Motherhood
Written for the 10_quotes community at LJ, inspired by the quote "And maybe there's no peace in this world, for us or for anyone else, I don't know. But I do know that, as long as we live, we must remain true to ourselves," from "Spartacus".
After a year of marriage, Mary became pregnant. She hadn't wanted to have children with Jack, had only wanted to bear Bert's children, but now…
She was forced to retire as a nanny, forced to settle down with Jack. And the more time that she spent with Jack, the more Mary longer for Bert. She wished that he had asked her to marry him – if he had, even when she was engaged to Jack, she would have accepted without a backwards glance. She had made a mistake in accepting Jack's proposal of marriage – she didn't love him enough – after all, her heart belonged to Bert.
But even the practically perfect Mary Poppins made mistakes, and she had made a mistake in marrying Jack. But it was a mistake that would never, could never be corrected.
She went for a walk in the park one afternoon in late August, strolling along the paths that she and Bert used to walk, back when they were in love. She settled herself on the bench, the bench where she and Bert had first confessed their love. Watching the fountain, she absentmindedly stroked her stomach, not noticing anything but the plopplopplop of the fountain.
She heard someone approach her, and she tore her eyes away from the fountain and looked up, gasping quietly as she saw Bert.
He looked five years older, though it had only been a year.
"Hello, Mary," Bert said, sitting next to her.
"Hello, Bert," she replied, her voice soft.
"You're expecting?" he asked her, and she nodded, unable to look at him. "So you're no longer a nanny?"
"No, I'm not," she replied.
"Oh, Mary," he whispered, taking her hand. She looked at him, tears in her eyes. "Why can't we be together?"
"I'm married, Bert, and I'm expecting a baby," she said sadly.
"Would you marry me if you weren't expecting?"
"Bert…" she sighed.
"Mary, I need you. I love you. We need to be together – that's all that's important. I don't care about your marriage – you know as well as I do that you don't love him, that you love me."
"But I can't leave my husband, Bert," she said. "And…"
He interrupted her. "And maybe there's no peace in this world, for us or for anyone else, I don't know. But I do know that, as long as we live, we must remain true to ourselves. We need to be together, Mary – our love is all that matters."
A shadow fell over them.
"There you are, Mary," Jack said. "I've been looking all over the park for you." He noticed Bert. "Ah, hello, Mr. Alfred," Jack said, extending his hand. Bert stood and shook his hand.
"Hello, Mr. Bellamy," Bert replied. He turned back to Mary. "Goodbye, Mrs. Bellamy," he said. Mary nodded and watched him walk away from her, his back hunched, looking so dejected. Jack sat down next to her, taking her hand in his.
"Let's go home, hmm, Mary?" he asked her, and she nodded, standing up. He wrapped his arm around her burgeoning waist and led her home.
"I love you, Mary," he said as they walked through the park to their home.
(She couldn't reply truthfully; she had left her heart with Bert).