WestFiction- "If You Love Something" by Mary

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If You Love Something...> chapters 33-34

Samantha took a walk in the streets of England. She suddenly missed Sligo’s quiet life. She thought of the last 26 years of her life. It was a rollercoaster ride to some extent. She had a lot to be thankful for. She had a house to live in. She never went hungry. Had a good education. She loved her job. She looked forward to it everyday. The people she worked with, the people she met. She had a terrific brother but she couldn’t meet him often. He’s married now, expecting his first child in two months time. She had great friends growing up.

Shane and Michala are on their honeymoon. Nicky and Georgina were expecting their second kid. Kian had a new gal, who remained mysterious to everyone. Ashley and Bryan were engaged. And so was Mark and Judith, at least that was what Bryan told her.

She remembered the conversation they had a month ago. Mark was wrong. She was happy. Not content, but happy. She had been in a few relationships after Rowen but nothing serious. But she is not worried about that. She was not ready for something permanent.

The friendship was shattered. There was no hope for reviving it anymore. She half-wished she never forgot to take her organizer that day. But at least he knew. She hoped that Judith wouldn’t do anything to hurt him.

She felt a little jaded. She grew up without a mum, she often wondered what it felt like, to have a mum. She remembered the days in school, how she felt left out, when her friends talked about their mum’s and what they did on Mother’s Day, how much she wished her mum were alive. One day, she couldn’t take it anymore and she lashed out at Joshua, he just sat on his bed quietly while Samantha was screaming and cursing the world, why, didn’t she deserve a mum. When the anger subsided, he held her while she cried her eyes out. Maybe Mark was right, she deserved everything that happens to her. And the Box of Treasures as she called it, was with Joshua, she passed it to him the very next day Mr. Lee gave it to her. She would go through it one day, but not anytime soon.

In a way Joshua was both her mum and dad. The way she looked at her life, anything she loved, anything dear to her heart, never stayed in her life. Her mum, her dad, Rowen and now Mark. So now is she going to lose Joshua and Ashley too?

~ ~ ~

Samantha aroused from her sleep. The ringing of her phone wouldn’t stop. She reached for her cell phone, which was on her bedside table.

“Hello?” she said drowsily. No one answered. Then she began to hear sobbing. “Mark? Is that you?” she is fully awake now. She glanced at the display. It was Mark. And it was two in the morning.

“Mark? Where are you?” There was no answer, she just heard him sobbing. At that moment, there was a knock at the door, she nearly jumped out of her skin. Her phone went dead. She got out of her bed and grabbed her baseball bat. Which she bought for self-defense purpose.

“Who is it?” she called out. No one answered. She walked up the door cautiously and looked through the peephole, then gave a long exhale.

She opened the door and Mark leaned on the doorframe for the support. His eyes were bloodshot, from lack of sleep or from crying, she wasn’t sure.

“You were right,” he whispered. Samantha had no clue what he was going on about as she led him to the couch. She went to the kitchen and came back with two glasses of Scotch.

Mark began sobbing, she put her arms around him and let him cry it out. “She was in bed with another man,” he said between sobs and took a gulp of Scotch. Judith! Then he continued, “I went to her place today…yesterday. To surprise her. And she was…You were right.” He drank down the other glass of Scotch too. Samantha held him as he cried and she felt helpless. What can she do ease the pain? What does she say in times like this?

“It’s okay,” she said, a tear rolling from her cheek, “It will be okay.”

~ ~ ~

CHAPTER 34

Samantha pulled back the curtains. Sunshine flooded the room. She looked at Mark, he was sleeping like a baby. But she knew it was not a peaceful one. It hurt her to see him like this. And she hated Judith for doing this to him.

He moped around her house for one week. Yesterday she managed to get Mark back to Dublin. He hardly uttered a word to her after that night he came to her flat. She dropped everything at work for a month, the last time she was on vacation was two years ago, she advised Adrian to do the same and sent him on a holiday to the Caribbean. But this was not a vacation for her.

“Rise and shine,” she said to him.

“Go away,” he said covering his face with his pillow. She pulled the pillow away from his face.

“Come on. It’s already noon. Up you get.” He groaned. Finally he sat up on his bed. He changed his mind and went back to sleep again.

“Oh, no, you don’t,” she said as she pulled him back to sitting position, “Listen. I want you to go and take a long shower. And then I want you to come down for lunch. Okay?”

“Yeah, yeah” he grumbled.

~ ~ ~

They sat on the bench, watching the people around them. A perfect evening, gales of laughter from children who were running around chasing each other, a family was having a picnic at the park nearby, an old lady was feeding the birds a few yards away. Mark eyed the birds discreetly, as long as they kept their distance from him. After lunch, Samantha dragged him for a walk. He wore his sunglasses, a cap and with the beard which grown form the past week, no one gave him a second glance, which felt liberating.

A bird flew right at him and perched at the armrest next to Mark. It happened so sudden that he wrenched away practically jumping on Samantha’s lap. Samantha was bewildered by his action that her head snapped at his direction, only to find Mark throwing a pebble towards the bird to shoo it away.

