To Infinity and Beyond

Heartache

Mark's POV
NYC
Present Day

It was almost seven' o clock in the morning, and like every other day, I laid in my bed pretending to be still asleep, waiting for her to come wake me up. My mornings refused to dawn unless her cheery voice fell on my ears. My sun refused to shine until her beautiful smile illuminated my dim room.

She added life to my mundane days and rescued me in my lowest moments. She was my light-bearer, my best friend; my panacea in the coldest times.

Suddenly the door swung open, and I could hear her brisk steps pacing towards my bed. I promptly shut my eyes, as I felt a dip on the mattress. Within seconds, her sweet breath fell on my skin, and her soft lips gave small pecks on both my cheeks.

"Good Morning, lazy bums. Wake up else we are going to be late." Her squishy palms stroked my head, and soon she cupped my face and shook me up from sleep.

"Mia, please let me nap for a little longer," I faked a yawn and played along a bit. I loved listening to her sugary reprimands.

"Come on, wake up! Miss Studley says – wake up an hour early to live an hour longer." Her voice was full of conviction, boasting how deeply she believed that she was much wiser than me.

I listened to her with a straight sleepy face, trying hard to not smile at her enlightening words.

"Wake up!" She attempted to shake me again, and when I didn't oblige, she let out a deep novice sigh. I could feel her hand move slowly to my tickle spot near my abdomen. I knew what she was up to.

"Really Mia?" I immediately opened my eyes and grabbed her hand. Her eyes stared back at me, twinkling in mischief.

"Miss Studley sounds like a very intelligent woman. Didn't she teach you that you must never start a fight that you know you can't win?" I pulled her in a hug before making her roll on the bed with me. In a swift move, I gripped her waist and started tickling her back.

Our giggles filled the room as she attempted to stop my hand in between her chortles, gasping for air.

"Dad, stop, please stop! Ok, I am sorry, you win." She uttered as she paused amid her melodious laughs, trying to push me away. After a bout of playful chuckles, I finally stopped.

"I love you bunny." I whispered in between my wheezes and puffs.

"I love you too, dad."

"Come sweety, let's get ready, else we won't be able to reach school in time."

"Says the one who wakes up late every day." Taunted my sassy seven-year-old while rolling her beautiful green eyes at me.

"What to do bunny? You spoil me." I nudged the tip of her nose, and without wasting another minute, I picked her up in my arms, heading straight to her room, to get her ready for school.

***

After dropping Mia to school, I was now drowning myself in the pile of work, sitting on my office desk, demonstrating my loyalty to the organisation that had been my backbone since seven years now. This had been my routine, and there wasn't a single day that I lived differently ever since Mia.

Richmond Corp was my first job, and I had been devoted to them ever since I joined office.

"Mr Hanly, we have a meeting with the board of directors in the next half an hour. Since, Mr Richmond is out of country, may I request you to sign these documents in his place instead?" My secretary, Selena, entered my cabin and handed a neatly pinned file to me.

"Yes, please leave it here, Selena. I will do it after I meet with the directors." With that she dismissed herself.

My newly-wedded boss, Jacob Richmond, had entrusted me with a lot of confidential work, while he and Emma had been honeymooning for over a month now.

Emma, my ex-colleague, a dear friend, and now my boss' wife, was also the girl who once upon a time, I was head over heels in love with. We moved on as she embraced marital bliss with Jake, while having a promising friendship that we all dearly valued.

If it wasn't for Mia, I wouldn't have coped with the heartbreak, the way I did. Even on days when I felt lost and heartbroken, Mia had managed to reason with me and helped me break the shackles of despair and regret. A lot was to her credit, as unknowingly, she taught me the real meaning of life, the significance of sacrifice and what it took to love unconditionally.

The rest of the day passed in a wink with back to back meetings. I didn't realise that it was almost nine pm when I finally left office.

As I stepped out, I saw grey clouds had started hounding an otherwise clear sky, not allowing even a single star to peep through their thick demeanour.

I drove swiftly, and within twenty minutes, I reached home. Knowing it was past Mia's bedtime, I quietly walked towards her room and peeked through her slightly ajar door. She was in bed and looked like she was fast asleep. However, the moment I turned around, I heard her call me.

"Daddy?" My lips curled into a deep smile. I quickly tiptoed and returned to her bedside.

"Hey bunny, why aren't you asleep yet?" I whispered softly as my hand caressed her forehead.

"I.. I have been thinking about her." She replied meekly, sadness donning her innocent eyes.

I heaved a deep sigh, my heart flinched at her mention. "I know sweetheart. Tomorrow is an important day, I hope you remember?" My voice was shaky too, my heart yelped watching Mia in pain.

"Yes, I remember. I miss her dad; I miss mom a lot." She let out the unshed tears that she had long withheld. As a quick reflux, I wiped them using the back of my thumb, fondling her soft skin in process. I took her in a warm embrace ensuring to keep her close and safe.

"I miss her too, baby, beyond words. But we have to be strong. And if it makes you feel any better, Casper and Rose are going to be here in the morning too."

She just nodded as she hid her face in my chest. I caressed the length of her long curly hair, gently stroking her back. Silence blanketed us and finally after a while, we both drifted to sleep.

A/N - Hello guys! Welcome to Mark's life, and I know you all might be having a lot of questions.
Mark is a dad to a seven-year-old Mia?
Isn't Mia adorable?
But where is her mother?
Who are Tracy, Casper and Rose?
Stay tuned to know more ❤️❤️ This story will surprise you in a lot of ways, I assure you.

ATTENTION
This is the second book in a series, but you can also read it as a standalone.
Those of you who haven't read my first book "The Girl with a Broken Heart", in addition to above, you all must be having questions about the trilogy of Jake (short for Jacob Richmond), Emma and Mark, and their past equation. To have more clarity, I would encourage you to read my first book and know what happened in the past and how it affects Mark's current life events. You can check out my profile and read it there.

Loads of love
Stay Happy and Blessed
Happy Reading
MagicInWords❤️