Blurred Lines

Chapter 39 - My Home

Marlena's Lakehouse

March 4, 1993

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Like a shelter from the storm

A fireplace that keeps me warm

Like a match can spark a flame

You start a fire inside my veins

Somehow with you, I don't feel alone...

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The house was silent when John entered. He glanced at the clock on the mantle. It was eleven o'clock in the morning. Marlena was probably putting Marlee down for her nap. It was just before lunch, and John knew that Carrie and the twins were at the pub. He kicked his shoes into the mudroom, and brushed the rainwater from his hair, as he shrugged out of his jacket. Locking the door behind him, he started up the stairs.

Marlena sighed with relief as the warm water rinsed through her hair. She'd dropped the twins off at the pub, run to the grocery store, and come home, only to have Marlee vomit in her hair. She'd used baby wipes to get as much out as she could, but it wasn't until she'd put Marlee down for a nap that she was able to take a shower, and wash her hair thoroughly.

She smiled softly, thinking about the way the family had opened their arms to Marlee. Caroline and Shawn were surprised, but they hadn't passed any judgment. They had taken Marlee into their lives, and welcomed her as one of their own. Then there was John's separation from Isabella. He had hoped to handle it quietly. Isabella had decided otherwise. Marlena tipped her head under the water, and thought about her conversation with Caroline earlier.

"John and Isabella are separating?" Caroline asked her quietly, making sure the twins were out of earshot.

"They are," Marlena replied. She wasn't sure what else to say, and she wanted John to be the one to explain it to them. "But I can't say more."

"Isabella came by," Caroline told her. "She wanted all of Brady's things... she actually demanded them." She paused for a moment, and then she said, "She said you were having an affair with John."

Marlena stared at her in surprise, saying nothing in return. Caroline placed her palm on Marlena's arm, whispering, "We don't have to discuss it, Marlena. I just wanted you to be aware of what she is saying."

Lifting her face to the warm spray, she pushed her hair out of her face.

John entered Marlena's bedroom quietly. He stepped over into the alcove where her office had been, staring down at his sleeping baby girl in the bassinet. From the moment he'd seen her, he'd fallen immediately in love. So had Marlena. She loved that little girl as if she were her own. The same way she had loved Carrie. He brushed his thumb across Marlee's forehead gently, and then turned towards the bathroom. The rain was still falling outside, the soft pelt against the windows ringing softly. He hadn't seen Marlena since the day before, and after his meeting with Mickey earlier, he was desperate for the calm she brought to him. He'd spent the night at the Salem Inn where he'd been keeping a room, but every night he left her and the children, he felt more lost.

He turned the doorknob, pushing the door to the bathroom open, and he stared at the outline of Marlena's body behind the frosted glass of the shower. Her head was tipped back, her body arched towards the water, her breasts high and pushed forward. A soft groan sounded low in his throat. He coughed lightly, saying, "Hey, Doc." His hand pulled the door shut softly behind him. He wasn't leaving. He glanced at the baby monitor on the vanity, and then his fingers immediately went to the buttons down his shirt front. There would be no waiting. He wanted her. His cock started to ache as he slid his arms free.