Missing Martha

90

After much speculation on who was fit to drive, Ryan insisted and sat in the driver's seat while the others retired to the passenger seats.
Martin, who remained in quite a significant amount of pain, sat beside Ryan in the front seat, and remained in control of the GPS, but was constantly looking at Zoe in the wing mirror, reaching back and taking her hands.
The sun was setting, producing the most spectacular red raging sky, resembling an eternal blaze. An orange haze settled on Ryan's face, who was squinting from the light.
Martin took off his sunglasses to view the sky unfiltered. He handed his glasses to Ryan,
"Thanks." Said Ryan.
Martin sat back and enjoyed the view of the beautiful burning sky, temporarily forgetting about his abdominal pain.
"That's the most beautiful sky I've ever seen." Said Zoe from the seat behind Martin.
Martin nodded in agreement, looking around at her, who's eyes were reflecting the fiery sky.
He unbuckled his seatbelt and sat down in the seat beside her, wrapping an arm around her shoulder.
"I'll be back in two days- I'll meet you in Venice." She assured him, leaning her head on his shoulder.
"Zoe- don't rush. And if you don't feel like this- then just stay at home." He offered, comforting her.
Zoe shook her head, looking up at Martin as the street lights and the beams of sunlight illuminated her beaming bright eyes, "I love being here."
Martin, leaned in and pressed his nose against hers, his lips slightly parting as he delicately delivered a kiss onto her opened mouth. He still felt the warmth of the sun on his features as he closed his eyelids softly, and when at last they retreated, he felt twice as in love as he'd been previously.
"Get a bloody room." Chuckled Cloda from the seat behind.
"You saw nothing." Martin replied, smiling at Zoe who was chewing her bottom lip as she gleamed into his eyes.
"Sir- where am I going?" Asked Ryan from the front, who had just pulled in to the entrance of the airport.
Martin walked back into the front seat,
"Next left." He ordered, checking all the sign posts, "and then pull up behind that silver Peugeot."
Zoe reached over and lifted up her bag as Ryan stopped the car and turned off the engine.
Martin climbed out of the van and slid open Zoe's door and lifted her bags out.
"See you guys! I'll be back in two days." She promised, looking back in the van.
"Bye miss!" They Replied in unison as she closed the door and took her bags off Martin.
"Safe journey." He wished her,
"Thanks." She responded, "I don't know how I'll survive two days without you protecting me."
She and Martin laughed and before they knew it they were immersed in a warm and loving embrace, which ended in a short kiss on the lips.
"You'll be alright?" Assured Martin,
"Yeah." She Replied, smiling as she nodded,
"Call me." He bid.
"I will." She promised, taking a step back, "I'll see you in Venice!"
Martin smiled back at her as she waved and walked into the airport atrium.
When he climbed back into the front seat the sun had almost set.
"Where to now?" Asked Ryan,
"There's this caravan park about fifteen minutes outside of Florence- I've put it on the sat-nav. It's about a twenty minute drive- I'll take over." Martin responded.
"Nah, I'm good to keep on driving. You can relax and gaze at pictures of Miss Flynn."
Martin's jaw dropped slightly as he laughed, "Ryan I would slap you if I was allowed." He leaned back against his seat and folded his arms as Ryan chuckled.
"Martini- can I have your advice on a dilemma?" Intruded Ollie from a seat behind.
"Sure, what's up?" Asked Martin.
Ollie passed him his phone with an email stating his university offer. Martin swapped his own phone for Ollie's but found himself squinting.
"Jeez yours is tiny compared to my one, I need my glasses." Responded Martin, which rose a few giggles from the back seats.
"We're not playing innuendo bingo you rude ladies!" Ryan intruded, handing Martin his reading glasses from the door pocket and briefly trying them on as he was stuck on a red light.
"Bloody hell you're blind." He commented, taking them off and handing them to Martin.
"Thanks." Martin replied, reading Ollie's email and biting his lip.
"Vancouver?!" He reacted, turning around in his seat, "Van-bloody-couver! All the way over there?!"
"Look: I've only got until tomorrow morning to accept or decline." He sighed, "I want genuine advice."
"It's an engineering course, right?" Martin checked,
"Yeah, mechanical." Ollie confirmed,
"I assume it's gonna be three days a week.. so there's another four days for band practice."
"Yeah but I'll be in Vancouver."
"So? FaceTime, Skype- whatever the hell you have nowadays? I think you guys could handle it." Assured Martin.
"You think we can handle anything, sir." Mocked Jemma.
"Well you guys have just been through a week of absolute hell and you've seemed to handle it alright." He justified.
"Yeah but... oh god this is going to sound weird, but although this has been a terrible week, it's probably been one of the best weeks of my life." Jemma told them, and everyone slowly nodded.
"Yeah, actually; same." Said Martin.
"Really?! You had a bloody awful couple weeks." Exclaimed Lucy,
"Yeah- but it's been a sort of all-or-nothing kind of month. If it's not unbearably horrible, it's just brilliant."
"I think it's more because he met the love of his life this month." Suggested Ollie, causing Martin to laugh,
"You guys are the cheesiest people I know." He chuckled, giving Ollie his phone back, saying, "I think you should accept. You're not gonna get an offer like that ever again. What did your parents think?"
Ollie sat back, "oh.." he began, "they wouldn't care."
Martin leaned his head back and looked worriedly at Ollie, "wouldn't they?"
"Nah." Was his response.
Martin faced the front again and folded his arms, the sky now had a violet haze and amber clouds were scattered across the horizon.
Ryan indicated into the caravan park which was mostly empty and rolled down the window. Martin reached into his wallet and pulled out €30 to spend the night there.
Ryan parked in a secluded area on the grass and pulled up the handbrake before leaning back and sighing, taking off Martin's sunglasses and putting them back in the compartment.