@}~~{}~~~
"So, what happened?" Emma asked after everyone but Craig, Manny, Sean and her had left.
"What do you mean?" Manny asked smiling and biting her bottom lip.
"You know what I mean.......you and Craig? What happened?" Emma asked again.
"Well...." Manny said.
(*Flashback*) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It was late at night......nearly one in the morning. Craig slowly approached a dark figure resting on the playground swings. "I've been looking for you," he said softly. Manny looked up into his eyes. "I called your dorm and when Emma said you were gone, I came here," he said. "You used to go to the playground when you had a lot on your mind." She sighed at how well he knew her and how they were about to drift a part forever. He sat on the swing beside her.
"Why are you here Craig?" Manny asked. "I'm sorry about the kiss. I shouldn't have come to talk to you. I hope I didn't ruin your......wedding." She turned away.
"I'm not getting married Manny," he said. She lifted her head. He loved her hair and her eyes in the moonlight. It was dark. He could hardly see her, but he could draw her face from memory.
"........is it my fault?" she asked worried she had ruined her best friend's life. "I mess everything up."
"It is your fault Manny," he said. Her lips trembled and when she was about to cry he finished. "You're so wonderful, so heartbreakingly beautiful, so sweet......so meant for me, that no one else will ever compare to you." He smiled. "And it's my fault too......for being so madly in love with you."
"Craig.......," was all she could manage to say before he kissed her. She pushed him away gently. "What are you trying to say?"
"I never loved Lina," he said thinking about her lies.
"Then why....." she said but he interrupted.
"She lied to me Manny. She told me she was having my baby when she wasn't. She just used me to bring to her parents because her boyfriend left her. She got me drunk and convinced me we had sex but we didn't. It's a long confusing story," he said.
"She pretended she was having your child so her parents wouldn't kill her?" she asked trying to piece together the madness he just imposed upon her.
"Yes," he said.
"So, you said you would marry her.......because you felt guilty about.......the abortion," she said quietly.
"Yes," he said again.
"I'm sorry Craig," she said finally. "I had no idea."
"Neither did I," he said shaking his head.
"So, what happens now?" she asked. Craig knelt down on one knee.
"This was my mother's ring," he said. "I've kept it since she passed away. I haven't really looked at again it until tonight. It was very special to her. I want you to have it."
"Craig?" Manny said covering her mouth with one hand.
"Manny. I've loved you since the moment I laid eyes on you," he said pausing to fight back his tears. "I love you with all my heart. I've lost you before and I never want to lose you again. You make me whole. I could spend a thousand lifetimes searching for what we have and never come close. You are my reason. You're my best friend....." Manny started to cry. "I want to love you........to be with you.......to take care of you......for the rest of my life. Manny, will you marry me?"
"Craig I will," she answered wrapping her arms around him. He shook his head in disbelief and took her hand. He placed the ring on her finger. Then, they kissed. This time it was a kiss of happiness........a kiss of beginnings. Not sorrow, not goodbye, not guilt or lust. It was pure and sweet.
"So, what happened?" Emma asked after everyone but Craig, Manny, Sean and her had left.
"What do you mean?" Manny asked smiling and biting her bottom lip.
"You know what I mean.......you and Craig? What happened?" Emma asked again.
"Well...." Manny said.
(*Flashback*) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It was late at night......nearly one in the morning. Craig slowly approached a dark figure resting on the playground swings. "I've been looking for you," he said softly. Manny looked up into his eyes. "I called your dorm and when Emma said you were gone, I came here," he said. "You used to go to the playground when you had a lot on your mind." She sighed at how well he knew her and how they were about to drift a part forever. He sat on the swing beside her.
"Why are you here Craig?" Manny asked. "I'm sorry about the kiss. I shouldn't have come to talk to you. I hope I didn't ruin your......wedding." She turned away.
"I'm not getting married Manny," he said. She lifted her head. He loved her hair and her eyes in the moonlight. It was dark. He could hardly see her, but he could draw her face from memory.
"........is it my fault?" she asked worried she had ruined her best friend's life. "I mess everything up."
"It is your fault Manny," he said. Her lips trembled and when she was about to cry he finished. "You're so wonderful, so heartbreakingly beautiful, so sweet......so meant for me, that no one else will ever compare to you." He smiled. "And it's my fault too......for being so madly in love with you."
"Craig.......," was all she could manage to say before he kissed her. She pushed him away gently. "What are you trying to say?"
"I never loved Lina," he said thinking about her lies.
"Then why....." she said but he interrupted.
"She lied to me Manny. She told me she was having my baby when she wasn't. She just used me to bring to her parents because her boyfriend left her. She got me drunk and convinced me we had sex but we didn't. It's a long confusing story," he said.
"She pretended she was having your child so her parents wouldn't kill her?" she asked trying to piece together the madness he just imposed upon her.
"Yes," he said.
"So, you said you would marry her.......because you felt guilty about.......the abortion," she said quietly.
"Yes," he said again.
"I'm sorry Craig," she said finally. "I had no idea."
"Neither did I," he said shaking his head.
"So, what happens now?" she asked. Craig knelt down on one knee.
"This was my mother's ring," he said. "I've kept it since she passed away. I haven't really looked at again it until tonight. It was very special to her. I want you to have it."
"Craig?" Manny said covering her mouth with one hand.
"Manny. I've loved you since the moment I laid eyes on you," he said pausing to fight back his tears. "I love you with all my heart. I've lost you before and I never want to lose you again. You make me whole. I could spend a thousand lifetimes searching for what we have and never come close. You are my reason. You're my best friend....." Manny started to cry. "I want to love you........to be with you.......to take care of you......for the rest of my life. Manny, will you marry me?"
"Craig I will," she answered wrapping her arms around him. He shook his head in disbelief and took her hand. He placed the ring on her finger. Then, they kissed. This time it was a kiss of happiness........a kiss of beginnings. Not sorrow, not goodbye, not guilt or lust. It was pure and sweet.