Jump to content
✨ STAY UP TO DATE WITH THE WORLD TOUR ✨

|| The Official Fanfic/Story Thread ||


coldplay_is_louve.

Recommended Posts

  • Replies 188
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

I leaped here from BaltoSource so I did some early work there as well. So if you've seen Balto you'll get these a bit more. They're all wolf/dog centric as most fics there are. The latest is Winona, I think I wrote that after See so that might be my latest. Not sure.

 

Cobaltié Fanfics Gallery

 

Suka's Tail is an old old series though, so it sux XD

Link to comment
Share on other sites

okay, so, this is a fanfic about chase utley.

 

for any of you who don't know who he is, he's a second baseman for the philadelphia phillies baseball team, and, well, he's BEAUTIFUL. :wacky::P

 

here's a picture:

 

dm_090313_MLB_UtleyGammons.jpg

 

:wacky:

 

so, yeah!

 

oh, and the plot is by marisa (In a telescope lens) :heart:!!

 

STITCHES.

CHAPTER 1

 

 

I woke up that morning to the sound of my phone ringing. That was a morning, a Friday morning to be more specific, where I just wanted to pull the covers over my head and disappear into my own little happy place. There was just too much to do. I rolled over and felt around my nightstand for my phone, and pressed the accept button when I found it. “What?”

“It’s about time you answer your phone.” Maria grumbled. “Did you forget your nephew’s birthday?”

“Did you forget how to tell time?” I looked at the clock, which read 5:30.

“Marisa.”

“Maria.“ Annoying my sister was one of my favorite hobbies. “Okay. I’m up. What did you want?”

She sighed. “I just wanted to remind you to have Nick’s cake ready by three. Oh, and remember we’re taking him to the Phillies game tonight.”

I groaned. “Why?”

“Because he loves the Phillies! He‘s six years old, Marisa.” she yelled. “You promised to come. So be here by three, like I said, then we’ll go to the game from here.”

Maria hung up the phone and I rolled out of bed. The city was still dark. I stumbled into the bathroom to see my golden blonde hair messier than usual, plus a fresh set of dark circles under my eyes. I took my hair out of it’s knotted ponytail, brushed it out and ran the straightener through it. Then I took as much foundation as I could find to cover up those circles. Couldn’t scare off the customers.

After I changed into an old maroon t-shirt and jeans I decided to go right to the bakery, since Natalie probably brought coffee. I grabbed the wrapped up Phillies hat I got for Nick and walked out of my condo, locked the door and began the short walk to my bakery. It was a gorgeous summer morning in Philadelphia. The traffic jams were just getting ready to begin, and there wasn’t a cloud to be seen in the sky.

I got to my bakery and noticed the door was already unlocked, so I knew Natalie was there. “Morning.” I said, walking in.

She peeped her head out from the back and smiled. “Coffee’s on the counter.”

I walked around the counter and grabbed my mocha latte. Time to start the day.

After many pastries and many customers later I sent Natalie out to get lunch. That was my time to start Nick’s cake. There were too many customers in the day to do, well, anything personal except bake hundreds of pastries. I baked a giant sheet of chocolate cake with Oreos, waited for it to cool, then started to think of how I was going to decorate it. “Phillies.” I mumbled to myself. “Phillies.”

Natalie came back and began the afternoon shift while I worked on the incredible detail that went into my cake. Around the sides I made very tiny, very hard to do baseball stitches and wrote “HAPPY BIRTHDAY, NICK!” over the top in Phillies style writing.

“Good enough.” I sighed in relief. “Good enough. What time is it?”

“Two thirty.” Natalie yelled back.

My heart sunk. “Shit. Are you serious?”

“You have been in there for quite a while.”

I wrapped the cake in a box and walked out to get my keys. “Thanks again for taking my shift.”

“Nicks birthday, ey? What are you going to do with him?”

“Phillies game.”

Natalie smiled. “Oh, that sounds like fun.”

I shot her a glare. She sighed. “That sound like fun for people who like fun.”

She didn’t know what she was talking about. I liked fun. I own a bakery, for Christ’s sake. I just didn’t have time for fun.

I walked outside and immediately hailed a taxi. Maria lived in Old City, way too far for me to walk. Her husband, Scott worked at some corporate bank that I always forgot the name of when people asked me, and my sister stayed home to take care of Nick. They lived in an enormous, beautiful house towards the back suburbs.

The driver pulled up to the curb and I handed him his money and climbed out. Halfway up the driveway I heard the front door opening. “Hey, nice of you to show up.” Scott joked.

I looked up and smiled. He was wearing an adorable little party hat, a blue dress shirt and jeans. “Am I really that late?”

He gave me a friendly kiss on the cheek. “You’re actually five minutes early.”

I gave him a friendly slap on the shoulder and smiled as Nick came running towards us. “Hi aunt ‘Risa!” He yelled, running towards me.

I carefully set his cake and present down on the living room coffee table and stretched my arms out for a hug. He was wearing the same Phillies shirt I always see him in. Same number, too. Twenty-six, I think.

“Hey, Nicky Mickey!” I said, giving him a big hug. “Happy Birthday!”

“Thanks! Daddy can we open presents now please?”

“Sure!” Scott said. “Let me go get your mom. Marisa you can just set the cake down on the counter.”

I nodded and walked into the kitchen. “Are you excited for the Phillies game?” Nick asked, walking two inches away from my back.

“Yeah.” I said, sliding the cake onto the counter. “But honestly, I don’t really know much about them.”

Nick looked at me like I just told him Santa wasn’t real. “They’re the best team in the whole world! Especially my favorite, Chase Utley.”

“Yeah, what’s so special about him?”

“HE’S AMAZING!”

“Hey, sis.” I heard Maria say, walking down the hall. She was dressed in a Phillies jersey matching her son’s.

“Hey!” I said, giving her a hug and kiss. “How’ve you been?”

She grinned at me. There was something different about her. My sister was always so happy but, today was different. “PRESENTS PRESENTS PRESENTS!”

I grabbed the Phillies hat and we all walked into the living room. I felt incredibly inferior when I saw the enormous amount of elegantly wrapped presents waiting for Nick. My cheap red paper looked even more terrible than usual. “AUNT ‘RISAS PRESENT FIRST!” Of course, Nick said.

His tiny hands grabbed my present and started tearing at the paper. I watched Scott and Maria, who were now sitting so close to each other they looked fused at the hip. She was holding his hand, and Scott was gently rubbing her back, making her laugh. For the first time in my life, I envied my sister.

“A PHILLIES HAT THANKS AUNT ‘RISA!”

Scott and Maria cheered for his new hat and Nick gave me a big hug. “Aw, you’re welcome. You deserve it!”

I sat there for the next hour as Nick opened Phillies related gift after Phillies related gift. That kid really did love the Phillies. Then it was time for cake. We all filed into the kitchen. Scott and Nick waited at the table as I got the cake ready, and Maria got the candles. “Did you actually make it look decent?”

“Excuse me but I take that as an insult. I worked for over four hours on this cake.”

Maria turned around and looked at the cake. Her green eyes bulged. “That’s gorgeous! Wonderful job!”

I smiled smugly and carried the cake over in front of Nick. “PHILLIES CAKE THANKS AUNT RISA!” he screamed.

Maria lit the candles and we sang him happy birthday. Scott cut the cake and the two of us sat down. “So, no birthday with his friends?” I whispered.

“Since his birthday’s on a weekday we had his party with his friends last weekend.” She snapped back.

I nodded and dug into my cake. “So, Scott.” I said with a full mouth. “You coming with us tonight?”

Scott looked up and shook his head. “I have a late night meeting and conference call. But I’m sure you guys will have a great time!”

“You aren’t wearing that to the game, right?” Maria said, looking me up and down.

I furrowed my brow. “What’s wrong with this?”

“There’s flour and batter all over it!”

“So?”

She stood up and put her fork down. “I have a few extra Phillies jerseys upstairs. You can borrow one.”

 

A half an hour later I was in Maria and Scott’s bedroom staring at three different jerseys that looked exactly the same to me. I picked one and found the biggest size jeans my sister had, which was a 6, and put my sneakers on.

When I walked downstairs the three of them were standing at the door. Maria had her car keys, Scott was getting ready to go to work and Nick was just jumping up and down, screaming. “Ready?” I asked Nick, trying to act excited.

The two of us walked out to Maria’s BMW SUV sitting in the driveway and I made sure he was buckled in. Maria and Scott were standing in the doorway, saying goodbye to each other. It was so great to see a couple married for eight years still so close, so happy. It was also great to see my sister so happy.

She climbed into the drivers seat and drove to Citizens Bank Park.

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

okay, so, this is a fanfic about chase utley.

 

for any of you who don't know who he is, he's a second baseman for the philadelphia phillies baseball team, and, well, he's BEAUTIFUL. :wacky::P

 

here's a picture:

 

dm_090313_MLB_UtleyGammons.jpg

 

:wacky:

 

so, yeah!

 

oh, and the plot is by marisa (In a telescope lens) :heart:!!

 

STITCHES.

CHAPTER 1

 

 

I woke up that morning to the sound of my phone ringing. That was a morning, a Friday morning to be more specific, where I just wanted to pull the covers over my head and disappear into my own little happy place. There was just too much to do. I rolled over and felt around my nightstand for my phone, and pressed the accept button when I found it. “What?”

“It’s about time you answer your phone.” Maria grumbled. “Did you forget your nephew’s birthday?”

