Fix It Marriage

Melisa

I saw him rushing back towards the car. He sat on the driving seat with one hand of the steering wheel and another on his forehead.
" Here I got it. I will keep it here --" he kept my purse and my phone on the dashboard.

He then offered me his handkerchief.
We both sat there in silence. I noticed that he didn't start the car yet. I couldn't stop crying. I wanted to -- but I couldn't.
" It cannot happen . I don't believe any of this --"
He leaned towards me.
" I am so sorry to trouble you Aaron --. I am so -"
" Don't be. Don't"
I covered my face and gave him a soft look.
" Can I keep my feet --- up?"
" Yes, Sure be comfortable. However you want to sit, you may, no need to take my permission."
I lifted my legs up and I froze in between. My legs were hanging in the air when I realised that I was wearing a dress. I immediately put them down again.
" What happened? Why did you --"
" No, it's fine, I want to keep it down."
He looked at me keenly.
" No really -- I want to keep it down --"
He started removing his coat.
" Here take it."
He realised it. He noticed. He placed the coat on my lap.
" Now is it okay?" He asked me. I smiled at him directly, from the bottom of my heart.
" Thank you." Him doing this gesture made me more emotional.

I placed my both feet up and curled into them.
" Why did he -- do this to me ! I did everything for him -- everything --"
" Everything -- I was going to call him home tomorrow -- how could he just throw it all away--- everything that we had from the past few years -- how --"
He listened to my every word patiently without trying to stop me. He kept his hand on my head all the time.
" He didn't believe me after all these years-- aaron--"
He cupped my face and looked directly into my eyes wiping my tears with his thumb.
" Nina, I heard you -- trust me when I say this, I really understand you. He doesn't deserve you. And you don't deserve any of this! Alright?"
I nodded. I took my shakey hands into his and assured me.
" Don't worry darling, everything will be alright. I am there with you."
I hugged him, as much as it was possible for me to bend towards him , I hugged him. And he didn't let go.

I sensed him taking a long breath. And just after a minute, I heard his soft voice,
" Melisa "
I raised my head to look at him.
" Her name was Melisa, my ex wife. I loved her , so much , more than anything, and I thought she loved me back. She -- she left me on the day of our marriage, at the altar." I shifted a little away so that I could see his face.
I looked at him with pity while he had a straight face. He hesitated a lot between, I assume that this maybe his first time telling someone else.
" I gave her everything she ever wished for, I even bought her the most expensive ring that she wanted and , After the ring ceremony, when the band and everyone was waiting for our first dance , she ran away through the window and I was waiting for her like a fool in the hall." He took another breath and continued,
" Everyone gossiped about me and the run away bride. Two days later she sent me divorce papers. "
" I saw her in the court after all that , she wasn't even sorry. She took the alimony and vanished."
He sighed , " And That's how my marriage ended." He was controlling his tears , I could see that clearly. I held his hand.
" Aaron-- you - "
" You don't have to say anything. I am telling you this because, I wanted you to know that you dodged a bullet. He is an asshole. Isn't it better that this happened before you married him?"
" Yeah."

I looked above at him,
" She married you for money and then left you? God that woman, Why didn't you file a case?"
" How could I ever fight against the women I loved?"
" Aaron, I am sorry for Melisa."
He nodded.
" Didn't you see it coming? You had warnings , you ignored it. " Aaron said.
" I guess in love, we ignore all the bad signs. We only see what we want to see. Love is despite of. That's why they say , love is blind."
We stared at each other. I think we both started to recollect all the signs we ignored because of love.
" You wanna go home?" He asked.
" No " I said.
Just then, my phone started ringing.
" It's my mom, Aaron"
" Pick up?"
" I can't talk to her like this, she would notice." I was still out of breath with all that weeping.
I still picked up the call.
" Hello -- mom?"
" Nina , where are you? Are you alright?"
" Yeah - yeah , everything is fine -"
" Why your voice is breaking? Anything wrong? Should I ask your father to come and get you?"
" No -- no need, mom--"
He took the phone from my hands after looking at my condition.
" Mrs. Brown it's me Aaron. She is with me, and I am dropping her home don't worry, she is safe with me."
" Alright Aaron, get her home soon."

I definitely was safe with him. He calmed me down so effortlessly.
" Thank you so much Aaron."
" Now, you want to go home?"
" Not like I have a choice "
He started driving. We both stayed silent the whole ride. He kept checking on me from time to time until we reached home.
" Take care Nina."
" Yeah, do I look like I cried?"
He was already looking at me.
" Ofcourse, you look like a Tomato."
" Aaron-- Do you by any chance have any makeup?"
" Are you serious?" He did his eyebrow thing.
" No sorry -- I will get going."
" Take care --"
" You would go home ?" I asked him
" No, I have to go at my workplace."
" Now , this late ? Why?"
" I just threw everything away when I got your call, I left my things there, I need to get it and I have some pending work."
" Aaron-- thank you for coming for me. Thank you so much."
" It's alright Darling, Get in and take care. And if that moron troubles you again , call me."
I nodded. I gave him back his coat.
" Your handkerchief, I will give it back tomorrow----"
" Darling, keep it."
Like always, he waited until I got in and then he left.

As soon as I entered, my mom stopped me.
" Why you look like this?"
" It's nothing, I am sleepy."
" Did you and Aaron patched up? I assume that's what you both were doing together."
" Mom, please, not now."
" Nina, please patch things up with him, he is a good guy."
" I know " and I ran upstairs.