Doing The Right Thing

Doing The Right Thing

There was certainly no denying, that they most definitely had the weather for it today as the sun took its rightful place directly in the center of a clear blue sky as Marion pulls up and applies the brakes and switches the engine off before looking up at the sky with a smile across her face before reaching into her glove compartment.

From inside of it, she produces what appeared to be a sheet of parchment paper, tied up by a silky red piece of ribbon which gave it the appearance of a medieval scroll. Which she liked very much as she couldn`t wait any longer to see what was written so, taking one end of the ribbon, she gently pulled and as the ribbon came away, she opened the paper to these words written in a black, calligraphy style of writing.

My Dearest Maid Marion

I hope you are well today and that you can join me, at 1 o`clock, for a picnic today at a location which I`m sure, well, hope that you will recognize. You do not need to bring anything as I will be supplying everything that I think that we will need for a very pleasant and enjoyable afternoon.

Yours very much sincerely

Your very own Robin Hood xxxxx

She gently and carefully rolls the paper back up and ties the ribbon back around it before putting it back in the glove compartment with the greatest of care before stepping out of her car.

1

It was most certainly a place that she did recognize. How could she forget? The lush green field, next to the clear blue river which had the waterfall flowing gently into it and on the other side of the river, the Tudor Style Hotel which brought back some very fond memories as now, as she continued to make her way towards Eddie, who very pleased to see her. Delighted in fact.

Marion couldn`t help but be impressed, Eddie had done well, very well in all honesty. He`d certainly had gone to a lot of effort to make this a special day for her.

“Ta da! What do you think of this then?” He asks with a big and infectious smile across his face as Marion was now looking down upon a pristine white picnic blanket which had placed on it a silver tray of what looked like perfectly precise cut into triangle sandwiches, cream cakes, what looked like fresh strawberries and Champagne on Ice.

“Oh Edward” she began, “what can I say, it fabulous, marvelous, you really have put in a lot of time and effort. I really am a very lucky woman” she says in total honesty whilst feeling slightly overwhelmed by everything as she felt the need to ask. “But why have you gone to so much trouble?”

“Do I need a reason to treat my favorite girl to a special date? I think not. And seriously, after eighteen months, it`s still Edward and not Eddie as everyone else calls me” says Eddie.

“Well, yet again Edward, I have to remind you that`s just the way I am” was Marion`s first point and her second was very soon to follow. “And I bet that it says Edward on your Birth Certificate, and not Eddie.” Which Edward couldn`t argue with.

2

“Fair enough, I`m not going to argue with you again over this one, especially not today, so, won`t you join me for a glass of champagne and a smoked salmon sandwich, which I do happen to know is a particular favorite of yours.”

He wasn`t wrong about that as there was no way that Marion was going to say no to such a tempting offer as she adjusts her long, flowing summer sky blue dress accordingly so she could sit down on the blanket and watch Edward open and then pour her a glass of champagne into a crystal cut glass flute as he hands it to her along with a small plate with two sandwiches placed upon it.

“Why thank you, kind sir.”

“You are most welcome dear lady.”

As they raised their glasses to each other, the sun shone brightly through their flutes as they then both took their first sip.

“Oh, that`s lovely, perfectly chilled. Shame that I can`t have too much because I`m driving, but honestly Edward, you shouldn`t have gone to all this trouble” she says but still being unable to resist taking a bite of her first sandwich, which were indeed her favorite.

“What, all this, absolutely no trouble at all. More like my pleasure” Edward begins by saying as he then lays down placing his head next to Marion`s legs. “I was just thinking the other day, who`d had thought that after eighteen months, that we`d still be together.”

“Oh gosh, has it really been that long already...Yes, I suppose it has now I think about it.

3

Where has all the time gone?”

“I know, it`s absolutely flown by hasn`t it eh, still, it`s all been good times” says Edward to which Marion couldn`t help but agree to.

“Yes, they certainly have been…And I must say, I love it that you`ve brought us back to where we had our first date, that was so lovely of you” she says positively glowing as then, she was unable to resist running her fingers softly through Edward`s quite mousey brown hair. Which he instantly began to enjoy as it gave him a feeling of relaxation.

“Ahh, that`s nice. You could do that all afternoon if you wanted to, you won`t find me complaining” he says with his eyes now almost fully closed as it was clear that he was beginning to drift off to sleep as he began to like at peace as everything in his world was good right now. Which was something that, on the outside, certainly pleased Marion, but looking closely into her eyes, it was clear that on the inside, she appeared to be struggling with a burden that needed to be lifted, and lifted quickly as she leant over and placed a soft kiss on the tip of his nose which made him twitch but keeping his smile. “Edward” she says.