“Did you forget how to tell time?” I looked at the clock, which read 5:30.

“Marisa.”

“Maria.“ Annoying my sister was one of my favorite hobbies. “Okay. I’m up. What did you want?”

She sighed. “I just wanted to remind you to have Nick’s cake ready by three. Oh, and remember we’re taking him to the Phillies game tonight.”

I groaned. “Why?”

“Because he loves the Phillies! He‘s six years old, Marisa.” she yelled. “You promised to come. So be here by three, like I said, then we’ll go to the game from here.”

Maria hung up the phone and I rolled out of bed. The city was still dark. I stumbled into the bathroom to see my golden blonde hair messier than usual, plus a fresh set of dark circles under my eyes. I took my hair out of it’s knotted ponytail, brushed it out and ran the straightener through it. Then I took as much foundation as I could find to cover up those circles. Couldn’t scare off the customers.

After I changed into an old maroon t-shirt and jeans I decided to go right to the bakery, since Natalie probably brought coffee. I grabbed the wrapped up Phillies hat I got for Nick and walked out of my condo, locked the door and began the short walk to my bakery. It was a gorgeous summer morning in Philadelphia. The traffic jams were just getting ready to begin, and there wasn’t a cloud to be seen in the sky.

I got to my bakery and noticed the door was already unlocked, so I knew Natalie was there. “Morning.” I said, walking in.

She peeped her head out from the back and smiled. “Coffee’s on the counter.”

I walked around the counter and grabbed my mocha latte. Time to start the day.

After many pastries and many customers later I sent Natalie out to get lunch. That was my time to start Nick’s cake. There were too many customers in the day to do, well, anything personal except bake hundreds of pastries. I baked a giant sheet of chocolate cake with Oreos, waited for it to cool, then started to think of how I was going to decorate it. “Phillies.” I mumbled to myself. “Phillies.”

Natalie came back and began the afternoon shift while I worked on the incredible detail that went into my cake. Around the sides I made very tiny, very hard to do baseball stitches and wrote “HAPPY BIRTHDAY, NICK!” over the top in Phillies style writing.

“Good enough.” I sighed in relief. “Good enough. What time is it?”

“Two thirty.” Natalie yelled back.

My heart sunk. “Shit. Are you serious?”

“You have been in there for quite a while.”

I wrapped the cake in a box and walked out to get my keys. “Thanks again for taking my shift.”

“Nicks birthday, ey? What are you going to do with him?”

“Phillies game.”

Natalie smiled. “Oh, that sounds like fun.”

I shot her a glare. She sighed. “That sound like fun for people who like fun.”

She didn’t know what she was talking about. I liked fun. I own a bakery, for Christ’s sake. I just didn’t have time for fun.

I walked outside and immediately hailed a taxi. Maria lived in Old City, way too far for me to walk. Her husband, Scott worked at some corporate bank that I always forgot the name of when people asked me, and my sister stayed home to take care of Nick. They lived in an enormous, beautiful house towards the back suburbs.

The driver pulled up to the curb and I handed him his money and climbed out. Halfway up the driveway I heard the front door opening. “Hey, nice of you to show up.” Scott joked.

I looked up and smiled. He was wearing an adorable little party hat, a blue dress shirt and jeans. “Am I really that late?”

He gave me a friendly kiss on the cheek. “You’re actually five minutes early.”

I gave him a friendly slap on the shoulder and smiled as Nick came running towards us. “Hi aunt ‘Risa!” He yelled, running towards me.

I carefully set his cake and present down on the living room coffee table and stretched my arms out for a hug. He was wearing the same Phillies shirt I always see him in. Same number, too. Twenty-six, I think.

“Hey, Nicky Mickey!” I said, giving him a big hug. “Happy Birthday!”

“Thanks! Daddy can we open presents now please?”

“Sure!” Scott said. “Let me go get your mom. Marisa you can just set the cake down on the counter.”

I nodded and walked into the kitchen. “Are you excited for the Phillies game?” Nick asked, walking two inches away from my back.

“Yeah.” I said, sliding the cake onto the counter. “But honestly, I don’t really know much about them.”

Nick looked at me like I just told him Santa wasn’t real. “They’re the best team in the whole world! Especially my favorite, Chase Utley.”

“Yeah, what’s so special about him?”

“HE’S AMAZING!”

“Hey, sis.” I heard Maria say, walking down the hall. She was dressed in a Phillies jersey matching her son’s.

“Hey!” I said, giving her a hug and kiss. “How’ve you been?”

She grinned at me. There was something different about her. My sister was always so happy but, today was different. “PRESENTS PRESENTS PRESENTS!”

I grabbed the Phillies hat and we all walked into the living room. I felt incredibly inferior when I saw the enormous amount of elegantly wrapped presents waiting for Nick. My cheap red paper looked even more terrible than usual. “AUNT ‘RISAS PRESENT FIRST!” Of course, Nick said.

His tiny hands grabbed my present and started tearing at the paper. I watched Scott and Maria, who were now sitting so close to each other they looked fused at the hip. She was holding his hand, and Scott was gently rubbing her back, making her laugh. For the first time in my life, I envied my sister.

“A PHILLIES HAT THANKS AUNT ‘RISA!”

Scott and Maria cheered for his new hat and Nick gave me a big hug. “Aw, you’re welcome. You deserve it!”

I sat there for the next hour as Nick opened Phillies related gift after Phillies related gift. That kid really did love the Phillies. Then it was time for cake. We all filed into the kitchen. Scott and Nick waited at the table as I got the cake ready, and Maria got the candles. “Did you actually make it look decent?”

“Excuse me but I take that as an insult. I worked for over four hours on this cake.”

Maria turned around and looked at the cake. Her green eyes bulged. “That’s gorgeous! Wonderful job!”

I smiled smugly and carried the cake over in front of Nick. “PHILLIES CAKE THANKS AUNT RISA!” he screamed.

Maria lit the candles and we sang him happy birthday. Scott cut the cake and the two of us sat down. “So, no birthday with his friends?” I whispered.

“Since his birthday’s on a weekday we had his party with his friends last weekend.” She snapped back.

I nodded and dug into my cake. “So, Scott.” I said with a full mouth. “You coming with us tonight?”

Scott looked up and shook his head. “I have a late night meeting and conference call. But I’m sure you guys will have a great time!”

“You aren’t wearing that to the game, right?” Maria said, looking me up and down.

I furrowed my brow. “What’s wrong with this?”

“There’s flour and batter all over it!”

“So?”

She stood up and put her fork down. “I have a few extra Phillies jerseys upstairs. You can borrow one.”

 

A half an hour later I was in Maria and Scott’s bedroom staring at three different jerseys that looked exactly the same to me. I picked one and found the biggest size jeans my sister had, which was a 6, and put my sneakers on.

When I walked downstairs the three of them were standing at the door. Maria had her car keys, Scott was getting ready to go to work and Nick was just jumping up and down, screaming. “Ready?” I asked Nick, trying to act excited.

The two of us walked out to Maria’s BMW SUV sitting in the driveway and I made sure he was buckled in. Maria and Scott were standing in the doorway, saying goodbye to each other. It was so great to see a couple married for eight years still so close, so happy. It was also great to see my sister so happy.

She climbed into the drivers seat and drove to Citizens Bank Park.

 

:stunned::stunned:!!

I FUCKING LOVE IT CHRISTINA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

its soooooooooooooooo good!!!!!!!!!!!!! :D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D

I started cracking up when i saw the title :laugh3:

and i love that you're gonna use my idea!:wacky:

AND I LOVE THAT MY NAME IS THE MAIN CHARACTER!!!!!!!!!! :D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D :D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D!!!!!!!!

you totally read my mind!! :dance:

its so good and i really really really love it!!!!! awesome job! can't wait for part 2!

 

oh and I LOVE YOU!!! :D:hug::heart:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

“Yeah, what’s so special about him?”

“HE’S AMAZING!”

FUCK YES!!! :D

 

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJWNIbgICA4&feature=related]YouTube - Chase Utley ?u¢? you All Star Game[/ame]

 

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NJA6JZ_TKaw&feature=related]YouTube - World Fucking Champions!(Chase Utley)[/ame]

:wacky::heart:

 

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MrcO7I5JIXU]YouTube - Chase Utley 3 Run Homer vs Mets 4/20/08[/ame]

 

God I love him

Link to comment
Share on other sites

STITCHES.

CHAPTER 2

 

 

The three of us filed down the crowded rows to our seats. The park was packed, and the game was just starting. I dug into my cheese fries and prepared for the most boring three hours of my life.

“Could you at least act like you’re having fun?” Maria said. “It’s the kid’s birthday.”

“I’ll try.” I said with a mouth full of fries. “I just had such a long day.”

“Phillies shortstop Jimmy Rollins!” A disembodied voice said, and the crowd cheered.

Nick watched intensely as Jimmy got a ball, another ball, and a strike. I kept asking these questions that annoyed the hell out of Nick and Maria. You could tell they were mother and son, because every time I asked “Was that a ball or a strike?” they’d say “A STRIKE PAY ATTENTION!” in exact sync. It was quite amusing.

Jimmy Rollins got onto first base, then Shane Victorino struck out swinging. Next up was Nick’s favorite. “Phillies second baseman, Chase Utley!”

