"I know what to do!"
He suddenly said swinging his legs off the bed and leaving the room. I stared after him, what was he up to. Two minutes later he was back, dragging a reluctant looking Brenna inside and closing the door behind them. I explained the whole situation to Brenna at Brett's insistence. She paused thoughtfully for a moment, before launching into it.
"So you need some kind of a grand gesture." She said.
"Gesture?"
"Yeah, you know, some big Hollywood guy-gets-girl-back kind of thing."
"Hollywood?"
"When last did you watch a chick flick? Like Richard Gere and Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman. Classic grand gesture. Riding through the streets playing romantic opera music with a bunch of flowers."
"You want me to play opera?"
"No. You're missing the point. It was something that meant something to them. What do you and Maria have that's special. That's just you? That means something to you both? A song... movie, place...?"
I didn't need to think very long and hard about that one. The tree. Our tree. The place we had gone for years together.
"I have a place, but what do I do?"
Brenna shot me a displeased look. "I can't give you all the answers. You have to figure that out yourself. You know her better than anyone, so figure that part out!"
My mind started racing, grappling for some amazing, magical idea that could set us all right. "Do you think she'll.... I mean, you know...?"
"Mike, chicks love big romantic gestures. Trust me. If it's a good one, and you mean it, she won't be able to resist!"
And with that Brenna walked out the room, but before leaving she paused and looked at me. "For what's its worth, I'm rooting for you guys." She was gone and I was left with a lot to think about.
I went home that evening and took out a pen and paper. I wrote at the top of the page.
Plan: Romantic Gesture
I thought that by labeling the page, it would inspire me to come up with the big idea. But after staring at the paper for ages, I just couldn't think of a single one. Well, not true, I had thought of a lot, but none of them seemed good enough for Maria. She needed something special. Unique. Like she was. I needed to come up with something that would knock her off her dirty Converse sneakers.
Inspiration is a curious thing, because later that night I woke up. Sat bolt upright in my bed and knew exactly what I was going to do, and it was fucking perfect! It was the perfect grand gesture for Maria. But I had a lot to plan and sort out. I threw myself out of bed and started writing a list of what I needed. It was the first time this week that I actually started to feel better. At least I was actively doing something about this. God knows Maria deserved it, after waiting for all these years for a blind man to open his eyes.
I had hope now! And I was excited.
Maria
I was so nervous driving home. The closer I got to my house, the closer I got to Mike and the closer to the reality of what I had really just done... well, technically McKenzie had done it, but it was on my behalf.
With each purchase of ticket, flight, tour and accommodation my heart had beat faster and faster and faster until it was a veritable high-speed train hurtling towards, towards... what?
Heartbreak? The thought of a year without Mike felt like a lifetime. Not being able to see him every time I wanted to. Not talking to him endlessly. I wasn't totally sure how I was going to cope, but I knew it was the right thing to do.
On the drive back, I'd been reflecting on what had happened between us, the debacle and total disaster that was mystery mint kisser. And I felt completely embarrassed by the way I'd conducted myself. Lying to him about my parents getting divorced because I was so desperate for him to love me. So desperate that I would take him loving me when he thought it was someone else.
McKenzie had told me to stop thinking like that. People make mistakes... blah, blah, blah and all that. But in retrospect, that was a pretty big, and callous one to make, not to mention that I had never lied to him before. I cringed wondering what Mike thought of me now. And if he could ever forgive me for that?
We pulled into the driveway that evening. It was already getting dark and I willed myself not to look at Mikes house. Which lasted all of seconds, because I did. His light wasn't on, which meant he wasn't in his room. I couldn't help my mind racing away, where would Mike be on a Friday night? I tried to shake off the terrible feeling that was creeping all over my skin like a million spiders. A psychosomatic itch made me physically scratch my arm.
How was I going to apologies to him? How was I going to tell him that I would be gone next year?
The spiders felt like they were in my stomach now and as I thought I was about to lose it a little, I felt McKenzie's arm come around me. She pulled me closer.
"What say we movie tonight?"
"I don't really feel like going out."
"Me neither. You, me, our combined chocolate stash, my room, chick flicks all night?"
"Oh God, please don't make me watch click flicks" I pulled a face.
"Maria." She stopped me in my tracks, "Listen, you have seriously missed out on feminine guidance over the years and I think I am going to have
