Chapter 7

The soft morning light filtered through the curtains of Mark's bedroom, casting a warm glow over the room. Rose stirred awake, wrapped in the comfort of the thick quilt and the faint scent of Mark that lingered on it. She blinked a few times, her gaze falling on his sleeping form beside her.

He looked peaceful, his strong features softened in sleep. His chest rose and fell steadily, and a few strands of his auburn hair fell across his face. Rose smiled, her heart swelling as she reached out tentatively to brush the hair away.

For a moment, she just watched him, marveling at how natural it felt to be here with him. This was the Mark she had always loved—not the larger-than-life man chasing his dreams, but the kind, steady soul she had grown up with.

Mark's eyelids fluttered, and he stirred slightly before his eyes opened. He blinked a few times, focusing on her. A slow, sleepy smile spread across his face.

"Good morning, darling" he murmured, his deep voice still rough from sleep.

"Morning," she replied softly, her cheeks flushing as his hand reached up to cup her face.

His thumb brushed against her cheek, and his eyes searched hers. "Are you feeling better?"

Rose nodded, leaning into his touch. "Yes, thank you for bringing me here to spend the night."

"We both needed this," he softly said, searching her eyes. They stayed like that for a moment, the silence between them warm and full of unspoken emotions. Then, Rose sat up, tucking a curl of her blonde hair behind her ear. "How about I make us breakfast?" she offered a smile on her lips. "We still need to talk, but… maybe it'll be easier with pancakes?"

Mark chuckled, sitting up as well. "You cooking for me? How could I say no to that? I've missed your cooking."

A playful glint sparked in her eyes. "You just missed trying to help and making a mess," she teased, slipping out of bed.

He followed her to the kitchen, watching as she rummaged through his cabinets for ingredients. "You do know where everything is, right?" he asked, smirking.

Rose shot him a mock glare. "Of course I do. I've been cooking for Kane a lot. Being in this house made missing you a little easier," she softly said as she began mixing the ingredients together.

"Well you don't have to miss me now. I'm here to help. Let's see how big of a mess I can make," Mark grinned, grabbing a whisk to mix the bowl while she started heating up the griddle. They worked side by side, Mark found ways to brush against her and make her laugh when he decided to take over flipping the pancakes.

"You're worse than Kane in the kitchen," Rose teased, giggling as Mark made an exaggerated attempt to flip a pancake.

"Hey, I'm trying here," he replied, grinning as he caught the pancake midair.

When the last pancake was on the plate, Mark turned to her, a mischievous look in his eyes. "You've got some pancake mix on you," He gestured to her cheek.

Rose frowned, swiping at her face. "Did I get it?"

"Not quite," he said, closing the distance between them.

Before she could respond, he leaned in and kissed her, his lips soft and warm against hers. The world seemed to pause as Rose melted into him, her arms wrapping around his neck.

When they finally pulled apart, tears welled up in her eyes. "I'm sorry," she whispered, her voice trembling. "I'm so sorry, Mark. For everything."

He placed his hands on her hips, his gaze steady and full of emotion. "Hey," he said softly. "I'm not mad anymore, Rose. I get it. You thought you were doing the right thing. But I don't want to waste time being mad and dancing around how we feel about one another. I want to spend as much time with you before I leave again. We need to talk about how to make our relationship work when I return to the road."

Her tears spilled over, but this time, they were tears of relief and joy. "Do you… do you think we can really make it work?"

Mark smiled, pulling her into a tight embrace. "I think we can do anything, Rose. As long as we communicate with one another. No more making decisions about us without talking to me. Fate has now shown us twice we are meant to be together. Whatever the future holds we have to remember we are destined to be together. I'm not going to lie. There are times it may feel like we are going through hell but at least we will be going through it together. Do you want to go on this journey with me, Rose?"

"Yes, of course I do," she wrapped her arms around him, never wanting to let him go again.

