Mary and Ruthie arrive back home at a quarter past four. Mary, who seems to be quite pleased in her purchase, runs upstairs to hide it somewhere that she knew Wilson would never go- her bed. She shoves it underneath, and as she does, she finds an old shoebox. She looked at the numbers written on the top, 1997 to 1998, and remembered this was where she kept her memorable items from the past year. Every summer she would complete a shoebox and then stick it under her bed. A little Lucy-esque, but they are related. This one was from when Mary was a sophomore in high school. She thinks back hard as to if she and Wilson were together then, and she recalls that they were. Mary opens the shoebox, and upon seeing the some old pictures remembers some of its contents.
Mary starts scouring through the box, looking for a particular photo. It was a picture that Lucy had taken of Mary and Wilson on the back porch when she was spying on them. Mary made such a huge fit over the picture at the time, used the whole privacy bit and everything, but right now she was thankful to have it. As she studies the picture and thinks back to that time in her life when both she and Wilson were so young and in love, a single tear rolls down her cheek.
She places the photograph back into the box, and puts it back underneath her bed. Mary gets up off the floor, and sees a note from Wilson.
Mary,
Took Billy to the park for some father-son bonding. Thanks for leaving without
giving me a good-bye kiss. Be back before you get home.
Love You Lots,
Wilson
Mary takes the note and holds it close to her heart. Just as she sits down on her bed to contemplate life without Wilson, she hears the doorbell ring. She runs down the stairs, only touching every other step, and lets Wilson and Billy in.
"Hey little guy." She says upon seeing Billy. "You better now?"
"I guess so, but I still don't want you to leave." Billy wraps his little arms around Mary.
Mary looks into Wilson's eyes, and he can tell that something is on her mind. He stoops down to Billy's level. "Hey Billy, why don't you go upstairs and play and Mary and I will be up in a couple of minutes."
"OK Dad."
Billy runs up the stairs, leaving Mary and Wilson alone in the foyer.
"What's wrong?" Wilson asks.
"Nothing's wrong. I just don't know how I am going to be able to function without you."
Wilson pulls Mary in for a tight hug. "Look, everything is going to be fine. And if it isn't, we'll work something out."
"But I know right now everything isn't going to be OK. So why can't we work something out now?"
"You might like your new found freedom, you never know."
Mary starts to sob in Wilson's arms. "But I do know. I know that all I want is you, and I don't know how anything could be good without you."
"You work without me, and you enjoy that, don't you?"
"Sort of, but sometimes I think…" Mary doesn't finish her sentence.
Wilson runs his hand through the back of her hair. "Think what?"
Mary pulls away from Wilson and looks him square in the eyes. "Sometimes I think, what if the plane crashes, or I get in a car accident on the way there or on the way home, and I never get to see you again."
"You can worry forever on 'what-ifs'. You have to stop thinking like that."
"I can't." She tells him, starting to sob again.
"Try. For me?"
"The only reason I 'what-if' is because of you."
"Mare," his says sympathetically, "please don't make this any harder than it is."
"I'm sorry. But I can't help it." Mary starts to cry once more.
"I'm sorry too. And I hate to see you like this, but I really don't think there is anything I can do."
Mary thinks for a second, and agrees with him. "Will you just sit with me for a little bit?"
Wilson smiles and nods. He takes Mary's hand and leads her into the living room. He sits down on the couch, and Mary sits perpendicularly on his lap while resting her head on his shoulder.
"Am I hurting your arm?"
"Not as much as my heart." Wilson leans in and kisses Mary, then again, before pulling away. He looks at her tear stricken face and it breaks his heart. "Are you going to be OK?"
"I guess, in time."
"Good. You know, I am so sorry about all of this. It's my fault and mine alone. You know, if I could have just been more-"
Mary puts her finger to his lips, silencing them. "Don't go there." She whispers before kissing his lips passionately.
Wilson kisses her one final time before moving her off of his lap. "I have something I have to do." He tells her standing up.
"Are you leaving?"
"No, I'm staying right here."
Mary's confused. "So what are you doing then?"
"I'm going to talk to Billy."
"Oh." Mary says reaching for his hand. "Do you want me to go with you?"
"No offense, but this is kind of a father-son thing."
"Oh, ok. I completely understand."
"Besides," he says, "if you were there, it would only make me more nervous."
"And why is that?" Mary asks with a sly look on her face.
"Just because."
"OK." Mary kisses Wilson's cheek. "Kiss for good luck."
"Thanks. And I want to talk to you when I'm done."
"About?"
"You'll see."
Mary smiles. "Can't wait."
Mary and Wilson walk up the stairs together, but part once they get to the top of them. Mary goes up to the attic while Wilson walks towards Simon's bedroom. He opens the door to find his son playing on the floor with his toys. Billy sees him and looks up.
"Hey Dad."
"Hi Billy." Wilson says sitting down on the bed next to Billy.
"What's that?" Billy says pointing to the bright pink photo album in his hand.
"This has pictures in it."
"Pictures of what?"
"Your Mommy." Wilson says, his hands shaking as he speaks.
"Really?" Billy says excitedly, jumping off the floor and sitting on the bed next to Wilson.
Finally, Christmas arrives. Mary actually sticks it out and stays until the holiday because that is what she came to do. Everyone is gathered around the tree, watching the children open presents. After Sam, David, and Ruthie were finished, Mary pulls Wilson aside and into the kitchen. Wilson brings his present for Mary and she brings his.
Wilson hands Mary a tiny and slender, neatly wrapped box. "Open it," he instructs her.
Mary tears off the red wrapping paper and reveals a black felt box. Her face lights up as she lifts the top of the box open. Inside was a gold bracelet.
"Do you like it?" he asks her.
Tears fill up in Mary's eyes. "I love it. You didn't have to do all this."
"I wanted to. It's supposed to be a "promise" bracelet." Wilson reaches out and takes Mary's hand. "I promise Mary that I will never stop loving you. You have my heart."
Mary wraps her arms around Wilson neck and leans her head on his chest as she cried melancholy tears. "I love you so much."
"I love you, too."
Mary pulls away from Wilson and hands him his present. "It seems like nothing compared to your gift," she tells him.
Wilson rips away his wrapping paper and stares skeptically at its contents.
"It's paper and a pen set, so that you can write me all the time."
Wilson laughs. "Thank you. I love it."
Mary smiles. "And I love your present. Put it on me?"
Wilson takes the bracelet and clasps it around her right wrist, then clasps his hands around her waist. Mary sighs heavily and leans into Wilson.
"What am I going to do without you?"
"You'll be OK Mare. I have a feeling it will all work out."
Mary smiles and kisses his lips. At that moment she decides that this is out of her control. If her and Wilson are meant to be, and she hopes that they are, things will work themselves out. If they aren't, then they won't…but she loves him too much to let that happen. No matter what, she is not going to let him slip away.
The EndA/N: Yeah… For lack of a better word, this chapter blows. I have a "you'll see" and nothing following it. You see nothing. And everyone was excited about the gift. It's stupid notebook paper! Not only have I probably disappointed all of you, but I have disappointed myself. Forgive me, oh loyal readers. I throw myself at the mercy of your reviews.
Feedback is appreciated.