"Nathan! Can you get the door please?"
"On it, mom."
Nathan half jogged towards the door and opened it to see his best friend, Mara, standing on the porch.
"Mara?"
She smiled, "Hey Nate."
He took a good long look at her. It's been close to 3 years since he last saw her. He had heard from his parents that she'd always come over for dinner whenever they'd ask. Ever since they left high school, he hadn't been able to see her. He had moved to college in Seattle after being scouted, while she went to New York with a Harvard Law scholarship. That had also been part of the reason why they decided to break up but despite that, they still kept in contact, eventually becoming the best of friends.
"Why don't you take a picture, Nate?" Mara said, "It would last longer."
Nathan snapped out of his thoughts, "Sorry. It's just-I.."
Mara smiled and hugged Nathan, "I know. It's been 3 years. Nice to see you too."
"MARA!"
She broke the hug as she heard soft running steps coming towards them. Mara turned and looked to see Alanna, Nathan's niece, coming towards them.
"Well, who do we have here?" Mara asked
Alanna giggled as Mara swooped her up in her arms saying, "Hello princess!"
She planted a big kiss on Alanna's cheek as Nathan's parents came out of the kitchen.
"Is that Mara I hear?"
"Come give us a hug, sweetie."
Mara smiled and put Alanna down as she walked towards Mr and Mrs Orton to give them a hug each.
"We're so glad you could make it." Mrs Orton said
"I wouldn't miss it for the world." Mara said
"Alanna's been making a fuss ever since her mother dropped her off." Mr Orton said
"How is Samantha?" Mara asked
"She said she needed some me time so she left Alanna with us." Nathan replied
"And not with Randy?" Mara asked
There was a short silence in the air and Mara looked at Mrs Orton, who looked a little uncomfortable.
Nathan sighed, "She couldn't get him because he was on tour. And, he has a new girlfriend so that is going to be a little difficult for Alanna to get used to."
"Right. Randy's a rolling stone." Mara said
"Well, enough about him now. Dinner's about to be ready.." Mrs Orton said, "Mara? Could you give me a hand?"
"Sure." Mara said
"Can I help?" Alanna asked
Mrs Orton smiled, "Of course you can, sweetie. Come on!"
The ladies left the living room, headed into the kitchen where the finishing touches were awaiting. Mara carried Alanna up and sat her on the kitchen island as she stood next to her, helping Mrs Orton to toss the salad.
"So? How have you been, honey?" Mrs Orton asked
"I've been good. Just secured a position with one of the top 3 law firms in New York." Mara replied
Mrs Orton stopped what she was doing and smiled widely, "Congratulations, honey!"
She hugged Mara, who gladly reciprocated. Ever since Nathan brought her home to meet his parents, they fell in love with her, practically treating her like one of their own. She in turn treated them like her own parents as well.
"We're so proud of you." Mrs Orton said
"Thank you." Mara said
"Now Bob's got something to brag about to his friends." Mrs Orton said
Mara laughed, "Nah… I can't compare to Randy."
"Well, sometimes you can say he gets a little disappointed with Randy. Don't get me wrong. We love Randy to death. It's just that we would prefer if he'd set aside free time for his daughter rather than.."
She looked at Alanna, "Sweetie, could you cover your ears for grandma, please?"
Alanna nodded and covered her ears with her hands.
"Where was I? Oh, rather than go off screwing the next girl he can find." Mrs Orton said
Mara frowned a little, "He hasn't seen Alanna once ever since the split?"
"Nope. I know he isn't taking the divorce well either but Randy's Randy. He copes differently." Mrs Orton said
"Well, I'm sure he'll come around." Mara said
"I hope so too." Mrs Orton said
She turned and looked at Mara, "So… Will you be staying for the weekend?"
"You've been asking me this question each time I come and visit so this time, my answer is yes." Mara said, "But I'll be staying for at least 2 weeks."
Mrs Orton clasped her hands together excitedly, "Oh! How wonderful!"
She moved to the kitchen entrance and yelled, "Bob! Nathan! Clear out the guest room! Mara's staying for the weekend!"
"Alright!"
Mara heard Bob's cheer and chuckled to herself. She was about to return to tossing the salad when she felt Alanna tug her shirt.
She turned to Alanna, "Yeah?"
"Are we going to do Princess time?" Alanna asked
Mara put down the cutlery for the salad and smiled, "We're going to have lots of time to be princesses."
Alanna smiled widely, "YAY!"