“You’re joking right?” she asked him incredulously. He looked at her blankly, Samantha filled him in, “You are still scared of birds? After all these years?”

“Don’t look at me like that,” he said defensively, then shuddered “I mean look at it… that sound when they flap their wings- Are…are you laughing at me?”

Samantha giggled and it gave into laughter, “No I’m not,” she managed to say and at the same time trying to get herself under control. Mark was a little irritated by her reaction, “If you plan to make fun of me, then I’m leaving,” he warned.

But Samantha couldn’t help it. When he began to get up, she sobered up immediately and said something before she lost control again, “Mark, I don’t believe you, those are such small creatures and you are ten times it’s size! Those birds are supposed to be afraid of you, not the other way around.” A smile was tugging at the end of her lips and she prayed she won’t start giggling again.

“Well, it’s still not funny,” he said looking down at his hands. Samantha saw that what she did hurt his pride, “I’m sorry. I assumed you got over it.” He just shrugged. Getting up and holding out her hand, “Come on. Let’s take care of that.” He took her hand let her lead the way, unsure of what she’s up to.

They walked up to the old lady, “Excuse me mam, good afternoon,” Samantha said politely and the lady smiled, “Can we have some of those?” pointing at the bag of sunflower seeds she had with her.

“Why of course,” she replied and pouring some onto Samantha’s hands, “there you go.”

“Thank you,” Samantha replied with a smile, “and enjoy your evening.”

“Have a good day,” Mark said politely to the lady and followed Samantha. She walked up to a clearing then turned around to face Mark.

“What are you up too?” he asked suspiciously.

“Hold out your hand,” she commanded instead of replying him and he obeyed. She poured half of her seeds into his hands.

“Samantha,” he said in a warning tone.

“Now relax,” she assured him. And the moment he did, Samantha threw the seeds over the air and it rained down them.

“SAMANTHA ARE YOU INSANE??” the birds began flying towards them and Mark began to panic, “If I get out of this alive, you are so dead.” She grabbed his hand when he looked like he was going to run off, “Relax. I’m right here, nothing’s gonna happen to you,” she assured him as a flock of birds were flying around them, “for heaven’s sake, be a man and open your eyes.” He peeked through one eye and slowly she felt the tension leaving from his arms. He began looking at the birds which was picking the seeds from the ground.

In time Mark relaxed as he was enjoying the experience then he smiled. Suddenly she felt her heart lurch. She shook off that odd feeling and asked, “See? It’s not that bad.” She felt there was a glint in his eyes behind the shades and true enough he threw his batch of seeds over the air. Again a flock of birds came flying over. He was relishing the moment and it was infectious, he reminded her of a kid who was given a puppy for his birthday.

~ ~ ~

They plopped down on the grass at the nearby park enjoying a cone of ice-cream which Samantha tricked Mark into treating her.

“It was quite silly of me to run away from the winged ones,” he commented.

“Yup. Very silly,” Samantha agreed gravely with him and Mark glared at her, between laughter she asked, “I take it you are not going to break the hundred meter dash every time a bird is in short range?”

“Nope,” he said laughing along with along her, “I’m a changed man. Thank you.”

“Anytime,” she replied finishing up her ice-cream.

“And I’m sorry,” Mark said. She looked at him questioningly. “For all the things I said. How could I ever think that you would that out of jealousy?”

“Mark, it’s—“ she began but he cut her off, “I really am sorry. I should have known you better than that. I do know you better than that. You wouldn’t lie, at least not to me, you won’t. And all the things I said about you and Rowen and your dad, Samantha I am very sorry. You certainly deserve nothing but the best. I’m sorry. I really am.”

“It’s okay,” she said, “Just forget about it, okay?”

“That’s it? It’s okay?”

“Yeah. Why? Don’t you want to be forgiven?” she asked, a little confused.

“No! I mean yes. No,” Mark couldn’t seem to make up his mind, “You have every right to be mad at me. You should be calling me every name in the book. You are supposed to give me two black eyes because I was rude and it’s unforgivable.” Samantha couldn’t help but laugh, he knew he was being let off way to easy, “Sam, you have the reputation as a very hard businesswoman when it comes to your work but you are being too kind here.”

“Look, I don’t deny that what you said hurt. But what I said must have hurt even a little and you wanted to get back at me. So you used something that you knew would hurt me. You were angry at that time Mark and you knew the easiest way to get even, I know you never meant a word of it,” she said meaningfully.

He stared at her in awe, and he whispered, “You are one amazing woman.” She smiled, “Rowen made a mistake.” She felt uneasy and suddenly wished he never said that.

“Thank you,” he said, giving her hug, “For being a friend. For being there.”

“You’re welcome,” she replied, “I wouldn’t know what I would do without you too.”

“How can I ever repay you?”

“Well actually there is something,” she said when she stepped out of his embrace.

“Name it. Consider it done.”

“Give me a smile. A big one” then she added mischievously, “And another ice-cream?”

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