Long Time Coming

A friend's help

    That night Sharon made a point of requesting a lunch with Jean the next day.

    "Hey Mrs. Jean! How are you?"                

    "I'm doing Good, How are you?"

    "I'm good. Can we have lunch tomorrow? I'll come pick you up?" Sharon asked.

    "Yes dear we can., It's fine if you pick me up. Just call me when you are leaving the shop so I can be ready"

    "Okay. It's nothing bad. I just want to run something by you. You are my friend and I trust your judgement."

    "That's fine. Thank you for the vote of confidence." she said with a smile in her voice. 

    Sharon went to bed knowing everything was going to be fine. She said er prayers and went to bed, The next day she felt more in control and centered. Then off to her nursery.

    "So you and Sharon have a good lunch yesterday?"    

    Markus came into the kitchen to sit beside his mother at the kitchen table.

    "Yes! Lunch was  good. I have more of a battle then I anticipated. I can't wait for he challenge though. He smiled confident he had what it took to survive hurricane Sharon.

    "I'm glad. I'm sure you have more of a battle than you are thinking but there is a lot that you have to deal with."

    He looked at his mom. "What does that mean?"

    "It means a nice girl that sleeps with a man and runs away, has issues that has to be overcome before anything can develop. You just need to be prepared for at long fight."    

    I'm sure it will be a long grueling battle, but the prize is too sweet not to endure the fight."    

    Seeing that look she knew he was determined and she let the subject drop. "What are  your plans for today?"    

    "I have an interview with Neves Media for a marketing assistant" He said

    "Are you sure you want to move here? It's nothing like the high society life you are used to." she said pointedly.

    "If it means I can be with Sharon I would move to Antarctica and sell Ice."    

    That let her know that he was way serious about her. She had to warn Sharon that she was not safe. He had engaged her as his target.

    "I'm leaving the shop now Mrs. Jean. Heading your way." Sharon said

    "I'll be waiting for  you." Jean said

    Twenty minutes later Sharon pulled into her driveway. Mrs. Jean strolled out of her door before Sharon could get her door open.

    "Hey Sharon. How are things going?"

    "Things are good Mrs. Jean. I really need to talk to you about your son. He seems to have made some decisions. I'm not sure there is anything I can do about it."

    " Let's get into that at Toucan's. I'm hungry, but my child you are correct."    

    "Let's eat" she drove off headed to Toucan's. The pulled in at Toucan's and went inside.    

    After they were seated Sharon looked at Jean

    " Mrs. Jean, Your son  said he wants a relationship with me! How can that be when I haven't seen or heard from him since my tramp day, that's what I call the day he got married.  How am I supposed to believe that he wants to be with me!"

    "Sweets as a woman you know what's best for you! I must admit you have a long, hard fight if you don't want him then you had better decide  because he is dedicated to being with you. He's very determined to be with you. I'm warning you as his mother; There is nothing that he is not going to do to be with you. He is doggedly determined to be with you" She looked very pointedly at her.

   "Are you serious? But how? He hasn't said anything to me in all the years that as passed" she said

    "Sweeties he hasn't contacted you because he needed to make decisions concerning you. He has settled everything within himself and he has made it his retirement goal to get you. I just wanted you to know that he's not stopping until you are signing his last name as you last name. She said    

    Sharon looked so crestfallen Jean didn't know how to interpret it.

    "Why the long face?" Jean said

    "Because I don't know how I feel about this! It's been a long time  since that day with him. I'm so used to being alone, I don't know if I can adjust to having someone in my life that needs my attention." Sharon said

    " Let me ask you something. DO you want to be with him? How did lunch feel to you? Is he wasting his time because you don't feel anything for him?" Jean asked 

    "Lunch was nice. I liked his company. He wasn't aggressive or abrasive. he was very sweet, thoughtful and a gentleman. Honestly it wouldn't be a waste. I've lived my life this way because there is no other man I want to be with. I've dreamed of being with him, but I question his sincerity. You know It's been twenty years since that day Mrs. Jean, how am I supposed to  believe it can w work with so many years between us?"

    Jean said "Sharon time is not an issue for him. You have to understand that, to him the time has been to get himself together to pursue you. I"m telling you Sharon he is here to get you at all cost, by any means necessary. He's moving here so that you can still have your shop. He is very serious about you! He is going to move here and work to keep busy and pursue you relentlessly. You have to decide if you want him or not. So I'm honestly asking you right now do you want him?" She looked as Sharon pointedly and expectantly.    

    "I won't lie Mrs. Jean. I would like to be with him but I'm not sure after all this time he really wants me."