Nick screamed his head off, and I tried to cheer louder to make him think I was paying attention. Chase took a strike, strike, ball and another ball. While he was waiting for the next pitch I noticed him on the screen. “My god. He’s gorgeous.” I mumbled to Maria.

“You have no idea.”

The pitcher flew his arms around like a dying chicken and the ball went flying towards Utley. He set his bat back and swung as hard as he could, and the ball went flying. Everyone cheered and stood up, including me, waiting to see where that ball would land. It finally settled all the way in the back of the park.

“Home run, Chase Utley!’

The crowd went wild as I watched him with fascination while he ran around the bases. He had a certain distinction about him. Well, for some reason I thought that he wasn’t just another dirty baseball player.

Third inning and the Phillies were still up 3-0. Nick hadn’t gotten tired at all. I was on the verge of death.

Chase Utley, was up again, which for some reason made me wake up. First pitch, strike. He takes a couple of practice swings, adjusts his hat. Second pitch flies out towards my section, then everything goes black.

“She looks like a pirate.” I heard Scott chuckle.

“Shut up!” Maria giggled. “Yeah, she kind of does.”

I moaned in pain to let them know I was awake, and to make them shut up. When I tried to open my eyes there was this shocking pain in my right eye. “What the hell?”

“Marisa?” Scott said. “Do you know what happened?”

I shook my head to let them know that I had no idea where I was, or why my eye hurt so much.

“You got hit in the face with a baseball. The doctor says there’s no brain damage, so that’s why it’s so funny to me.” Scott chuckled.

“What?” I said, flickering my eyes open to see the two of them standing over me.

“You look like a pirate.”

“I heard you the first time.” I sat up and felt my head spinning and I cupped my eye in my hands. “Shit.”

“Kid in the room.” I heard Nick’s voice say.

When the swelling started to go down a little I was able to open my eye completely. The doctor came in, gave me an ice pack and said I should stay for at least another few hours to make sure all my other tests came out okay. That was when I started to feel really, really embarrassed. The entire tri state area saw me black out like an idiot.

“I’m going to take Nicky home.” Scott said, putting Nick on his shoulders. “The doctor said you shouldn’t be alone tonight, so Maria will take you back to our place.”

I nodded. “Sorry we had to cut your game short, Nick. Promise I’ll take you back.”

“That’s okay aunt ‘Risa.” Nick yawned. “I’m just glad you’re ‘kay.”

The two of them walked out of the room while Maria walked in the doorway. “Marisa, you have a visitor.” Her eyes were bulged and her face was pale.

I furrowed my brow. “Is Barack Obama here?”

“Close.” She said, looking back at someone. “I’ll send him in.”

I tried to fix my hair in the few seconds I had before this mystery guest showed up. When I looked back up at the doorway there was a six foot tall man, well built standing there in black dress pants and a navy blue dress shirt. He had chocolate brown hair with some golden blondish highlights, and it was messed around like he just came out of bed. His eyes were the brightest blue I’d ever seen, and he was holding a bouquet of roses. They couldn‘t have been for me. I had no idea who this man was. “Can I help you?” I said, starting to feel incredibly tired again.

He smiled and stepped into the room. “Hi, I… I’m the one who hit you with that baseball tonight. I’m Chase Utley.”

What the hell was this guy doing here? Didn’t he do enough? I really had no idea what to say, one reason being I was so stricken with how beautiful he was in person. The smell of his Old Spice was drifting into my nostrils as well. “Marisa Gibbons. Hi.” was all I could manage to say.

“I brought you these flowers as an apology. I feel really terrible for what I did, and I just wanted to make sure you’re okay. Are you okay?”

I looked up at his blue puppy dog eyes and nodded. “I’m fine. Thank you for the flowers. It was nice meeting you.”

“Really, if there’s anything you need, please let me know. I feel just terrible.” He smiled.

“I think you’ve done enough Mr. Utley. I don’t want your money, I don’t want your flowers, please. I’m fine.”

There was a silence in the room, then he nodded. “Got it.”

He started to back out then I noticed a small figure in the doorway. “Forgot my glove…OH MY GOD!!” Nick screamed.

Chase knelt down and smiled. “Hey, buddy. What‘s your name?”

“YOU’RE CHASE UTLEY! I‘M NICK!” he screamed again. “I LOVE YOU!”

Nick reached his tiny arms out and gave Chase an enormous hug. “Well, thanks man. I really appreciate it. Did you have to miss the rest of the game tonight?”

He nodded.

“Well, I’ll make a deal with you. I’ll get you and your parents season tickets right behind the dugout if you can do something for me.”

Nick danced around like he had to go to the bathroom and nodded frantically. I couldn’t take my eyes off him.

“I need you to promise me that your aunt Marisa here to let me take her to dinner as an apology.”

Shivers went all up and down my spine. This man did not stop. Good thing he was so goddamn beautiful.

“OH PLEASE AUNT ‘RISA! GO ON A DATE WITH CHASE I WANT SEASON TICKETS!!” Nick screamed.

I looked down at Nick then back up at Chase, who was smiling brightly at me. “Of course.”

Nick screamed his head off. “OH THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU BOTH!! YOU ROCK CHASE AND THANKS FOR HITTING MY AUNT IN THE FACE SHE LOOKS FUNNY!”

I could feel my face getting red.

“No problem, Nick.” Chase laughed. “You go back with your dad and I’ll talk to your aunt about those tickets.”

Nick nodded frantically and ran out of the room. Chase turned around and smiled at me. “He’s a good kid.”

I nodded. “Yeah, he’s a great kid.”

Chase stared at me for a few more seconds than reached into his pocket. “So, your number?”

I gave Chase all my information and just like that he was gone. It all felt like a really weird, really bad dream. I was going on a date tomorrow night with the man who hit me in the eye with a baseball.

Maria jumped back into the room. “OH MY GOD!”

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Horribly sappy love story right here. It's a bit long, so make sure you actually have time to read the whole thing before you start.

 

 

She sat on the edge of the dock, alone. She didn’t mind-well, not as much as the first time, anyway. Every night for the past three years, she’d come out to the dock on the edge of the lake to watch the sunset. The sunset brought great memories, and even greater hope.

 

And it reminded her of him.

 

He’d been away from her for quite some time now, fighting in the war overseas. She didn’t like that he fought, for she was a pacifist at heart. However, he felt that it would be best if he made an effort to protect his beloved country, and it was something he sincerely wanted to do, so it wasn’t like she was actually going to try to talk him out of it. She was stubborn, but he was even more so.

 

She chuckled at the thought of that. She remembered the little quibbles they used to have. She could never win against him. She never really minded, either, for other than the war issue, they never argued much about anything. He might’ve teased her a bit, but those instances always ended in kiss and make up, so neither of them minded the “fights” at all.

 

She sighed. She missed him so-his smirk, his strength, the kind look he always gave her with his gorgeous brown eyes-she missed it all. She missed him even now, as she sat alone on those docks, her feet dangling mere centimeters from the cool and clear water. If she really wanted to, she could peer at all the fish swimming in the lake, all the perch and catfish mingling in peace.

 

Peace. That was the one thing she really wanted. If there were peace in the world, there would be no fighting, and he would’ve never had to leave her side.

 

She thought back to the night before he left her for the first (and, she hoped, the last) time. They stood there on those docks, him in his Army uniform, and her in his favorite dress, a long, green halter-top. He always liked how that dress brought out the green in her mostly blue eyes.

 

They had walked out to the very edge and watched the sunset, very much like she was doing now. They stood together for what seemed like forever. As soon as the sky became littered with stars, he suddenly turned to her and gazed at her with that kind look he always gave her. He smiled and asked her, “Wouldn’t you like to stay this way for the rest of your life-to watch the sunset together, and stay here on the lakeshore, with the cottage we both cherish?”

 

She became filled with joy and despair at the same time in that moment. “Oh Thomas, you know I’d just love to…but by tomorrow morning you’ll be gone. How exactly are we supposed to be together with you over a thousand miles away?”

 

He grinned even wider. “Why, darlin’, you know I’ll be back before you’ll know that I’m even gone. It’s not like I’ll be gone forever. Anyway, I don’t exactly mean right at this moment…” He kneels down on his left knee, takes her by the hand, and says, “Melanie, I want you to wait for me. I want to spend every breath of the rest of my life with you. I beg you now…will you marry me, my love? Will you?”

 

She remembered it like it was yesterday. She remembered how shocked yet ecstatic she was. She didn’t know why, but she was. She remembered how she enthusiastically said yes, and how she spent the remainder of that wondrous night in Thomas’ arms.

 

She thought about this night often while she makes her evening visits to the lake. She sometimes questioned herself, particularly as time passed on, why she even accepted his proposal in the first place. However, she’d always find something inside herself-a memory, a thought, a feeling-that would remind herself of the ultimate reason why she said yes on that night: She loved him, and she couldn’t imagine not marrying him.

 

There were times, however, when she felt hopeless and out of control. There were times when she wished she could change how things were. There were times when she asked herself, “Will he ever come back?”

 

She then noticed that the sunset had long gone, and the moon danced in the midnight sky. Sighing and carrying feelings of lament, she trudged back to her lakeside cottage and fitfully feel asleep.

 

 

Many more days went by as this, and as time went by, she pined for him more and more. She found it harder and harder to believe that he was great, that he was OK…that he was alive. The only things that gave her a glimmer of hope were the occasional postcards. But she hadn’t gotten one of those in months. She understood how mailing was somewhat difficult in the settings that her beloved was currently under, but she couldn’t help but worry. And worry she did.