After putting the final touches to the dinner, the ladies brought the food out to the dining table while the boys took their seats. Mara helped Alanna into her seat and was about to sit down when the doorbell rang. Nathan was about to get up when Mara held out her hand.
"It's okay. I'll get it." Mara said
She made her way towards the door as the doorbell rang again. Mara reached for the door knob and opened it just as the person at the door turned to face her.
"Oh… Hello."
Mara rolled her eyes, "Randy."
"Something smells good. Is that ma's glazed chicken?" Randy asked
"Yes it is." Mara replied
"Well then, can I come in?" Randy said
"I don't know.. Can you?" Mara said
Randy looked at her, "Excuse me?"
"If you're just here cause you're in the neighborhood, don't even bother stepping foot into this house. I know it's not my place to say this but your daughter and family are here. I don't think they will appreciate seeing their son, her father come in just for dinner, give them kisses and hugs, then leave." Mara said
She crossed her arms in front of her chest, "So, no, I don't think you can come in."
"You done?" Randy asked, "I never did remember you being this way but then there had to be a reason why you got the scholarship to Harvard Law."
He stepped closer to her, "And, I am not just in the neighborhood. I am going to be staying for the weekend."
Mara blinked once, caught off guard by the sudden lack of distance between the two of them. She wanted to answer him back but her mind was a complete blank. Randy smiled, taking in the sweet victory of rendering her speechless.
If anyone would ask him, he wasn't going to admit it. He always had a thing for her even though he and Mara never saw eye to eye ever since they first met when Nathan brought her home. She wasn't the typical type of girls he was always hooking up with, but something about her made his skin tingle with excitement whenever he saw her. Seeing her now, brought back those feelings and he couldn't deny that the attraction was coming back in full force… Especially seeing how much she has grown since high school.
He was about to speak again when his father came to the door.
"Dad." Randy said
Bob looked from Mara to his son, "Randy… You're home."
"Yes. I'm home for the next 2 weeks." Randy said
Quickly gaining her bearings back, Mara moved aside for Randy to come in.
"Sorry, I was um, asking how's work." Mara said
"That's alright, honey." Bob said
He looked at his son, "Come on in. I'll put your things in your brother's room. You're gonna have to share a room with him since Mara's using the guest room."
"Oh, she's staying?" Randy asked
"Yeah, she is." Mara replied
Randy looked at her and smirked. Mara frowned. At that moment, she was more than ready to give him a huge walloping. Who does he think he is? Just because he was a quote-unquote celebrity, doesn't make him a panty dropper. That smirk wasn't going to work on her.
Mara was mentally giving Randy punches in his face when she heard Alanna exclaim with delight.
"DADDY!"
She snapped out of her thoughts as she saw an excited and happy Alanna running towards Randy. Even though she hated Randy's guts, she couldn't help but feel happy for the little girl. Despite everything else, Randy was still her father and there really was no denying a little girl her father's love.
"OH! My little monkey!" Randy said
He threw his bags down as he picked up his daughter and lifted her up into the air. Alanna giggled loudly as her father kissed her on the cheeks.
Mrs Orton came over to kiss her son on the cheek before saying, "Get washed up. Dinner's getting cold."
Randy nodded and kissed his mom back on the cheek before giving Alanna one more kiss and putting her back down.
After dinner, Mara offered to help with the dishes but Mrs Orton declined, saying that she had helped with the preparation of dinner so now she got to rest while the boys helped with the dishes. Seeing that Bob was having some grandpa time with Alanna, Mara decided to help out with brushing down the horses. Bob gladly accepted her help and she headed out to the stable.
When she arrived, she smiled seeing the horses neigh. It was as if they knew she was here to give them a good brush down and possibly extra snacks before they slept.
Mara walked over to a brown and white horse and lightly stroked the horse's neck.
"Hey you…" She said, "Remember me? I used to brush you down during the summer."
The horse's head moves slightly closer to Mara and she smiled, "So you do remember me… How have you been, buddy?"
She moved her hand to stroke in between the horse's ears, "That's a good girl."
"So, I see you have a way with horses, huh?"
Mara turned around and seeing Randy standing not too far behind her, she rolled her eyes and returned her focus on the horse in front of her.
"Sorry girl… It seems that someone has come to disturb the peace." Mara said, still lightly stroking the horse between its ears.
Randy shook his head as he let out a slightly annoyed laugh.
