Mark lay on his stomach in the dawning sun, watching her sleep. He only had two days until he had to go back. A week's vacation had undoubtedly reversed over the ground he'd gained in competition with Kerry. But to leave…? What kind of insane man would walk away from this? Her alarm went off – well, the radio flicked on.
"Some where over the rainbow, way up high, there's a land that I heard of once in a lullaby." Mark started singing along, "Somewhere over the rainbow, skies are blue… and the dreams that you dare to dream, really do come true." She opened her eyes. "Someday I'll wish upon a star, and wake up where the clouds are far behind me… where troubles melt like lemon drops… and way above the chimney tops, that's where you'll find me." He whispered the high note. She smiled and arched back to stretch. "Some where over the rainbow, bluebirds fly. Birds fly over the rainbow. Why, then oh why, can't I?"
Susan smiled, "You need wings." She whispered.
He looked at her sadly. "If happy little bluebirds fly beyond the rainbow, why… can't… I…?"
"Are you okay?" she cupped his face with one hand.
He shook his head silently and swallowed. "I don't want to leave."
"I don't want you to leave." She whispered. "We're on the same page – just different cities."
"You're amazing." He blinked back tears. "You're so strong. I'm sick of fighting this – I mean these past few days have been perpetual bliss – but I don't want to go back to fighting. I can't say goodbye indefinitely. I don't have the fight in me."
"I won't stay away forever. As of Saturday I don't have any choice in the matter."
"I'm back at work on Sunday." He hadn't told her when he was going back yet.
She swallowed and turned on her side to face him. "Two days?"
He nodded. She reached into his embrace and held him tight, not willing to let go.
"We can do this." She said, as much to convince herself as him. "I mean surely it's good for us, in the long term. Doesn't feel good now, but maybe we'll look back and…" she trailed off.
"Yeah." He agreed half-heartedly
She pulled back to see his face and kissed the trails of tears away. "I love you. And that's enough. I'll let you go back home, but I won't let you go… ever." Her voice failed at the end.
He'd missed the 'ever'. He knew she'd said something more. Something she wasn't sure he wanted to hear – by the look on her face. "What?" he stroked the side of her face.
"ever." She forced out in half a breath.
The tears still shined in his eyes when he smiled. "Ever? That's a long time."
"I won't let you go, ever." She said it quickly and buried her face in his chest, as if hiding from her own honesty.
"Oh, thank God." He squeezed her closer to him.
"You're okay with that?" she squeaked from inside his intense embrace.
"Of course I am. If I get the chance I'd happily chase you around a rest home when I'm ninety."
She pulled back so she could see him, her eyes smiling. "Sounds like a plan."
She saw the alarm clock behind him. "Oh, my gosh, is that the time?" she sat up suddenly, the covers falling off her body. Mark looked at his watch. "Seven thirty seven." He nodded.
"I have twenty three minutes to get to work." She rolled out of bed and grabbed her robe off the back of her door, still tying it as she made for the bathroom.
Mark pulled his shorts on and followed. "Hey, I can help." He let himself into the bathroom where she already had the shower going, waiting for the hot water. She laughed at him, knowing his 'help' would make her even later, but not sure that she cared about being late. Since apparently her job wasn't exactly long-term anyway. He locked the door of the bathroom, letting his eyes linger on her.
"You're so beautiful." He breathed. She was still a little uncomfortable with him seeing her like this in full daylight. "Something about the music of angels, light of the sun. I forget the line." He mumbled and kissed her desperately, giving her robe the last touch it needed to fall from where it hung loosely on her shoulders.
"Some where over the rainbow, way up high, there's a land that I heard of once in a lullaby." Mark started singing along, "Somewhere over the rainbow, skies are blue… and the dreams that you dare to dream, really do come true." She opened her eyes. "Someday I'll wish upon a star, and wake up where the clouds are far behind me… where troubles melt like lemon drops… and way above the chimney tops, that's where you'll find me." He whispered the high note. She smiled and arched back to stretch. "Some where over the rainbow, bluebirds fly. Birds fly over the rainbow. Why, then oh why, can't I?"
Susan smiled, "You need wings." She whispered.
He looked at her sadly. "If happy little bluebirds fly beyond the rainbow, why… can't… I…?"
"Are you okay?" she cupped his face with one hand.
He shook his head silently and swallowed. "I don't want to leave."
"I don't want you to leave." She whispered. "We're on the same page – just different cities."
"You're amazing." He blinked back tears. "You're so strong. I'm sick of fighting this – I mean these past few days have been perpetual bliss – but I don't want to go back to fighting. I can't say goodbye indefinitely. I don't have the fight in me."
"I won't stay away forever. As of Saturday I don't have any choice in the matter."
"I'm back at work on Sunday." He hadn't told her when he was going back yet.
She swallowed and turned on her side to face him. "Two days?"
He nodded. She reached into his embrace and held him tight, not willing to let go.
"We can do this." She said, as much to convince herself as him. "I mean surely it's good for us, in the long term. Doesn't feel good now, but maybe we'll look back and…" she trailed off.
"Yeah." He agreed half-heartedly
She pulled back to see his face and kissed the trails of tears away. "I love you. And that's enough. I'll let you go back home, but I won't let you go… ever." Her voice failed at the end.
He'd missed the 'ever'. He knew she'd said something more. Something she wasn't sure he wanted to hear – by the look on her face. "What?" he stroked the side of her face.
"ever." She forced out in half a breath.
The tears still shined in his eyes when he smiled. "Ever? That's a long time."
"I won't let you go, ever." She said it quickly and buried her face in his chest, as if hiding from her own honesty.
"Oh, thank God." He squeezed her closer to him.
"You're okay with that?" she squeaked from inside his intense embrace.
"Of course I am. If I get the chance I'd happily chase you around a rest home when I'm ninety."
She pulled back so she could see him, her eyes smiling. "Sounds like a plan."
She saw the alarm clock behind him. "Oh, my gosh, is that the time?" she sat up suddenly, the covers falling off her body. Mark looked at his watch. "Seven thirty seven." He nodded.
"I have twenty three minutes to get to work." She rolled out of bed and grabbed her robe off the back of her door, still tying it as she made for the bathroom.
Mark pulled his shorts on and followed. "Hey, I can help." He let himself into the bathroom where she already had the shower going, waiting for the hot water. She laughed at him, knowing his 'help' would make her even later, but not sure that she cared about being late. Since apparently her job wasn't exactly long-term anyway. He locked the door of the bathroom, letting his eyes linger on her.
"You're so beautiful." He breathed. She was still a little uncomfortable with him seeing her like this in full daylight. "Something about the music of angels, light of the sun. I forget the line." He mumbled and kissed her desperately, giving her robe the last touch it needed to fall from where it hung loosely on her shoulders.