One of Those Days

“Oh my god. This is really embarrassing. I just want you to know that I really never ever fall flat on my ass. I mean, granted I’m no ballerina, but still.”

She continued to dust off the seat of her pants and began to search for her missing sandal.

“Now if I can just find that damn sandal of mine, I’ll be all set to go. Jesus, I am so embarrassed. At least I didn’t fall on cement right?” she asked kicking the grass with her bare toe.

“Fuck.” She sighed angrily and finally spotted her sandal underneath one of the nearby park benches.

“How the fuck did you manage to get all the way over here?” she muttered to herself.

She slipped the sandal back on and sighed.

“Thanks,” she finally turned to face the person who had helped her up and her jaw fell to the floor.

You know what? Have you ever had one of those days that you think nothing can possibly go wrong in your life? Do you know what I’m talking about? You wake up in the morning and the damn birds are singing their hearts out and there’s not a cloud in the sky?

Ok, well I take that back. I don’t think I’ve ever had a day like that before cause something usually does go wrong in my life.

Have you ever had one of those days that you KNOW you’ll remember for the rest of your life? I mean, you remember everything to the tiniest detail? Yeah? Well, ok this was one of those days.

Let me introduce myself before I go any further. My name is Carly. Carly Roberts blah blah blah. What the fuck ever. My name is Carly and I live in this town called Port Charles. Never heard of it? Yeah, well, you’d be surprised how many people haven’t, but it’s like this really big shipping town in upstate New York. Never seen it on a map? Yeah, well, you must have a wrong map or something.

Where was I? Oh, right. Port Charles. Carly. Got all that? Good. Anyways, yeah this was one of those days that I was talking about. I was walking in the park enjoying what was probably gonna be the last nice day of the year. Perfect Indian summer afternoon. The first day of fall was like a week away but you wouldn’t of guessed it by the kinda day it was outside.

So there I am taking my walk, staring up at the sky with my eyes closed letting the warm sun hit my face. And that’s when it happened. I fucking fell. Yeah go ahead and laugh. Just remember that I KNOW this has happened to you before. So get your chuckles in now because one day, maybe not today and maybe not tomorrow, but one day you’re gonna fall on your ass and you’ll remember me. Carly Roberts Benson Spencer yada yada yada. Well, ok, maybe you’ll just remember the Carly part cause sometimes I even have a hard time keeping track of my last names.

This is what I get for trying to be naturey. I still don’t know what I fucking slipped on. Maybe it was a wet spot of grass or something. That’s not the point. The point is I wanted to die of embarrassment. You know how when you fall and you try to be all slick about it making it seem like you did it on purpose? Yeah well, I tried to pull that off but someone happened to be behind me. And to make matters even worse, my damn sandal went flying off to god knows where!

So there I am trying to get myself up and the dude behind me, he helps me up and I’m blabbering away. And get this, my ass hurt! I just knew I was gonna end up with a bruise. So I finally stand up and I’m hunting for my damn sandal. Where was it? Like a million miles away under a bench. I grab it, slip it back on and I finally turn around to thank the guy who helped me up.

This is the part that I will remember for forever. I remember turning around, both shoes on, and the sun was high in sky, but it was shining right behind him. It was almost like he was glowing or something. I raised my hand to shield my eyes from the brightness, but his eyes shone right back at me. Almost as bright as the sun. I’ll never forget that moment. It’s like all time stopped for awhile.

You know what happened then? He laughed at me! He fucking laughed at me! I mean come on the nerve of some people. So I did the only thing I could do. I started to laugh too. We sat down on the bench where I found my lost sandal and talked.

Let me stop here. The guy I’m talking about is my best friend. Jason Morgan. Jason “I will love you forever” Morgan. It’s true. I love him. I love him so much that sometimes it hurts just looking at him. And no I’m not being melodramatic. He’s been my best friend, my only friend it seems like, for years. He’s the only person that has ever accepted me the way that I am. Me. Carly. No hidden agendas or plans to change the way that I am. And I do the same for him. Don’t get me wrong, the man is no saint. Hell, he can be the biggest asshole when it suits him. But he’s my asshole.

“What’re you doing here?” Carly asked him as she sat down on the bench.

“You mean besides watching you fall flat on your ass?” Jason chuckled.

“Shut up, asshole,” she grinned.

Carly adjusted her position on the bench and winced.

“What’s wrong?” he asked her slightly concerned.

“My butt hurts. I think I’m gonna have a huge bruise on my ass,” she sighed.

That only caused Jason to laugh again. “Damn I wish I had a camera.”

“Shut up,” she laughed as she slapped his arm.

“What’re you doing out here by yourself?” he finally asked her.

“Who said I’m by myself. That damn guard is hiding in the bushes over there. Thanks for watching my back by the way!” she shouted at the hidden guard.

“It’s not his fault you don’t know how to walk, Carly.”

“Shut up, Jason. When was the last time you saw me fall? Hmm? Never. Cause I never fall.”

“Until now, right?”

“Right.”

“Well if you kept your eyes forward instead of looking up at the sky, maybe you wouldn’t of fallen.”