"I am assuming you mean me." Randy said
"Well, there is no one else around. Am I right?" Mara said, talking to the horse.
"You know, back when you and my brother were dating, I found you annoying. And I guess people don't really change that much, huh?" Randy said
Mara wanted to ignore Randy but this was a personal attack. Heck, she would have ignored it if it was anyone else but since it came from someone who she didn't have an ounce of respect for, Mara couldn't take it lightly.
She turned around and glared at Randy, "Who are you to judge me? You are nothing but a good-for-nothing wrestler who is trying to carry his dad's legacy. You can't even make a good father or a husband! Alanna must feel real sad for having a dad who can't seem to keep it in his pants just after he went through a divorce. Especially when he doesn't seem to care about her anymore!"
Randy flinched a little, letting Mara's words sink in. He knew he wasn't handling the divorce well and going back to his old ways was the only thing he thought he could do. But he failed to realize the real victim here. His daughter. The one person who is his whole world.
Realizing that her words may have come out too harsh, she closed her mouth and bit her lip, wondering what she should do next. Before she could think about what to say next, Randy turned and walked away from the stables. Mara thought to give chase but she knew that the lawyer side might start to awake in her again and she would do more harm than good. She turned back to the horse and continued brushing the horse down before heading back into the house.
The next morning, everyone gathered in the dining table in the backyard for breakfast. Mara walked out to the front porch and smiled at the sight in front of her.
Bob was seated at the head of the table, waiting for the breakfast to come from the kitchen while Alanna played catch with Nathan. She looked around, wondering where Randy was until Alanna called out to her.
"Mara!" Alanna exclaimed, "Come sit!"
Mara smiled and was just about to walk over when she heard the front door click open. She turned to walk towards the door when she saw Randy walk in.
"Welcome home." Mara said
Randy looked at her, "I would like to say I'm glad but the jury is still out. I got a real good thrashing from someone last night."
"Yeah, about that… I'm sorry… I shouldn't have said those things. Can we just call a truce?" Mara asked
"Well, thanks to you, I went to do what is right." Randy said
Mara looked at him, slightly surprised, "Your new girlfriend lasted a few weeks. I'm impressed."
"Randy?"
He merely smiled and said, "Could you tell my parents to make room for one more?"
Randy turned and walked towards the door as he helped a girl bring her luggage in.
He smiled and kissed her on the lips, "You made it."
"I'm not going to lie… It was a little hard for me to accept your invite after the fight we had. But I wanted to give us a chance." She said
Mara felt a slight pang of jealousy hit her but she brushed it aside and headed back towards the backyard to inform everyone before the surprise hits them. Randy looked up to see if Mara was still around but she was nowhere to be seen. He turned back to his girlfriend and helped her with her luggage before closing the front door.
After breakfast, Mara opted to do the dishes while Mrs Orton took a rest. She walked into the kitchen, ready to start when Nathan came in.
"Hey." Nathan said
Mara turned around slightly, "Hey Nate. What are you doing here?"
"Here to help." Nathan said
"It's alright. You can go join your family." Mara said
Nathan stood next to her, "Well, my family is your family too."
"Thanks Nate. But I'm the outsider here." Mara said
"If anyone should be an outsider, it should be that girl, Kim." Nathan said
Mara looked at Nathan, "She just might be your future sister-in-law."
"Well, I will definitely try to make myself so unavailable if that ever happens." Nathan said
Mara looked at the family through the kitchen window, "She sure is making herself popular."
"Are you jealous?" Nathan asked
She looked at him, "What are you talking about? Jealous? Have you seen how much I don't get along with your brother? Why would I be jealous about his girlfriend?"
"Because there is something between the both of you." Nathan said, "I'm your ex-boyfriend and his brother. I know both of you real well."
Mara flicked soap water at Nathan, "There is nothing going on between us and I do not like him at all."
Nathan merely shrugged and went back to the dishes while Mara allowed herself to steal a glance or two of Randy. Was Nathan right? Is there something really brewing between the both of them?
Once the dishes were done, Mrs Orton dragged Kim to town to do some shopping with her while Nathan and Bob went off to hike together. Mara was about to head out to the stables when Randy stopped her.
"Uh, hey." Randy said
Mara turned around, "What?"
"Could you bring Alanna to the park?" Randy asked
"Why can't you bring her?" Mara asked
"I've got an important video call with the company so I can't step away." Randy said, "Could you do me this favor?"
Mara didn't want to disappoint Alanna so she sighed and said, "Alright."