 

On a particularly depressing night, she sat in her kitchen. She had thought that hot chocolate would soothe her and help her fall asleep, but it only reminded of him more. She remembered how he liked his hot chocolate with cinnamon sticks. She smiled at the thought.

 

Suddenly her telephone rang. Her heart jumped; maybe he was calling to tell her that he was finally coming home. She ran to the phone, picked it up, and answered.

 

“Hello?”

 

“Well, hi, sweetie.”

 

“Oh. Hello, Mother.”

 

“Well, isn’t that a nice welcome. I call you to surprise you, and all I get is an ‘Oh.’ I guess I was wrong to call you at all…”

 

“No, Mom, it’s not that I’m not happy to hear from you. It’s just that-“

 

“I know, sweetie, I know. You miss him a lot, don’t you?”

 

“Is this all you called for, to give another one of your therapy sessions? Because I really don’t need that right now. If I needed therapy, I’d go see a psychologist.”

 

“I wasn’t saying anything of the sort, sweetie, I just meant-“

 

“And STOP calling me ‘sweetie.” It’s getting really annoying.”

 

“Now that’s no reason to start snapping at me. I wasn’t trying to be derogatory.”

 

She sighs. “I’m sorry, Mom. I’m just having one of those nights…”

 

“I know you are. You’ve been more and more this way when I call you. Can’t you just move on? It’s been such a long time…”

 

“No, Mom. He promised me, and I believe him. No matter how long it takes, I’ll wait for him.”

 

“Well, OK, honey. Whatever you want, I’m fine with it.”

 

“Thank you, that’d be greatly appreciated.”

 

“Anyway, that’s not why I called you. There’s a ship coming in next week with more of the returning soldiers-“

 

“Oh gosh, another one? Is that all you called to tell me about?”

 

“Well, I thought that, you know…”

 

“Mom, he wasn’t on the last one that came through here. Or the ones before that, for that matter.”

 

“You mean you’re not even going to look?”

 

“Well, with each one of these, it just becomes more and more depressing each time that I don’t see him come off of it. I miss him, yes, but I don’t want to become more discouraged each time I don’t see him.”

 

“Yes, dear, but suppose that this is the one. Wouldn’t you want to give him a good welcome home after he’s been away for so long?”

 

She sighed in defeat. Her mom always won her over with that argument. “OK, Mom. Just tell me when and where, and I’ll be there.”

 

“You know when and where. It’s in the same place and the same time as always.”

 

“I figured so. I just try not to remember so much. OK, I’ll be there-but only because you really think it’s worthwhile.”

 

“Great, sweetie. I’ll see you then. I love you.”

 

“I love you too, Mom.”

 

She hung up and thought about next week. She knew that he wasn’t going to be there. She knew in her heart; he never was. She finished her hot chocolate and prepared herself for another restless night.

 

 

The week passed by torturously slow, yet at the same time it seemed to her that the day she dreaded got there so quickly. She had just finished drying her hair when her doorbell rang.

 

“Oh, great. Who could be bothering me so early in the morning?”

 

She opened the door, just to have her overly cheerful mother step in. “Hey sweetie, are you ready to go?”

 

“Mom, we still have four hours...”

 

“I know, I know, but you can never be too prepared. And I want to get there early. You know what your father says: ‘Being early is being on time, and being on time is late.’ Oh my goodness, you aren’t seriously wearing that up there, are you? I’m sure you have plenty of other, nicer things to wear than that…”

 

“Yes, Mother-“

 

“And you should put on some makeup. You always look so much nicer with makeup. And maybe a little perfume wouldn’t hurt, either…”

 

“Must you ramble on and on about how I look? I’ll wear what I want to wear, all right?”

 

Her mom abruptly stopped her rant. “But of course. Excuse me for trying to be motherly and helping-“

 

“Well, you’re not, so just stop already. I’m a grown woman; I believe I can take care of myself.”

 

She briskly walked to her bedroom and slammed the door. She sighed; she knew she shouldn’t have yelled at her mother, for she was trying to be supportive. It just seemed that she wasn’t being the type of supportive that she needed right at that moment.

 

She looked at herself in the mirror. Her hair, jet black, had already returned to its naturally wavy state. Her hair was always stubborn when it came to styling; it never wanted to stay where she put it. Not that she bothered to style it much, anyway; it never mattered to Thomas how her hair was, so she didn’t bother anymore.

 

This was the case now. She figured it would be a sort of betrayal to do anything special to her hair now, if he did happen to be on that boat. She would put on make-up, though. She never really cared much for it, as it all felt icky on her face, but she’d wear a little on special occasions, just to show that she at least cared a little bit about her physical appearance.

 

She was about to apply her lip gloss when she heard a gentle knock on the door.

 

“Mel? Sweetie…”

 

“It’s OK, Mom. You can come in.”

 

She opens the door to find her mother with a heartbroken look on her face. “Melanie, sweetheart, I-“

 

“Don’t, Mom. It’s OK. I’m sorry for acting like a 5-year-old. It’s just-“

 

“I know, honey, I understand-“

 

“No, Mom. There’s no excuse for me to act the way that I did in there. I’m sorry I can’t be more of a daughter to you.”

 

“Now you’re talking nonsense-“

 

“No, I’m not. Ever since Thomas has been gone, I haven’t been myself. I’ve been so absorbed in him that I’ve just let things go by, and I’m just going through the motions. It’s hard for me to function with work…or anything else, for that matter. I just can’t be this way anymore. I just…”

 

And with that, Melanie began to cry. She didn’t know why, for she hadn’t cried for quite some time. She had hardened in nature as time without him passed, but now…it was as if a waterfall of emotions was pouring out of her now, at this random moment.

 

Her mom went to hug her and to soothe her. “Shhhhhh, there there now. Everything’s going to be OK.”

 

“N-n-no it’s not. He’s n-n-not coming back, ever.”

 

“But of course he will, sweetie. He promised you, remember? There there…”

 

It took a good while for her to recuperate, but Melanie finally pulled through. She asked, “Mom…what do you think I should wear?”

 

“Well, Mel, ask yourself this: What do you think Thomas would like to see you in?”

 

With that, she ran into her closet and pulled out the green halter-top she had worn on many occasions, the one Thomas loved so much.

 

“Why, sweetie, you haven’t worn that in ages. Are you sure that still even fits?”

 

She grinned. “I’m sure.”

 

 

They arrived at the port at 11:30. They still had 30 minutes until the boat would arrive, but Melanie’s mother firmly believed in her husband’s words about punctuality. Besides, it was perfect outside weather: crisp and cool, and the sun shining brightly overhead.

 

“Wow. I didn’t think so many people would already BE here.”

 

“Well, dear, they’re feeling like you are. They can’t wait to see their loved ones come home.”

 

Neither can I, she thought to herself. She tried to wait patiently, but she was never a patient person, so before long, she became fidgety, much like a toddler in Sunday school.

 

“Oh, stop moving about so much. I swear, you’re like a Mexican jumping bean.”

 

“I’m sorry, Mother, but you know how I get when it comes to these things. Waiting is one of my least favorite things to do.”

 

“I realize that, but can’t you dislike waiting more quietly? My goodness…”

 

So she tried. However, no matter how much energy she devoted to remaining still, she failed at it. Her mother soon stopped scolding her, seeing as it would do no good.

 

It wasn’t too long after this when a white dot came floating across the ocean. People began to cheer. “It’s the boat, it’s the boat, they’re here! Finally they’re HERE!” The crowd erupted in euphoric pandemonium, and the closer that dot came to shore, the louder and more excited the people became. Even Melanie was beginning to become excited, in spite of herself.

 

After what seemed an eternity, the ship came to port, and soldiers began to dispense from the ship. Soldiers searched for their loved ones, and the loved ones searched back. Before long, families, friends, and couples were being reunited after what seemed to be forever for them. There was much hooraying, crying, kissing, hugging, and rejoicing. The soldiers were home.

 

Well, not all of them.

 

There were indeed many people who became disappointed when the one they cherished so dearly didn’t come out of that ship. Perhaps they were misinformed, or they had over-anticipated, or they had just misjudged entirely…but they weren’t there.

 

And, once again, Thomas didn’t emerge from the depths of that vessel.

 

Melanie had known all along that he wouldn’t have been there. She had already convinced herself of that. She was, however, human, and she became once again filled with disappointment and sorrow.

 

“Oh, sweetheart. Oh sweetie, I’m so sorry-“

 

“It’s fine, Mother. It doesn’t matter anymore. I don’t know if it ever did.”

 

With that, she left her mother, got in her car, and drove to her little cottage on the shore of the lake which brought her so much hope, and yet so much pain.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

She opened the door, walked into the kitchen, and sat. There was nothing else to do now. She had wasted yet another day of wistful hoping. She became angry with everything in her life. She became angry with her mother for dragging her down to the ocean shore yet again, with Thomas for once again failing to be there and breaking her heart, and herself for letting herself be fooled so many times over. She KNEW it wouldn’t turn out in her favor; SHE KNEW. She was just a hopeless romantic, thinking with her heart rather than her head. Wanting to further isolate herself from reality, she made her way toward her bedroom door.

 

She opened the door, and just stopped in her tracks. She couldn’t move anymore.

 

Sitting there on her bed was a man. He was tall, dark, and handsome, with a light mustache and beard, and slicked back hair. He wore camouflage, sandy boots, and a smile on his face. He had a kind look in his brown eyes, and they had an extra spark in them.

