Um, yeah… As you may be able to tell, I'm starting to slow a bit on this. The beginning of school honeymoon is over and Sophomore year basically sucks thus far. Being fifteen is really horrible. Anyway, it's getting harder to write a chapter every night because of homework. I'm taking two honors classes and homework is… Well, a bitch. So, please, even if the parts stop coming quite so frequently, please keep reading and reviewing. The reviews really make my day and right now, I really need someone to make my day.
Also, Kelby gets three billion cookies because she mentioned the Cape Cod pizza (which is great, although Town Spa pizza is still the best) and the Cape Cod Mall, which I'm going to on Saturday, by the way.
Peace
-elodie
Wisp
Chapter 15
"Looks at the houses! They're all the same!" Winnie said incredulously, pointing at the line of houses on their left, stretching out next to the coastline. And the ones on stilts! That's crazy."
Mark couldn't help smiling. She was getting so excited. Her nose was pressed up against the glass window, a big grin on her face.
"Almost there," Joanne murmured.
Fifteen minutes later, they were parked in the tiny driveway in front of a three-story house. A woman with long red curly hair was waiting on the doorstep. She wore a gauzy skirt with a paint-smudged apron over it.
Winnie burst out of the van and ran to the woman. "Aunt Lilia!"
"Little Miss Winnie, I'm so happy to see you."
Mark climbed out of the van and got a good look at Lilia. She and Winnie looked so much alike. The same red hair, same freckles. They were both tiny and so thin, although Winnie looked a bit more emaciated, but had the same delicateness that Mark just loved about Winnie.
Winnie grabbed Lilia's hand and pulled her down to the van. "Aunt Lilia, this is Roger, Collins, Maureen and Joanne. And this is my boyfriend, Mark. This is my Aunt Lilia!"
Lilia enveloped Mark in a delicate hug. "So nice to meet you," She breathed. Her voice was soft and breathy, a bit ethereal; much like Winnie's was when she was scared.
"It's very nice to meet you. Winnie spoke very highly of you," Mark said.
Lilia smiled and patted his shoulder. "I'm so happy to hear that. Well, everyone, you can just grab your bags and come inside. I can make everyone some tea."
* * *
"I haven't swam for so long…" Roger mused, a wave burying his feet in the cold wet sand. He laughed softly. "I wonder if I still know how."
"It's like riding a bicycle," Winnie piped up, only her head poking out of the water. "You can't forget. C'mon Roger, come swim with me. All the rest of them are wimps. I need someone to swim with."
Roger winced. "The water's so cold…"
"But that's the brilliant part! It numbs so after a minute or so. I can't feel a thing right now."
"Ok…" Roger took a deep breath and dove in. "Shit, it's fucking cold." He stood waist high in the water, his arms crossed over his chest and he was shivering like mad.
Winnie grinned, swimming over to him. "It's the beauty of the ocean, Roger."
"It's still cold!"
"Wimp."
Roger snorted and began to walk out of the water. "Wimp I may be, but crazy I am not."
"You sure about that?"
Roger turned back and saw Winnie grinning wickedly. "I'm not crazy!" He protested.
Winnie shrugged. "It's highly overrated to be sane. However, it's safer. Well, on most occasions. You're a bohemian, Roger. There's no way you're not crazy."
"I'm still not staying in that cold water. Besides, I have a headache."
Winnie climbed out of the water after him. "How bad? Wicked bad?"
Roger shrugged. "It's the same as it's been. Kind of throbbing, but nothing unbearable." He winced. "I think I need to go lie down."
"Roger, are you sure you're OK?"
Roger waved her off. "Yeah, yeah I'm fine. Don't worry about me. Let's just go back to the house."
* * *
"Mark, I'm worried about Roger." Winnie whispered.
Mark murmured back, "Me too."
"He keeps getting those headaches."
"Well, he used to get headaches when he was under a lot of stress. But these seem different."
Winnie was shivering a bit, sitting at the window in their room. Mark sat up in bed, a bit startled to see her shivering. She hadn't shivered in so long. "Winnie? Are you OK?"
Her head snapped up and looked back at him. "Oh, yeah. Yeah, I'm fine. Just worried. I can't sleep."
Mark swung his legs over the side of the bed. "Me neither."
"Want to go get something to eat?"
"Yeah, sure."
