Run To Me

A Little Gift

"Molly... Molly, sweetheart, wake up. You've been asleep for such a long time." She sat up and rubbed her eyes. Her mother was standing beside her bed, smiling gently. "Are you ok, love? I'm just going to the shops.  Do you want anything?"  Molly sat for a moment, her mind a swirling mass of sleepy confusion.

"Oh mum, I had a dream - a terrible dream, I dreamt that you and Dad left us."

"But darling, now you're older we don't have to take you with us everywhere." She patted her hand. You're a big girl now, Molly.  You don't need us, you really don't. You'll be fine on your own." Her mother stood and walked to the window.  Turning towards her, she smiled and started to fade away...."I love you, Molly, you and James. Be good to for him, Molly.  Be good..." Now she started to fade away.

"Mum... no mum ...no don't please I need you mum.,.."  

She sat up in bed, drenched in sweat and tears. She hadn't dreamed of her mum in so long and now?  This was the third time in a week.  Her shoulders sagged, and she sighed deeply. Lying back on the pillows, she wiped her eyes and reached for her phone.  She'd been asleep for three hours!  Pushing back the quilt, she stood and stretched carefully.  Everything still seemed attached and working, so she went and had another warm shower, feeling the water soothing and restoring her tired body.  It crossed her mind to wonder where Tom was, but she knew he wouldn't be far.

"Tom?  You here, love?"

Half an hour and a relaxing shower later, she wandered into the kitchen to find him fast asleep, head on his arms, leaning on the table.  She smiled, poor Tom.  In his efforts to look after her, he'd forgotten the basic rule - look after yourself so you can look after others.  He looked so peaceful, so very handsome.  Her heart skipped a beat as he snuffled and stirred, then looked up at her with eyes that hadn't seen her for a hundred years.

"Darling!" Instantly, he was on his feet and welcoming her with a large - if slightly sweaty - hug.  "Sorry!" he pulled back and sniffed himself. "Bit ripe, now I'm afraid." he blushed, and she stroked his cheek.

"I don't care, I love you no matter how smelly and sweaty and gross you are!" she giggled, and he pretended to be hurt.  One hand on his heart, he fell to his knees, groaning wildly in a strictly B-movie death.

"M'Lady, thou strikest me to the quick.  Is this a dagger I see before me?  Nay, tis the cutting words of mine own love!" he fell to the ground and made a terrible "dying" noise.  Molly could do nothing but howl with laughter.

"Oh God, Tom, if only your fans could see you now!" she gripped the table edge as he opened one eye and stuck his tongue out at her. "That was probably the most...unique... yes, unique, death I've seen in a while." she pulled out a chair and sat, panting for breath and trying to calm down.

"I'll have you know that was a tragic performance." he leapt up, his face a picture of disdain. She laughed all the more.

"Tragic... yes... tragic!" she wiped the tears away, and he came and sat next to her.

"Feeling better love?" he asked when they'd regained some semblance of composure. He draped an arm around her shoulders, kissed her cheek, and then stood up.  "Why don't I make you a coffee or something, and I'll pop into the shower and freshen.  Then we can head out for dinner.  I have a special celebratory meal planned for you kitten.  It's not every day that you complete your first marathon!" he smiled, pride bursting from him for her.

"Much, sleep did me the world of good." she decided against telling him about the nightmares and the fact they were increasing. She'd deal with it if she had to. "Coffee sounds good. Where are we going?  Do I need to change?" she asked, feeling so touched that he'd gone to all the trouble.

"I'm not telling, and no Molly, don't change." he walked back over and took her hand, looking into her eyes. "Please, never change my love." he whispered to her as he drew her up to stand.  His lips ghosted hers as he said, "I love you, Molly, just exactly as you are, here and now.  I love you." It sounded almost like a prayer, a mantra, his breath flitting over her mouth. He kissed her deeply, his hands sliding around her, one at her lower back, the other the back of her neck gently pressing her to him. 

She sighed into the kiss, tangling her fingers in his hair, her body melting under his touch. "Love you," she murmured back, blissfully content.  Five minutes later, he was in the shower, and she was sipping coffee, wondering when she'd won the lottery.

Dinner was a cosy affair.  It was back at the restaurant they'd visited on their very first date. Tom had even made sure they had the same table.  The only difference was the HUGE bouquet of flowers now sitting waiting for her.  They had come from the restaurant themselves.  Molly was touched deeply by the gesture and instinctively hugged Gino as he held her chair out for her.

"Grazie Gino, grazie mille! she said, and he beamed 

"Prego Signorina!" as she sat down, he took them away for safekeeping with a smile and a nod at Tom.

"Oh, that was so lovely of them," she said as he reached over and squeezed her hand. "What a nice thing to do. I'm looking forward to this. Im starving!" she glanced at the menu, but in all honesty, couldn't really settle her mind.  Everything was just so overwhelming.

"Only the best for you kitten," he said, with a wink. "And there is more to come.  But first, we eat.  And with no training tomorrow, we can both enjoy a glass or two of wine, eh?" his eyes glittered wickedly, and she giggled.

"Oh, Thomas ! I do believe you're trying to get me tipsy!" she pretended to be shocked. "You might take advantage of me!" she paused and then said in a low, husky voice,"And THAT I am VERY much looking forward to!" 

It was his turn to feign shock, but in his eyes, she could see the flame ignite and burn.

Their meal was relaxed, their chat plentiful.  As the wine and the pasta filled her body and revived her soul, she relaxed and re-lived the day, remembering little highlights every so often.  Tom was amused and pleased that she now thought back on it fondly.  It wasn't something he thought he would do very often, marathon running, but if he did it again, he wanted it to be with Molly.  He wanted EVERYTHING in his life now to be with Molly.

Just like before, dessert was a shared exercise in eroticism with cream, coffee, and amaretto.

This time, Tom fed her from the spoon. In their little corner of the restaurant, no one overlooked them as they teased each other.  He held out the first spoonful, and she slowly opened her mouth, sliding her lips around it and swallowing, eyes closed, murmuring delight. 

A little cream trickled from the side of her mouth, and she scraped it off with her finger. Tom grabbed her hand before she had a chance to do anything and sucked it clean, his tongue dancing around her finger, making her collapse inside.  It was all she could do not to pant and moan out loud.

Eventually, though, even that was finished.  They looked at each other, each knowing that the night was VERY far from over.  Tom smiled. 

"I know you want to go home, like, NOW." he said softly, "because believe me, I want to so badly, but there is just one more thing before we do.  I have a gift for you.  I want you to have this...." he reached into his jacket pocket.  She swallowed and nodded,  her mind and body screaming at her to just take him in her arms here and now in the middle of the restaurant. 

"Oh, thank you, darling," she said as he handed her the little carved wooden box.  It was beautifully and intricately carved, polished to a mirror shine, and had initials set into the lid in gold.  She looked at them , confused. 

"Thank you - it's beautiful Tom..."  he could tell her mind was puzzled despite her genuine delight at its beauty.

"It's for your medal love.  A special keepsake, I had it made for you, so you would always have somewhere special to store your medal."  She looked back down at it and ran her finger over the wood, feeling its warm polished smoothness under her touch.  She started to speak,

"The 'M' I get, it's Molly, but the 'H'? That's not my name... oh my God!" she looked up as he moved to kneel beside her chair.

"That's yours too, darling. If you want it to be?" he grasped the box and laid it on the table, taking her hand in his and kissing it softly. 

"Molly, my love, my soulmate, my precious little kitten, will you marry me?"