 

“Darlin’, you look beautiful.”

 

Melanie couldn’t believe what she was seeing. “But you weren’t there with the others-you weren’t-“

 

“Now that’s not the way to welcome home your fiancée. I promise I’ll explain everything later. For now, though…come here, Sunshine, I wanna see you up close.”

 

Sunshine. She couldn’t remember the last time she had been called that. Still stunned, and with tears welling up in her eyes, she walked towards him.

 

She stopped just mere inches from him. She looked once into his face. He looked so different, and yet exactly the same. It was him. He was finally home.

 

She grabbed her lover in her arms and began to sob on his shoulder uncontrollably. In reality, she didn’t know what else to do. She didn’t know whether to slap him for being away for so long or to kiss him for finally coming back to her. She continued to sob her heart away.

 

He took her into his strong arms and held her tight. “Shhhhhh, now. It’s OK, love, I’m home now. I’m finally home.”

 

She looks at him with her big blue eyes, now red and puffy, and asks, “But WHY, Thomas? Why so LONG?”

 

“Well, Sunshine, it took me longer than expected to recover.”

 

“Recover? Recover from what?”

 

“Take another look at me, darlin’.”

 

It was then she noticed for the first time what was wrong.

 

“Ohhhhh, Thomas. When did it happen?”

 

“Oh, it’s nothing. You don’t wanna hear about that…”

 

“Nothing? Your left leg is missing, and you say it’s NOTHING!?”

 

“Well, it’s only a small portion of it. And it’s not the first injury I’ve gotten during the war.”

 

“It-it’s not?”

 

“No, Sunshine, it’s not.”

 

An awkward silence fills the room for a few minutes. Neither of the two lovers knows what to say to the other.

 

Finally, Thomas sighs. “Well, I suppose now would be the good time to explain everything.”

 

“See, I was fighting in the trenches, and I was trying to defend myself, as well as my troop. Well, we found out that one of our men was really a spy…and we didn’t find out until too late. The spy had set a bomb where we were laying, and before you know it, BOOM! It goes off. I might’ve been taken for dead, had I not been one of the men farther away from it. Many of the other men weren’t so lucky. One of my best friends that I had made while stationed there was blown to bits.”

 

“See, darlin’, THIS is why I couldn’t come home for so long. I was in such bad shape for a long time. Of course, there’s my leg, and a bunch of shrapnel from the actual bomb did a lot of other damage. I had to undergo a lot of therapy to get over it both physically and mentally. I had several operations to remove all the debris that was lodged in my body. I was bedridden for months. I tried to contact you and let you know that I was OK, but the hospital said that I needed total bedrest, and that I couldn’t get that when writing to you. Frankly I thought that was a bunch of bullshit, but you know, I’d do whatever I needed to do, because the sooner I did, the sooner I’d come back to you. I missed you, babe. I really did. I thought of you everyday and dreamed of you every night. And now, thanks to Sergeant Kelley, I’m here with you.”

 

“Sergeant Kelley? Is he the one that brought you here?”

 

“Yes, and I owe him for it, too. He risked a lot to get me back here in such short time. He bought me the plane ticket and everything.”

 

“By plane? But I thought-“

 

“Well, I was still in my last phase of recovery when that last vessel went a-sail. That’s why you didn’t see me on it. I didn’t get here too long before you did.”

 

They both giggled at that.

 

“Oh, my Sunshine. I can’t remember the last time I heard your cute little laugh. It’s been so long…”

 

“Yes, my love, it has. But now you’re here.”

 

“Yes, darlin’. I’m home, and I’m here to stay.”

 

With that, they embraced and shared a kiss for the first time in over three years. It felt like forever, and neither of them wanted that moment to end. It did end, however, as they finally decided to let each other go.

 

They looked into each other’s eyes and grinned. “So, Sunshine, are you ready for the wedding?”

 

“Ready? I’ve been ready since before you proposed to me.”

 

At that, Thomas heartily laughed. “Anxious now, aren’t we? You know how much planning needs to be done-“

 

“I don’t care. I want to marry you as soon as remotely possible.”

 

“Well, so do I, Sunshine, but it’ll have to wait a little longer. You know it’d break your mother’s heart to see all her hard planning go to waste.”

 

“Well, that’s true…”

 

“Haha, well, OK then. Are we set, then, for this coming September?”

 

“September? I thought we agreed on a June wedding…”

 

“Well, darlin’, I’ve been thinking, and well…I’ve been away so long, and we have some, shall we say, ‘catching up’ to do…”

 

“Hahaha, all right, Cassanova, I get your point…”

 

“Now hold on, you didn’t let me finish. I thought it’d be more meaningful that we get married on a meaningful date…say, September 18th?”

 

She gasped, “Oh, Thomas, you don’t mean-“

 

“Yes, Sunshine, I do.”

 

September 18th. It was the day he had first asked her to be his girlfriend.

 

At that, she grinned. “You think of everything, don’t you?”

 

He smiled and gazed at her with his brown eyes. “Well, I try my best.”

 

She laughed at that. He was always the cleverer of the two. Then she thought of something else. “Love, after we get married…well, you’re gonna need a job…”

 

“Now don’t worry about that. I’ve gotten everything taken care of. I’ve talked with Mr. Weaver.”

 

“Mr. Weaver? From the motocycle shop? But isn’t it rather dangerous?”

 

“It’s no more dangerous than what I’ve been doing. Besides, although I may be missing a leg, I still have two good, strong hands to work with. He pays great money, too, so we should do just fine.”

 

Melanie looks into his eyes and smiles. “Honey, we’re going to do just fine, aren’t we?”

 

He smiles back. “Yes, Sunshine, we are.”

 

They embrace and kiss each other once again. Melanie goes to her bedroom door, locks it, and lunges herself at him.

 

 

She had missed times like these, where she had him all to herself. She had missed the smell of his cologne, the gentleness of his caresses, the way he breathed on her neck. The two lay next to each other in contented bliss, oblivious to the world around them.

 

She reached for her alarm clock, then cried out in horror. “Oh no! I’m going to miss the sunset. We need to go NOW!”

 

He looked at her, confused. “What’s the rush for?”

 

She turned quickly back at him and stared at him like he was crazy. “What do you mean? Don’t you remember? We ALWAYS go to see the sunset on the docks. Now come on, before we miss it.”

 

“Don’t worry, we won’t miss anything.”

 

“Yes we will! We have to hurry.”

 

“There’s nothing to hurry about, Sunshine.”

 

“But Thomas-“

 

“Listen to yourself! Why do you have to hurry so? First the marriage, now the sunset. What’s next?”

 

“What is your PROBLEM?”

 

“That’s actually what I want to know.”

 

“Thomas, you KNOW how important this is-“

 

“But why? Why have sunsets become so important? It’s not as if it’ll be the last one that we’ll ever see. There will always be another sunset. Sure, many of our most precious moments have come with sunsets, but who’s to say that this must become a staple of our lives? There are more important things out there than sunsets.”

 

“Yeah, like tradition, and love, and-“

 

“Yes, Melanie, love. And time. Look, I know you love sunsets. I do, too. But I love you more. And I want to spend time with you. Can’t I love you and spend time with you without having to look at another sunset?”

 

She stopped in her tracks and gave him a grave look. “Have you ever thought that sunsets have been the only thing to keep me company since you’ve been away? Have you ever thought of that? They always reminded me of you. They reminded me of US. Why can’t you understand that?”

 

“I do, darlin’. But why do you need to remind yourself of me now? I’m here now, and I always will be, ‘til the day I die. I want to spend time with you and you alone, here with me. I don’t want to feel obligated to share my love for you with those sunsets. I don’t want to feel like there are times when you love the sunset more than you love me.”

 

She stopped. She had never thought of things that way. “Thomas, I-“

 

“Let me finish. I haven’t seen you on over three years. Three YEARS. I’m sure you know as well as I do how long that is. You’ve spent those three years on the lake with the sunset. I’ve spent them on the battlefield or in a hospital, away from most of the more pleasant things in the world, from sunsets as well as you. Can I please have at least this one evening to you for myself and not have to share with your second love?”

 

She thought about this for a good while before answering. She had seen those sunsets for a while. They meant so much to her…the memories…they meant so much to her…

 

But at the same time, they brought her grief, as she sat alone on the lakeshore, for she couldn’t watch them with her beloved. She had done so by herself for such a long time, and it wasn’t near as meaningful as when he was there. She knew what her answer was then.

 

“Yes, Thomas. Ask, and you shall receive. I’ll stay here with you.”

 

Thomas smiled at the sunshine of his life. “I love you, Melanie. I love you more than I could ever say.”

 

“I love you, too, sweetheart.”

 

They embraced again, and they spent the rest of the evening at home, drinking hot chocolate with cinnamon sticks while sitting in the kitchen, laughing and reminiscing about old times. They enjoyed the first night of their new lives together isolated from the rest of the world, and without a sunset. Neither of them minded in the least.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

^^i'm going to start reading it now, tell you when i'm done!

 

and yes, I COULD MARISA! SO why i put it in there. :wacky:!!

 

i know him too well. :heart::kiss:!

 

and thanks, annie! :nice:!!

 

STITCHES.

 

CHAPTER 3

After all my tests came back fine, Maria drove me back to her house and I crashed on her couch.