"Then you're stuck with me till my dying day darling," he said leaning down kissing her deeply as she melted into him again. They held each other in the middle of the kitchen for a while till Mark led her to the table to eat their breakfast. For the first time in a long while, hope blossomed in Rose's chest. They weren't perfect, and they still had things to work through, but for now, they had each other—and that was enough.

The days that followed were like living a dream for Rose. For the first time in a long while, she and Mark had the chance to be together without the shadow of their past hanging over them. With the town bustling in preparation for New Year's eve, they made the most of every moment they had before Mark had to leave again.

They spent quiet mornings together at Mark's house, sipping coffee and talking about everything and nothing. Mark would sit at the kitchen table while Rose baked cookies for New Year's eve. He always managed to sneak one before they were fully cooled, earning a playful scolding from Rose.

"You're going to burn your mouth one of these days," she teased as he grinned, biting into a warm sugar cookie.

"Worth it," he replied, crumbs falling onto his shirt.

Afternoons were spent out in the snow-covered town, where they walked hand in hand through the festive streets. Mark seemed to know everyone, stopping every few feet to chat with old neighbors and friends who were delighted to see him back. Rose loved seeing this side of him, the boy she had grown up with still shining through the man he had become.

One evening, they attended the New Year's eve party. Standing amidst the crowd, Mark wrapped his arm around Rose, pulling her close as fireworks erupted into the sky to celebrate the new year. She turned and kissed him passionately, feeling happiness that they were starting the new year together. Mark felt complete having her in his arms. He was dreading leaving her in a few days. He shook the thoughts of her away, sweeping her up in his arms for another deep kiss as fireworks kept exploding.

But as the week went on, the looming reality of Mark's departure was weighing on both of them. On their last night together, they sat in front of the fire at Mark's house, their fingers intertwined as they talked about the future.

"I don't want to lose this again," Mark said, his voice low and steady.

Rose looked at him, her heart aching at the thought of him leaving. "Me neither," she whispered.

Mark shifted closer, cupping her face with his hand. "We will make this work. No matter how busy things get, no matter how far apart we are. We will make time for one another. I promise I will do everything I can to come home more."

Rose felt tears prick her eyes, but she smiled through them. "Okay," she said, her voice trembling with emotion. "I promise I'll come to see you more on the road too. I talked to my mom this morning and she agreed to hire help now things are more stable so I can have more free time. I want to see this wrestling life you're building for yourself. I want to try to be there for all the important moments."

He chuckled, brushing a thumb over her cheek. "Sounds like we have a good plan. Always remember you're the most important part of my life. You are my world, nothing will ever come before you. I love you Rose."

"I love you more than you'll ever know. You are my everything. This last year has proven in so many ways I never want to be without you," she reached up caressing his face.

They sealed their promise with a kiss, a mix of sweetness and longing. That night, as they lay in each other's arms, Rose allowed herself to believe that they could make it work.

The next morning, as Mark packed his bag, they made plans for Rose to visit him in a few weeks. She stood by the door, watching as he zipped up his duffel, her chest tightening with the thought of saying goodbye again.

"You better call me the second you get there," she said, crossing her arms in mock sternness.

Mark grinned, pulling her into a hug. "You'll probably hear from me before I even leave the state."

She laughed, burying her face in his chest. "Good. I'm going to miss you so much."

"I'm going to miss you too darling," he tightened his grip on her. "I left you a bunch of my shirts and the quilt from bed for you to wrap yourself in at night till we are together again. I love you don't ever forget that," he stared into her tear filled eyes.

"I love you too, Mark," she whispered as he kissed her again over and over before slowly letting her go. She kissed him a few more times through his truck window before forcing herself to step back. As he drove off, Rose moved onto the porch, watching until his truck disappeared down the road. Her heart ached, but it also felt full. She knew they would make it through the hard part of being apart and they would both cherish any moments they got together worlds more.