𝙎𝙋𝘼𝙍𝙆𝙎; 𝙢𝙖𝙧𝙠 𝙨𝙡𝙤𝙖𝙣

|| 70 ||

"It's okay Amby." Natalie reassured her and kissed the side of her head. Amber turned around so she could face her mother. "In the end I only remember the good things, trust me."

"No, it's important that you understand that I am sorry. I am so sorry that..." Her voice broke not able to finish her sentence.

"It's okay, I forgive you, yeah?" Natalie said, even if she was never mad at her for anything. She loved her daughter and she could do anything for her. 

"Okay." Amber calmed down a little. "You are a great mom. You should know that. And don't worry, I'll take good care of Iris." She promised. "Like you were taking good care of me, all those years."

"I know you will." Natalie smiled at her and this time she couldn't help the tears that slipped down her face. "I am really proud of you and the person you've become. Thank you for making my life better. I love you." And even when the morning came, they were both a crying mess. But they still tried to just be there for each other. Like they had been for the last 18 years.

☾ ⋆*･ﾟ:⋆*･ﾟ:⠀ *⋆.*:･ﾟ .: ⋆*･ﾟ: .⋆

After a week of countless visits to the doctor, both Mark and Amber realised that there was nothing they could do to save Natalie's life. But the fact that they realised it didn't mean that they had actually accepted it. They weren't even close to accepting it. It was more about the knowledge of what was going to happen in few months or a year. They were hoping for more time, but Natalie wasn't that positive. Because of the way she was feeling. She tried to mask it most of the time, and she was getting good at it. But she needed more time with them.

So when they returned home that evening, they found Natalie in the kitchen preparing dinner. The house looked festive with lights on all over the kitchen, the hallway and the living room. Natalie had picked up some flowers, placing them on vases all over the house. She was trying so hard. 

"Are we having a party? Because I am really not up for it." Amber said as she looked at her mother. And even if she tried to stay strong, Natalie could see the hurt in her eyes. 

"Can you just rest, please?" Mark said and rushed to her side, taking Iris off her hands. 

"I want to hold my baby Mark."

"You can do that on the couch." He argued, but Natalie didn't get to reply anything to him because she started coughing.

"Mom, you need some water?" Amber rushed to grab a glass of water. "Come on, sit down." She pulled a chair out for her but Natalie vanished into the bathroom when she tasted blood once again. And she didn't want them to see her like that. "Mom?"

It took her few minutes to compose herself and even if she wore a smile on her face, they could see that she was in pain. But Natalie couldn't stand that. "Come on guys, please, don't look like that. I just want to spend a nice time with my family. Can we do that?"

"Yeah, we can. Right Amber?" Mark looked at her. She only nodded her head, knowing that if she spoke she was only going to break down in tears.

☾ ⋆*･ﾟ:⋆*･ﾟ:⠀ *⋆.*:･ﾟ .: ⋆*･ﾟ: .⋆

Later that night Natalie was sitting in the porch, with a cup of warm tea in her hands, gazing at the stars. The sky looks gorgeous tonight, she thought to herself as she wrapped the woollen quilt around her tighter. She somehow wasn't scared as she looked up at the stars, as if she knew that she belonged there. She felt like they were glancing down at her, so it meant that she could glance down at her family when the time came.

Natalie was lost in her thoughts as she heard Mark's footsteps approaching. "Are you okay, my love?" He asked her and she only gave him a nod and smiled. He played her favorite music on his phone and extended his hand towards her. "Dance with me?" He asked.

"Always." She replied, they were each other's dance partner after all.

He removed the cup from her grasp and placed a tender kiss on her head as he wrapped his arms around her. It made her heart skip a beat, as it always did. He swirled her around and drew her into his arms. And then Natalie realised how wrong she was about the stars. Because as he held her, she felt much safer there. She snuggled up close to him and he looked at her with all the love in the world. "Thank you for loving me." He murmured as she buried her face against his chest.

"I'll love you until all the stars in the universe burn out." She said and Mark tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. She got lost in his blue eyes. It felt like time had stood still for them.

"Don't make promises you can't keep Natalia." He said with sadness in his voice. 

"Mark..."

"I just wish we could get back to the start." He stayed still, all his peacefulness disappearing. "I know you couldn't stand me then. But I don't care. I could spend the rest of my life having you hating me, if that meant that I could get to see your face everyday." 

"No you couldn't." Natalie didn't took her eyes away from me. "Because this life we have together; I know you wouldn't trade it for anything. And that's one of the reasons I love you."

"This can't be real." Mark muttered and closed his eyes too scared that if they stayed opened Natalie was going to disappear right in the moment and take every piece of his soul with her.

"It's okay," she whispered as a tear streamed down her cheek. "Someday, I am going to be with you again. Because you and I, Mark Sloan, we are meant to be." She placed her lips on him and they both held on that feeling, the feeling they had when they touched each other. And just for a moment the future didn't matter as they held each other. 

☾ ⋆*･ﾟ:⋆*･ﾟ:⠀ *⋆.*:･ﾟ .: ⋆*･ﾟ: .⋆

ʜᴏʟʏ ᴄʀᴀᴘ...ᴛʜᴇ ᴛᴇᴀʀꜱ

ᴀɴ ᴇᴘɪʟᴏɢᴜᴇ ɪꜱ ᴄᴏᴍɪɴɢ ꜱᴏᴏɴ!