(Chapter Twelve)

Dee Dee splashed cold water on her face, combed her hair and tossed a few items into a bag to get her through a few days. She put on her sneakers and grabbed her son's bear and her purse and made her way back downstairs.

Mark stood to meet her and to take her bag. "Are you ready?"

"Yes." Dee Dee replied softly.

Anna was hesitant to hug her daughter, fearing that she would pull away again, but before she could reach her, Dee Dee moved quickly to her and wrapped her arms around her and told her that she loved her.

"I love you, too, sweetheart." Anna's voice cracked. "Call me if you need me, okay?"

"I will. I'll see you later."

Mark escorted Dee Dee outside to his Mercedes roadster, made sure that she was settled inside and then put the bag in the small compartment. "Do you want the top up or down?" He asked as he settled behind the wheel.

"Down. I need to feel the air." Dee Dee sighed as she clutched the little toy bear.

"Is there any particular direction you'd like to go?"

"Not really." Dee Dee sighed. "Well, maybe a long stretch of road like the interstate or along the beach."

"You've got." Mark let down the top and they were on their way. He turned on the music, keeping it fairly low as not to disturb Dee Dee and and to allow them to speak without having to raise their voices.

As he drove, he took an occasional glance at his companion who seemed to be comfortable with her eyes closed, head against the headrest; as the cool breeze gently whipped her hair around her face. He wondered how much more she could stand, and if her expressing how she felt about Rick would be of any help to her. "Everyone has a breaking point. Maybe this was hers." As he concentrated on the road and listened to the music, he heard a deep sigh escape from Dee Dee's lips and looked to see that her eyes were open.

"I guess the smog is taking a break." She noted while taking in the view of several twinkling stars.

"So it seems." Mark said with a light smile. "I'm glad so you'd have something beautiful to enjoy during the ride."

"Thanks. Speaking of beautiful, I really like this song." Dee Dee turned to Mark. "Would you mind turning it up a little?"

"Not at all."

Dee Dee listened to the instrumental tune for a few moments. "Is this your group?"

"Yes. I'm playing the sax on this one."

"I really do like it." Dee Dee settled back into a comfortable position.

"Thank you. I have a fairly decent collection of music in my library, so feel free to listen to whatever you like."

Thanks. I will."

For several minutes, the two exchanged comments about music, and Mark was relieved to hear Dee Dee talk about something that obviously made her happy.

After more than an hour or scenic views by way of the long roads along the beach and the tree-lined interstate, Dee Dee announced that she was feeling better and that they could head to Mark's home. Time seemed to pass quickly as within a half hour, Mark was pulling into the driveway.

Sitting behind a large wrought iron double gate, Dee Dee saw a magnificent three-story Mediterranean-style home with an elegant, but not overbearing fountain in the center of the circular driveway. She had always felt that Mark's home would be very nice, but she didn't imagine it would be this grand.

"Wow, it's beautiful."

"Thank you." Mark drove up and parked under the Porte-cochère at the front entrance. He exited the car and opened the passenger door for Dee Dee, took her bag from the back and then gently placed his hand at the small of her back to escort her inside his home.

The primary focus was the double staircase in the center of the main entrance which lead to the second floor; the wrought iron railing offering both a delicate and strong architectural design.

"Let's go up and get you settled into one of the bedrooms." Mark suggested. "After that, I'll give you a tour, or you can wait until sometime later."

"Thanks." Dee Dee followed Mark upstairs.

"There are six guest suites to choose from. You can take whichever you'd like."

Mark showed her each of the suites, each containing its own unique and luxurious style; displaying pieces of art from around that world that complimented the décor.

After taking a look at each room and having a hard time of deciding, Dee Dee found one that she liked, only a couple of doors away from the master suite. The room had a large bay window with a seat, something Dee Dee had always liked, a sitting area with a chaise and a plush chair, coffee table and fire place. From the window, she could see the immaculate grounds in the back of the home; the well-manicured shrubbery, a fountain even more grand than the one in the front of the house, the pool, and a stone walking trail that lead to a footbridge over a koi pond in a Japanese garden.

"It's so beautiful...the room and the view. I think I'll be happy here." A slight smile crept across Dee Dee's lips. "Thank you."

"You're very welcome." Mark smiled. "Are you hungry?"

"A little, I guess."

"Okay. I have plenty of food in the kitchen, but if you'd like to order in, I'm game."

"I'm sure that what you have is fine."

"I don't know..." Mark chuckled. "Seriously, I do try to keep something decent around." He had Dee Dee to follow him into the kitchen and explained where she could find everything for whenever she felt like coming in for something.

"For a single man who travels quite a bit, you sure do have a pretty well-stocked kitchen." Dee Dee took note of the neatly packed containers of food in the refrigerator and freezer.

"I have to confess...I have a chef. She comes in a couple of times a week and makes the most amazing meals and puts them away for me."

Dee Dee smiled at hearing Mark come clean. "If I had a personal chef when I was single, I wouldn't have had to rely on meals that come in boxes or cans."

"Been there, done that."

Both Mark and Dee Dee laughed at his comment.

"I wasn't too bad." Dee Dee stated. "I knew how to cook a little, but since it was just me and I was working so much, I didn't see much need to. When I got married, that all changed and I got pretty good at it."

"I wouldn't doubt it." Mark commented. "If you want to cook something at any time, that's fine with me."

"Thanks."

After Mark heated their food, the two sat across from each other at the large marble counter and began their meal. He turned on the television that was mounted on the wall at the far end of the kitchen to offer a little background noise.

"I forgot to mention..." Mark began. "If you need to go someplace, you can take one of my cars.

"Thank you. How many cars do you have, if you don't mind answering?"

"Seven...so far."

