Waiting for Never - Post Malone

Satisfaction

"Right, ok then. I wrote you a poem...Roses are red, violets are blue-"

"Oh, my-"

"I think you're hot, will you be my girlfriend?"

"That was terrible," Marli says trying to keep a straight face. "Oh, Shut up. So, what do you say? Wanna be my girlfriend?" Austin asks and Marli sighs. "I just don't know really. I am pretty high maintenance. I was expecting fireworks, a marching band maybe, oh! What about belly dancers!" she says playfully. Austin bites back a smile and rolls his eyes at her. "Come here," he says. She walks over to Austin, he picks her up and places her on the piano. Then picks up his guitar and stands in front of her with one leg hitched up on a chair. "I don't have any of that bullshit. But I do have this..." Austin says then starts singing as he strums softly. The song is pretty simple, it's a declaration and the message is very clear - of all the women in the world it's her he wants to be with, it's her that he will love for a lifetime. By the time he finishes the song, she can barely contain her smile. She is beaming, any girl would if she had just been sung a song like that. She reaches out and pulls him to her then kisses him. It’s slow and gentle, this kiss, and Marli melts into it. Austin does not break the kiss, but he manages to discard his guitar and steps closer to Marli, she responds by wrapping her legs around his waist. She has butterflies in her tummy and she is so very, very much in love with this man.

"I wrote that on the plane ride over here. It's not finished. But it's yours."

"Thank you. I love you."

"I love you too, so will you be my girlfriend now?"

Marli snorts. "Yes, I will be your girlfriend."

"Good."

~

Later that evening they are in the cave, the three dogs in their beds munching on a doggie treat each. Austin lying across the couch on his back with Marli between his legs with her head on his belly, they are sharing one of the candy bars. Austin's phone rings.

"Hey man...yeah…two moments, but they were yellow so all good...yeah she is…yeah…yeah...ok be here around 2…love you too man…bye."

Marli lifts her head and looks at Austin, he holds up his phone and jiggles it in his hand.
"That was Jonas. He phones every night to see how I did with my cravings. I had two today. One in the Gucci store and one just before dinner. I have a system - Red, it's too much for me. I have to phone my sponsor. Orange, I have to actively find something to get my mind unstuck. Yellow, when the thought of having a drink or hit makes me a little agitated. Green, it's all good in the hood. He also wanted to know if you were here and if everything worked out with us," Austin explains.

"How often are you red?"

"Every so often. Three weeks ago was my last red."

"And Orange?"

"About once a week."

"Yellow?"

"Daily."

"What about green?"

"More than all the other colors."

There is so much Marli does not know. So much she has to learn. She puts her head back on Austin's belly. She can see the photos from where she is laying down. "Tell me about those people in the photos," she says. Austin starts running his fingers through her hair. "OK. The first top left photo with the cake that says 365 is my one-year sober celebration the people in there are from my support group, Henry, James, Trish, Emily, and Paul. The photo next to it, that cutie is Ella, you met her. That little boy is Nathan...Jonas' son, my godson. I wasn't able to meet him till he was 6 months old, he is a year old now," Aust says. Marli snaps her head up looking at Austin, she wants to cry. She has missed so much. She blinks back her tears and swallows. "Don't do that, lil mama, please. Some things in our story are not nice like neither of us being around when Nathan was born. But our story is going to be long, so there will be many more moments to experience together. Ok?"  Austin says. Marli nods then puts her head back down and Austin starts to explain each picture, he has a lot of good wholesome friends and experiences now. His life currently is so far removed from what it was two years ago. Marli is really happy he has been able to pull himself out of the hole he was falling down, she is very proud of this man. Her man. "What made you decide to go to rehab?" Marli asks suddenly. Austin's hand stills and he takes a deep breath. He is quiet for so long that Marli thinks he has either fallen asleep or is choosing not to tell her. "Tub?" he suggests eventually.