She narrowed her eyes at him. “How long were you following me?”

He simply shrugged and scratched the side of his face. “Not long.”

“But long enough to see me slip and fall on my ass right?”

“Right.”

She couldn’t help but laugh. “I can’t believe you didn’t try to catch me!”

“And ruin that beautiful moment?” he teased.

“You never answered my question.”

“You never answered mine.”

She bit her bottom lip as she contemplated the man in front of her. “I was on my way to visit you actually.”

“I was on my way to visit you.”

She raised an eyebrow at him. “Why’s that?”

“I’m not allowed to visit you?”

“No,” she shook her head. “I mean –- what’s wrong?”

“Nothing’s wrong, Carly. I just missed you that’s all.”

“Oh,” she said softly as a large grin crossed her face. “I missed you too.”

“So what’s up?”

"Nothin’,” she sighed. “I just dropped Michael off with Bobbie. I figured this was probably the last nice day we’ll have and I wanted to bring him here, but he said he wanted to go to his grandma’s and play Madden 2003.”

Jason chuckled slightly and tapped her chin gently. “He’s growing up too fast huh?”

“Yeah,” she muttered unhappily. “What happened to the adorable baby boy that we used to play with in the penthouse?”

Jason cocked his head to the side remembering their time together as well. “Everything changes, Carly.”

“Sometimes I wish they wouldn’t,” she told him sadly.

“Change can be good. I mean look at you. You’re married, have a kid, and who knows maybe another on the way,” he grinned at her slyly.

“Yeah,” she laughed. “Yeah that’s true. But fuck if I don’t sometimes wish we could go back to the way it was before. So many years went by that I wish I could go back and change.”

He nodded his head in agreement. “I know, but there’s no sense in wishing for something that can’t happen. You’re happy now, right? That’s all that matters.”

“You’re right, Jason. You’re always right.” She looked at him curiously and titled her head to the side. “How about you, Jason? Are you happy?”

He smiled at her and brushed away a lock of hair from her face. “Yeah,” he whispered. “Very.”

I couldn’t even tell you how long we sat there and talked. It seemed like hours. Just talking and laughing. And when he said that it was time for him to go, I wanted to cry. I didn’t want him to leave.

“I gotta go,” he sighed. “I have a meeting I gotta get to.”

She nodded sadly and smiled at him. “Thanks for staying here and talking to me.”

“You don’t have to thank me, Carly.” He rose from his seat and placed a tender kiss on the top of her head. “Go home,” he told her quietly.

She bit her bottom lip and grabbed his hand before he was out of her reach. “Be careful, Jason.”

He simply nodded at her and she watched him walk away until he was out of her sight.

And it was time for me to leave too. I had to. I had a son to get home to and not to mention a husband who’d be home soon. Sometimes I wonder how my life ended up the way it did. What I told Jason was true. Sometimes I wish I could go back and redo some of the shit that I did. And other times I realize that things happen for a reason. And everything that I went through led me to the point where I am in my life. I am happy. Jason is happy. And I guess that’s all that matters in the end. I’ll never stop loving Jason. He’s in my blood. And he always will be.

I had a stop to make before I got home and when I finished there, I was walking on cloud nine as I made my way home. I took another stroll through the park and this time I was careful to watch where I was walking. I stopped and I sat on the bench where me and Jason had sat and I couldn’t help but get this warm fuzzy feeling inside of me. Damn but I love that man.

Before I knew it I was home. I checked the messages on the machine and learned that Michael would be spending the night with Bobbie and Lucas. My mother certainly picked the perfect night to do that.

I picked up the mail that sat on the desk and the sparkle from my wedding rings shone right back at me. Sometimes I have to pinch myself to remind myself that I’m married. Again. I laughed happily and admired my wedding rings for what seemed like the millionth time.

The front door opened at that moment and I turned to face my husband. I kissed him quickly on the lips because I had news that I wanted to share. But before I could, he grabbed me by the waist and kissed me again. I pulled away and wrapped my arms around his neck. And I just knew that I had the biggest smile on my face.

“So how was your day?” Carly asked him.

“Good. How about you?”

“It was great. I went to the park.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. And I want you to be the first person to know.”

“Know what?”

“I met a guy there. And I decided that I’m gonna run away with him.”

His smile didn’t fall and he cleared his throat. “That’s weird,” he told her softly.

“What?”

“I met this girl in the park today. And I decided that I’m gonna run away with her.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

“Is she pretty?”

“She’s beautiful.”

“That’s good. Cuz the guy I’m gonna run away with, is the most drop dead gorgeous guy in the state.”

“Are you really gonna run away with him?” he asked her softly as he kissed the side of her neck.

“Are you really gonna run away with her?” she asked him in return.

“No,” he whispered.

“Good because there’s no one in this world that I would leave you for. I love you too much, Jason.”

“Same goes for me, Carly. I love you.”

She closed her eyes and bit her bottom lip. She would never be tired of hearing those words come from his mouth.

“Oh!” she said happily as he pushed him away.

“What?” he groaned at the loss of contact.

She clapped her hands excitedly and took his hands in hers. “I went to see Dr. Meadows.”

