JC approached Laura looking as if all the weight of the heavens were resting on his shoulders. He knew she wouldn’t be in the house. Laura would need to be outside so she could think and pray. She would go to sit under her favorite tree. JC could see her from the driveway so he slowly walked towards her
He looked defeated. Much like Laura looked, she was sitting on the ground, her head resting on her bent knees. Anyone observing the two of them would assume that Laura had no idea that JC was nearby. She hadn’t moved or acknowledged his presence in any way. But unfortunately, Laura knew the instant that JC had pulled in. Her entire being hummed with awareness that he was close by.
He stopped several feet away, just absorbing her back into his soul, looking his fill. He had done this, made her this way… beaten. His foolish mistake, one he prayed she would forgive him for making.
“Why are you here?” Laura asked suddenly, her voice weak from crying and muffled from being against her knees.
“You know why I’m here. I love you with all my heart and soul. I am so sorry for everything that happened that night.”
“Everything that happened that night.” Laura scoffed as she brought her head up to look JC in the eyes. “If I hadn’t kneed you, you would have raped me!”
His heart shattered into pieces as he took in Laura’s face. Her eyes were swollen and red from crying. But what brought him to his knees next to her were the bruises she had on her arms. They were fingerprints – his fingerprints – from grabbing her that fateful night. He didn’t even notice when the tears started running down his face. His hand slowly came up to cover the bruises, but before he could touch them, Laura moved away rapidly.
“Don’t touch me!” She said furiously.
“I – I wo-won’t, baby.” He stammered.
“Don’t call me that, that’s what you called me when …” Her voice trailed off as she once again buried her head against her knees, rocking back and forth to try to erase the memories.
“I trusted you…I trusted you more than anything!”
“I know and I’m going to do whatever it takes to regain your trust in me. I will never drink again.”
“How do I know that? You said all those things so they must have been something you had thought about before, oh by the way,” Laura moved so she could reach into her pocket. Pulling out an envelope, she tossed it toward JC. It fell on the ground between them; he could see his name and address written on the front.
“That’s part of the money that I owe you, you’ll get the rest as soon as I have it.”
He stopped breathing for a moment, he didn’t know that he could sink any lower, but apparently, he could.
“Laura, I don’t want your money. I didn’t know what I was saying; I paid for all of those things so that we could be together. To get to know each other, fall in love, we are going to be married. My money is your money. Money means nothing without you. I would give it all up if you asked me. I love you! You are my everything! ”
“You have a funny way of showing it.” She paused looking off at the horizon. “I don’t know anything any more. I’m so tired, but I can’t sleep. I keep seeing you throw me on the bed and hold me down.”
His voice broke, “Laura do you remember that second evening that we were snowed in together, we put the movie in and I tricked you into sitting on the couch with me?”
There was a soft noise of agreement.
“Remember our first kiss. Your lips were so soft and perfect; I lost myself in you at that moment and haven’t been the same since. Our souls united and I started to fall in love with you that day. You are the other half of me. Remember that day; remember the night where you slept in my arms. I knew right then that we would spend the rest of our lives together. That was me Laura, that’s still who I am. The man who is going to cherish you for the rest of our lives.”
During his declaration, JC had slid over next to Laura, their eyes locking. His hand coming up to lightly caress her hair.
