Starting Over

Abandoned

"I told you, either you make time for me or I'm out." Jack screamed at Carina.

"I make as much time as I can! I'm sorry, but I work for the government. I am kind of married to my job, don't you know?" She tried to make him understand but he never did. She knew exactly how this would end and she wasn't looking foreword to it.

"But you're also married to me! I have needs! I'm a man, Carin! I need my wife!" She sighed and took a step back.

"Then leave, because apparently you will never be happy with me then." She said coolly and calmly, looking him in the eye.

"Fine." He picked up his bag and walked past her but not before he swung the case around and hit her in the face, knocking her glasses off her face before she hit the floor. Blood gushed from her lip and the world became fuzzy as she heard the door click shut behind her. It was the last she ever saw of Jack and she smiled at the thought of never having to marry another man again.

He filed for a divorce two months later and it was finalized after a year and a half. Carin got everything. Two months after that, he was married again and expecting a baby. The fool never learned his lesson the first time.

Carin went on with her lonely life, just happy to have her life back. That is, until she met Johnn.

20 years later....

"A new case for you. A man from Austria is requesting citizenship. He's jumped through all the hoops and is ready to be issued his green card." Carin looked at him with a puzzled look.

"But..." She prompted her assistant.

"But, he was just diagnosed with Scarlet Fever."

"Oh. Well, is he in the U.S. yet?" She asked.

"Yes, he is in isolation outside of N.Y. right now. He has no contacts inside the States, mam" She put the file before her on the desk.

"I will issue him a visa but I want to speak to him first." She opened the file and read the name. John Love, it read. Born in 1969 in Austria, only child, not married, no children, age 53. Sounded just like her life. Alone.

She went that night to the large building on the edge of the sea. A building she knew all to well from delivering paperwork to newly awarded Americans.

The moment she saw him, their eyes locked and didn't let go of each other. Love at first sight. They talked for long hours into the night, telling stories and laughing as if they had been married for years. They agreed to meet up for a date after his isolation was over. That didn't happen. She started going every night, bringing him food and gifts from his newfound world. She picked him up the night he was released and healed from the Scarlet Fever.

She watched the door in the waiting room. People had been going in and out for hours but none of them had been Johnn. She was excited, this would be her first day alone with him. They had been talking for two weeks but could never touch each other. Her stomach jumped when the woman opened the door and said her name.

"Yes?" She stood and looked at the woman who was dressed in a nurses smock and her dark brown hair was pulled back into a bun.

"Would you come with me, please?" She nodded and followed the woman into the long corridor and to the holding cell of Johnn who sat on a bench with his hands in his head.

"Johnn!" She smiled when he sat up and saw her standing on the other side of the plexi-glass door, her hand pressed against the plastic.

"Carin! Finally, we may have our evening together." He walked up and placed his hand against hers.

"All I need you to do is sign here and then he is released to you." The nurse said, pointing to a line on a sheet of paper. She quickly scribbled her name and the nurse opened the door and walked away. Johnn and her stood not more than a foot apart, lost in each others eyes. The world stood still for a moment as he reached up and placed his hand on her cheek and running it softly across her lips.

"You lips are so...perfect." He said.

"Well, its been a long time since I've used them for anything where looks mattered. And that goes for a lot of things on me." She giggled, the hairs on her neck standing straight up with every stroke of his thumb. It wasn't long before his lips replaced his fingers and they stayed like that for a long two minutes. Their tongues chased one another around their mouths, enjoying every second of the long drawn out kiss. His hands moved to hold her tightly around her waist and her hands came to rest on his shoulders. When they parted, not a word was said. She took his hand in hers and led him toward the exit.

"Please tell me we are going to your place?" He asked, his strong accent showing a desperate depth and made her skin tingle.

"Where else would we go?" She teased.

The ride to her house was short but seemed like an eternity before they made it to her doorstep. It was hard for her to find the house key as he fumbled through her shirt, unlatching her bra from behind.

"Oh my gosh, stop!" She joked, smacking his hand from behind.

The door opened inward and she didn't even get it closed behind them before he pulled her in and kissed her, unzipping her pants in the same swift move. He kicked the door behind him closed.

"Where's the bedroom?" He let her go for a second and backed away.

"Are we going to have sex?" She looked kind of shocked and for a second he wondered if she would go through with it.

"I was planning on it but if you don't want to..." He paused waiting for her to object.

"No. No. Proceed." He moved in to kiss her again until her put her finger to his lips in a motion to stop what he was doing.

"What?" He looked confused.

"If we do this, we are committed, understand? There is no leaving me and not coming back. We are a full blown relationship. Understand?" She lifted her eyebrows and waited for an answer.

"Yes, in fact, marry me. Become my wife, Carin. I love you." His face showed a genuine feeling of love for her but she doubted his love since they had only known each other for a month.