"Baby, we have to get going. We're gonna miss the train." Roger said rushing her.
"I know Honey. I'm just really nervous. It took me forever to pick out an outfit. If I wear too much black, she'll swear I'm not eating enough and if I dress too plain she'll say I'm letting myself go. What is it about mothers that always makes you doubt yourself?" she asked coming out in a denim skirt, high heeled boots and a long sleeve shirt with a belt around her waist.
"I don't know Baby, but you look incredible." he told her kissing her as he handed her her jacket.
"Roger, you always say that." she siad smiling at him.
"Well you always look incredible." he said smiling back at her.
"I love you Roger." she told him stopping at the door.
"I love you too Marty. Now we have to go. Your dad's picking us up frojm the station." Rofer said handing her her pocket book as they left the loft.
"Hi daddy." Marty said running up to her father to hug him.
"Hi princess. Hi Roger." he said hugging his daughter giving Roger a smile.
"Hi Mr. O'Brien. How are you?" Roger asked smiling nervously.
"I'm good. I heard you performed last night. How did it go?" Mr. O'Brien asked smiling at him.
"It was amazing daddy. You should have seen him. Roger was electrifying." Marty said smiling at him.
"It was great to be performing again. Thank you." he said smiling back at her.
"We should be getting back to the house. Your mother can't wait to see you two. She's cooking for an army." Mr. O'Brien said laughing as they got into the car and rode to the O'Brien house.
"Mom, we're here." Marty called out excitedly as he mother came out from the kitchen to hug her.
"You look so beautiful Margaret." Mrs. O'Brien said smiling at her daughter.
"Mom, dad. Roger and I have something we want to tell you." Marty said as her parents sat down.
"What is it Margaret?" Mrs. O'Brien asked smiling at them.
"Well last night Roger performed for the first time in almost 5 years and he asked me to marry him. And I said yes." she told them happily holding out her left hand to show her ring.
"Oh Margaret that's wonderful. We are so happy for you two." Mrs. O'Brien said smiling as she got up to hug her daughter and Roger.
"That's that's great news you two. Welcome to the family Roger." Mr. O'Brien said shaking Roger's hand.
"Mom, dad. I need to tell you something else. It's hard, but you need to just let me get this out." Marty began as Roger clutched her hand as they sat on the couch together.
"What is it Sweetie?" Mrs O'Brien asked concerned.
"Well, mom dad. It's about how Roger and I met. We didn't meet in the coffee shop. Me and Carrie had a huge fight over her boyfriend and she thought I was sleeping with him. Which I wasn't, but she threw me out of the apartment. I was walking around trying to figure out what I was gonna do, when this guy jumped me. He took my pocket book and all my money. He also raped me. Roger was coming home from work and he heard me crying in the alley. He came to help me and he helped me through everything. The police report, identiying the guy, the line up. Everything. He was amazing. Mom, dad that was 7 months ago. I moved into the loft that night and Roger, Mark and Collins set up my room for me. And everyone has been very supportive of me through everything. Three monts after the rape, I found out I was HIV positive. The guy had AIDS. But Roger and I fell in love before that and since he's HIV positive too, we take care of each other. I didn't get it from him. That we know. He has a different strain of it." she said through her tears as Roger held her close. Her parents were crying too.
"Oh sweetie. Why didn't you tell us sooner?" Mrs. O'Brien asked wiping her eyes as she sat next to her daughter.
"I was scared. At first I was afraid you would wnt me to come home, but then there was no point. And then I was diagnosed and I didn't know how to tell you. I wanted to tell you everything. But I'm fine. Me and Roger take our medicine and we always take precautions so that we don't throw each others viral load out of whack.. And mom, dad, he took care of me. Every minute of the day. We love each other and want to spend whatever time we have left together." she told her as tears streamed down Roger's face.
"Oh sweetie. We love you. You're our daughter. We want to do anything we can for you and Roger." Mr. O'Brien said reaching out for Marty.
"Thank you daddy. We appreciate that. All we want to do is celebrate our life together. We want to be together. Just thow us a party that does that and we'll be happy." Marty said wiping her eyes.
"And we will. Don't you worry about that . There's the engagement party and the bridal shower, and of course Roger needs a bachelor party and we can't forget the wedding;." Mrs. O'Brien said hugging Marty.
"Roger, can I see in in the kitchen for a minute?" Mr. O'Brien asked smiling at Roger.
"Yes sir." he said caressing Marty's cheek before following the older man.
"Thank you for being there for her. If you hadn't found her, who know who would have... or what they would have done to her." Mr. O'Brien began before breaking down again.
"I konw. I beat myself up for a long time over it. Why didn't I leave work earlier? But Mr. O'Brien, it doesn't matter. She taught me that. There was no way for me to have known. All that matters is that she didn't have to go through it alone. I was there when she had nightmares. I carried her up the stairs when she couldnt' even walk and just made her feel safe. And while I was doing all that I fell in love with her. And she fell in love with me." Roger said as tears escaped his eyes.
"Well thank you Roger. I'm glad you found each other. And I mean it. Anything you two need. It's yours. There's nothing I won't do for you two." MR. O'Brien said hugging Roger.
"I have everything I need sir. Marty's my life." Roger said wiping his eyes.
"Are you boys OK in here?" Marty said coming into the kitchen.
"Yeah Baby. We're fine. Just some male bonding." Roger told her smilng at her.
"Now do you two have a wedding song picked out?" Mrs. O'Brien asked walking over to Mr. O'Brien.
"Yeah, last night Roger played a song he wrote for me and it's beautiful. I want that to be our wedding song." Marty told her smiling.
"That's beautiful Margaret. What the name of the song?" she asked as Roger held Marty in his arms.
"Rescue me. It's about the night I rescued her. But she really rescued me. I proposed to her after I did that song." Roger said kissing Marty's head.
"On stage?" Mr. O'Brien asked smiling at them.
"Yeah. And I said yes on stage." Marty said excitedly.
"That is so romantic." Mrs. O'Brien said looking up at her husbnd.
"Well Roger's a romantic." Marty said leaning up to kiss him.
"I just wanted to propose to her on stage since she's the one responsible for me being up there again." Roger said holding her in his arms.
"That's so nice. I'm so glad for you two. You really seem to love each other very much." Mr. O'Brien said smiling at them.
"That's what life's about daddy. No day but today, as Collins says." she said smiling at him.
"Good I'm glad you two take care of each other." Mrs. O'Brien told them smiling.
"We always do mom." Marty said smilng at them as Roger kissed her head.
"I always take care of my girl. She's my world." Roger said smilng at them.