"Thank you. I owe you one." Randy said
"Let me get something straight with you. I am doing this for Alanna not you." Mara said
Randy nodded, "Got your message loud and clear."
"Alanna, don't run too fast, okay?" Mara said
Alanna nodded and hurried towards the swing set in the playground, in the park. Mara found a bench to sit and got comfortable as she watched over Alanna. A minute or two later, Mara received a phone call. She looked at the caller ID and seeing that it was the law firm, she picked it up. She did a quick check on Alanna and saw her on the swings before focusing on the call.
She concentrated on the conversation she was having with a senior partner of the law firm, often looking over at Alanna to ensure she's okay. She had been waiting for this call ever since they told her she got the job. This call was to determine if she was going to start as a training associate or a junior associate.
"Thank you so much! I promise that you won't be disappointed!"
Mara smiled just as she ended the call. Her future at the law firm was finally set in stone. She got the junior associate position.
Her happiness was stopped short when she heard a loud scream and crying that followed. Mara turned to see Alanna sitting on the ground, crying with an open wound on her chin. She hurriedly stuffed her phone into her jacket pocket as she ran over to Alanna. Not wasting any time, Mara scooped Alanna up and hurried to her car; where she drove her towards the hospital.
Mara watched as Randy held Alanna's hands while the doctor cleaned her wound. He gave her a peck on her head before walking over to Mara.
"I should be banned from ever being around kids." Mara said
"No, no, Mara… It's okay." Randy said
"No, it's not – You have every right to be angry with me." Mara said
"I-I'm not angry. These things happen. She cut her chin… That's what happens when you run too fast and trip. Kids do that all the time." Randy said
He looked at her, "So… You… You were talking on the phone when she fell?"
"No… Like I said, I looked away for only a few seconds when she fell." Mara said
"You didn't see her running too fast?" Randy asked
"Randy, by the time I turned around, it was too late." Mara replied
"So you weren't watching her the whole time...?" Randy said
"It sure sounds like you are angry at me." Mara said
Randy cleared his throat and said, "I just want to be clear on what happened so I know what to tell anyone who asks."
"Tell them that I feel like crap that Alanna got hurt while I was watching her. Tell them that it was my fault and I should have been paying closer attention and tell whoever that I am so sorry but I don't know the first thing about being a parent, even though I love Alanna to bits." Mara said
Randy shook his head, "Neither do I."
They looked at each other for a while until they heard Alanna call for them. The two of them went over to her bed and leaned in close to her on either side.
"Hey monkey." Randy said, "How are you feeling? You're gonna be back in action in no time."
"Mm-hmm. And your daddy says that when you're feeling all better, he's going to bring you to run around Disney World. I heard that's going to be real fun!" Mara said
Randy looked at her, half smiling, "I am?"
Mara gave him a look and he immediately turned to Alanna, "Yeah! Monkey, we're going to be the fastest runners around Disney World."
"Hey!"
Mara and Randy both stood up as they heard Kim enter the ward. She hurried over to Alanna and smoothened her hair.
"Kim… Hey, I'm so sorry that your shopping was interrupted… I-"
"Kim's here… Are you feeling okay, sweetie?" Kim asked, lightly touching Alanna's head.
"Yeah… She's fine. She's just worn out." Randy replied
Ignoring Mara, she looked up at Randy, "How bad was the cut?"
"It wasn't that bad… Just a few stitches." Randy said, "In fact, the doctor's gonna be back in to check on her."
Feeling like she wasn't part of the conversation, Mara moved away from the bed by a few steps to give them some privacy. Just then, the nurse came in.
"Are you part of the family?" The nurse asked
Caught off guard, Mara replied, "Uh… No."
"Then you need to wait outside." The nurse said
She drew the curtains even before Mara could say anything else. Thinking she didn't have a choice, Mara left the hospital.
That night, after dinner, Mara decided to go for a walk alone. Despite the family not blaming her for the injury that Alanna got, she was starting to lose the family feeling she had with them. Nathan tried to follow her out but she persistently refused, leaving him no choice but to respect her wishes.
Mara found a large rock by the lake, not too far from the house, and decided to sit there. She kept thinking back to the conversation she had with Randy at the hospital. She could have sworn she saw a vulnerable side of Randy she had never seen before. And she's pretty sure no one else knew it existed.
She was trying to make a pebble skid across the lake but it just kept making a 'plop' sound as it sinks in.
"It's all in the wrist."