The next morning I woke up to the sound of feet walking down the stairs and down the hall. The entire house was still dark. “Hello.” I said, hoping it wasn’t a robber.

“Oh, you’re up.” Scott said.

When he walked over to the couch I noticed he was dressed in a suit. “Don’t tell me you’re going to work.”

He sat down in the chair next to me and buttoned his cuff. “My boss had a stroke, isn’t that great?”

I squinted at him. “You’re going to need to elaborate.”

“He’s going to be in the hospital for a few weeks, so he wants me to head up the project while he’s away.”

“Oh Scott, that’s great!” I said, sitting up. “Oh my god, OW!”

My right eye started to throb uncontrollably. “I’ll go get you some ice.”

A few minutes later I had a pack on my eye and Scott was about to walk out the door. “Take good care of my wife and son while I’m gone.”

“I think they can live for a day.”

Scott’s big brown eyes looked terribly sad. “The job’s in London, Marisa. I’m going to catch the six o’clock flight now.”

My heart suck. Shit. This meant that I had to take care of my sister. She really didn’t know what to do when her husband was away. That was bad, too, since he was always away. The first time he had to leave after their wedding, she decided to go out and get a car to keep herself busy. This meant I had a lot of distracting to do.

I gave Scott a hug and kiss goodbye and decided to make my sister breakfast. It wasn’t all the time that I had an opportunity like this to take care of her, so, this was my chance to show her that she didn’t always need to take care of me.

But the only thing I knew how to make was pastries. So, I got a mixing bowl out and started some chocolate chip cookies. My sister was worried about her weight all the time but if you put cookies in front of her, she wouldn’t resist them.

A couple minutes later I heard a lighter version of Scott’s feet coming down the stairs. The pounding echoed down the hall, louder and louder until Nick appeared in the doorway in Spiderman pajamas, rubbing his eyes. “Aunt ‘Risa?” he said groggily.

“Hey, buddy!” I said, immediately reminding myself of the previous night.

“Your eye looks funny.” He said, sitting down at the table and resting his head.

I couldn’t say anything back. All I was doing was thinking about what’d just happened that night. Was it all a dream? Couldn’t have been. I had a black eye still. Did I punch myself in the face while sleeping? No, I’m pretty sure I would’ve woken up from that. “Sorry about missing the game last night.” I said, hoping Nick would think I was crazy.

“THAT’S OKAY CAUSE CHASE GOT US TICKETS!” he screamed back.

It wasn’t a dream. Holy shit. I had a date with a man that gave me a black eye. “Aunt ‘Risa?” Nick asked. “What you making?”

I smiled. “Chocolate chip cookies.”

“FOR BREAKFAST?”

I nodded. “We’re going to give them to your mom in bed.”

He stood up and walked over next to me, then wrapped his tiny arms around my waist. “YOU’RE THE BEST AUNT EVER!”

Give a kid a cookie when his parents say you can’t have it and you’re his best friend. Remember that.

Forty-five minutes later the cookies were hot out of the oven, and Nick and I were creeping up to Maria’s room with a fresh plate full for each of us and a glass of milk. I opened her bedroom door slowly to see her sprawled out in bed, sound asleep. Nick and I walked over to the foot of the bed and her eyes started to flutter open. “What is this?” she said, immediately on defense.

I chuckled. “Breakfast in bed!’

“Cookies?”

“AUNT ‘RISA IS THE BEST!”

A few hours later Nick, Maria and I were laying on her king sized bed with a belly full of cookies. It was quite fun, actually. We just sat around, talking about random things that made us all laugh. Then suddenly Nick brought up the thing the two of us were dreading to talk about.

“Wait, I just realized.” he chuckled. “Where’s daddy?”

Maria and I exchanged looks. “Daddy had to go on a business trip.”

“AGAIN?”

“Yeah, again.” Maria said softly. “But you’ll be hanging out with mommy and aunt Marisa! Daddy misses you very much, and as soon as he gets back he’ll go to a Phillies game with you, like he always does.”

Nick still looked disappointed. “Okay.”

When Nick left the room Marisa smiled at me. “You know you’re going to need a lot of cover up for this date tonight.”

I stood up and looked at myself in her mirror. The entire right side of my face was bruised up. “SHIT! I need some serious makeup. Like, now.”

“AUNT ‘RISA YOUR CELLY PHONE IS RINGING!” Nick yelled from his room.

Maria and I looked at each other, then both started to sprint for the stairs. I heard “Baby Got Back” playing from the couch where I left my phone, and dove for it. “Hello?” I said calmly.

“Hi, Marisa? This is Chase. Chase Utley, I don’t know if you remember me.”

I chuckled. “I met you less than twelve hours ago. Do you think I have memory loss.”

“Oh, God, I didn’t imply that at all. Wow. Um, so how about that date if I don’t kill myself before hand?”

“Please don’t.” I blushed. “Where were you thinking?”

He sighed. “Caribou Café around eight?”

“See you then.”

I hung up the phone and immediately sat down, since I felt so lightheaded. “Where are you meeting him?” Maria screamed a few thousand times.

“Caribou Café?”

“Do you know where or what that place is?”

“No!” I snapped.

Maria rolled her eyes. “It’s a French Restaurant. I’ve been there with Scott before on business dinners. It’s super fancy, so no clothes with flour all over them.”

“Well then I’m going to need to borrow something.”

Suddenly Maria grabbed my wrist and dragged me up to her bedroom. I sat down on the bed while she rummaged through her closet. “So we’re going with a sexy dress, right?”

I sighed. “I’ll wear what fits.”

Maria passed by a few more things then held up a silver mini dress. I shook my head.

A few more things, then a golden dress that looked like something our mother would’ve worn. I shook my head.

I tried on a few things I liked, then came down to the only dress Maria had left that was my size. I slipped it on and it fit perfectly. A short black dress with three-quarter length sleeves. “Perfect.” I said quietly.

“Well don’t rip it when you two are in the bedroom. That thing is Vera Wang.”

I slapped her on the arm. This date wasn’t going to end like that. Was it?

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Horribly sappy love story right here. It's a bit long, so make sure you actually have time to read the whole thing before you start.

 

 

She sat on the edge of the dock, alone. She didn’t mind-well, not as much as the first time, anyway. Every night for the past three years, she’d come out to the dock on the edge of the lake to watch the sunset. The sunset brought great memories, and even greater hope.

 

And it reminded her of him.

 

He’d been away from her for quite some time now, fighting in the war overseas. She didn’t like that he fought, for she was a pacifist at heart. However, he felt that it would be best if he made an effort to protect his beloved country, and it was something he sincerely wanted to do, so it wasn’t like she was actually going to try to talk him out of it. She was stubborn, but he was even more so.

 

She chuckled at the thought of that. She remembered the little quibbles they used to have. She could never win against him. She never really minded, either, for other than the war issue, they never argued much about anything. He might’ve teased her a bit, but those instances always ended in kiss and make up, so neither of them minded the “fights” at all.

 

She sighed. She missed him so-his smirk, his strength, the kind look he always gave her with his gorgeous brown eyes-she missed it all. She missed him even now, as she sat alone on those docks, her feet dangling mere centimeters from the cool and clear water. If she really wanted to, she could peer at all the fish swimming in the lake, all the perch and catfish mingling in peace.

 

Peace. That was the one thing she really wanted. If there were peace in the world, there would be no fighting, and he would’ve never had to leave her side.

 

She thought back to the night before he left her for the first (and, she hoped, the last) time. They stood there on those docks, him in his Army uniform, and her in his favorite dress, a long, green halter-top. He always liked how that dress brought out the green in her mostly blue eyes.

 

They had walked out to the very edge and watched the sunset, very much like she was doing now. They stood together for what seemed like forever. As soon as the sky became littered with stars, he suddenly turned to her and gazed at her with that kind look he always gave her. He smiled and asked her, “Wouldn’t you like to stay this way for the rest of your life-to watch the sunset together, and stay here on the lakeshore, with the cottage we both cherish?”

 

She became filled with joy and despair at the same time in that moment. “Oh Thomas, you know I’d just love to…but by tomorrow morning you’ll be gone. How exactly are we supposed to be together with you over a thousand miles away?”

 

He grinned even wider. “Why, darlin’, you know I’ll be back before you’ll know that I’m even gone. It’s not like I’ll be gone forever. Anyway, I don’t exactly mean right at this moment…” He kneels down on his left knee, takes her by the hand, and says, “Melanie, I want you to wait for me. I want to spend every breath of the rest of my life with you. I beg you now…will you marry me, my love? Will you?”

 

She remembered it like it was yesterday. She remembered how shocked yet ecstatic she was. She didn’t know why, but she was. She remembered how she enthusiastically said yes, and how she spent the remainder of that wondrous night in Thomas’ arms.

 

She thought about this night often while she makes her evening visits to the lake. She sometimes questioned herself, particularly as time passed on, why she even accepted his proposal in the first place. However, she’d always find something inside herself-a memory, a thought, a feeling-that would remind herself of the ultimate reason why she said yes on that night: She loved him, and she couldn’t imagine not marrying him.

 

There were times, however, when she felt hopeless and out of control. There were times when she wished she could change how things were. There were times when she asked herself, “Will he ever come back?”

 

She then noticed that the sunset had long gone, and the moon danced in the midnight sky. Sighing and carrying feelings of lament, she trudged back to her lakeside cottage and fitfully feel asleep.

