The Daniels Home

[Elaine Escalona]

"Okay," she replied curtly to his small outburst. If he liked being outside, then she wouldn't stop him. Maybe she should back off a little bit. Give him a some breathing space. Mark was as confused about all of this as she was, but Elaine was not giving up. She was a fighter, especially when it came to things or people that were important to her.

Determined as she was, the next words that he spoke made her heart drop--not even to her stomach. It felt as though a black hole had sucked it right out of her body and it was becoming harder and harder for her to breathe. His voice rang in her ears and the words swam in circles in her head as Elaine tried to process what was going on.

She focused her eyes on the empty playground across the street. It was late and much too cold for children to be out playing at this hour. Still, Elaine continued to show no emotion; not a single tear formed. Mark was breaking up with her. She saw this coming, yet it still hit her so hard. They'd been rocky for a while now and she thought that the good times outweighed the bad, but now she guessed not.

When he tried to justify himself again by saying she deserved better, Elaine's cool composure snapped. "You're a coward," she said quietly. After a pause and no reply from Mark, she continued. "You're a coward because you know what's wrong with us but you're too scared to fix it. Instead, you're just going to run away from it," her voice was strong at first, but now it was beginning to tremble and finally, it broke.

"Yeah, there's a lot of guys out there, but I didn't choose them. And you what's the worst part of all? The worst part is that you won't even fight for me! You're just going to hand me other to the next guy that takes an interest in me? What about what I feel?" she asked angrily, wiping her tears away with the sleeves of his sweatshirt. It was his fault for giving it to her, now she would use it as a tissue.

[Mark Daniels]

Woah, oh woah.
Mark glared at Elaine when she called him a coward. If he had been level-headed he wouldn't have taken it to offense and would have most likely agreed with her because it was true. However, due to him having a dysfunctional temper, he was indeed offended.

How dare she call him a coward? After all he's been through, after everything that has happened to him she has the audacity to call him a coward?! "Who do you think you are?" Mark snapped, "Is it wrong that I want you to have a happy life? I don't think you know what's good for you. I thought you were smart." he wasn't thinking about what he was saying. Mark had no idea that he had just called Elaine an idiot. He was having major word vomit and he didn't mean anything that was coming out of his mouth.

[Elaine Escalona]

Oh hell no. In addition to her jaw dropping, Elaine's eyes narrowed as she took in Mark's words. "No, who do you think you are, telling me what is good for me and what isn't?" she asked, fighting fire with fire. She had been nothing but sweet upon her arrival and although she knew that Mark was like a small bird with a wounded wing right now, there was absolutely no excuse for this kind of behavior towards her.

She'd ignored the insult to her intelligence completely, taking a deep breath before collecting herself. Why did she just snap at him like that? It wasn't like her to just explode like that, especially knowing how fragile he was. ... No. Elaine shouldn't baby him like this. Yes, he needed time to recover, but it wasn't space that he needed. It was a push in the right direction.

"Look, Mark. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said the things I said in the way that I said them," Elaine spoke in a softer tone of voice. "I know you're hurting and you know, it's okay to feel the way you do. What's not okay is to use it as a crutch," she continued, raising a hand up to cup the side of his face. "But if you want me to go... If you want what we have between us to end here... I can't stop you." With those final words, Elaine swung her bag over her shoulder and stood up to leave, but her legs felt heavy.

[Mark Daniels]

When Elaine stood up, Mark never moved a muscle. He didn't look up at her nor did he show any emotion. Simply lifeless as if he couldn't feel anything. His eyes lowered to his feet before sighing and raising an eyebrow, "So you think I'm using my feelings to make you stay?" he asked her but it was strictly rhetorical. "I'm fine with my pity-party of one." he said but he then started to think and think.

A flashback of him in the cafeteria when Rosalie approached him and Ginny came to mind. How Rosalie was crying and desperately saying all those things she never said to Ginny when she was in her five senses. What she didn't say to her when she was fully alive. There he had a realization that life took unexpected turns and that could have been Elaine. It could have been the two of them, and why Elaine came to mind out of all people - Mark knew perfectly well.

He was in love with her and he knew that if he didn't act upon it, they would go their separate ways and she would never know how much he really cared for her. He's shown her in many different occasions his passion but he had never really said those three words to her. An I love you has always been held by Mark and he knew that if he kept on biting his tongue, he would miss his opportunity. Elaine wasn't there for him to claim but if she felt mutual feelings, they could be made for one another.

[Elaine Escalona]

Elaine was all set to leave, but her women's size six feet suddenly felt like they were size fourteen in men's. She abruptly turned around to face him, her eyebrows furrowed and her nose slightly crinkled. Even in this moment, she and Mark were having miscommunications. "No, by 'crutch' I meant you are using your pain as an excuse for not doing the things that you know you should be doing," she explained impatiently. "Pity party of one is fine with me," she added, turning back around to face the street.

