanged all manner of funny stories, mainly revolving around making Jerry's life totally miserable.
"Oh wait wait wait wait, almost forgot... oh crap... ow..." Stephanie latched her hands onto the edge of the table while she clumsily got down on one knee, trying her best not to fall flat on her face. Suki was too drunk to actually try helping the young wolf steady herself, though she still raised an suspicious eyebrow when Stephanie held both her hands. "Suki, uh... whatever-your-middle-name-is Lane... will you do me the honour of being my Valentine...?"
"Oh, for the love of... ugh... alright, fine, whatever... oof!" Suki felt the wind being knocked out of her when Stephanie clambered up and landed right on her lap, letting the drunken young wolf wrap her in a tight embrace that nearly suffocated her. "Ugh, I said yes! What, are you trying to kill me?!"
"No no no no no, j-just hang on..." Stephanie made herself more comfortable as she draped her legs over one of the chair arms, keeping one arm around Suki's shoulder while using her other hand to reach for the camera on the table. "Just a little closer... come on, baby... gotcha! Yeah, this one's gonna be a keeper..."
Once she'd managed to grab the camera, she further adjusted her position in Suki's arms, while the saluki writhed uncomfortable in her seat. Having finally gotten the photogenic position she had in mind, Stephanie held her arm upwards with the camera lens facing them both, hovering her finger over the button while she smushed her face right beside Suki's. "Three... two... one... Valentine's!"
"VALENTINES!" They both shouted in-sync as they pulled big smiles. Suki's grin contorted into a wide-eyed expression of shock when Stephanie turned her head and planted a quick kiss on her cheek, pressing the button just in time to capture this moment.
"Hmm... Porsha told me you guys made something of a tradition out of it after that..." Buster said, briefly snapping Suki out of her reminiscing. "Y'know, the whole uh... late night Valentine's drinks thing."
"Yeah, we did..." Suki laughed gently. "Stephanie used to do all kinds of Valentine's stuff with Porsha in the day, then once she'd put her to bed, we'd go right back on the balcony for our little uh... well... hmm... I guess you could call it a date night."
"It's nothing to be ashamed of, Suki. The two of you had to keep yourselves happy somehow..." Buster chortled encouragingly, before his ears drooped again as he hunched forward a bit. "Probably didn't feel the same after she left, then."
"Well, not really. Of course, the... ugh... the last Valentine's we had with Stephanie, it... it wasn't exactly a good one to remember..." Suki closed her eyes and took a deep breath, letting out a harsh exhale while she clasped her hands together. Her voice was getting strained as her eyes started to mist up again, and she bit her bottom lip when she looked back to the koala beside her. "Do you remember that incident I told Ash about...?"
"Don't you ever speak to your mother like that again! Do you understand me...?!"
The vicious snarl in Stephanie's voice and the furious, almost-feral look that had been etched onto her face was still vividly ingrained in Suki's mind, while the thought of her scared little four-and-a-half year old hitting the floor replayed over and over again in her head. She was finally snapped out of this state of catatonic trauma when the door to Porsha's bedroom opened, and a slightly older but much wearier Stephanie quietly stepped out.
Her fur was slightly damp from the shower she'd just had, and she wore her favourite fluffy red bathrobe to cover herself. She looked much more awake than earlier and had managed to wash off the strong scent of alcohol, though she still had heavy bags under her reddened eyes after an intense sobbing session.
"How is she...?" Suki finally broke the silence, which had probably only lasted about thirty seconds, but certainly felt an awful lot longer.
"Okay... I think..." Stephanie sniffled as she made her way over to the couch and slumped down onto it. "She's asleep anyway, so..."
"Right... right, that's good..." Suki held back for a moment or two, but eventually sat beside the wolf on the couch. They stayed silent again for the better part of a minute, before the saluki finally thought of something more off-topic to say. "Y'know, I just remembered, um... it's the fourteenth today. Valentine's Day, so uh... hmm... I guess all the stuff that's gone down these last couple weeks, we um... we never set up the drinks."
"Yeah, well... the last thing I need right now is more alcohol..." Stephanie spat bitterly, though her ire was aimed entirely at herself, and Suki nodded in agreeement.
