Chapter 18
Mark got out of bed this morning and walked down into the kitchen, as he turned on the jug to make himself some coffee he looked at the calendar and realized it had been a week since he'd seen Mandy. Wow, only a week but it seems like a lifetime. He thought to himself. Wait a minute, February 23rd? Today's Amanda's birthday! He quickly realized. He grabbed the phone off the hook and dialed her number, but then quickly hung up. What if John answered the phone? What if she didn't want to talk to him? So many theories buzzed through his mind. He sighed as he put the phone back on the hook. He missed her, he wanted to see her again, and it was just so hard too.
Mandy rolled over as she tried to fall back asleep, she didn't want to get up even though it was her birthday. She was disturbed by a knock on her bedroom door; she waited for whoever it was to enter, as she didn't feel like talking.
"Mandy sweetie? Happy Birthday!" Her mom said cheerfully as she walked over and sat down on the edge of her bed.
"Thanks." Mandy sighed, not the least interested.
"Hunny, don't you wanna go have some fun with your friends?" Louise suggested.
"Not really." Mandy replied.
"Well your father and I have a present for you." Louise explained.
"I don't mean to sound ungrateful mom, but I really don't feel like doing anything." Mandy replied.
"Well I think you may like it." Louise said.
Mandy sighed and sat up as John walked into the room. "Happy Birthday, sweetheart."
"Thanks dad." She said, putting on a pretend smile.
"Here…." John said, handing her an envelope.
Mandy gave them a confused look, wondering what it was he'd had given her.
"Open it up, Mandy." Louise said, seeing the confused look on Mandy's face.
Mandy shrugged her shoulders while she opened the envelope. She gasped as she pulled out a plane ticket.
"What?" She said confused, as it was addressed to Texas.
"Well who do you know that lives in Texas hmm?" Her mom said slyly.
"You mean I can see him again?" Mandy gasped as she looked at her both her parents.
Louise had a smile on her face, and so for her dad, he looked relaxed.
"Oh my god!" She cried excitedly as she jumped out of her bed and ran into her closet and started pulling out some of her clothes and stuffing them into a suitcase.
"Hunny, there is no need to rush." Louise laughed.
"Yes there is." Mandy replied, continuing to stuff clothes into the suitcase.
Once she thought she had enough, she looked back at her parents.
"Thank you." She said, teary eyed.
"Oh sweetie." Louise said as she walked over and pulled her daughter into a hug.
"Mom I love him so much." Mandy cried.
"I know Amanda, I know." Louise said.
"I mean I thought I hated him but really deep down I loved him, I was just too stupid to realize." Mandy said as she pulled away from her mom.
"Dad…" She began as she turned to John.
"Come here sweetheart." He smiled as he too pulled Amanda into a hug.
"Thank you dad." She said quietly.
"I'm still a little edgy about it hunny, but I'll learn to accept it." John explained.
"Thanks dad, he cares about me so much." Mandy said.
"I know." John replied.
Mandy looked over at the clock on her dressing table it was ten o'clock. "Well I'm gonna head off."
"Ok then." Louise smiled.
"Thank you so much, this means everything to me." Mandy said, as she picked up her suitcase.
"Off ya go then." John said.
"I'll call you both tonight, I promise.' Mandy said as she headed towards the front door.
"Bye sweetheart." Louise said, as Mandy walked out into the street.
"Bye Mom, bye dad." She called back.
"See ya sweetheart." John replied.
She smiled and started to head off.
"Mandy…." John called out.
"Yeah?" She said as she turned around.
"Tell Mark I said hi ok?" John explained.
Mandy smiled. "I will dad."
She headed off towards the bus bay, to take her to the airport.
"That'll be twenty dollars love." The taxi driver said to Mandy as he stopped at the front of Mark's ranch.
"Thanks, here ya go." She said, as she gave him the money.
She hopped out of the car and grabbed her suitcase. She looked at her watch; it was seven o'clock in the evening. Her flight had been delayed but she didn't care, as long as she was here, that's all that mattered.
She breathed out deeply as she made her way up the drive way of his ranch. She was excited but nervous at the same time which was weird she thought.
She walked up the stairs and knocked on the door. She tapped her fingers on her jeans, waiting impatiently for Mark to answer the door.
She heard foot steps coming and saw the door handle turn.
"Hi Mark." She said quietly, as he opened the door.