 

 

Many more days went by as this, and as time went by, she pined for him more and more. She found it harder and harder to believe that he was great, that he was OK…that he was alive. The only things that gave her a glimmer of hope were the occasional postcards. But she hadn’t gotten one of those in months. She understood how mailing was somewhat difficult in the settings that her beloved was currently under, but she couldn’t help but worry. And worry she did.

 

On a particularly depressing night, she sat in her kitchen. She had thought that hot chocolate would soothe her and help her fall asleep, but it only reminded of him more. She remembered how he liked his hot chocolate with cinnamon sticks. She smiled at the thought.

 

Suddenly her telephone rang. Her heart jumped; maybe he was calling to tell her that he was finally coming home. She ran to the phone, picked it up, and answered.

 

“Hello?”

 

“Well, hi, sweetie.”

 

“Oh. Hello, Mother.”

 

“Well, isn’t that a nice welcome. I call you to surprise you, and all I get is an ‘Oh.’ I guess I was wrong to call you at all…”

 

“No, Mom, it’s not that I’m not happy to hear from you. It’s just that-“

 

“I know, sweetie, I know. You miss him a lot, don’t you?”

 

“Is this all you called for, to give another one of your therapy sessions? Because I really don’t need that right now. If I needed therapy, I’d go see a psychologist.”

 

“I wasn’t saying anything of the sort, sweetie, I just meant-“

 

“And STOP calling me ‘sweetie.” It’s getting really annoying.”

 

“Now that’s no reason to start snapping at me. I wasn’t trying to be derogatory.”

 

She sighs. “I’m sorry, Mom. I’m just having one of those nights…”

 

“I know you are. You’ve been more and more this way when I call you. Can’t you just move on? It’s been such a long time…”

 

“No, Mom. He promised me, and I believe him. No matter how long it takes, I’ll wait for him.”

 

“Well, OK, honey. Whatever you want, I’m fine with it.”

 

“Thank you, that’d be greatly appreciated.”

 

“Anyway, that’s not why I called you. There’s a ship coming in next week with more of the returning soldiers-“

 

“Oh gosh, another one? Is that all you called to tell me about?”

 

“Well, I thought that, you know…”

 

“Mom, he wasn’t on the last one that came through here. Or the ones before that, for that matter.”

 

“You mean you’re not even going to look?”

 

“Well, with each one of these, it just becomes more and more depressing each time that I don’t see him come off of it. I miss him, yes, but I don’t want to become more discouraged each time I don’t see him.”

 

“Yes, dear, but suppose that this is the one. Wouldn’t you want to give him a good welcome home after he’s been away for so long?”

 

She sighed in defeat. Her mom always won her over with that argument. “OK, Mom. Just tell me when and where, and I’ll be there.”

 

“You know when and where. It’s in the same place and the same time as always.”

 

“I figured so. I just try not to remember so much. OK, I’ll be there-but only because you really think it’s worthwhile.”

 

“Great, sweetie. I’ll see you then. I love you.”

 

“I love you too, Mom.”

 

She hung up and thought about next week. She knew that he wasn’t going to be there. She knew in her heart; he never was. She finished her hot chocolate and prepared herself for another restless night.

 

 

The week passed by torturously slow, yet at the same time it seemed to her that the day she dreaded got there so quickly. She had just finished drying her hair when her doorbell rang.

 

“Oh, great. Who could be bothering me so early in the morning?”

 

She opened the door, just to have her overly cheerful mother step in. “Hey sweetie, are you ready to go?”

 

“Mom, we still have four hours...”

 

“I know, I know, but you can never be too prepared. And I want to get there early. You know what your father says: ‘Being early is being on time, and being on time is late.’ Oh my goodness, you aren’t seriously wearing that up there, are you? I’m sure you have plenty of other, nicer things to wear than that…”

 

“Yes, Mother-“

 

“And you should put on some makeup. You always look so much nicer with makeup. And maybe a little perfume wouldn’t hurt, either…”

 

“Must you ramble on and on about how I look? I’ll wear what I want to wear, all right?”

 

Her mom abruptly stopped her rant. “But of course. Excuse me for trying to be motherly and helping-“

 

“Well, you’re not, so just stop already. I’m a grown woman; I believe I can take care of myself.”

 

She briskly walked to her bedroom and slammed the door. She sighed; she knew she shouldn’t have yelled at her mother, for she was trying to be supportive. It just seemed that she wasn’t being the type of supportive that she needed right at that moment.

 

She looked at herself in the mirror. Her hair, jet black, had already returned to its naturally wavy state. Her hair was always stubborn when it came to styling; it never wanted to stay where she put it. Not that she bothered to style it much, anyway; it never mattered to Thomas how her hair was, so she didn’t bother anymore.

 

This was the case now. She figured it would be a sort of betrayal to do anything special to her hair now, if he did happen to be on that boat. She would put on make-up, though. She never really cared much for it, as it all felt icky on her face, but she’d wear a little on special occasions, just to show that she at least cared a little bit about her physical appearance.

 

She was about to apply her lip gloss when she heard a gentle knock on the door.

 

“Mel? Sweetie…”

 

“It’s OK, Mom. You can come in.”

 

She opens the door to find her mother with a heartbroken look on her face. “Melanie, sweetheart, I-“

 

“Don’t, Mom. It’s OK. I’m sorry for acting like a 5-year-old. It’s just-“

 

“I know, honey, I understand-“

 

“No, Mom. There’s no excuse for me to act the way that I did in there. I’m sorry I can’t be more of a daughter to you.”

 

“Now you’re talking nonsense-“

 

“No, I’m not. Ever since Thomas has been gone, I haven’t been myself. I’ve been so absorbed in him that I’ve just let things go by, and I’m just going through the motions. It’s hard for me to function with work…or anything else, for that matter. I just can’t be this way anymore. I just…”

 

And with that, Melanie began to cry. She didn’t know why, for she hadn’t cried for quite some time. She had hardened in nature as time without him passed, but now…it was as if a waterfall of emotions was pouring out of her now, at this random moment.

 

Her mom went to hug her and to soothe her. “Shhhhhh, there there now. Everything’s going to be OK.”

 

“N-n-no it’s not. He’s n-n-not coming back, ever.”

 

“But of course he will, sweetie. He promised you, remember? There there…”

 

It took a good while for her to recuperate, but Melanie finally pulled through. She asked, “Mom…what do you think I should wear?”

 

“Well, Mel, ask yourself this: What do you think Thomas would like to see you in?”

 

With that, she ran into her closet and pulled out the green halter-top she had worn on many occasions, the one Thomas loved so much.

 

“Why, sweetie, you haven’t worn that in ages. Are you sure that still even fits?”

 

She grinned. “I’m sure.”

 

 

They arrived at the port at 11:30. They still had 30 minutes until the boat would arrive, but Melanie’s mother firmly believed in her husband’s words about punctuality. Besides, it was perfect outside weather: crisp and cool, and the sun shining brightly overhead.

 

“Wow. I didn’t think so many people would already BE here.”

 

“Well, dear, they’re feeling like you are. They can’t wait to see their loved ones come home.”

 

Neither can I, she thought to herself. She tried to wait patiently, but she was never a patient person, so before long, she became fidgety, much like a toddler in Sunday school.

 

“Oh, stop moving about so much. I swear, you’re like a Mexican jumping bean.”

 

“I’m sorry, Mother, but you know how I get when it comes to these things. Waiting is one of my least favorite things to do.”

 

“I realize that, but can’t you dislike waiting more quietly? My goodness…”

 

So she tried. However, no matter how much energy she devoted to remaining still, she failed at it. Her mother soon stopped scolding her, seeing as it would do no good.

 

It wasn’t too long after this when a white dot came floating across the ocean. People began to cheer. “It’s the boat, it’s the boat, they’re here! Finally they’re HERE!” The crowd erupted in euphoric pandemonium, and the closer that dot came to shore, the louder and more excited the people became. Even Melanie was beginning to become excited, in spite of herself.

 

After what seemed an eternity, the ship came to port, and soldiers began to dispense from the ship. Soldiers searched for their loved ones, and the loved ones searched back. Before long, families, friends, and couples were being reunited after what seemed to be forever for them. There was much hooraying, crying, kissing, hugging, and rejoicing. The soldiers were home.

 

Well, not all of them.

 

There were indeed many people who became disappointed when the one they cherished so dearly didn’t come out of that ship. Perhaps they were misinformed, or they had over-anticipated, or they had just misjudged entirely…but they weren’t there.

 

And, once again, Thomas didn’t emerge from the depths of that vessel.

 

Melanie had known all along that he wouldn’t have been there. She had already convinced herself of that. She was, however, human, and she became once again filled with disappointment and sorrow.

 

“Oh, sweetheart. Oh sweetie, I’m so sorry-“

 

“It’s fine, Mother. It doesn’t matter anymore. I don’t know if it ever did.”

 

With that, she left her mother, got in her car, and drove to her little cottage on the shore of the lake which brought her so much hope, and yet so much pain.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

She opened the door, walked into the kitchen, and sat. There was nothing else to do now. She had wasted yet another day of wistful hoping. She became angry with everything in her life. She became angry with her mother for dragging her down to the ocean shore yet again, with Thomas for once again failing to be there and breaking her heart, and herself for letting herself be fooled so many times over. She KNEW it wouldn’t turn out in her favor; SHE KNEW. She was just a hopeless romantic, thinking with her heart rather than her head. Wanting to further isolate herself from reality, she made her way toward her bedroom door.

