Missing Martha

101

While the radio was playing, Martin continued to drive along the road. Zoe sat in the passenger seat, she had been staring at Martin for at least an hour now, and most of the others were asleep by the sounds of it.
As he stopped at a red light Zoe pulled up his left sleeve to reveal the bandage he had put on earlier around his wrist.
"What have you done to yourself?" She asked him, tentatively touching his wrist and undoing the bandage to see the bloody wound.
"Don't really know." He replied, "it's just a cut, it's fine."
Zoe met his gaze, "You did it to yourself, didn't you?" She whispered, "this is obviously from a razor."
"Oh Zoe.. you can see right through me." He sighed, smiling at her.
"It's my job to keep you safe." She replied, wrapping the bandage back around his arm.
Martin savoured her touch as if it had been a caress, the traffic was awful, it was rush hour, the van wouldn't be moving for quite a while. He took a quick look back at everyone to make sure they were asleep before his eyes locked again with hers, and he pressed his lips gently against hers, one hand remained on the steering wheel while the other rested on the handbrake, giving the most innocent kiss and, in his opinion, the most perfect kiss. They were completely secluded from the rest of the world, it seemed. They had nowhere to be, no one to visit. Nobody was watching. The car lights surrounding them couldn't dazzle them in the swarming sunset. And yes, they had plenty of things to worry about, but in this instance they could be together, and no one could dare to alter their loyalty.
Zoe had to break this kiss apart, her eyes had burst into a stream of tears.
"I'm sorry." Said Martin, smiling at her and wiping the tears from her cheeks with his thumbs and brushing her hair back behind her ears.
"Come on, it doesn't look like this traffic is gonna be moving anytime soon, let's get some air." He suggested, planting a kiss on her forehead before opening his side door and walking out to the front of the van. Zoe met him there, and she sat up on the bonnet where he, smiling, sat down beside her, putting their feet up and leaning their backs on the windscreen.
"I never thought traffic could be so peaceful." Sighed Zoe, her head resting on Martin's shoulder.
"Suppose we're in Italy." He replied, "everywhere is bloody beautiful."
Zoe looked over at Martin lovingly, he was wearing a light blue linen shirt with a pair of jeans. His green eyes were soothing to her, as was his messily done up hair and his five o'clock shadow.
"I can't believe that.. that we became this." Said Zoe as Martin wrapped one of his arms around her neck.
Martin laughed, "well, it was bound to happen."
"I suppose it was." Zoë replied, looking up at Martin, "when I saw you walk into that classroom.. what- two and a half weeks ago? I was trying I act professional but.. I guess I just really fancied you." They giggled at each other, their noses touching as the sun beamed on their faces.
"Look.. Zoe.." Martin began, his face becoming more sincere, causing Zoe to move her head away, sensing some sort of inner tension.
"I didn't plan to do this here.. but I just.." Martin took a deep breath before pulling out a small box from his trouser pocket making Zoe gasp and cover her mouth with her two hands, causing her to begin to slide off the bonnet. Martin caught her, laughing and pulled her back up in his embrace, opening the box and revealing the beautiful diamond ring he had purchased earlier that day in Florence. It was subtle but it glimmered with the orange reflection of the sun.
"You don't have to, but.. If you thought your life maybe wasn't spontaneous enough- do you wanna get married?" Martin asked her as her already saturated eyes began to leak some more,
"Yeah, Yeah Martin. Yes, Mr McCafferson I do." She cried as Martin smiled at her, taking the ring out of the box.
"What hand does it go on?" He asked her, making her laugh.
"I don't know I haven't been engaged before!" She giggled, still wiping away her endless tears. "Jeez, I'm pregnant, it was my dad's funeral today, I was nearly shot two nights ago and now I'm bloody engaged! How the hell are you making me so happy?"
Martin slid the ring on her finger and a few of the cars around them beeped their horns, making them laugh as they tried to kiss each other, but were smiling too much.
The cars in front of them began to move off, and Martin and Zoe slid off the bonnet and climbed back inside the van.
"What were you two doing on the bonnet?" Asked Ryan, who had obviously just woken up.
"Oh- Nothing." Said Martin, making eye contact with Zoe and winking at her as she smiled earnestly at him, still trying to come to terms with everything, but knowing one thing for certain, she loved Martin, and he loved her too. And there was nothing in this world that could ever change that.