Mara jumped slightly before looking behind.
"Randy…" Mara said, "What are you doing here?"
"Don't worry. I didn't stalk you. I'm out for a walk too. And this is my thinking spot." Randy said
Mara stood up, "Oh.. Sorry, you can have it back."
Randy chuckled, "I'm just teasing. It's alright."
He sat down next to her, "You feeling okay?"
"No… I still feel like crap." Mara said
She turned to him, "I am really, really sorry about Alanna."
"That's about the millionth time you've apologized. I said it's alright. She's fine." Randy said
"You know… Maybe I was wrong about you… Seeing you today at the hospital has changed my opinion of you." Mara said
"Really?" Randy said
"You aren't such a bad father after all. I actually thought I saw the old Randy that I used to like coming back." Mara said
Randy cocked an eyebrow, "You used to like? You had a crush on me, Blair?"
Mara rolled her eyes and pushed him, "Stop flattering yourself."
He laughed and said, "Oh. Now you've done it, Mara Blair. You're gonna have a taste of the viper, Randy Orton."
Before she could react to his threat, Randy came at her, picking her up by the waist and running towards the open field. She giggled and yelled loudly for him to stop. He initially ignored her first few attempts to stop him before finally giving in on her fifth try. Randy put her down on the ground, pinning her under him.
The laughing died down and the two of them looked into each other's eyes. In the heat of the moment, their lips crashed against each other's. Any hidden feelings they might have had for one another now appeared un-hidden. Randy's hands ran up and down Mara's waist as the kiss became more and more heated. His hands moved to the button of her shorts and he stopped.
Randy looked at her and despite her head telling her 'no', Mara nodded. She closed her eyes as she felt him take her shorts off slowly.
The next morning, Mara woke up and looked around to see that she was in the barn. Randy's old den.
She looked to her left and saw Randy sleeping soundly among the entangled sheets. Mara looked up at the ceiling as memories from the night before came rushing back to her. They had successfully done it once in public in an open field before bringing the party back to the barn.
Mara shook her head, unable to believe what had just happened between the two of them. They hated each other but unknowingly, they ended up hooking up with one another and she didn't regret it. In fact, her heart swelled with warmth when she looked at Randy's sleeping figure.
She sat up and lightly touched the stubble on Randy's face. She didn't hate him. She actually loved him. Mara had gone along with the façade of hating him because that was the only way she could stop herself from pining after someone she knew she could never have. She figured masking all her affection for him was the only way to get over him. She would have continued in lying to herself if she hadn't met him again.
She felt a kiss on her bare shoulder and she jumped slightly.
"Sorry."
She turned to see Randy behind her.
"I didn't mean to startle you." Randy said
"Well, it wasn't entirely a bad startle." Mara said
Randy smirked and leaned in to kiss her but Mara held out her hand to stop him.
"Wait. We can't do this." Mara said, "You have Kim."
"It's alright. I can just break up with her." Randy said
Mara looked at him, "Are you kidding me?"
"What? What did I say?" Randy said
"Does being in a relationship mean so little to you?" Mara asked
"What are you talking about?" Randy said
Mara shook her head as she wrapped the covers around her body. She bent down to pick up her clothes and hurriedly put them on without letting Randy see any more of her nakedness.
"Mara… Just come back to bed and we can talk about this." Randy said
"No." Mara said
Randy stood up and walked over to her, "Being in a relationship doesn't mean so little to me. I'm just starting to realize now that Kim's not the one for me."
He looked at her, "Ever since Nathan brought you home, I've always had a thing for you. But I knew I wouldn't be able to have you because I'm not worthy enough for you. You're smart, funny, pretty, sassy and you stand up for whatever's right. No amount of girls I date was ever gonna be as good as you."
"Why didn't you try telling me that before?" Mara asked
"Nothing was going my way. My brother was dating you, I became a part of the WWE, you got your Harvard Law scholarship… I thought I missed my chance with you… And then, last night happened…" Randy replied, "Mara… Don't you get it? I love you."
Mara lightly touched his face and she kissed him on the lips before slowly pulling away from his grip.
"I'm sorry, Randy… I can't." Mara said
Before Randy could say anything else, Mara hurried out of the barn, dropping the covers behind as she was fully dressed by the time she reached the barn doors.
Mara's trip to the Ortons' farm finally came to an end. She was waiting for Nathan to pick her up at the house to send her to the airport. Despite that fateful event, Mara managed to enjoy the rest of her trip. No doubt she'd find herself looking at Randy, thinking that she should have just trusted in him and took a leap of faith but a part of her was telling her no.
