Daisy's P.O.V

I hung up the dress in my closet. It had come in today and Mo and Jo offered to pick it up and drop it off at the apartment. A few weeks ago Mark and I picked up some paint to try to repaint the apartment. I was bored, I didn't have to teach a class today, so I decided to start to paint. I had put on some sweats and an old t-shirt, putting my hair in a messy bun.

I was about to start. It had been about an hour or so since Mark had lift and I was about to open the can when Mark walked in.

"Mark!" I exclaimed. "Sorry I look like shit. I was wondering if you wanted to start painting and…" He seemed a million miles away. "Mark? Honey? Everything okay?" He walked right past me.

"Mark." I put down the paint roller and rolled down my sleeves. "What is the matter with you? These past few days you have been far away. Is it the stress of the wedding? I told you I would be willing to go down to Atlantic City and marry you in a casino. You know that right. Hell I would marry you in this if it met I could be with you." I reached out to touch his cheek but he caught my hand and lowered it.

"That's the thing Daisy, you can't be with me." My mind froze. Why would Mark say such a thing?

"What? Why would you say something like that?"

"Because it's the truth." He walked away from me going into our bedroom.

"Whoa wait a minute. You don't just call off a wedding and then not give a reason why. Now you tell me what the fuck is going on with you?"

"I don't need to tell you why." I grabbed his hand and shouted.

"Oh yes you do need to tell me why? If you don't, I will sick Maureen on you and you know that will not be pretty. So spill." It was silent. I looked into his baby blue eyes, they seemed on the brink of tears. "Mark?"

"I should tell you, something has changed with us."

"I don't care what has changed just tell me what it is?"

"I should tell you." I held onto his hand tighter and moved closer towards to him. "I should tell you."

"Just tell me now." I whispered.

"I don't have the flu or anything like that. A few days ago in the newspaper there was a headline concerning blood transfer patients and well…I went to the doctor to check to see if I have it. Roger came with me."

"And….?"

"I found out today, I'm HIV positive Daisy. That's why…." I didn't let him finish his sentence. I kissed him on the lips. When I broke away I cupped his cheeks.

"Oh Marky, listen to me we will get through this. I promise you that."

"But."

"Shhhh. Listen to me we are going to get married."

"But Daisy…"

"No listen to me, having HIV is not a reason to not get married. I love you Mark and I want to be with you through your best and your worst. Cause I love you with all my heart Mark and that is never going to stop. No matter what comes our way. We will face this together."

Mark smiled and I could see the tears run down his eyes. I wiped a few of them away. I then held onto him tight and we sat together on the bed. As he cried I held onto him tight. "It's okay Mark." I said as I rubbed his back trying to calm him down. He rest his head on my shoulder and I rest my head on his head.

"It's going to be okay Mark." I knew me saying that over and over wouldn't make a difference but it's all I can offer right now.

"What am I going to do Daisy?" He asked.

"The first thing is you are going to tell everyone tonight and then we move on with everything, will still have the wedding and keep going."

"But….what about the fact that I'm…."

"It doesn't change anything. Will get you the AZT and will start there. It's HIV right now not AIDS so…" I held back my own tears. How could this happen to him? Mark was a good man, how could this happen to him. It was those stupid doctors fault if they had just tested the blood before they put it in him. I just held onto him and ran my fingers through his hair. "Shhh just let it out." I whispered into his ear. "Nothing matters right here but this moment."

"But, I will…"

"In the end we all will, some sooner than others. But what matters is the time we spend here without regret." Mark broke away from me and stood up leaning against the wall.

"I don't want you to be tied to a dead man. I don't want our child to know how that their father was dead man from the moment they were born."

"Mark none of that matters to me. I want to be with you for the rest of my life. I love you." I reached for his shoulder but he stepped away. "Our child will know you, I can guarantee that."

He remained silent, "You keep saying it's not going to be okay, but that's not true, everything is going to change and I don't want it to change you and the wonderful life you are going to live. I'm sorry." Now I was pissed at Mark, does Mark not understand that I love him?

"There's only now, there's only here. Give into love or live in a fear. No other path, No other way. No day but today." I walked towards him as I spoke these words running my hands down from his shoulders and traced my fingers along his back. He broke away though.

"I need to go Daisy, Bye."

He walked out of the apartment leaving me right there by myself. I stood there for a minute and in the heat of things I grabbed my shoes and raced out the door. I ran past Roger and Mimi's apartment and down the stairs. I looked both directions for Mark and I knew exactly where he would go. I walked down the sidewalk trying to digest everything.

"How could something like this happen? Mark doesn't deserve this. He is a guy who has done no wrong in this world. And because some doctors fucked up he is paying for it. This isn't right at all, but I don't want Mark to stop living because he has HIV and I'm going to make sure of it.

I reached the cemetery and begun to wander through. I was trying to find…I stopped and saw Mark kneeling in front of a gravestone. I slowly walked behind him giving him a minute. I looked at the gravestone and let out a sad smile. "Angel." I whispered.

I knelt next down to Mark. There were tears streaming down his eyes. He saw me and didn't even say anything. He rest his head on my shoulder and I wrapped an arm around him. "I miss her." Mark whispered.

"I miss her too." I said back.

"I'm sorry for the way I acted back there. I was angry and confused and…"

"Shhh Mark its fine. I understand a little bit what you're going through. You're angry at the world and feel like there is no point to go on." I remembered when I first found out I had depression I lashed out at anyone who came near me and I was lost. I felt so lost and confused and…I was scared." We sat there together staring at Angel's grave. I held onto Mark tight unwilling to let him go.

"You know I do like the idea of a Long island wedding." Mark whispered.

"You still want to get married?"

"I want to spend as much time with you as I can and I want to be with you." He placed a hand on my stomach. "And our child. Because I love you Daisy and I don't want a disease to stop me from loving you. But I'm worried if I'll ever be the same if…" He stopped for a minute thinking hard "If I will lose my dignity. Will someone care? Will I wake tomorrow from this nightmare?" I held onto Mark tight not wanting to let him go. We sat there together with the flowers on Angel's gravestone blooming.