for my dear Marina's 3000th post... she's almost there!
<3 ya girlie!
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I’ll Be Your Crying Shoulder
At age five, he found her sitting on her front steps, tears streaming down her face. “What’s wrong?” he asked, climbing off his bike. She looked up at the boy standing before her, “My fishy died” she said. “Oh, I’m sorry” the boy said solemnly. She smiled, “I’m Marina” extending her hand to the curly haired boy. He stared at it for a few seconds before matching her hand with his own, “I’m Nick”.
She held the fish bowl close to her heart as they made their way to the bathroom. Tears were spilling out of her brown eyes as he walked with her. Stopping over the toilet, she sobbed before emptying the bowl of its contents. She watched as her fish floated at the top, “I’m gonna miss you, Pete.” She lifted her hand to flush the toilet, but quickly stopped and turned to Nick, “I can’t do it!” He glanced at her, “Would you like me to do it?” She nodded yes and he obliged. After the deed was done, Nick embraced her in a hug, “You can cry on my shoulder, it’s ok.” She collapsed in his arms, burying her head into the side of his neck, sobbing into his t-shirt.
The next day, he appeared at her doorstep holding a clear fishbowl and a brand new fish. “Nick?” she asked, opening her front door. The boy smiled, “Uh, hi! This is for you!” extending the new pet towards her. She shrieked with excitement, taking the bowl from his hands, spilling a bit of water from happiness. Carefully holding it in her left arm, she grabbed his hand, pulling him towards her room. Setting it down on the nightstand, she plopped down on her bed as Nick joined her. “What are you gonna call him?” he asked, watching the fish. “Nick!” she exclaimed. “What?” he asked, questioning her response to his inquiry. “I’m gonna call him Nick!” hugging him with all her might. He laughed hugging her back.
As the years went by, he began to view her differently. He used to tell her everything, but now he was lucky if he could even form sentences around her. He was tired of being the one to watch her throw her heart away to guys who cared nothing about her, when he knew deep inside that they were meant to be. Nick was never one to put his feelings out there without making sure there were some to exchange in return. He was unsure of how she felt deep inside, and this was making him uneasy.
Nick had attended his older brother’s weddings, bringing her along as his date. He often pretended that it were an actual date, because he never had the courage to ask her if she wanted it to be. People often asked him when he was getting married and his answer was always the same, “I’m waiting for the perfect girl.” The truth was, he was waiting for her; and unknown to him at the time, she was waiting for him as well.
Secretly, she felt the same, but had the courage to tell no one. In her mind, she disregarded her feelings for Nick and tried to focus on other things. As hard as she tried, Marina could not fill the void in her heart with just any guy. But Nick was a rock star, and rock stars never date the small town girl. Ever.
As she was sitting her apartment one summer night, she was startled by a knock at the door. Nick burst through the doorway and began to pace around her living room. She quickly became worried because this was not like him, he was never one to show emotion so openly. Marina quickly seated herself on the couch, watching the antics of the boy she loved, play out before her. He ran his hand through his luscious brown locks and stopped before her, “We can’t do this.” She gained a confused look on her face as she answered back, “Can’t do what?” He sighed, “We can’t pretend anymore, Marina. I love you.” Her face fell, color rushing from her cheeks as the three words she longed to hear, escaped from his lips.
Kneeling, he took her hand in his, “Marry me” he exclaimed. Tears filled her eyes as she struggled to find the words to respond to his request. Seeing that he had upset her, Nick took her in his arms, “Oh please don’t cry, I’m sorry. I honestly didn’t know what I was thinking. I should have known that you didn’t feel the same…” Amidst his babbling, he missed the most important word come out of her mouth, “Yes”. He pulled away, “Wh…what did you say?” Grinning from ear to ear, she said it once again, “Yes, Nicholas.”
He reached deep into his pocket, happiness radiating from his face, pulling out a small box. Nick laughed before opening it, “I guess you could say I kind of knew.” The diamond ring shone brilliantly in the light of her apartment. As he slipped it on her finger, she whispered gently into his ear, “And I guess you could say I kind of knew since we were 5.”
On their wedding day, as they entered the reception hall, all eyes were on them. He extended his hand to her, “May I have this dance, Mrs. Jonas?” She smiled as he carefully led her to the middle of the dance floor. As they began to glide across the floor, tears filled her eyes as she remembered all the times he had been there for her.
Marina’s eyes overflowed with happiness as she began to sob quietly into his neck, Nick whispered gently, “I’ll be your crying shoulder…” completely fitting in the moment surrounding them.