Jason’s face lit up and he nodded his head for her to continue.

“Congratulations, daddy,” she whispered as the biggest smile graced her face.

Jason stared at her for a second, shocked by her news. He dropped her hands and hugged her tightly. “Oh god, Carly.”

“I know,” she laughed. “After all this time and it finally happened.”

He finally let her go and framed her face with his hands. “I told you. Change is good.”

“Yeah,” she whispered.

He kissed her hungrily and she couldn’t help the tears that began to fall down her face.

“God I love you, Jason.”

He wiped away the tears that had fallen and squeezed back his own. “I love you too.”

“You know what would make me even more happy right now?” Carly asked him as she ran her hands down his chest.

“What’s that?”

“Dance with me,” she whispered huskily.

“There’s no music, Carly,” he grinned slyly at her.

“We can make our own music together, Jase.”

“Yeah?”

She bit her bottom lip and wrapped her arms around his neck. Jason hugged her to him tightly, not moving an inch. And then slowly and methodically they began to sway together, no music, just the two of them surrounded by the quiet. He ran his hands down her back and through her hair. His head settled in the crook of her neck and the tight hold they had on each other did not lessen. After a few moments, he pulled away from her slightly and ran his thumb down her cheek.

“Where’s Michael?” he asked her quietly.

“He’s spending the night at Bobbie’s,” she answered in the same tone.

“Good. Come on.”

“Where we goin’?” she laughed as she followed him up the stairs.

“I’m gonna check for any damages.” He stopped abruptly and looked at her worriedly. “God, Carly, what if something happened to the baby when you fell.”

She squeezed his hand tightly and smiled. “No don’t worry. I told Dr. Meadows about it and she said that everything was fine. Don’t worry.”

He let out a breath and tugged at her hand. “Good.”

“What are you gonna do Jason?”

“I’m gonna kiss your booboo and make it better,” he grinned.

“Good. Cuz I think I hurt myself in other places too,” she laughed.

“That’s ok, cuz we got all the time in the world.”

Do you now see why I’ll never forget that day? I had everything that I ever wanted in my life. I was finally married to the right guy. It took me awhile, but it happened. Jason Morgan, my best friend, is my husband. And I still love him as much, if not more, than all those years ago.

Jason was right. Change can be a good thing. I remember when I used to dread the word ‘change’. I always assumed it was a bad thing. Change is what made me lose Jason in the first place. But change is what made Jason come back into my life and it gave us another shot at happiness. Happiness together.

Carly propped herself up on her elbow and looked down at the sleeping form next to her. She smiled widely and began to trail kisses up his chest.

"Mmm," he murmured sleepily.

She kissed his lips softly and after a few seconds he quickly deepened it. They pulled back and Jason smiled at her as he stroked her cheek. "Morning."

"Morning," she said as she bit her bottom lip. "You hungry?"

"After last night, starving."

She laughed softly and rolled her eyes. "I bet."

Carly turned back to Jason who was throwing on his jeans. She watched him for a minute and then her face broke out into a large grin.

"Jase," she said softly.

He turned back around and saw the cheerful expression on her face. "Why are you smiling so much?" he chuckled.

“I don’t know,” she laughed. “I’m . . . happy. I mean, don’t get me wrong, Jase. I’ve been happy for a long time now. Well ever since we got back together. But wow, it’s like, I’ve never been this happy. It’s . . . weird,” she laughed again.

Jason couldn’t help the smile on his face as he watched his wife. “Carly, you’re crazy.”

“But you still love me,” she grinned at him as she crawled over to his side of the bed.

“Sometimes,” he teased her as she wrapped her arms around him from behind.

“What?!” she laughed. “Take that back!”

Jason chuckled softly as he turned around and pinned Carly down onto the bed. “Ok, ok. I love you all the time. Forever and always.”

“That’s better,” she sighed as Jason kissed her neck.

“Except for when you cook.”

She couldn’t help it and laughed loudly. “You’re such an asshole.”

“But you still love me,” he whispered as he kissed her softly.

“Sometimes,” she retorted.

Jason looked down at her and began to tickle her sides. Carly managed to get the better of Jason and flipped him over so that she straddled his lap.

“Who’s the best?” she laughed.

“You are,” he told her through his smile. He ran his fingers down her cheek and through her hair. “And you’re all mine.”

“And you’re mine,” she told him as she leaned forward to kiss him. “Even when you’re an asshole.”

He smacked her ass in retaliation and she squealed loudly.

“Jason, that’s where I fell on my ass.”

“I know,” he grinned.

“Jerk,”

“I love you,” he told her in return.

“I know,” she told him huskily. “I love you too. Always and forever, Jason.”

There are days that I’ll remember for the rest of my life. The day I met Jason was one of them and so is the day I married him. But the keeper is when our son Matthew was born. What more could I possibly want or need?

I was the last person to think I’d end up with a happy ending. Me. Caroline Benson Spencer Morgan. Carly Morgan.

Well, ok, as happy as my life will get. Don’t get me wrong. Me and Jason fight like cats and dogs sometimes, but in the end, it’s the same end result. He loves me and I love him. And I will for the rest of my life.