Peter & Mariska - Fourteen [A Short Story]

Four - Remembering Jayne

Peter and Mariska enjoyed their meals, but still left room for dessert of course, which they ordered when the waiter returned to collect their empty plates. As they were waiting, Peter reached across and took hold of her hand, linking his fingers through hers and rubbing his thumb over the band and diamond on her finger. She smiled at the gesture, flicking her gaze from their joined hands to his face. He was simply watching her, and she felt the blush creeping onto her cheeks.

"Stop staring at me." She muttered.

"I can't help it," he lifted her hand and leaned forward, placing a delicate kiss onto her knuckles; "There's just...so much..." He paused for a second, trying hard to find the words to say; "I look at you, and I see so many amazing things we've done together; before we had kids, after we had kids. We've really had one hell of a ride so far."

"We have, and there's nobody else I'd rather be on this crazy rollercoaster of a life with than you." She winked. He chuckled, squeezing her hand. She squeezed his as well, before putting her other hand over his, rubbing gently with her thumb.

"I still remember the first time I ever properly cried in front of you; showed that vulnerable side that I tried like hell to hide from you for some reason." She spoke so quietly, still staring at their hands on the table. Peter nodded as he closed his eyes briefly, the memory still sending chills down his spine.

"I remember too," he spoke quietly as well, "Almost a year into our relationship, on your mother's birthday."

"And you stayed with me the whole evening and night." She lifted her head to look up at him.

"I did," he lifted her hand and kissed her lips again; "We were remembering Jayne."

******

April 2003.

A ridiculous filming schedule had left Mariska feeling exhausted, which meant over the course of her few days off, she had been sleeping in until at least ten, eleven the latest. Today was no different. She had slept in until eleven, and once she was up, she showered and dressed in yoga bottoms and a t-shirt. She had breakfast that consisted of oatmeal, toast, and her favorite healthy green drink that her cast mates swore smelled like a freshly mowed lawn, then after breakfast, she decided to do some spring cleaning to occupy her mind until her boyfriend of almost a year was due to come over towards the evening hours.

And the spring cleaning was well underway until the phone rang. She stopped and checked the caller ID, then picked up the cordless phone from its base. She perched herself on the edge of her sofa as she cheerfully spoke down the phone;

"Hi Dad!"

She breathed out at the familiar sounding Hungarian accent thar belonged to her father, Mickey Hargitay; the accent that always made her feel safe and warm even though she was so far away from him. They exchanged the normal pleasantries of hello and how are you. She smiled at the sound of her stepmother, Ellen, shouting hello, and she told her father to relay a message of greetings and love to Ellen, and Mickey did his normal concerned father thing of "Don't overwork yourself honey", something that always made Mariska roll her eyes and giggle as it was clear that no matter how old she got - even at the tender age of 39 that she was - her father would never stop worrying about her. She was his baby girl, after all.

Then, the conversation switched;

"I really wanted to see how you were doing honey, with today's date and all."

Mariska had a perplexed expression on her face. She stood up and went over to the Hello Kitty calendar that was on her wall, and her heart dropped.