Susan got up when their dinner arrived and told the attendant to keep his voice down. He put the tray on the sideboard and left. She lifted the cover off one plate – it looked amazing – like a hot, home cooked meal full of things that didn't have ratings in diet books.
"Susan?" Mark said sleepily, feeling the cold where she'd been beside him.
"Hey." She padded across to the side of the bed and knelt on the floor. "Dinner's arrived."
"Oh, good I'm starving."
"And no food after midnight so you better make up for it now."
He just grinned and sat up.
Susan put the tray on the bed and sat cross-legged beside him. "Good choice."
"Yeah, looks good." He agreed, taking up his knife and fork.
They ate in virtual silence until Susan put the tray and dirty dishes back on the sideboard.
"You want to go back to sleep?" she flicked on the electric jug.
"Na, I'll never sleep through if I don't stay up a bit later."
"Okay, well do you want to watch a movie or something?"
He thought for a moment then shook his head, "Na, lets walk."
"You sure?"
He nodded, "Fresh air."
**
They stepped out into the crisp New York air and wandered hand-in-hand. Mark had a vague idea where they were but Susan wasn't paying attention. That is, until they got to the ice rink at central park.
"We have quite the knack." Susan laughed.
"Yeah. You know you're not talking me into it this time."
"Yeah, I know." She slipped her arm around his waist. "But you'll have to conquer your fear one day."
"Oh, I dunno. I could quite happily just not skate for the rest of my life."
Both ignored the uncertainty of the end of his statement. Or tried to.
"Hey, I was thinking…" Mark broke the painful silence, "Well, this might not be the best time to bring this up, but carpe diem right?"
Susan smiled, "go on."
He stopped walking and turned to her. "I wanna marry you. We postponed it at first cause of the baby, and then things just kept popping up and…"
"Yeah I know." She agreed.
"What do you say?"
She held up her left hand, the ring shining in the reflection off the ice below them (they're on the board walk thing – like that bit in 'serendipity' – yah, this poor author has never been to NY – it's a long way from Christchurch, New Zealand.)
"What about setting a date?" he asked as if he were stepping out on a limb and didn't know what she'd say.
"Mark, I want to marry you more than anything, but… I…"
"Oh, right."
"I do, you know I do. I want every moment with you forever. But I want to promise you the rest of my life and not be wondering how long that's going to be." She wasn't sure if she wanted to take it back once she'd said it.
"Yeah, I know." He sighed.
"Lets just wait and see."
Mark nodded.
"I promise I'll marry you."
"Don't leave it too late."
"Don't say that." Susan took both his hands and lifted them to her lips so that she didn't have to meet his eyes. But he could see the tears glistening on her cheeks. He took her face in his hands and kissed away the stains.
"I love you so much. Please don't be sad."
"I'm trying." She kissed his mouth soundly then pulled him into an embrace, standing on her tiptoes, trying to envelope him and protect him, wishing with every fibre of her being that she could.
He held her, feeling all the comfort of her. Somehow he was happy. He was even relaxed. He could quite contentedly stand here forever. But she let him go and took his hand as if to keep walking. He pulled it back to cover a yawn.
She looked at him as if to say 'it's up to you what we do now'.
"Let's go back to the hotel." He took her hand with a cheeky grin, "There's one more thing I'd like to do before I sleep."
Her eyes lit up, smiling though there were plenty more tears waiting in the wings. "I'd like that."
"Well I can't promise much, I'm pretty tired." They started walking back.
"Honestly," she kissed the hand she held, "with you it's the best it's ever been. I've never been disappointed."
He laughed, "Thank you. And ditto."
"Don't do that, don't say things just cause I say them."
"I'm not. What? You think you have competition? I've never been with anyone as amazing as you. You may not believe me but some things are true whether you believe them or not."
Susan shook her head smiling. "I can't believe we're having this conversation."
"Hey, you started it."
She laughed, looking up as it started to snow. She stopped walking. "Look." She pointed up into the dark sky. With the snow falling at them it felt like they were flying upwards at incredible speed.
Mark let out a suspended breath and they kept walking.
**
Mark curled up, his head on Susan's chest. She ran her fingers over his head, kissing it occasionally.
