by Dana Mason
“I’m so sorry. I should have listened to you. I broke my promise and I let that monster get to you. I’ll never forgive myself.” His chest heaved when he said it.
“Don’t. We both thought he was gone. I’m fine and the baby is fine. That’s what’s important.”
“When I saw you unconscious, I thought you were dead.” Mark was overcome again, burying his face in her hair against her neck.
Sarah turned her body to face him.
“Stop, it’s over. Kevin is gone and he can’t hurt us again. I love you, Mark.” Sarah’s eyes swam with tears as she cupped his wet cheeks and smiled at him. “You gave me my life back.”
“It’s going to take me forever to make this up to you,” he whispered.
“I guess it’s a good thing we have forever.” Sarah kissed him before curling into his chest, hugging the warmth.
They lay in the quiet for a long time and held each other. Mark could hear the flutter of their baby’s heartbeat coming from the monitor, and the sound combined with Sarah’s steady breathing comforted him.
He thought she had fallen asleep, but she said, “What are you thinking about?”
“How important you are to me, and how much I love you and our baby. How about you?”
“Johnny Rhay. He seemed sad. I hope he’s this happy one day.”
“What did Johnny mean by ‘The Park’?”
She laughed and then groaned in pain. “The trailer park.”
“Oh.” The conversation made much more sense to him now.
“Why did he say you were both orphans?”
“Well, my mama was never around for me and Devon. We were alone most of the time. Johnny lost his family in a house fire when he was a kid. After they were killed, he lived with his aunt, uncle, and cousin.”
“Wow, that’s awful.”
“It’s amazing he’s managed to do something with his life. He’s always been a good guy though, even when he was a delinquent.”
“He really seems to get you.”
“It’s a different world where he comes from. He helped me get through a lot of stuff.”
“Sorry to keep you talking, go to sleep.” He kissed her hair.
“I’ll go to sleep if you promise to be here when I wake up.”
“Is that why you’re not sleeping?” he asked, trying to look at her face.
She nodded into his chest.
He pushed the hair off her cheek and looked into her eyes. “I promise to always be here when you wake up.”
~
When Mark brought Sarah home from the hospital several days later, the house was full of people. She groaned when she entered and saw everyone. She tried to be gracious, and she was thrilled to see Ali’s new baby, but she wanted to be alone with Mark.
Catching her subtle hints, people slowly trickled out. Johnny Rhay and Ali lagged behind. Sarah suspected Ali wasn’t in a hurry to go home alone, but she wasn’t sure why Johnny Rhay was still in town.
“I’m surprised you’re still here. Haven’t you had enough of California to last you a lifetime?”
“I kinda like it here...and I need to talk to you and Mark before I leave.” He handed the baby back to Ali. “Kevin Lewis killed Charlie. We compared the DNA and it’s a match. The case has been closed.”
Sarah held her breath for several seconds, and then let it gush out in a long exhale. “I...I knew when I looked into his eyes at the party.” She bowed her head. “Poor Charlie.”
“Now, Sarah, Charlie wouldn’t want you to feel like that. Y’all were his only kin. He would have done anything to protect you. Don’t ruin his legacy by feeling sorry for him.”
She nodded and looked back up. “You’re right. I loved him too. He was a good man.”
“Johnny, thanks for staying to see this through,” Mark said.
“It’s been my pleasure. Y’all have a great group of friends and family out here. It’s a nice little town...not at all like the Metro, maybe I’ll visit again. Devon promised to teach me how to surf, although I don’t think I want to be eaten by sharks.” He reached in to hug Sarah. “Can you keep in touch this time?”
“I will e-mail, how about that?”
“Sounds real nice,” he drawled.
“Mark, it’s been good to meet you. Take care of this girl.”
“I will. Come back to visit anytime.”
“I just might do that.” He turned to Ali. “Miss Ali, may I buy you a cup of coffee before you go home?”
Ali looked surprised but nodded in agreement.
Mark walked them out and then snuck up behind Sarah to nuzzle her neck. “I have something for you.” He held her engagement ring out to her. “They gave it to me to take care of when you were in the hospital. I’ve been so distracted I forgot to give it back to you.”
Sarah let him slide the ring on her left hand and whispered, “I love it.”
He swayed with her for a moment, enjoying the quiet of the house and said, “It’s just you and me.”
“Just me and you,” she said, hugging the arms he held around her. “Just me and you.”