“Yeah.” He says somewhat drowsily.

“Want to talk to you” she says.

“Feel free, I`m listening” he says determined for now to keep his eyes shut.

“Well sit up and open your eyes” she says.

“Do I have to, I`m comfortable now” he says not wishing to move a single muscle.

4

“Yes, you do, this is important.” Edward opens one eye and asks.

“How important?”

“It`s important Edward, seriously it is” she says and she didn`t have to say anymore, as Edward could tell by the tone of her voice that this, whatever it was, was something that he had to listen to as he sits himself up, and looks directly into her eyes as Marion knew that if she didn`t say what she needed to say right now, then she`d probably never will. And that`s the last thing that she wanted to happen.

“Edward, look, this isn`t going to be easy to say. Not easy to say at all. Particularly as it`s something that I`d never say to you because I want you to know that these past eighteen months have probably been the happiest months that I`ve ever had. And that`s all thanks to you but…” before she could continue speaking, there was an urgent need for her to take a slow, deep breath as well as taking hold of Edward`s hand as he looked back at her not entirely sure where all this was leading too.

“I`m sorry Edward, but I can’t see you anymore. I really am so sorry.”

He may not have been entirely sure of what she was going to tell him, but Edward certainly was not expecting this at all in fact, that was the last thing that he was expecting to hear.

“Hang on a minute, I don’t understand. Why Marion? You`ve just said yourself that these have been the happiest eighteen months of your life, so, what`s changed all of a sudden? Was it something that I did or said, if so, tell me and let`s see if I can put it right” Edward says looking utterly lost.

5

“Please Edward you have to understand, that it`s nothing that you have done or even said, I promise you that it`s not. I honestly think that when I got divorced that I would never find happiness again. But then I found you, and happiness returned to my life like a bolt of lightning, and I was so pleased I couldn`t or even still can`t describe how happy it made me. But that was then, and this is now, and now I must do this, and I promise you Edward, I wouldn`t be doing this if I thought that it wasn`t the right thing to do. I know that you probably won`t believe me right now, or you may never believe me, but trust me, this is the right thing to do.”

Edward just blankly at her, visibly lost, not knowing what to do or say. He just couldn`t believe what he had just heard as he then somehow managed to say. “But you just said that you were happy. Never been happier. So, I don`t get it, what`s changed so suddenly?”

“This is hard Edward, I know, I get that this isn`t going to be easy for you, but you`re just going to have to trust me on this” Marion says struggling to hold back the tears as she could see his heart-breaking right in front of her.

“Is it the age thing? Because if it is I`ve told you countless times that it doesn`t bother me it never did. You`re forty-seven and I`m thirty-two, it`s only fifth teen years and we`ve still plenty of life left in both of us. Look at Joan Collins, think her husband is thirty years younger and she`s in her eighties.” He says in hope that would be enough for her to change her mind.

“Yes, well maybe the age gap does have something to do with it. In fifth teen years’ time I`ll be sixty-two and you`ll be forty-seven, and you`ll have plenty of life left in you whereas I may not have, and the thought of me quite possibly holding you back, isn`t a thought that I exactly relish. And when I`m seventy-seven, you`ll be sixty-two, and I will not have you pushing me around in a wheelchair or being my carer for some other reason. No Edward, I can’t have that. So, we`ll just say it`s the age gap, please Edward. Please?’ Marion just had to wipe away a tear from her eye because if she didn`t quite possibly many, many more, would come out that she wouldn`t be able to control.

6

“Is there something that you`re not telling me?” Edward asks, feeling confident that he was right.

“Don`t do this Edward, please don`t, just believe me when I say that this is for the best, honestly it is” she says beginning to implore him to listen.

“What aren`t you telling me?” he asks.

“Nothing.”

‘Marion please, I know that there`s something, tell me, I might be able to fix it if you do. But I can’t fix anything if you don`t tell me. You know how I feel about you.” He says on his knees now literally begging Marion to say something.

“I love you to Edward, but please believe me when I say that this, there is nothing that you can do to fix this.” Marion then places her hands softly on his cheeks and gives him a final kiss. Deep down Edward knew that she had meant what she had told him, but by throwing his arms around her now, it was one last desperate attempt to keep hold of her, which she knew it was. She allowed him a few seconds, before she had to pull herself away as he stands up and without looking back, not because she didn`t want too, but because she clearly couldn`t bear to see the man that she did truly love, looking broken and on his knees, made her way back to her car.

7

Once in her car, she allowed herself a short burst of tears before using at least four tissues from her bag to dry her eyes and blow her nose before finally, putting the key in the ignition, at the exact moment that she had a text message on her mobile phone, confirming the date of her first chemotherapy session.

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