It had been two months since John had moved out of the penthouse. Deciding it was best to give the woman that held his heart time to heal, and give himself time to figure out what he needed to do to make things right. He had tried everything, calling, talking to Belle. He hated leaving her alone to deal with the children alone. Nothing he had done seemed to work. So here he stood, facing the door to the place that used to be his home.
The letter in his hand was a last ditch effort to get her to listen to him… If she wouldn’t talk to him… maybe, just maybe this would get through to her. Kissing it lightly for good luck he slid it beneath the door, wrapped up in a bow like a gift, swallowing the lump that had formed in his throat as he pushed the button to the elevator, leaving her to decide which direction she would take.
Marlena had been sitting on the sofa in the living room of the penthouse, staring aimlessly at the photograph of she and John from their wedding when she noticed the envelope sliding under the bottom of the door. Everyday, every hour, every MINUTE, her thoughts went back to him. She had thrown herself into her work. Taking on extreme cases at the hospital, and working overtime at the radio station to perfect the show she was hosting with Nancy.
Moving to retrieve the letter from the floor, she opened the door, half expecting to find him standing at the other side waiting for her reaction. Finding the hallway empty, she realized that he was trying to give her the space she needed… and the time she needed to make up her own mind.
Untying the ribbon, she opened the envelope, the faint smell of his cologne lingering on the paper his hands had held moments before. Unfolding the paper, she began to read the neat handwriting that he had used to poor his heart out.
It’s not that I can’t live without you
It’s just that I don’t even want to try
Every night I dream about you
Ever since the day we said goodbye
Moving to the sofa, she curled up, grasping a pillow beneath her arms as she continued.
If I wasn’t such a fool
Right now I’d be holding you
There’s nothin’ that I wouldn’t do
Baby if I only knew
The words to say
The road to take
To find a way back to your heart
What can I do
To get to you
And find a way back to your heart
As much as she had tried to fight tears over the past hour, she felt them begin to fall as she glanced at the photograph she had been staring at just moments before. If only she could break through the barrier of her pride, he would know that she had made great progress in accepting the events of the past few months. H e would know that she loved him as much as she ever had, and he would know that she wanted things to work desperately. Grabbing for the phone, she began to dial the number to the Salem Inn. As she glanced back down at her lap, she stopped mid-way… maybe it would be best to finish reading before she gave in completely to the impulse.
I don’t know how it got so crazy
But I’ll do anything to set things right
‘Cause your love is so amazing
Baby you’re the best thing in my life
Truth be told, he wasn’t writing anything she didn’t already know. He had told her so many times over the years that she meant everything to him. She felt the same way… he was her whole life, but the lies he had told cut deep.
Reading his words so plainly across the piece of stationery, she realized that those cuts had finally begun to heal… leaving only the faintest of scars.
Let me prove my love is real
And made you feel the way I feel
I promise I would give the world
If only you would tell me girl
The words to say
The road to take
To find a way back to your heart
What can I do
To get to you
And find a way back to your heart
Smiling to herself, Marlena decided that if he was so willing to have to prove himself to her again, she might as well play along with him. A little wooing never hurt anyone, and the rewards he would receive for doing so just might be worth it to him…
Give me one more chance, to give my love to you
‘Cause no one on this earth loves you like I do,
Tell me
The words to say
The road to take
To find a way back to your heart
What can I do
To get to you
And find a way back to your heart
Picking up the phone yet again, she dialed his cell number. Not having the patience to deal with a front desk and leave him a message if he wasn’t in his room at the Inn. Smiling to herself as she waited for it to ring, she knew that this was the first big step on their way to recovery. He had found the way to do exactly as his letter said.
I turn back time
To make you mine
And find a way back to your heart
I beg and plead
Fall to my knees
To find a way back to your heart
As she heard that familiar voice on the other end pick up… she knew for a fact he’d never left her heart to begin with….
The Jarlena Journal 