She was standing on the porch, waiting for the car to arrive when she felt someone standing behind her.
She sighed, "You don't have to wait with me. You should go in and spend time with Kim and your family."
"You're not really going to keep up this tough girl facade, are you?" Randy said
Mara turned her head slightly, "It's not a facade. What we had was over. I've moved on."
Randy moved closer to Mara's back and said, "I know you felt it."
"We were caught up in the moment. That was it." Mara said
Randy lightly grabbed Mara's arm and turned her around, "It was real. I know you're still feeling it right now."
"It doesn't change anything." Mara said
She wriggled out of Randy's grip before creating some space between them.
"I know what I did was right. No matter what I feel or don't, we can't be together." Mara said
He moved closer to her, "I meant it when I said I love you."
He touched the bottom of her chin, "And it was worth it all."
Randy continued, "If I got through my fear of getting you, you can get through yours of me."
Mara looked at him, unsure of what to say.
Randy reached for her hand and said, "You have until tomorrow to decide."
"Decide what?" Mara asked
"We are meant to be together." Randy replied, "And you're willing to take a leap of faith, aren't you? I'll be waiting at the top of the Empire State Building."
"You can't Affair to Remember me." Mara said, turning back towards the driveway.
"If you're not there tomorrow, at 9pm, I'm closing my heart to you forever." Randy said
Mara thought for a while and with a heavy heart she said, "Well… I won't be there."
Just then, Nathan drove up and Mara smiled, taking her luggage down with her as she walked down the steps. She got into the car while Nathan helped put her luggage in the trunk. He nodded at his brother before getting back into the driver's seat. Mara knew Randy was waiting for her to look up. But, she couldn't… Not without giving him the hope that she will be there. She had to give him up so she continued to look ahead as the car pulled out.
A month passed since the day she was supposed to meet Randy at the Empire State Building. She told herself to take a chance and she was going to meet him but meetings came up at the law firm that had her working late. She tried her hardest to make it there by 9pm but when she arrived at the top, Randy wasn't there.
She hadn't heard from him after that and she took it as a sign to move on with her life. She occasionally talked to Mrs Orton over the phone but she'd always cut the conversation short when she realized the topic was steering towards Randy. There was nothing Mrs Orton wouldn't find out… Especially when it involved her sons.
Mara had just returned from work to see her housekeeper holding a box marked 'Old life'. She had meant to either throw it out or keep it far away from her sight so as not to remember Randy at all. He's obviously moved on with her life and she has too. She needed to forget every trace of Randy.
Her housekeeper turned around hearing her come in.
"Oh, I'm sorry Miss Mara… I forgot to take away just now… I know you not want to see it anymore…" She said
"Hey… No, no… give me that." Mara said
Her housekeeper passed it to her.
Mara sighed, looking at the box, "It's no use to deny the past… Randy's a part of me… He'll always be… It just hurts so much."
Her housekeeper looked at her and said, "In Poland we have a saying… Love is like head wound… It make you dizzy… You think you die… But you recover… Usually."
Mara shook her head and chuckled, "That's a terrible saying…"
She held the box tightly as she walked pass her housekeeper. After a few steps, she stopped and turned around.
"Tomorrow can we feed the ducks?" Mara asked
Her housekeeper smiled, "I already buy bread."
Mara smiled. Her housekeeper was the only person she could find comfort in – she acted pretty much like a second mother to her. She had previously taken care of Mara when she was a child and retired to look after her kids. But when Mara reached out to her a year ago, her housekeeper had agreed to come back; seeing that her children have grown up and they no longer needed her as much.
Once Mara was in her room, she sat the box down and took off the lid. She pulled out the first photo she saw, which was a recent shot. This was taken at the Ortons' farm. Someone had taken a candid shot of her and Randy looking at each other as she sat on a fence. This was clearly the same day that she told Randy that it wasn't possible between them. Even when they couldn't be together, they were still looking at each other longingly and the photo was proof.
Mara lightly brushed her hand across Randy's face before holding the picture close to her chest. She should have dared to leap. She should have just taken the chance. If it turned out to be as bad as she thinks, at least she would have given them a shot. She laid back on her bed and thought of what could have been when her phone rang. She extended her arm across her bed and picked up the phone.
"Hello?"
"Mara? It's Nathan."
"Hey Nate… How's it going?"