"Sing me to sleep." He whispered.
"Okay." She smiled slightly remembering their tradition, "um… I don't wanna close my eyes, I don't wanna fall asleep cause I'll miss you babe and I don't wanna miss a thing," her voice came dangerously close to breaking but she swallowed the inevitable tears and kept going, "cause even when I dream of you… the sweetest dream would never do, I'd still miss you babe… and I don't wanna miss a thing." She ran her fingers across his forehead, "I don't wanna miss one smile, I don't wanna miss one kiss," she kissed the top of his head, "I just wanna be with you right here with you, just like this. I just wanna hold you close," she sniffed, "with your heart so close to mine, I just wanna stay here in this moment for all the rest of time." She swallowed and paused to long, "I don't wanna close my eyes, I don't wanna fall asleep cause I'll miss you babe and I don't wanna miss a thing. And even when I dream of you… the sweetest dream would never do, I'd still miss you babe and I don't want to miss a thing…" she stopped, biting her lip to keep from sobbing but letting the tears fall.
"Don't stop." Mark whispered.
She'd hoped he'd fallen asleep – then she could be sad without pretending to be strong for his sake. "I need a happier song."
"Sounds good."
"Okay, let me think. L is for the way you look at me. O is for the only one I see. V, is very very extraordinary. E is even more than any one that you adore. Love is all that I can give to you. Love is more than just a game for two. Two in love can make it. Take my heart and please don't break it. Love was made for me and you."
Mark laughed. "I like that one."
"Shhh… go to sleep."
"Only if you keep singing."
"Okay, but quietly. You are the sunshine of my life. That's why I'll always be around. You are the apple of my eye. Forever you'll stay in my heart." He looked like he was asleep but she knew he was listening. "I've been searching a long time. For someone exactly like you. I've been travelling all around the world, waiting for you to come through. Someone like you, make it all worth while. Someone like you keep me satisfied. Someone exactly like you. I've been doing some soul searching. Find out where you at. I've been up and down the highway, in all kinds of foreign lands. Someone like you, make it all worth while. Someone like you keep me satisfied. Someone exactly like you." She sighed, "Someone exactly like you…"
"Susan?" Mark said sleepily, feeling the cold where she'd been beside him.
"Hey." She padded across to the side of the bed and knelt on the floor. "Dinner's arrived."
"Oh, good I'm starving."
"And no food after midnight so you better make up for it now."
He just grinned and sat up.
Susan put the tray on the bed and sat cross-legged beside him. "Good choice."
"Yeah, looks good." He agreed, taking up his knife and fork.
They ate in virtual silence until Susan put the tray and dirty dishes back on the sideboard.
"You want to go back to sleep?" she flicked on the electric jug.
"Na, I'll never sleep through if I don't stay up a bit later."
"Okay, well do you want to watch a movie or something?"
He thought for a moment then shook his head, "Na, lets walk."
"You sure?"
He nodded, "Fresh air."
**
They stepped out into the crisp New York air and wandered hand-in-hand. Mark had a vague idea where they were but Susan wasn't paying attention. That is, until they got to the ice rink at central park.
"We have quite the knack." Susan laughed.
"Yeah. You know you're not talking me into it this time."
"Yeah, I know." She slipped her arm around his waist. "But you'll have to conquer your fear one day."
"Oh, I dunno. I could quite happily just not skate for the rest of my life."
Both ignored the uncertainty of the end of his statement. Or tried to.
"Hey, I was thinking…" Mark broke the painful silence, "Well, this might not be the best time to bring this up, but carpe diem right?"
Susan smiled, "go on."
He stopped walking and turned to her. "I wanna marry you. We postponed it at first cause of the baby, and then things just kept popping up and…"
"Yeah I know." She agreed.
"What do you say?"
She held up her left hand, the ring shining in the reflection off the ice below them (they're on the board walk thing – like that bit in 'serendipity' – yah, this poor author has never been to NY – it's a long way from Christchurch, New Zealand.)
"What about setting a date?" he asked as if he were stepping out on a limb and didn't know what she'd say.
"Mark, I want to marry you more than anything, but… I…"
"Oh, right."
