BACK		Forever In Love

By Sofie Hagan

Mark pulled slowly up into the driveway, in front of the farm. The rain was threatening to knock over the car, with its hard raindrops, while Mark tried to breathe calmly again. He knew, that behind those walls, sat Kim. Being so far away from somebody, and then returning, was exciting in a way, but also romantic. It was late in the evening, but Mark knew she wasn’t sleeping. He needed to show her what he felt. He couldn’t stand being so far away from her, it only made him want her more.

Love leads to laughter,
Love leads to pain,
With you by my side,
I feel good times again

He opened the car door, and stepped out. The rain hit his hair, and made it stick to his face. He had to pinch his eyes together, to avoid loosing his sight. The rain was violent. He almost couldn’t see 5 inches in front of him. He sighed, and went to knock on the door. He wanted to do it like he always had done, but it wasn’t the most perfect weather for climbing over a rail, and through a hole in the hedge. He fought the rain away from him, as he slowly neared the door…

Never have I felt,
These feelings before,
You showed me the world,
How can I ask for more?

“Mark??”
Mark turned around, and saw a figure approaching him. He knew in the moment he saw her, that it was Kim. The feelings he felt inside grew stronger. He hadn’t seen her in two months, and it had been killing him. And then, she just stood there, with a bucket full of food for the pigs, and with a huge raincoat on. She smiled at him, but he could glimpse a bit of confusion in her eyes.
“Kim…” he said stunned. She looked like she always had.

And although there’s confusion,
We’ll find a solution,
To keep my heart close to you

Mark tried to get through the rain, so he could see her clearly. Her hair sat attached to her forehead, and she winked with her eyes, to get the rain away from her. Mark finally reached her, and could help but smile. He still didn’t say a word. All the words he’d been working on in the tourbus, were gone. Out of his memory. He just wanted to hold her, kiss her.

And I know, yes I know,
If you hold me, believe me,
I’ll never, never ever leave

“Mark, what’s wrong?” she asked, looking like a princess, as she stood there, wet, and with a green pig-bucket in her hand, and a yellow raincoat on. Then the words just came flying out of Mark’s mouth, and he felt like not even himself could stop them,
“Kim, I’ve been lying to you, the world, and even to myself. I’ve been telling everyone that I am, who I thought I was, but I’m not. I can’t explain why I lied, I just know that I have to tell you right now. I’m lost, Kim. My mind, my memory, I loose everything, when I’m near you. You make me go crazy! You are my world! I’d do everything for you twice, and I’ve been wanting to do it forever. If you just let yourself go for a minute, you’ll see that I’m not the guy you thought I was. I’ve been away from you for two months, but for me it has felt like a hundred years. All I’ve been wanting, have been to see your face. To kiss your lips… To… Touch you, Kim! I want to hold you near me, and, for god sake, you should know all the lines I’ve been rehearsing with Bryan! How I’ve been planning this moment for ages… But now, when it’s all happening, I can’t even make my lips stop moving. I’m mumbling, and I can’t even remember what I’ve already said. I love you, Kim. Those words have always been hard for me to say, you know that, but you make everything so easy! Won’t you please let me in? Let me enter your heart for just a moment, and I’ll never leave you, I promise.” Mark rushed through the words, and almost forgot to breathe.

And I know,
There is nothing that I would
Not do for you,
Forever be true,
And I know,
Although times can be hard,
We will see it through,
I’m forever in love with you

The rain ran down Mark’s forehead, and out to the end of his nose, just to land on his upper-lip, and rush down his bottomlip. There it staid, until more raindrops fell on his chin, and landed on his black, wet coat. He whipped his eyes, to see how Kim had reacted on his babbling. Her eyes were clear, but she still let the rain make her wink. He saw her inner beauty hide behind a smile. She still stood a bit leaned to the left, because of the heavy bucket. Her hair was thin, made by the hard rain, and sticked to her face.