"Good. Listen… Dad's having his birthday party this weekend… And, we would love it if you came."
"I don't -"
"Don't say no. Look, mom has been telling me that something happened between you and Randy the last time you were here and I know there is. But, trust me, we're not gonna pry. Whatever it is, it is between you and Randy. You'll settle whatever it is between you both before we're brought into the picture."
"Thanks Nate."
"So… You're gonna come for the party?"
"Yup… Sure."
"Great. Mom and dad's gonna be so excited."
Mara smiled to herself as she ended the call with Nathan. She put down the phone and stared up at her ceiling.
"It's now or never…" Mara said to herself, "This weekend it is."
Mara had gone over the greeting she was going to have with Randy on the way over. She didn't want Nathan to pick her up so she took the cab instead.
She picked at the hem of her dress, thinking of the possible outcomes. Randy did give her an ultimatum so expecting a happy ending for herself was pretty far in her mind. Although, a girl can hope.
Mara paid the cab driver and got out, taking in the Ortons' farm. Despite being at this place a lot of times, she always gets a warm feeling just looking at the place. She was almost getting lost in her thoughts when she heard someone call her name.
"Mara."
She turned to see Nathan walking towards her. Mara smiled and met him half-way, giving him a hug.
"I was beginning to think you bailed on me." Nathan said
"No… I just didn't want to inconvenience you." Mara said
Nathan scoffed, "Did you just hear what you said? Mara, you will never be an inconvenience to me or anyone in the family."
Mara smiled as Nathan put his arm around her shoulder, "Come on, let's get you a beer."
The two walked together towards the open space where most of the family had gathered. Mara looked around and spotted a few familiar faces from the WWE and was a little star-struck for a moment.
"Beer." Nathan said, handing Mara a bottle.
"Thanks." Mara said, "This is a big affair… Look at all these people… Triple H and Stephanie McMahon are here too!"
"Well, dad's a reputable wrestler. These people respect dad a lot." Nathan said
As Nathan carried on talking, Mara looked around at the crowd gathered for Bob's birthday. There was no sign of Randy. She felt relief wash over her. Yes, she wanted to see him but she wasn't ready for their conversation. Mara took a swig of her beer just as she saw Bob and his wife walk over to her, with Alanna.
"MARA!" Alanna exclaimed
Mara smiled and bent down to receive a hug from Alanna, "Hi, you!"
She stood back up and gave Mrs Orton and Bob a hug each before reaching into her bag to take out a black box.
"This is for you." Mara said, passing the box to Bob, "Happy birthday!"
Bob smiled, "You didn't have to bring a gift, Mara. Your being here is more than enough."
Mara merely smiled as she held onto Alanna's hand.
"Grandpa! Open it!" Alanna exclaimed
Bob laughed, "I hear ya, I hear ya."
He opened up the box and in it was a belt buckle which was custom made just for him.
"Oh honey, you've done it. He's going to start bragging to everyone about his new shiny belt buckle." Mrs Orton said
Mara, Alanna and Nathan both laughed as Bob said, "You're damn right."
"Thank you, honey." Bob said to Mara
She smiled, "You're welcome."
With that said, Bob pecked his wife on the cheek before turning around to walk to his friends. Just then, Randy came over to their group.
Mara gulped. She didn't even have time to react when he stood right next to his mother, right in front of Mara.
"Oh, Randy! We were looking all over for you. Where did you go?" Mrs Orton asked
"I was talking to John in the house." Randy replied
"Well, you should have been out here. Your dad just got a gift from Mara and he went off to brag about it." Mrs Orton said
Randy immediately looked at Mara, making eye contact with her. Feeling slightly uncomfortable, she looked away quickly.
"Um, ma, I think the food needs topping up? Why don't you get Nathan to help you?" Randy said, "Alanna can help too."
As if getting the hint, Mrs Orton nodded, "Sure. Come on, you two."
Nathan looked at Mara and she merely nodded as he walked away hesitantly with his mother and Alanna.
Mara looked at the bottle in her hand, "You know maybe I should go get a new bottle."
"No." Randy said, "What are you doing here, Mara?"
"Well, I was invited to your dad's birthday party." Mara said
"That simple?" Randy said
Mara sighed and said, "Can we maybe go to a quieter place?"
Randy nodded and took her hand as he led her towards the barn. When they were inside, he kept his hold on her hand for a few seconds more before letting go.