Dee Dee quickly put down her glass in surprise. "Seven...so far? Wow. What do you need with..." She stopped herself. "I'm sorry. It's none of my business."

Mark chuckled. "What do I need with seven cars? I've always loved cars, and when I find one I like, I buy it. I do a lot of restoration myself, which is also a hobby and saves a few dollars. Another reason would be to keep my guests from spending money on rental cars or taxis when they're here. I have family and friends to visit and I don't like the idea of them putting out the extra money or being stranded here until I can take them where they need to go."

"Oh, now that's very nice of you." Dee Dee smiled.

"Thank you. So, as I've said, you can take one when you need it."

"I appreciate it." Dee Dee began to clear away the dishes.

"You're a guest. You don't have to do that." Mark stood to take the dishes from her.

"I'm an intruder."

"What do you mean by that?"

Dee Dee lowered her head as she felt ashamed. "I know I was wreck at my mom's and I wanted to get away, but I really didn't intend for you to put yourself out. I practically invited myself over."

Mark crinkled his brow. "No, I invited you here. I didn't think you drive and I thought you could use some company. I didn't want you to be alone in a hotel room if you decided not to go back to your mom's."

Dee Dee looked up. "I appreciate it, but I didn't even ask if you had plans."

"Well, I don't, so stop worrying about it." Mark smiled. "Most of my plans would be related to work, and I can do most of that at home. Even if I have to leave for a bit, my home is yours. Got it?"

"Got it." Dee Dee smiled gratefully.

"Good. Now, I'll put these in the dishwasher and I'll show you what's on this level of the house."

When Mark was finished, he showed Dee Dee the extended dining area in the kitchen with the two large doors leading to the patio, outdoor kitchen and pool, and another door that lead to the three-car garage beside the kitchen. He explained that the other cars and "big boys toys" were parked in another garage off to the other side of the house. They then exited the kitchen to continue the first-floor tour. Dee Dee was shown the formal living room, formal dining room, family room/den, a half bath at the foyer, one near the studio, one just off the family room and a private library filled with books.

"This is just the first floor, and I think I need a map." Dee Dee chuckled.

"It's not that bad." Mark laughed. There's a lot more to see, but I think we'll hold off until tomorrow. You need to get some rest." He could see that she was truly exhausted from all of the days events.

"Yeah, I think you're right. I guess I'll head upstairs, now."

"Okay. If you need me, I'll be my studio. Have a good night."

"Thank you. You, too."

Taking AJ's bear into her arms, Dee Dee made herself comfortable in the large, plush bed and used the remote control to turn on the TV above the fireplace. Within a few minutes, she was drifting off to sleep, but before she was in a deep sleep, she began to think of her son curling up next her in her bed back home in London. The warm tears trailed along her cheeks as the reality set in.

"AJ, I miss you baby. I miss you so much."

She lay awake for several minutes, knowing that she wouldn't soon fall asleep. She remembered that Mark said that she could make herself at home, that she was welcome to all the books in his library. She placed the toy bear on the pillow and slipped out of bed to go downstairs.

Mark was walking toward the kitchen when he caught a glimpse of Dee Dee coming down the stairs. "Hey. Couldn't sleep?"

"No." Dee Dee answered as she continued down the stairs.

"Sorry."

"It's okay. How's your work going?"

"It's going, but I wanted to take a break for some ice cream. Would you like some?"

"I came down for a book."

"Ice cream goes well with a good book." Mark smiled.

"Well, I can't sleep anyway, so what could it hurt?"

"Exactly. Listen, if you want to join me in the studio for a while, you're more than welcome."

Dee Dee thought for a second. She'd been interested in seeing Mark in action since she found out he was a musician. "Are you sure you don't mind?"

"I don't mind at all. Go get your ice cream and meet me there."

A few moments later, Dee Dee was entering the studio with a small bowl of ice cream in her hand. "Quite the professional setup you have." She commented.

"Thanks. It serves a purpose."

"What are you working on?"

"I have two projects at the moment. One is an instrumental and the other an upbeat tune with lyrics."

Dee Dee sighed as she swallowed a spoonful of the ice cream. "Do you mind if I listen to what you have so far on the instrumental piece?"

"Not at all."

The two listened to the song and Dee Dee commented on how much she liked it. When it was over, she asked to hear more. The two sat for over an hour enjoying a second helping of ice cream and listening to the soothing tunes that gently filled the air and offered relaxation to the both of them.

"Mark, you have a real talent. I'm very impressed."

"Thanks a lot."

"You' re very welcome." Dee Dee said while trying to stifle a yawn.

"Do you think you're ready to try and get some sleep, now?"

"Yes, I do. I think the music may have helped to soothe my nerves a bit."

"That's good."

Dee Dee made sure to take her bowl from the table and stood to exit the room. "I'll go ahead and get a book just in case."

"Okay. Leave the bowl. I'll take it when I take mine."

"Thanks. Don't stay up too late."

"I won't. I'll be heading up in a few minutes. I just need to shut things down in here. See you in the morning."

"Okay. Sleep well."

"You, too."

Dee Dee put her book on the bedside table, slipped beneath the covers and took her baby's bear into her arms. Before she knew it, she was quickly falling asleep.

It had taken Mark a little over a half an hour before he was finished in his studio. After putting the bowls into the dishwasher, he checked the alarm system and started up to his room. He could hear Dee Dee screaming the names of her husband, son and Rick in her sleep. He knocked quickly and called her name, and then rushed inside.

"Dee Dee." Mark gently shook her shoulder. "Dee Dee, wake up."

Her tear-filled eyes fluttered open and she turned to Mark. Without a word, she sat up and threw her arms around him.

Mark held her close and let her cry as he stroked her back. "It'll get better. It has to."

(Continued...)