"I do, you know I do. I want every moment with you forever. But I want to promise you the rest of my life and not be wondering how long that's going to be." She wasn't sure if she wanted to take it back once she'd said it.
"Yeah, I know." He sighed.
"Lets just wait and see."
Mark nodded.
"I promise I'll marry you."
"Don't leave it too late."
"Don't say that." Susan took both his hands and lifted them to her lips so that she didn't have to meet his eyes. But he could see the tears glistening on her cheeks. He took her face in his hands and kissed away the stains.
"I love you so much. Please don't be sad."
"I'm trying." She kissed his mouth soundly then pulled him into an embrace, standing on her tiptoes, trying to envelope him and protect him, wishing with every fibre of her being that she could.
He held her, feeling all the comfort of her. Somehow he was happy. He was even relaxed. He could quite contentedly stand here forever. But she let him go and took his hand as if to keep walking. He pulled it back to cover a yawn.
She looked at him as if to say 'it's up to you what we do now'.
"Let's go back to the hotel." He took her hand with a cheeky grin, "There's one more thing I'd like to do before I sleep."
Her eyes lit up, smiling though there were plenty more tears waiting in the wings. "I'd like that."
"Well I can't promise much, I'm pretty tired." They started walking back.
"Honestly," she kissed the hand she held, "with you it's the best it's ever been. I've never been disappointed."
He laughed, "Thank you. And ditto."
"Don't do that, don't say things just cause I say them."
"I'm not. What? You think you have competition? I've never been with anyone as amazing as you. You may not believe me but some things are true whether you believe them or not."
Susan shook her head smiling. "I can't believe we're having this conversation."
"Hey, you started it."
She laughed, looking up as it started to snow. She stopped walking. "Look." She pointed up into the dark sky. With the snow falling at them it felt like they were flying upwards at incredible speed.
Mark let out a suspended breath and they kept walking.
**
Mark curled up, his head on Susan's chest. She ran her fingers over his head, kissing it occasionally.
"Sing me to sleep." He whispered.
"Okay." She smiled slightly remembering their tradition, "um… I don't wanna close my eyes, I don't wanna fall asleep cause I'll miss you babe and I don't wanna miss a thing," her voice came dangerously close to breaking but she swallowed the inevitable tears and kept going, "cause even when I dream of you… the sweetest dream would never do, I'd still miss you babe… and I don't wanna miss a thing." She ran her fingers across his forehead, "I don't wanna miss one smile, I don't wanna miss one kiss," she kissed the top of his head, "I just wanna be with you right here with you, just like this. I just wanna hold you close," she sniffed, "with your heart so close to mine, I just wanna stay here in this moment for all the rest of time." She swallowed and paused to long, "I don't wanna close my eyes, I don't wanna fall asleep cause I'll miss you babe and I don't wanna miss a thing. And even when I dream of you… the sweetest dream would never do, I'd still miss you babe and I don't want to miss a thing…" she stopped, biting her lip to keep from sobbing but letting the tears fall.
"Don't stop." Mark whispered.
She'd hoped he'd fallen asleep – then she could be sad without pretending to be strong for his sake. "I need a happier song."
"Sounds good."
"Okay, let me think. L is for the way you look at me. O is for the only one I see. V, is very very extraordinary. E is even more than any one that you adore. Love is all that I can give to you. Love is more than just a game for two. Two in love can make it. Take my heart and please don't break it. Love was made for me and you."
Mark laughed. "I like that one."
"Shhh… go to sleep."
"Only if you keep singing."
"Okay, but quietly. You are the sunshine of my life. That's why I'll always be around. You are the apple of my eye. Forever you'll stay in my heart." He looked like he was asleep but she knew he was listening. "I've been searching a long time. For someone exactly like you. I've been travelling all around the world, waiting for you to come through. Someone like you, make it all worth while. Someone like you keep me satisfied. Someone exactly like you. I've been doing some soul searching. Find out where you at. I've been up and down the highway, in all kinds of foreign lands. Someone like you, make it all worth while. Someone like you keep me satisfied. Someone exactly like you." She sighed, "Someone exactly like you…"