The Protector: Broken (working title)

Chapter 22: THE PRODIGAL GIRLFRIEND (I KNOW)

I am now leaving behind the four most intense weeks I have ever, ever had. Today is the first day of the rest of your life. Somehow that saying made sense to me for the first time. Sleep. Just let me sleep so I don't have to think. Of course, I was forgetting that with sleep, often comes dreams...

"Mark!"

"Goober-Model!"

We run to each other and embrace. He spins me around.

"I missed you so much!"

I'm smiling so big it hurts my face. He grabs my bags. "Whaddaya got in here? Marbles?"

"Souvineirs for everyone!"

"They outta love you for that!" That sounded familiar.

We walked to the car and he threw my bags in back and then sat down in the front. "You getting in?" Silly of me, expecting him to open the door for me. I forgot how spoilt I was.

"I have a surprise for you. We have to make a special stop." He says.

We drive for about 20 minutes, then he turns into the driveway of a really nice hotel. He checks us in.

"What are we doing, Mark?" I'm still really curious as to what his surprise is.

He takes my hand excitedly. "Come on!"

We run, laughing and giggling like school children to a room at the very end of the hall, next to a big window overlooking the ocean. He opens the door and the windows of the room also overlook the ocean. "Wow, Mark. Isn't the ocean beautiful."

"Yes. It is. Surprise!"

I turn around and he's naked, and I'm naked, and he's pushed me on the bed. He starts kissing me urgently. "I've been waiting so long...It's been so hard..." I freak out, cuz I look and it's Mark, but he's got dreadlocks?!

I wake up with a start. The person sitting next to me tries to ignore me. "Sorry. Bad dream." I fade back to sleep.

Mark is waiting at the airport for me. He looks drained. "Hey baby."

"Hey. You look exhausted." And he really did. Dark bags under his eyes, and he looked like he lost weight. He barely was able to pick up my bags. He walked us to his car and put the bags in the back, then opened the door for me. We drive home mostly in silence. "Would you like me to drive?"

"No, no, I'm fine."

We get to my apartment and as I get out of the car a baby bottle rolls out. "Oh, could you grab that." He says.

Surprisingly he opens the door, unlocked. Suddenly several children are heard in the living room, fighting and crying. A woman walks up and says to Mark, "You're late, that'll be twenty extra dollars." She looks at me somewhat evilly and I realize its Emily. "Especially for YOUR kids." She walks out laughing.