 

She opened the door, and just stopped in her tracks. She couldn’t move anymore.

 

Sitting there on her bed was a man. He was tall, dark, and handsome, with a light mustache and beard, and slicked back hair. He wore camouflage, sandy boots, and a smile on his face. He had a kind look in his brown eyes, and they had an extra spark in them.

 

“Darlin’, you look beautiful.”

 

Melanie couldn’t believe what she was seeing. “But you weren’t there with the others-you weren’t-“

 

“Now that’s not the way to welcome home your fiancée. I promise I’ll explain everything later. For now, though…come here, Sunshine, I wanna see you up close.”

 

Sunshine. She couldn’t remember the last time she had been called that. Still stunned, and with tears welling up in her eyes, she walked towards him.

 

She stopped just mere inches from him. She looked once into his face. He looked so different, and yet exactly the same. It was him. He was finally home.

 

She grabbed her lover in her arms and began to sob on his shoulder uncontrollably. In reality, she didn’t know what else to do. She didn’t know whether to slap him for being away for so long or to kiss him for finally coming back to her. She continued to sob her heart away.

 

He took her into his strong arms and held her tight. “Shhhhhh, now. It’s OK, love, I’m home now. I’m finally home.”

 

She looks at him with her big blue eyes, now red and puffy, and asks, “But WHY, Thomas? Why so LONG?”

 

“Well, Sunshine, it took me longer than expected to recover.”

 

“Recover? Recover from what?”

 

“Take another look at me, darlin’.”

 

It was then she noticed for the first time what was wrong.

 

“Ohhhhh, Thomas. When did it happen?”

 

“Oh, it’s nothing. You don’t wanna hear about that…”

 

“Nothing? Your left leg is missing, and you say it’s NOTHING!?”

 

“Well, it’s only a small portion of it. And it’s not the first injury I’ve gotten during the war.”

 

“It-it’s not?”

 

“No, Sunshine, it’s not.”

 

An awkward silence fills the room for a few minutes. Neither of the two lovers knows what to say to the other.

 

Finally, Thomas sighs. “Well, I suppose now would be the good time to explain everything.”

 

“See, I was fighting in the trenches, and I was trying to defend myself, as well as my troop. Well, we found out that one of our men was really a spy…and we didn’t find out until too late. The spy had set a bomb where we were laying, and before you know it, BOOM! It goes off. I might’ve been taken for dead, had I not been one of the men farther away from it. Many of the other men weren’t so lucky. One of my best friends that I had made while stationed there was blown to bits.”

 

“See, darlin’, THIS is why I couldn’t come home for so long. I was in such bad shape for a long time. Of course, there’s my leg, and a bunch of shrapnel from the actual bomb did a lot of other damage. I had to undergo a lot of therapy to get over it both physically and mentally. I had several operations to remove all the debris that was lodged in my body. I was bedridden for months. I tried to contact you and let you know that I was OK, but the hospital said that I needed total bedrest, and that I couldn’t get that when writing to you. Frankly I thought that was a bunch of bullshit, but you know, I’d do whatever I needed to do, because the sooner I did, the sooner I’d come back to you. I missed you, babe. I really did. I thought of you everyday and dreamed of you every night. And now, thanks to Sergeant Kelley, I’m here with you.”

 

“Sergeant Kelley? Is he the one that brought you here?”

 

“Yes, and I owe him for it, too. He risked a lot to get me back here in such short time. He bought me the plane ticket and everything.”

 

“By plane? But I thought-“

 

“Well, I was still in my last phase of recovery when that last vessel went a-sail. That’s why you didn’t see me on it. I didn’t get here too long before you did.”

 

They both giggled at that.

 

“Oh, my Sunshine. I can’t remember the last time I heard your cute little laugh. It’s been so long…”

 

“Yes, my love, it has. But now you’re here.”

 

“Yes, darlin’. I’m home, and I’m here to stay.”

 

With that, they embraced and shared a kiss for the first time in over three years. It felt like forever, and neither of them wanted that moment to end. It did end, however, as they finally decided to let each other go.

 

They looked into each other’s eyes and grinned. “So, Sunshine, are you ready for the wedding?”

 

“Ready? I’ve been ready since before you proposed to me.”

 

At that, Thomas heartily laughed. “Anxious now, aren’t we? You know how much planning needs to be done-“

 

“I don’t care. I want to marry you as soon as remotely possible.”

 

“Well, so do I, Sunshine, but it’ll have to wait a little longer. You know it’d break your mother’s heart to see all her hard planning go to waste.”

 

“Well, that’s true…”

 

“Haha, well, OK then. Are we set, then, for this coming September?”

 

“September? I thought we agreed on a June wedding…”

 

“Well, darlin’, I’ve been thinking, and well…I’ve been away so long, and we have some, shall we say, ‘catching up’ to do…”

 

“Hahaha, all right, Cassanova, I get your point…”

 

“Now hold on, you didn’t let me finish. I thought it’d be more meaningful that we get married on a meaningful date…say, September 18th?”

 

She gasped, “Oh, Thomas, you don’t mean-“

 

“Yes, Sunshine, I do.”

 

September 18th. It was the day he had first asked her to be his girlfriend.

 

At that, she grinned. “You think of everything, don’t you?”

 

He smiled and gazed at her with his brown eyes. “Well, I try my best.”

 

She laughed at that. He was always the cleverer of the two. Then she thought of something else. “Love, after we get married…well, you’re gonna need a job…”

 

“Now don’t worry about that. I’ve gotten everything taken care of. I’ve talked with Mr. Weaver.”

 

“Mr. Weaver? From the motocycle shop? But isn’t it rather dangerous?”

 

“It’s no more dangerous than what I’ve been doing. Besides, although I may be missing a leg, I still have two good, strong hands to work with. He pays great money, too, so we should do just fine.”

 

Melanie looks into his eyes and smiles. “Honey, we’re going to do just fine, aren’t we?”

 

He smiles back. “Yes, Sunshine, we are.”

 

They embrace and kiss each other once again. Melanie goes to her bedroom door, locks it, and lunges herself at him.

 

 

She had missed times like these, where she had him all to herself. She had missed the smell of his cologne, the gentleness of his caresses, the way he breathed on her neck. The two lay next to each other in contented bliss, oblivious to the world around them.

 

She reached for her alarm clock, then cried out in horror. “Oh no! I’m going to miss the sunset. We need to go NOW!”

 

He looked at her, confused. “What’s the rush for?”

 

She turned quickly back at him and stared at him like he was crazy. “What do you mean? Don’t you remember? We ALWAYS go to see the sunset on the docks. Now come on, before we miss it.”

 

“Don’t worry, we won’t miss anything.”

 

“Yes we will! We have to hurry.”

 

“There’s nothing to hurry about, Sunshine.”

 

“But Thomas-“

 

“Listen to yourself! Why do you have to hurry so? First the marriage, now the sunset. What’s next?”

 

“What is your PROBLEM?”

 

“That’s actually what I want to know.”

 

“Thomas, you KNOW how important this is-“

 

“But why? Why have sunsets become so important? It’s not as if it’ll be the last one that we’ll ever see. There will always be another sunset. Sure, many of our most precious moments have come with sunsets, but who’s to say that this must become a staple of our lives? There are more important things out there than sunsets.”

 

“Yeah, like tradition, and love, and-“

 

“Yes, Melanie, love. And time. Look, I know you love sunsets. I do, too. But I love you more. And I want to spend time with you. Can’t I love you and spend time with you without having to look at another sunset?”

 

She stopped in her tracks and gave him a grave look. “Have you ever thought that sunsets have been the only thing to keep me company since you’ve been away? Have you ever thought of that? They always reminded me of you. They reminded me of US. Why can’t you understand that?”

 

“I do, darlin’. But why do you need to remind yourself of me now? I’m here now, and I always will be, ‘til the day I die. I want to spend time with you and you alone, here with me. I don’t want to feel obligated to share my love for you with those sunsets. I don’t want to feel like there are times when you love the sunset more than you love me.”

 

She stopped. She had never thought of things that way. “Thomas, I-“

 

“Let me finish. I haven’t seen you on over three years. Three YEARS. I’m sure you know as well as I do how long that is. You’ve spent those three years on the lake with the sunset. I’ve spent them on the battlefield or in a hospital, away from most of the more pleasant things in the world, from sunsets as well as you. Can I please have at least this one evening to you for myself and not have to share with your second love?”

 

She thought about this for a good while before answering. She had seen those sunsets for a while. They meant so much to her…the memories…they meant so much to her…

 

But at the same time, they brought her grief, as she sat alone on the lakeshore, for she couldn’t watch them with her beloved. She had done so by herself for such a long time, and it wasn’t near as meaningful as when he was there. She knew what her answer was then.

 

“Yes, Thomas. Ask, and you shall receive. I’ll stay here with you.”

 

Thomas smiled at the sunshine of his life. “I love you, Melanie. I love you more than I could ever say.”

 

“I love you, too, sweetheart.”

 

They embraced again, and they spent the rest of the evening at home, drinking hot chocolate with cinnamon sticks while sitting in the kitchen, laughing and reminiscing about old times. They enjoyed the first night of their new lives together isolated from the rest of the world, and without a sunset. Neither of them minded in the least.

 

awh, i really like it!! youre a very talented writer!! :cheesy::nice::heart:!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now



×
×
  • Create New...