A month had passed. John was finally coming home tomorrow for two days. He and Mackenize hadn't seen each other since her trip to Los Angeles. They'd made up but ever since then there had been a tension between them. Mackenize wished it was as simple as telling John then everything would be fine. Even if she could find the strength to tell him that didn't change the fact that she hated herself. Mackenize was doing the dishes. The phone rang.
"Hello?" She said.
"Hi." John said.
"Hey." "What's up?"
"I'm about to go to bed." "I wanted to hear your voice before I went to sleep."
"Aw." "I'm about to go to sleep to." "I just have to finish the dishes first."
"Baby, why do you do the dishes?" "We have a dishwasher."
"Yeah and half the time there's still food on the dishes when we take them out."
"I can't wait till tomorrow."
"Me either."
"I can't believe it's been two months since I've been home."
"I know."
"I miss you."
"I miss you to."
"I'm gonna get off here and go to bed."
"Ok."
"I should be there by early afternoon tomorrow."
"Alright." "John."
"Yeah?"
"I love you."
"I love you to." "Bye."
"Bye."
The next day at around three o' clock John pulled in the driveway.
"Mom, John's home." Emily said. Mackenize came down the stairs. The front door opened. "Hi John."
"Hi Emily." He put his stuff down. "Mack."
"Hi." Mackenize said. They kissed.
"Have you started dinner yet?"
"No."
"Let's go out." "I feel like steak tonight."
"Then maybe on the way home we can get some ice cream." He said looking at Emily. "What do you think?"
"Yeah." Emily said.
"Ok." "Let's me jump in the shower then we'll go."
They went out to dinner and for ice cream. When they got home Mackenize and John helped Emily with her homework and they all went to bed. Mackenize got in bed next to John.
"Come here." John said opening his arms. She laid down on his chest. His arms wrapped around her. "I love my job but nothing beats being home."
"Yeah."
"I can't believe in three weeks it'll be a year since we started dating."
"I know." She looked at him. "Honey listen to me, I don't want any presents."
"Mack it's our anniversary and Christmas."
"I know but I don't want anything."
"Ok."
"Promise?"
"I promise."
"Good." They kissed. It started growing more passionate. She broke the kiss and took John's hands off of her. She rolled over facing away from him. "Goodnight."
"Don't do this, Mackenize." "I know you want to just as bad as I do." He started kissing the back of her neck. It was true she did want it just as bad as John did but she couldn't.
"John stop, please."
"Ok that's it." He got out of bed when around to her side and knelt down. "Tell me what's wrong with you, right now."
"Stop ordering me around."
"God damn it, Mackenize don't you understand that I love you and all I wanna do is help you?"
"You can't."
"Why tell me why, please." Mackenize got tears in her eyes and shook her head no. "Fine, I give up." He got a blanket and pillow. Mackenize sat up.
"Where are you going?"
"Downstairs to sleep on the couch." "You know sometimes I feel like I'm in this relationship all by myself." "If that's true maybe we shouldn't be together anymore." He walked out of the room. Mackenize cried herself to sleep.
John woke up the next day. He left as soon as he woke up. It was around two o' clock when he came home. He noticed Mackenize and Emily's suitcases by the front door.
"Mackenize?" She came out of the kitchen.
"Hi." She said sadly.
"Hi." "Where are you going?"
"I thought about what you said last night." "You're right." "I'm moving back to LA."
"You're breaking up with me?"
"Yeah." "I'm sorry." She said starting to cry. "I haven't been fair to you." "I have to many things going on with me to be in this relationship." "I can't hold you back anymore." "I'm all messed up."
"No, I love you, I'm sorry."
"It has nothing to do with you John." "It's all me."
"Mack, we can work it out."
"That's just it." "What I'm going through isn't something we need to work out." "It's something I need to work out." "Emily's at your parents." "I gotta go get her."
"Wait." John went over to his bag that was sitting in the living room. He got a small box out of it and went back over to Mackenize. "I was gonna give you this on our anniversary." He opened the box. "Will you marry me?"
"John, please don't make this any harder for me then it already is." She said through her tears. "I can't marry you." "I'm sorry, I love you but I gotta go."
"No." He kissed her. She kissed him back. They looked at each other. "Please don't go, please Mackenize, I love you."
"I love you to." "I have to go." She picked up the bags and opened the door. "Bye John."
"Mack no."
"I'm sorry." She walked out the door.