"So, what is it you want to talk about?" Randy asked
"How have you been?" Mara asked
"You mean how did it feel to have a girl you love stand you up?" Randy said
Mara sighed and was about to say something when Randy cut her off.
"To answer your question, I feel pretty good. I straightened out my thoughts and have given up on you." Randy said
He looked at her, "So, if you are here to try and salvage what happened between us, it's not going to happen. I don't love you anymore."
Mara stepped back, feeling like she just got slapped in the face. She came here with the intention to risk it all and daringly take a chance but it now seemed to have backfired on her. Part of her knew it was her fault because she didn't believe in their relationship when she had the chance.
Mara held back the tears that threatened to leave her eyes and said, "Thank you for making it clear to me. I got the message loud and clear. And for the record, I went to the top of the Empire State Building. I tried my hardest to get there as soon as I could but when I did, you were not there anymore."
Just as Mara was about to continue, someone interrupted them.
"Randy? You in here? Let's talk…"
Both he and Mara turned to see Kim standing by the door.
Kim looked at Mara and scowled, "You."
She walked up to Mara and pushed her.
"You're trying to sneak your way in to drive a deeper wedge between me and Randy, aren't you? That's why he broke up with me!" Kim exclaimed
Mara scoffed as she held back the urge to shove Kim back, "Why do I need to do that? He's not dating me if that's what you want to hear. So back the fuck up!"
"Oh, don't tell me what to do! I know you're the one who made Randy break up with me. Don't lie to me, bitch!" Kim shouted
Not wanting to engage in the meaningless catfight she had just been drawn into, she stepped back from Kim.
"You know what? I'm not going to engage in this." Mara said, "You can have Randy. For all I know, I was right from the beginning to not trust him… Because I'll still end up with a broken heart somehow."
Those last few words hit Randy like a ton of bricks. It was then that he realized that he blew it. He had told himself that he needed to believe that she still loved him as much as he did her but he let his ego take over again.
Mara merely looked at Randy and he felt his heart shatter.
After going for a walk around her apartment building, Mara felt drained – both physically and mentally. She had taken the first available flight out after leaving the party, back to New York and upon touch down, she decided to take a walk to clear her head before heading home.
Mara had just entered her apartment when her housekeeper appeared.
"Ania… You scared me." Mara said
"Sorry… Miss Mara… There's somebody here to apologize." She said
"Well, I can't say I wanna hear it right now, but, tell Mrs Tanner from 5B that I'll see her tomorrow." Mara said
Her housekeeper looked at her and said, "Not Mrs Tanner…"
Mara looked as her housekeeper used her eyes to gesture to the next room. She looked at Ania curiously before walking till she was at the entrance to the living room.
Standing there, pacing up and down was Randy.
"What are you doing here?" Mara asked
Randy stopped pacing and looked up.
She walked closer to him, "I don't have the energy to rehash this afternoon's hysterics... I think you should leave."
"I'm not here to apologize about what happened this afternoon…" Randy said
"Then… What are you here to apologize for?" Mara asked
"Everything else." Randy replied
Mara was slightly taken aback.
"I'm sorry for not trying harder to get you when I could. I'm sorry for not waiting longer at the Empire State Building. I'm sorry for taking you for granted. I'm sorry… I told you I didn't love you anymore when I knew I still love you." Randy said
Mara blinked as she heard Randy say those things. This was the Randy that had loved when she was in high school.
He continued, "Most of all… I'm sorry that I gave up on us… And you never did."
Mara swallowed, stopping herself from tearing up.
She sighed and said, "Thank you… I hope never giving up on people isn't going to be my downfall."
"That's why you're amazing and one of a kind. You're always there for the people you love… Even when they don't deserve it." Randy said
"You know that's never going to change…" Mara said
"It's okay if it has to…" Randy said, "Starting tonight… I'm going to take care of Alanna and myself. No more fooling around."
Mara felt her heart skip a beat before saying, "Is that all?"
Randy looked at her and it looked like he was going to say something but he stopped himself.
"Yeah." He replied
Randy started towards the door and just as he was about to open the door, he heard Mara call out to him.
"Randy! Wait!"
He turned around just as Mara collided into him, kissing him on the lips. The two kissed passionately like they have been longing for each other's lips for a long, long time.
Randy broke apart and said, "What is this?"
Mara chuckled and said, "This is me taking a leap of faith and doing what I should have done the moment I first saw you."
He grinned as she kissed him again, on the lips, signifying the official start of their relationship that was meant to be.