FROM CHAPTER 2:
Mac sealed the envelope. She grabbed her keys, an umbrella and the letter she had just written him. She opened the door and found him about to knock.
Her voice was barely a whisper, masked with surprise, "Harm, what are you doing here?"
CHAPTER 3:
He stood there, mouth open. She was his mirror, her hand in a death grip on the door knob.
"Harm? Are you alright? What are you doing here, in your letter you said you were still in Paraguay. What's going on?"
"I wrote that while we were in Paraguay. I wrote that so you would not try to see me. Looking at you hurts me, Sarah, and I can't deal with the pain right now. I thought I was doing the right thing by just leaving you that letter, but that adds to our problems. So I am here now, asking you for a chance to talk."
She opened her door wider, inviting him in. He sat on her couch, more nervous than anything, waiting for her to speak. He was shocked when she didn't, but instead handed him an envelope; eerily similar to his, but thicker.
"You read this and I will make some coffee."
She disappeared into the kitchen and returned a few minutes later with two cups of coffee. She sat next to him, her legs tucked under her, one cup between her hands.
He folded the letter and put it back into the envelope. His hands were folded in front of him, arms resting on his knees. They sat like this, in uncomfortable silence, both waiting for the other to say something.
"Harm, say something please," Mac's eyes pleaded with his.
"What do you want me to say? That I will wait for you like you will for me? That I will spend my life pinning for you? Why do we always dance around the issue? Play with each other's mind?"
Her gaze met his. "I think...it's a basic instinct to make those that cause us pain suffer... sometimes it's intentional, sometimes it isn't but in the end no one wins...it's like a monopoly game - no end in sight - do not pass go, do not get what you want...I meant everything I said in that letter…"
"So what do we do now? What is it you want me to say? What is it you want to hear?" He was no longer on the couch, but by the window. The storm outside had lessened to gray skies, perfectly matching the mood inside.
"We move on and accept or we fight." Her voice was firm. "I don't want to lose you again."
"What do you mean?"
"When you went back to flying I felt like I lost you…and when I almost married Mic I felt I lost you again. Every time we start to get it right some thing goes wrong."
He stood facing the window, he didn't need to look at her to know she was crying. "I don't know if I can do this anymore…or if I want to…"
She stood and faced his back. "What do you want to do?"
He closed his eyes. He could hear the fear in her voice, the uncertainty filled the air. Harm was at a loss on what to do. He wanted to try again but in his heart he knew that they had a better chance at an ending like Romeo & Juliet. Nothing seemed to go right for them. Would it go right now?
"I want to try. Our friendship is something that can last just because we want it to. I think if we want this next step, we need to want it."
She walked behind him and carefully hugged him from behind, resting her forehead on his back. Tiny electric currents shot through his body at the contact. He felt her sigh.
He turned to face her. "I thought I knew what love was…I really did…but what I thought and what I want are two completely different things. I need you to open up your mind and your heart…let me in…and I will do the same. If we do this, it is a two-way street; no u-turns. I believe this can work if we want it to, if we try hard enough… So what do you say, Sarah MacKenzie, are you brave enough?"
"Oh, Harm. Does this mean that you don't hate me?"
"I could never hate you… And I realize why you said what you did. Us being together will test everything we believe in, most of all it will test the power of love and faith and trust to transform our life together into something worth living…"
What is Mac's response? Stay tuned for more!!!! Standard disclaimers apply