Chapter 10 Finally
Disclaimer: Still not mine, except Marina, but I wish they were.When Jimmy walked through his front door, he saw Marina sitting on the couch, her back to him. She was wearing a fluffy, white terry robe and her wet hair hung down her back. She sat with her knees pulled up to her chest, her arms resting on them, her head down.She was feeling tremendously guilty for the way she had spoken to Bobby. The anger was gone and she just felt horrible. She was ashamed of the way she had acted, especially in front of everybody. Jimmy had been so good to her, and she repaid him by exploding like a maniac. She felt about two inches big. She wouldn't blame him if he came home and yelled at her. In fact, she hoped he would. She deserved it.She heard him come in, but she didn't look up. Here it comes, she thought. He came around to the couch and sat down on the other end, facing her. He didn't say anything, just sat looking at her. After several long moments, she lifted her eyes to look at him without raising her head. Was he angry? He didn't look angry. He looked heartsick.He sat for several more minutes looking at her without speaking. Guilt was washing over her in waves and she wished he would just get on with it. When he finally spoke, he said the last thing in the world she expected."I'm sorry," he said, simply."What?" she asked, slowly looking up at him."I should have known that you needed help. I should have insisted you get some. I knew you weren't doing well, but I fooled myself into thinking that you were handling things great. I failed you, and I'm so sorry." His voice broke, as if he were having trouble holding back tears.It was more than she could handle, and the tears she had been holding back for so many weeks wouldn't be stopped any longer. She put her head back down and covered her mouth, but she couldn't hold back the great sobs that began to shake her body or the mournful wail that escaped through her fingers.She surprised him so much by actually crying that for a moment he didn't react. When he realized what had happened, he gathered her in his arms and leaned back against the arm of the couch, pulling her with him. She cried and cried, her body violently shaking with each sob, for what seemed like hours. Every time she thought she was getting under control, the tears would renew themselves, the weeping continue. And all the while, he just held on to her, stroking her hair, shedding a few tears himself for her pain. Her sobs gradually changed into doleful whimpers and then ceased. She felt like a wet rag. She lay with her head against Jimmy's chest, listening to the even beating of his heart, gradually relaxing , and sniffling sporadically. He hadn't moved--not once--other than to tighten his hold on her when she needed it."Do you need anything?" he asked. He thought she must be thirsty."I need you, Jimmy." she responded. "Please don't leave me.""I'll never leave you." he said, pulling her closer.She sat up on one elbow and looked at him, searchingly. "I mean it, Jimmy. I don't want to be apart from you again. I need you." She paused before speaking again. She knew it was true. "I love you."He was her other half...her True North. She couldn't manage without him and didn't want to pretend to cope anymore.He looked deeply into her eyes. She tried to look down, but her held her chin forcing her to look up. "I look terrible," she said."You look beautiful," he replied. He looked into her huge green eyes and wiped away a stray tear. She was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen, and he didn't want to let her out of his sight again. "I've loved you forever, " he said, pulling her mouth to his.Her arms strayed around his neck and her fingers laced through his hair as their lips met. There was a sweeteness to his kiss, and a familiarity, as if she had been meant to do this all along. Her eyes probed his, sarching, seeking, and finding the key that had eluded her all her life. He was her mizpah, and they found not just comfort, but reassurance and security in each others arms. She relaxed into his kiss, giving him control, something she had never relinquished before, trusting him implicitly. And he, able to sense in her what others could not, held her gently, softly, carressing her as if she would break at any moment, and pulling back when he felt things going to far. He wanted to go slowly, to savor every second with her, and to take a lifetime doing so.She pulled back slowly and they smiled. Both had found a home.She settled back into his arms, sighing in contentment. "I think this could be the beginning of something really big," she remarked.
Disclaimer: Still not mine, except Marina, but I wish they were.When Jimmy walked through his front door, he saw Marina sitting on the couch, her back to him. She was wearing a fluffy, white terry robe and her wet hair hung down her back. She sat with her knees pulled up to her chest, her arms resting on them, her head down.She was feeling tremendously guilty for the way she had spoken to Bobby. The anger was gone and she just felt horrible. She was ashamed of the way she had acted, especially in front of everybody. Jimmy had been so good to her, and she repaid him by exploding like a maniac. She felt about two inches big. She wouldn't blame him if he came home and yelled at her. In fact, she hoped he would. She deserved it.She heard him come in, but she didn't look up. Here it comes, she thought. He came around to the couch and sat down on the other end, facing her. He didn't say anything, just sat looking at her. After several long moments, she lifted her eyes to look at him without raising her head. Was he angry? He didn't look angry. He looked heartsick.He sat for several more minutes looking at her without speaking. Guilt was washing over her in waves and she wished he would just get on with it. When he finally spoke, he said the last thing in the world she expected."I'm sorry," he said, simply."What?" she asked, slowly looking up at him."I should have known that you needed help. I should have insisted you get some. I knew you weren't doing well, but I fooled myself into thinking that you were handling things great. I failed you, and I'm so sorry." His voice broke, as if he were having trouble holding back tears.It was more than she could handle, and the tears she had been holding back for so many weeks wouldn't be stopped any longer. She put her head back down and covered her mouth, but she couldn't hold back the great sobs that began to shake her body or the mournful wail that escaped through her fingers.She surprised him so much by actually crying that for a moment he didn't react. When he realized what had happened, he gathered her in his arms and leaned back against the arm of the couch, pulling her with him. She cried and cried, her body violently shaking with each sob, for what seemed like hours. Every time she thought she was getting under control, the tears would renew themselves, the weeping continue. And all the while, he just held on to her, stroking her hair, shedding a few tears himself for her pain. Her sobs gradually changed into doleful whimpers and then ceased. She felt like a wet rag. She lay with her head against Jimmy's chest, listening to the even beating of his heart, gradually relaxing , and sniffling sporadically. He hadn't moved--not once--other than to tighten his hold on her when she needed it."Do you need anything?" he asked. He thought she must be thirsty."I need you, Jimmy." she responded. "Please don't leave me.""I'll never leave you." he said, pulling her closer.She sat up on one elbow and looked at him, searchingly. "I mean it, Jimmy. I don't want to be apart from you again. I need you." She paused before speaking again. She knew it was true. "I love you."He was her other half...her True North. She couldn't manage without him and didn't want to pretend to cope anymore.He looked deeply into her eyes. She tried to look down, but her held her chin forcing her to look up. "I look terrible," she said."You look beautiful," he replied. He looked into her huge green eyes and wiped away a stray tear. She was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen, and he didn't want to let her out of his sight again. "I've loved you forever, " he said, pulling her mouth to his.Her arms strayed around his neck and her fingers laced through his hair as their lips met. There was a sweeteness to his kiss, and a familiarity, as if she had been meant to do this all along. Her eyes probed his, sarching, seeking, and finding the key that had eluded her all her life. He was her mizpah, and they found not just comfort, but reassurance and security in each others arms. She relaxed into his kiss, giving him control, something she had never relinquished before, trusting him implicitly. And he, able to sense in her what others could not, held her gently, softly, carressing her as if she would break at any moment, and pulling back when he felt things going to far. He wanted to go slowly, to savor every second with her, and to take a lifetime doing so.She pulled back slowly and they smiled. Both had found a home.She settled back into his arms, sighing in contentment. "I think this could be the beginning of something really big," she remarked.
