The early morning sun shone through the blinds, waking Marcie with a start. For a second she feared that she might still be in Dr. Haver's cabin. Then she felt Michael's strong arms around her and she knew that she was safe. This was where she belonged. In the arms of the man she loved.
She turned to see him smiling at her. "Michael..."
"Hey Gorgeous." He said, kissing her.
Marcie smiled and snuggled into his arms.
"I was so worried about you." Michael said.
"I was afraid I was never going to see you again... to tell you..." Marcie's words were stopped with a kiss.
"God, Marcie, I'm so sorry for everything. I should have been there at Ultra Violet with you. I ended up working late at the hospital and I didn't even bother to call or check my messages. I'm so sorry for making you go to Ultra Violet when you didn't really want to go."
"Michael, I..."
He put his finger to her lips. "I wanted to be there for you. You sounded so sad in the message you left on my phone."
Marcie looked away. "Oh... I'd forgotten about that."
"What happened?"
"Nothing." Marcie said, realizing how insignificant it seemed now.
"Come on, Sweetie. Tell me." Michael said, tracing an invisible line down her nose to her mouth with his fingertip.
Marcie sighed. "It was Jen."
"What'd she do now?" Jen was always hurting Marcie one way or another.
"It's not what she did, it's what she said."
"What, Sweetie?"
"Well she just couldn't believe that someone like you would be interested in someone like me." Marcie was relieved to finally get the words out.
Michael smiled. "You mean she can't figure out how a jerk like me could possibly be worthy of a beautiful woman?"
Marcie blushed. "Michael, you're not a jerk."
"But you are definitely a beautiful woman." Michael said, kissing her passionately.
After a few minutes, Michael got up.
"Where are you going?" Marcie asked worriedly.
"Just close your eyes." Michael said, grabbing the bouquet of roses from her dresser.
"Can I look yet?" Marcie said, trying not to giggle.
"Okay... Open your eyes." Michael said.
Marcie gasped when she saw the roses. "Michael, these are beautiful." She said when he handed them to her.
"You're beautiful..." He said, kissing her.
After a moment of silence he cleared his throat. He was really going to do this. The nervousness he'd felt before seemed to have disappeared. Gently he took her hand.
"Marcie, I love you."
Tears filled her eyes and she smiled. "Oh God, Michael. I love you too. So much."
"Oh Sweetie, I don't know what I would ever do without you and I don't want to know." Marcie laughed as he playfully threw her back on the bed, kissing her. She was safe in his arms and there she planned to stay.
THE END