The fact that Mark would let her go so easily, that he didn't so much as glance in her direction before she left made her so frustrated. How could she possibly get through to him? She wanted him to snap out of it and realize what they had was worth fighting for. Well, she was fighting for it. Elaine didn't know if she could say the same for Mark.

Part of her wanted to just give up on him. He was hopeless; a lost cause. The other part wanted to cling on desperately. No other boy shared her sense of humor, level of intelligence, and he was a damn good lover too. Elaine had no doubt that if he let her go today, she would be okay. If Mark wouldn't have her, then what was a girl to do but move on?

"Take care, Mark," she whispered.

[Mark Daniels]

Meanwhile inside the Daniels humble abode...
"Why does she look so sad?" Miranda asked while peeking out the window and spying on her son and his companion.
"Andy, I don't think it's right to spy on Mark." Tyrone answered as he walked over to the window to look in the direction his wife was looking.
"Shhh!"
"What? You can't even hear anything."
"I know but I want you to hush."

When Elaine began walking away, Mark got up quickly. He had forgotten everything. The only thing in his mind was Elaine and nothing else. Who was he kidding? He in no question needed Elaine. She completed him in ways that no one else could.

"Elaine!" he shouted out to her. Praying that she would stop and turn around. He didn't want her to leave. This wasn't goodbye.

Miranda rushed to the window with a bowl of popcorn. She seemed really interested in this scenario.
"I have never seen him run so fast..." she said, looking down to the street. "He must really like this girl. Or she must owe him food."
"Pretty sure they're arguing." Tyrone nodded.
"It's better than those novelas I watch except this is a silent one." Andy continued eating as she watched.

It was now or never.
Mark stopped, stood still and didn't care if the whole world heard what he had to say next.
"Elaine, I love you!" his eyes were watery because he was uncertain if she would turn around or keep walking.

"Would you look at that!" Tyrone exclaimed somewhat estranged since he had never seen his son like that.
"I always told him to follow his dreams — he was dashing to her." Miranda widened her eyes before offering the bowl of popcorn to Ty without taking her eyes away from the street.

[Elaine Escalona]

Elaine had completely forgotten to call her parents to let them know that she was heading home. Her father would've gladly gone to pick her up, had she just given them a call or even a text. However, she wanted to be alone, so perhaps the walk home would do her some good. The night was quiet, save for the creatures such as crickets and other bugs. Elaine didn't get very far when Mark called out her name. As mentioned, her legs felt stiff and heavy and she just want to curl up in bed and cry herself to sleep.

Because tears had already begun to form, Elaine didn't want to turn around right away. Instead, she just stopped where she was on the sidewalk and stood still. Hearing those three words, though made her heart skip a beat. She wasn't sure if she heard him correctly. Mark had never used the 'L' word in a romantic way to any girl in the years that she'd known him.

Slowly and a little unsteadily, Elaine turned around. "What?" she asked like a senior citizen that was hard of hearing. She had to hear it again,

[Mark Daniels]

Miranda widened her eyes when Elaine just stood still. She gasped before whispering, "She must be really mad. Everyone here and in China heard him." she took a handful of popcorn before putting it to her mouth. "I hope Mark doesn't wake up the neighbors. I can't stand them awake." Tyrone grimaced.

When Elaine paused, Mark opened his mouth slightly. His eyes were clouding with tears. He could hardly see a thing, he took off his eyeglasses before wiping his eyes. Mark had never cried for any girl, never.

"Elaine, I love you. I don't care who hears me, I don't care if I wake up the whole neighborhood." he shouted out to her. "I have seen people miss out on love because it's too late. I don't want to wait until I'm close to death to tell you all of this. I don't want to wait until you're dying. I want to tell you now." he continued shouting before running toward her.

Mark slowly turned Elaine around so that she was facing him. He gripped her arms gently as his eyes settled down on her beautiful face. "I don't want to go through life asking myself what could have been. I love you, Elaine." After saying it thrice with tears falling down his eyes, Elaine had to understand.

"I don't know how far this will go but I'm willing to commit to you because I have never felt this way about anyone." Mark knew in his heart that was beating and at the same time aching then that he was ready to put himself in a relationship.

"What if they call the cops?" Tyrone asked.
Miranda had a hand on her heart. She was touched by this. Her son was going to be a grown up.
"Did he rehearse this?" she asked meekly.

[Elaine Escalona]

Facing him now, Elaine allowed her tears to fall from her eyes. Mark had spoken the words she'd been waiting for, but it still shocked her to hear it. Her emotions were torn between happiness that he finally came to his senses as well as anger from the argument just minutes ago. In other words, Elaine was a hot mess and she had no one to blame but Mark.

"That's all I ever wanted," she finally said, her voice barely above a whisper. From the beginning, Elaine had given him everything that a relationship needed--her loyalty, her trust and, above all, her heart. All that was left was his promise to commit.