NOT GIVING UP ON FOREVER

Chapter 92

Over the next few days, Anna deliberately turned off her phone because the drama in her life was off the charts. She took extra time to distract herself from obsessive thoughts and worries, stayed late at work, tried to eat out of the teachers' dorm, and returned only to go straight to bed and hurry back to work in the morning.

That's what happened today as well. She took on the Olympics event and the tea party for the occasion and had hundreds of copybooks to check. It was about 11 pm and a security guard, passing by, hinted that if she kept coming home at midnight, no one would believe she was a teacher but a representative of a different profession. Politely assessing the joke on three points out of ten, Anna built a semblance of smiles and started to collect things.

When she reached the teachers' campus, she flew up the stairs to the fifth floor and collapsed on the bed in the room.

In a couple of minutes, pebbles began to hit her window. Anna jumped up and opened it.

Beneath stood Mark with a huge bouquet and balloons in the form of hearts.

"Mark? What are you doing! It is a closed area!" Anna hissed from above.

"You haven't answered for a week. That's the only way I could find you!" Mark shouted back so that a dog barked somewhere near. "Look, I bought balloons. The saleswoman said that it is from them the lady's heart melts."

"Mark, don't shout like that. They'll hear us!"

"Let them hear!"

In several windows, a light came on, and sleepy voices were heard.

"I came to tell you," Mark went on, "that I'll never give up. I will fight for your heart every day until my last breath. From your life, I will go nowhere. I will be anyone for you. I don't care. But we both have to be whole, and without each other, it is impossible. You are everything for me, Anna. I never thought without your happiness, my own is impossible. I know you only wanted to love and be loved forever. I refused to admit to myself that I needed you. I owe you everything. We are bound in this forever. Everything else, all these people are a game. There is only you and I. I love you, Anna So no, I will never give up the fight for you now. I realized all my mistakes!"

"Aww!" came the affectionate reactions of the gawkers from the windows.

"Mark..." Anna could only say.

"I didn't come to pressure you. I only came to say that. And to give balloons. Because the saleswoman said that it is from the balloons, the lady's heart melts."

"Aww!" again exclaimed the colleagues. "Anna, forgive him! What had he done?" some asked. "Look at him, poor thing!" others commented. "You deserve it!" others grumbled.

Mark did not put Anna in an awkward position, waiting for a response. He only asked her to come down to receive the flowers, assuring her he would disappear at once.

Anna grabbed her cardigan and left the room. When she ran outside to Mark, everyone was cheering again, urging Anna to kiss him to make it look like a movie.

They stood looking into each other's eyes. Mark's eyes were full of sadness, questions, and... hope. Anna sighed.

"I'm sorry I said so many nasty things to you in the cafe. I just..."

"But you were right," Mark stopped her. "You were right about everything. I am a coward and a weakling. But not now. I won't make those mistakes again. I won't lose you again."

"Mark, I..."

"I don't expect you to tell me you love me, Anna. I know what you're going to say. I'm just asking you to give me a chance and time to prove to you that everything can be returned. I'm ready to wait for you all my life. I'll never back down."

Anna smiled sadly. He glanced into her eyes and repeated:

"I'll never let you down again, Anna. I promise."

And he kept his promise.