Show me affection
In all different ways,
Give you my heart,
For the rest of my days

They knew each other by heart. Ever since they’d been neighbours as children, they’d been playing together in Kim’s garden. They’d been the best of friends in kindergarten, and the worst of enemies in school. When they came into puberty, they became friends again. And that they hadn’t been apart since. Mark had gone for the sentence “You never know what you got, until you’ve lost it”. After he went with Westlife on tour, he found out how much he missed Kim. He started remembering little features about her. The exact way she brushed her hair. He could spend hours, explaining Bryan how she laid before she went to sleep. First on her bag, then turned to the right. But then to her stomach, and she staid there, but still managed to wake up on her bag. Mark realised that he’d always loved her.

With you all my troubles,
Are left far behind,
Like heaven on earth,
When I look in your eyes

Her eyes examined his, and he understood nothing.
“You’ve always been in my heart, Mark…” she said, with her silent hoarse voice, “I’ve just been waiting for you to see, what’s been in front of you all the time.”
Mark widened a smile on his face, and could hardly move. He felt like a big mess. There he was, standing in front of the girl he’d loved forever, and looked like a complete fool.

And although there’s confusion,
We’ll find a solution,
To keep my heart close to you

The silence hit them both. Then Mark felt the first sight of fear. Fear of loosing that wonderful moment with Kim, he’d been waiting for forever. He slowly went towards her, until he was very close to her. She still didn’t let go of the bucket. He slowly unbuttoned her raincoat, and saw that she war a tight black turtleneck sweater, with a little bird on her breast, that went together with another bird on her jeans. He led his arms inside her coat, and around her waist. She’d already closed her eyes. Maybe because of the rain?

And I know, yes I know,
If you hold me, believe me,
I’ll never, never ever leave

Mark slowly bend his head to the left, and let his lips find Kim’s. The moment their lips touched, Mark felt his stomach ache. He felt like crying all over again. Her lips were perfect. He let his tongue play with hers, and he felt for the first time, that his knees weakened. He felt her free hand grab his arms, and tighten it. Then she let go of the bucket, so it fell on the ground. She grabbed his neck and face with both hands, and kissed him wilder. He tightened his arms around her, and pulled her nearer.

And I know,
There is nothing that I would
Not do for you,
Forever be true,
And I know,
Although times can be hard,
We will see it through,
I’m forever in love with you

They kissed for ages, but Mark only saw it as one moment. One perfect moment, he wished should never end. He felt like he owned her, like she was his, and no one else’s. He saw flashbacks from the time they played beneath the threes in her backyard. How they used to clime upon a treetop, to see the view, that always only reached a few miles away.
How they always whispered to each other, when they were supposed to sleep. Under the same blanket.

No need to cry,
I’ll be right by your side,
Let’s take our time,
Love won’t run dry,
If you hold me, believe me,
I’ll never, never ever leave

Kim slowly pulled herself away from Mark. She smiled, and he noticed that she’d been crying. But then he noticed that he’d been crying too. He still held her tight, and would never let her go. Her lips looked too welcoming. They were red, after the kiss, which made Mark giggle. He felt like a 16-year old again. He discovered that he actually wanted to give her a hickey! He laughed at himself, and at the whole situation. She laughed too, but probably not of the same thing.
“Why do I feel 16 again?” she mumbled in the rain, and Mark laughed. He let his lips hit hers again…

And I know,
There is nothing that I would
Not do for you,
Forever be true,
And I know,
Although times can be hard,
We will see it through,
I’m forever in love with you

Mark slowly pulled out of the driveway, and honked the horn. He drove away from the farm. He drove to the airport, and caught the next flight back to Sweden, where he’d cancelled a Swedish TV-show. The lads were pissed, but nothing they yelled at him, caught his attention. He smiled all the way through their anger, and finally fell asleep on a couch, with them all screaming at him. He fell asleep with a smile upon his face, and a relaxing ease within his heart.