Epilouge time.
A/N: For all those that have journeyed with Mark this far, I thank you so much.
Oh, and let it be known, there is a difference between being single and being alone.
And just let it be known- I don't hate Benny- I just hate writing him. So, it's up to you where he is or if it matters.
And yes, I am aware that rarely do weddings occur on Tuesdays but I'm committed to Mark's birthday being March 21st for no real reason except it feels right so again, please roll with my stubbornness. And I didn't know 3/21/2000 was a Tuesday until just a little bit ago. My memory is crap. Hell, I'm not 100% sure what day 3/21 was THIS year. It was a weekend, that's all I know...A saturday I think.
Don't own except one OC.
XXX
March 21st 2000
The sun shining through the windows wakes Mark up on his 30th Birthday. As does his cell phone ringing.
"Mother." He murmurs. It's time like this he misses the old loft and answering machine. He picks it up and looks. The display reads 518-474-4403. He doesn't recognize it, except that it's from the Albany area. So it goes to voice mail. It can't be good. Anything from the state capital can't be good news.
He drags himself to the bathroom and showers. In the time it takes him to shower, he misses two other phones calls- one from his mother, another from Maureen and Joanne.
He gives in and listens to the voice mails.
"This call is for Mark Cohen. Hello,this is the commissioner of the New York State Office of Mental Health. We've seen your film, "Learning to Live Again: A Survivors Tale" and would like copies of it. We are prepared to pay you for the right to distribute it in Mental Health clinics across the state. Please call me back at 518-474-4403 at your earliest convenience "
Mark nearly drops the phone as he listens to his mother's birthday message. Normal stuff- a slightly guilt trip-y plea to call. Maureen and Joanne's message is inviting him to dinner at the Life. He decides, rightly, that his mother and his friends can wait, the Office of Mental Health can not.
He glances at the clock. He has to be work by 10 to film a wedding at St. Patrick's Cathedral. It's only 9 o'clock , and the call won't take long. He's got plenty of time. Now
Taking a deep breath, he dials the number. He tells the way too perky receptionist who he is, and for the first time in...his life thus far really, he's told 'Just one moment sir' and it's not condescending.
He briefly makes arrangements to meet the Commissioner and go over details. He'll bring Joanne along, she's good at negotiating things.
He finishes getting ready for work and by the time he's out the door, it really hits him. He just sold a film to a legit source, and he's on his way to a job that he loves- filming celebrations. Who would have thought 30 would be so good? He stops to put a five-spot in the open case of the guitar player on the corner- and stops dead in his tracks as he meets the other mans eyes- stunning turquoise.
"You okay man?" The guitarist stops playing and waves a hand in front of Mark's face.
"Hmm..yeah, sorry. You remind me of a friend of mine."
"Yeah...kay. Thanks for the five."
Mark just shakes his head and goes on to work. He has a wedding and a bat-mitzvah to film today. He can't afford to be distracted today. These people pay him good money to record their happy memories, he can't afford to miss a shot just cause some dude on the corner has Roger's eyes.
As Mark stands in the back filming, he notices for the first time that the pastor is black. Not surprising, the couple is inter-racial, but what is surprising is how much the pastor sounds, and looks, like Collins. He's even got a smile very similar to Thomas B Collins. Mark shakes his head. Just a weird coincidence, nothing more.
He makes it through the service and reception without anymore random reminders of his friends.
He takes a coffee break and is no longer surprised that the barista is a Latina with big brown eyes and a half seductive smile. He takes his coffee, smiles back, and heads out to his next assignment.
Apparently fate is fucking with him today, and Mark has learned to just role with its punches.
So, when the route to the Bat-Mitzvah takes him past a nightclub were drag shows are held normally, and he catches a quick wave from a Latino performer, Mark just waves back.
And when the best friend of the guest of honor is named May, and has flaming red hair, he just helps himself to an offered glass of champagne- he hates the stuff normally but today is starting to feel bizarre.
Finally finished with his day , Mark calls Joanne and Maureen on his way back to his little one bedroom apartment.
They make plans to meet at the Life for drinks and dinner around 8 that night. That leaves Mark enough time to stop by the cemetery. As he walks through the East Village, he notices how much it's changed since the day Angel and Mimi wandered into his life. Tent cities are gone, it's...cleaner. He hasn't been in the mental state to really notice before . And now that he notices, it makes him both sad and happy. Happy because who doesn't like a cleaner neighborhood, but sad because it's proof that he really can't go back to the way things were before.
The visit to his friends isn't long but it is enough for him to be sure the seemingly random strangers were sent there from where ever his friends now resided. Just some cosmic way of wishing him a happy birthday, he guesses.
After a quick shower, he dresses and wanders back to the Life. Maureen jumps up from the table and embraces him like she doesn't see him practically every other week.
"Happy Thirtieth Mark!!" She exclaims. He hugs her back.
"Thank you Maureen." He smiles and heads back to the table were Joanne is watching a pretty little five year old color on a napkin. She looks up just as Mark starts to sit down and dashes out of here chair, much to the dismay of the lawyer.
"Uncle Mark!" She is all smiles and her long dark curls tumble down her back princess style. "Happy Birfday" She's lost her front teeth and 'th' sounds are hard for her.
"Thank you Rainy" Mark ruffles the little girls hair.
"Rainy, let Uncle Mark sit down. He stands up all day at his job." Joanne gently chides and the little girl runs back to her seat. "Happy Birthday Mark." Joanne continues.
Mark nods a quick thanks as the waitress comes by and asks for drink orders. He orders a beer as does Maureen Joanne gets a glass of red wine, and Rainy gets chocolate milk.
While they decide what to have, Mark speaks up.
"I got an interesting call this morning." He says quietly.
He waits for the other three (well two- Rainy won't understand exactly) to look up before continuing.
"From the New York State Office of Mental Health...from the commissioner...they wanna buy 'Learning to Live Again' and distribute it. I have a meeting Monday."
"That's fantastic Mark!" Joanne squeals as Maureen claps her hands in glee. "Do you need a lawyer?"
"Do you mind? I don't wanna sell myself short."
"Not a problem. God, though, this will be awesome. It'll lead to something big, I just know it." Joanne predicts
Mark just beams. It seems like empty praise but Mark can't help but think the lawyer might be on to something. But for now, he'll just enjoy the cards he's been dealt. He looks across the table at Maureen- once a girl who broke his heart on a regular basis, now a caring friend who helped him out when he needed it most- at Joanne- once his enemy, now a friend who always has his best interest at heart- and even little Rainy- as far as he's concerned, she's his niece and someone who brightens up his life every time she's in the room. He has his community and he's not alone. He's not alone.
XXX
A/N: And, I am DONE. This piece wasn't supposed to go this far- it was supposed to be the first chapter as a one shot. Then somehow it became this mammoth thing. I get alerts for this almost weekly right now. So, my thanks again to all that have journeyed with Mark this far. I've really enjoyed writing this- I've pushed boundaries of my own, done more research than I have for any school paper. So, seriously, I thank you all who've read this and at least put it on alert. And those that have reviewed those reviews are what pushed this on. I've been trying to write a piece I really can be proud of, and I think this is it. And it really is because of you that read this. Thank you again, all of you.
^_^