John and Marlena (Finally) Get a Q!

Chapter 67 - Lost

The sun slanted across the park, illuminating shafts of the mossy grass so that they glowed an almost verdant green. Birds swooped from tree to tree, chasing mates and the best nesting sites, the lacy green of the spring leaves providing just enough cover. Gene held onto Belle's legs as they walked slowly, her vantage point on his shoulders giving her a great view of the surrounding park.

Her attention was caught for a moment as she saw a Dalmatian puppy gambol past, closely followed by his jogging owner. She giggled, bouncing up and down on Gene's shoulders with childish enthusiasm.

"Momma, can we have a puppy?" she asked, not for the first time.

"No honey, you know we can't have a puppy at the penthouse. It's against the rules of the building," Marlena explained patiently.

"Oh yeah," Belle looked crestfallen. She had thought a puppy was a great idea. Whoever made those rules was pretty mean as far as she could see. "Why s'it against de rules Mommy?" she asked.

Marlena took a deep breath. She had been through this before.

"Because there's nowhere for a puppy to play honey." She smiled up at her golden-haired daughter. "Puppies need lots and lots of care. We're not at home enough to look after a puppy. They need somewhere to run around and go to the toilet. A puppy just couldn't do that up at home."

"Oh," Belle looked as if she were mulling over the information. She nodded her head carefully. "Okay."

Marlena halfway expected her next suggestion to be that they move to a new house, but her attention was caught by the playground off to her right.

"Wanna go pay!" she called brightly before she squirmed to be let down. Marlena helped her down off Gene's shoulders and they followed Belle and Brady to the playground.

After long minutes of pushing the children on the swings and helping them on the seesaw, Marlena and Gene took the opportunity to sit down on the bench as Belle and Brady played on the slide.

"She's quite a character that daughter of yours," Q said with a smile as he watched Belle with her hands on her hips, ordering Brady around.

"Mmmmm," Marlena murmured, a faraway expression on her face.

"Marlena?" he slipped his arm around her waist, "are you okay?"

"Hmmm?" she looked up and found his concerned eyes focused on her. "Oh, I'm sorry honey." She turned back to the children, a faraway look in her eyes. Her voice was fogged with emotion as she spoke again. "I was just thinking how quickly they grow up. It only seems like yesterday that Belle was a baby and now here there she is, all grown up." She focused her eyes on her precious daughter. "I feel like I've missed so much."

"You haven't missed the things that really matter," Gene told her gently as he brushed a strand of golden hair behind her ear. "You haven't missed the way they smell after their bath, you haven't missed their laughter and joy, and you certainly haven't missed their love." He lifted her chin gently so that her eyes, a shining cinnamon in the afternoon light, found his. "Do you have any idea how much those children adore you?" Marlena smiled through her tears.

"Not half as much as I adore them I'll bet."

"You'd be surprised," he whispered, wiping the dampness from her cheeks. She smiled and leaned against him, turning back to watch the children.

******

John walked into the hospital lost in thought. He didn't see Maggie until the split second before he walked into her, sending the files she was holding, sprawling haphazardly to the ground.