They carefully found their way downstairs to the kitchen. They were surprised to see Lilia sitting at the table, her long fingers delicately holding a teacup to her lips.
"Ah, Winnie. What are you doing up so late? Or early, should I say?"
Winnie murmured, "Couldn't sleep," and slid down in the chair beside her.
"Worried about your friend?"
"Yeah, actually. How did you know?"
Lilia gently set her teacup down. "Mark, come sit down. I dislike it when people hover." Mark blushed and sat down in the chair next to Winnie. "Miss Winnie, I'm very good at reading people. Roger's in pain and you mysteriously can't sleep. It's not a difficult thing to deduce."
Winnie leaned her head against her aunt's shoulder. "Aunt Lilia, you know that we really appreciate you letting us stay here for the weekend, right? This weekend, it's been great. A great escape from everything."
"I know, baby," Lilia murmured. "Just don't always try to escape from everything. A little escape every now and again is satisfying, but when you try to live your life as one big escape, you find yourself hurting more. Promise me you'll never live like that."
Winnie shivered, feeling a pang in her wrists. "I promise, Aunt Lilia."
Mark sat back and watched the scene. Winnie was promising her aunt everything that he'd always tried to make her promise. It's a wonder what a good, loved family member could do. He could see her smile softly towards him and felt her squeeze his hand lightly.
He loved her. He really did. Lately, he'd been carrying around a box in his pocket again, but a different sort of box. Not like the box he used to carry around. In it was a simple ring with a diamond on it. His mother had given it to him when he'd visited a few years ago, before he'd brought Maureen home. Mrs. Cohen had only heard mentions of Maureen and knew that Mark was head over heels.
So she'd given him her mother's wedding ring. It was small and simple, nothing especially flamboyant. But it was enough. Winnie wasn't flashy. She appreciated small acts of kindness and love.
The ring was beginning to burn a hole in his pocket. He longed to take it out, show it to her, ask her that certain question. But she was so young. It wouldn't do them any good to commit this early. After all, they'd only known each other for a little less than ten months.
But still… To see her wearing that ring and to know that she was his just made Mark's heart ache.
Sighing, he made up his mind. He'd bring it up tomorrow. Not in any big showy gesture, it was unlike him and it would just embarrass Winnie. No, he'd just casually mention it and if she shows interest, then he'd bring out the ring, Mark decided.
Yeah, that's what he'd do.
* * *
Mark had practiced in his mind all night. He was all prepared. Everything was meticulously planned. But the one thing he lacked was the courage to actually mention it.
He'd tried in the morning, but felt that she was too tired to take it to heart. He tried at noon, but Winnie was always around everyone else and Mark didn't feel like mentioning it in front of everyone else. In the afternoon, Roger had gone to take a nap and she decided that she was tired and was going to take one too.
Mark stretched out on his bed. Next to him, Winnie whistled softly in her sleep. She mumbled something and rolled over, her body pressed up against his. Her eyes fluttered open.
"Mark?"
"Mmm?"
"What time is it?"
Mark glanced at his watch. "About six."
She smiled. "Well, I had a nice nap."
Mark pulled her closer to him in a big hug. "Yes you did, Miss Winnie. There's no way you'll be able to sleep tonight."
"All the better for you." Winnie grinned wickedly.
Mark took a deep breath. "Winnie, have you ever thought about us?"
"Of course I have," Winnie said slowly, not quite understanding.
He took a deep breath and reiterated, "Well, I mean us. Have you ever thought about us and what we'll do in…? Well, the future."
Winnie kissed him gently. "Yes, I've thought about the future. Right now, I love being with you. You make me feel safe and I feel like I never want to leave."
"You make it sound like you have to leave," Mark said quietly, a bit sobered by her unspoken words.
Winnie shrugged and nestled her head into his shoulder. "Nothing ever lasts forever. Nothing is a sure thing. You know how much I want it to be. Right now, I never want to leave you."
"You're such a cynic."
"I know. I can't help it."
Mark kissed her, tracing his finger down her neck. "I love you."
"And I love-"
"Roger!"
Mark and Winnie's heads snapped up. Maureen was screaming Roger's name over and over.
They leapt out of bed and rushed to Roger's room. Maureen was sobbing, shaking Roger viciously.
"What's wrong?" Mark asked Joanne. She looked like she was trying so hard to hold back tears but was failing miserably.
"Roger's… Roger's dead, Mark."