"Porsha was really excited about it, too..." Suki said as they both glanced down at the coffee table, where a half-empty glass of vodka was placed beside a messy but very colourful drawing. "Hmm... she, um... she was really hoping you'd like that. Made it herself, y'know."
Stephanie sighed as she leaned forward, picking up the drawing and lounging back again to study it. The picture was quite detailed - despite being drawn by a four-and-a-half year old - and Stephanie could make out the shape of a tiny grey wolf in a blue shirt holding hands with a taller, thinner wolf dressed in white. While this was enough to make her misty-eyed, Stephanie was finally driven to full on ugly crying as she saw the message written in big, glittery gold letters:
HAPPI VALINTINE'S DAY, MOMY!
LOVE PORSHA!
"Hey... hey hey hey..." Suki gently shushed Stephanie while she patted the sobbing wolf's back. "It's okay, honey..."
"No... n-no, it's not, Suki, I... I'm ruining everything!" Stephanie choked out through her tears, wiping away what little mascara hadn't already been washed off by the shower. "Did you see the way she looked at me...?"
"You made a mistake." Suki said, taking a moment to think about how to clarify her words. "I mean... it was terrible, Stephanie, don't get me wrong, but... but you can be better. You have been, and you will be. But you have to try to be better."
After taking a few deep breaths Stephanie seemed slightly calmer, though her voice was muffled by her hands as she buried her face in them. "I can't do this anymore... I just can't..."
"What do you mean?"
"Ugh, what the hell do ya think I mean?!" Stephanie suddenly shouted as she sat back up, waiting another moment before she let out a weak exhale. "Sorry, it's just... it's all of this, all this crap Jimmy's put on me. Y'know, there... there's no real love here at all. It's just money, and publicity, and press, and... and cheating, and it... and I'm 'sposed to just sit here and take it like... l-like his good little girl! And it'll be no different for her either!"
Suki slowly nodded, and gently gripped her friend's hand as Stephanie looked at her, though she didn't quite notice how intense the wolf's gaze actually was. "Well, you uh... you still got me. That's something, right...?"
"Hmm... yeah." Stephanie sighed, her cheeks beaming a warm red as she looked right into Suki's eyes. "And I wouldn't trade ya for anything in the world."
"Yeah, well... I'm really glad to be of - Mmph!" Suki was cut off when Stephanie suddenly planted her lips right on her own, the wolf gently pinning the saluki to the armrest while she kept kissing her. Not that Suki minded, only hesitating for a moment before he started returning it while putting her glasses aside to avoid them falling off.
The pair kept their lips locked for just over a minute, and when the moment of passion finally passed, neither was particularly sure what had just happened between them, with their mutual confusion quickly giving way to a bout of childish giggling. But Suki could tell that this had greatly improved Stephanie's mood, as the wolf tenderly stroked the left side of her face while still gazing lovingly into her eyes.
"Suki..." She almost whispered. "Come with us."
"Wait, what...?!"
"Come with us. Me and Porsha." Stephanie said, quickly sitting up on the couch and pulling Suki back up with her. "We can get outta here... leave Redshore behind, start someplace new. All three of us."
"Oh boy..." Suki exhaled as she pinched the bridge of her nose, while the wolf left a trail of kisses across her muzzle and cheek. "Stephanie, no."
"Yes."
"No!"
"Yes!" Stephanie nearly laughed, gently grabbing Suki's chin and turning the saluki's head to face hers. "Come on, you're as miserable here as me and her are! We don't need Jimmy!"
"Stephanie, just... j-just slow down, okay, think about what you're -"
"I have thought about it!" Stephanie interrupted, with her firm tone making it clear that Suki wasn't going to convince her otherwise. "Alright, I... I already talked to Porsha about it in there, she... well, she probably had no idea what I was talkin' about, but point is, she's game! Alright... a-and sure, we gotta hammer out all the plan and stuff, but we can do it! We can get away from all this, we can be free! Look, I know it sounds crazy, Suki, but -"
"Crazy?!" Suki almost laughed. "Stephanie, crazy doesn't have enough syllables to describe what you're talking about here! You can't expect to just up and leave, and think that Jimmy's not gonna do something about it! If I've learned anything from Jimmy Crystal, he's one wolf you do not wanna be on the wrong side of..."