    Jean finally understood what Sharon was saying. It's not that she didn't want him, it's that she's scare it will fall apart and break her heart. The fear of being a passing fancy for a man you want is not fun and she will not go into it until she is sure she is what he wants. "Dear I think I have a solution for you!"

    "I'm all ears anything will help."    

    "How about a set time limit to date?"

    "That's not bad. I control the time, can watch for signed and lead the relationship where I want it to go. Do you think he and I can have a serious relationship? Let me be honest, I'd marry him in a heartbeat, but do you think we have what it takes to make a marriage work?"

    Jean smiled "My dear I think you and he are an excellent match, the question is do you think you can work something out?"

    "I think so but i really value your opinion because you know and have see both of us. Do you think we can make twenty years of marriage? She said sincerely.

    "Yes Sharon, it can last as long as you and he work at it. I'm going to tell you he is going to fight for this with everything in him. He love you with everything in him. So know that you are going all in and is going to take him for permanent. He took very little interest in what that other girl did to him. You, my dear will break him or make him." She said sipping her tea    

    "And just what did she do to him?" Sharon asked

"They divorced because she cheated on him."

    "Really! She deserve to lose him! Women are dying to find a loyal, faithful man and she acting like a lunatic when she have a good one. Stank heifer! If I would have know, I would have told him to walk away with me that day." Sharon said

    Jean laughed

    "I wished you would have talked to me because... When it comes to him a lot of things  started with that day. Do you mind if I say some things  about that day?" She asked Sharon

    "Hmmm. I have debated opening up and talking about that but I couldn't decide if it's something I want to open up."

    "Will you listen to my take then?"

    " Yes I will"

    "First, I always wanted to say thank you for showing my son his heart. When he came to the alter all the groomsmen looked like something had happened, but unsure of what. They all seemed kind of in a trance.,. When he looked at me I knew something had changed. It was a sadness that I had never seen. I knew something had happened but I didn't know what it was. He was very dry during the ceremony. He had something different about him that I couldn't recognize. When I did the mom groom dance, he asked if  I had seen you. I told him no, he looked real weird, disappointed even. I asked if he was okay. Then he told me that he was in love with you and that he had made love to a woman for the first time to you and you disappeared on him. I looked at him and he was very serious. I asked him if he was going to signed the marriage certificate. He said he would because up until you slept together he believed she was the one and so did she. I asked him was e sure and he said yes because I how right now chasing Sharon is only going to break my heart. After that he went through the motions of being her husband. When she cheated on him they both just walked away. Now he don't know, but the day he got here she called me. Told me that she had made a mistake and that she loved him and wanted him back. She asked me if I knew who you were and where you were and I told her yes. She said she to tell you she'd like to meet you. She said she have a lot to say to you and she wished she had talked to you earlier and things would have been different. She said she wanted to fight for the relationship but she didn't want to compete with you. So I don't know if she's going to try to find you or if she is going to find him. I just want my son to be happy. I honestly don't know what would make him happy but right now he say that that's you so be prepared, he has his target locked on you, so be ready."

    The waiter came and they ordered

    "Do I need to worry about her?"

    "Yes and no. Yest because she is going to come, no because she's most likely not going to fight you."

    " Do you think I have to worry about him going back to her?"

    "I seriously doubt it. He's not into her."    

    "Are you sure? If I let him in I'll want forever with him but I don't want that drama."

    Jean smiled a knowing and understanding smile "Sweetheart I understand. Let me assure you that he is only focused on you. If you would like I'll invite Carolyn down and you can meet her on your terms? If I were you I would talk to him about how you feet and you both come up with a plan of actionfor your lives then you and him can deal with her."

    Sharon really was thinking about what Jean said "So he really like me? Really? You know biggest place I have been is Atlanta for college. Am I sophisticated enough to fit into  the life he's created for himself? Can I even handle having someone else to consider? I've never had a truly serious relationship. Ohh my.. I can't do this. I can't let him close to me. Tell him to stop. I won't be a good woman for him. Not one he can be proud of. How is this going to work. I'm not pursuing this!"

    Sharon stared shocked because Jean was in full blown laughter.

    "I'm sorry, I've never seen you over react and not in control of a situation. You are very emotional right now. I can also laugh because  I went through that same tirade when my Rob. This means you have a heart and you feel deeply for my son, which makes me happy. You really care about my son as much as he cares about you. I love that. I also love you. Just so you know, you are ready. When you love someone like you and him love each other both of you are the same. He's like you are except he's at the determined to have it stage and you are at the can this work stage."    

    Not knowing what to say Sharon just looked at Jean. At that time Sharon's fish sandwich with veggies and Jean's chicken salad sandwich with fries arrived. Jean blessed the food and the both bit into their sandwiches.