Stephanie took another moment to process Suki's words, her ears and smile drooping down while she quietly slumped back in disappointment. "Quite the motivational speaker, aren't ya...?"
Suki sighed, putting her glasses back on. "Look, I know you're not happy here, Stephanie, but trying to run off into the sunset isn't going to change anything."
"How will I know if I don't try it...?" Stephanie shrugged. "I mean, worst case scenario, Jimmy just drags me and Porsha back here, right? What do I have to lose...?"
Suki bit her bottom lip, knowing full well that Jimmy and his thugs would definitely not be so gentle in such circumstances, but rather than upset her friend further, she simply sat up straight and took on a more firm tone. "Well... I just want you know that if you leave -"
"When we leave." Stephanie cut in, raising an eyebrow as she pulled a more confident smirk, a all-too-familiar expression that Suki felt she hadn't seen in a good long while. "I've made up my mind, Suki."
Having nothing to argue against her with, not that she wanted to, Suki kept a gentle grip on her friend's hand while affectionately stroking the wolf's face with the other. "Well, whatever you choose to do, I... I'm really gonna miss you, Stephanie."
"Hmm... you too, Suki." Stephanie gently nestled closer to Suki, resting her head on the saluki's shoulder as she closed her eyes. "You too..."
"So then a couple weeks later, she finally tried to leave, and... well... we know how that turned out..."
Suki had given up any attempts to hold back her emotions by the time she'd finished her story, but Buster had kept a tight, comforting grip on her hand the whole time. It was only then that she realised the others had been waiting outside the door listening as well, with an equally tearful Porsha at the very front holding a hand over her heart.
"Oh, Aunt Suki!" The young wolf quickly darted over and threw her arms around the saluki, taking the wind out of her honorary aunt just as her mother had done all those years ago, though Suki quickly returned the embrace while keeping her other hand clasped onto Buster's. "I miss my Mom too..."
"I know, sweetie..." Suki sniffled a bit. "I know..."
"Well, um... y'know, Rosita just opened her present when we were downstairs..." Norman finally broke the silence, giving his wife a gentle but affectionate kiss on the lips before he looked back to Suki. "I guess that means you're next on the list, Miss Lane."
After some murmurings of both agreement and encouragement from everyone else present, Suki finally pulled out of Porsha's grip and picked the small, frame-shaped present that Buster had given her. Following another moment or two of hesitation, Suki took another deep breath, then began to tear open the wrapping. Within a few fleeting seconds of unwrapping, Suki's attitude towards this mystery gift had gone from nonchalance, to curiosity, to downright fascination, and it all culminated in wide-eyed shock when she finally saw what it was.
"Oh my gosh..."
It was indeed a picture frame, as she had first assumed the moment Buster handed it to her, a simple white wooden one that was smooth to the touch, but the picture inside was what really drew her attention. This polaroid photograph was older and grainier than the standards of current camera technology, which was inevitable given that it was just under twenty years old, and it was easy to recognise the wide-eyed saluki staring right at the camera, and the beautiful, twenty-something wolf that was kissing her on the cheek.
To top it all off, a small message was placed in the bottom corner in slightly faded pen, having clearly been written back when the photo was taken, and Suki instantly recognised who the distinct handwriting belonged to:
It's Valentine's, Suki! Live a little!
Lots of love, Stephanie
XOXO
"Hmm... Happy Valentine's Day, Suki..." Buster got up on his tiptoes to plant a gentle kiss on his even more tearful girlfriend's cheek, only for Suki to suddenly grab the koala by the bowtie and pull him in for a much deeper, more passionate locking of lips, which prompted Ash and Johnny to cover some of the piglets' eyes for a moment or two.
"Well I don't know about the rest of you guys, but I think this, like, totally calls for a photo!" Gunter said, prompting a unanimous cheer of agreement from the rest of the cast.
Before Suki knew it, she and Porsha were surrounded by their massive new family in a big, crushing group hug, all of them staring right at the camera that Ms. Crawly was currently setting up. With her boyfriend on one side of her and her honorary niece in the other, Suki straightened up in the centre of the couch and cleared her throat. "Alright... three... two... one... Valentine's!"
"VALENTINE'S!"