Mark!

It was August 2003. I was a fresh 18 years old and away from home for the first time ever for college. I had met a few girls in my dorm and that evening we were in the “café” which was the campus-dining hall. Being a country girl at heart, I had my hair tied up in a scarf and I looked around lost into the sea of people for a seat. My new friends were still in line and I hurried to the first empty table I saw feeling accomplished.

“Can I sit here?” a guy asked. He was definitely not a freshmen, he looked confident, and mature. I immediately punched myself for thinking it was okay to wear a scarf into a public atmosphere. This is not down south Jaycee, you have to be presentable when you step out! I scolded myself in my head.

“No” I said and looked down at my tray.

“No?” the guy asked, sitting down anyway “That’s not nice at all”

What the crap did he want, he was making me nervous I had had one serious boyfriend, but all through high school I was Scary Mary I dodged guys like a plague. I just wasn’t into them. I was not gay but Kendall dealt with enough guys for the both of us. Kendall was the opposite in high school. Her parents were super strict and she lashed out whenever she good. I lived my non-sex life through her super active sex life and that was enough for me! However, Kendall wasn’t here to save me, and neither were my new friends to make this less awkward.

“You’re a little cutie what’s your name, little cutie?” he leaned closer and smiled at me again.

“Jaycee, my friends call me Jace though” I was still looking down. He told me his name was Mark and he was a Junior.

Somehow, we managed a conversation and he left the table with my number. My friends finally showed up and that was that. Mark called me and once I went over to his place off campus. Nothing happened but he did tell me “You can’t stay over again until you are ready”.

“I am ready” I had already stayed a few times, what the heck was he talking about?

“No…… I mean READY” he emphasized the word.

Ohhhhhhh he meant sex. I definitely wasn’t ready and I steered clear from Mark for a while. I was still a virgin. That winter though I lost my virginity to my high school sweetheart and I came back to school distressed. I had ruined my “waiting til marriage goal”. Eden was around by then bugging me but of course, I didn’t like him at that point yet.

One day I cramped over in pain, and I ended up having to get surgery. I had cyst on my ovaries. We were still out for winter break and I was staying at my friend off campus apartment. Mark suggested I come stay with him so I wouldn’t be alone and I quickly said “NO! I’m not READY!”

He laughed an insisted and said it wasn’t a big deal. I ended up staying there the rest of winter break, well into my recovery. His house was fun. He had 2 other roommates who I’m super cool with till this day.

One day I am in the shower there and I hear someone come in. No biggie, probably Mark brushing his teeth or something. Then the shower curtain pulls back and Mark steps in. WHAT IS GOING ON!? I panic, no one has ever seen me completely exposed. I play it cool as he washes me up and I haul tail out of that bathroom ASAP. But I can’t shake the feeling I have, and I’m almost “ready”.

Eventually we have sex and I have the time of my life with Mark that summer. He was from up North where some of my family lives, and every now and then he would drive me up to see them. He took me to his hometown and I meet his family. We are just hanging out, but there are no titles. I’m big on titles at this point in my life. But he isn’t wavering. Hea a young guy, they never want girlfriends and he tells me all the time, he wouldn’t do right by me so it was best we keep things as is.

But what I can’t ever forget is he always looked out for me even after we fell off and I got with Eden. I see him every year at Homecomings and there’s always a smile or two and a hug we share. Mark was special.

Therefore, it was only right I let him know I was coming into town soon, and I suggested we get up. He was excited to my surprise. He works for the city and is the city’s accountant. Not bad right? Any who we chat about my visit and I tell him I’ll see him soon. I did not expect to hear from him till the weekend. But yesterday I get a text.

Mark: You will be here in 4 days.

Me: 3 days 20 hours 10 minutes and 49 seconds to be exact.

He laughs and we get into a text convo, just talking about our day and our kids. He has an older child. The convo gets deep and he hits me with his favorite line.

Mark: You always gonna be my Jace, Long as you remember that we are always going to be good. You can call me at anytime, I have a special place in my heart for you and I care about your happiness.

Ugh, why are all the good ones so far away. That is when he Facetimes me, and I’m up for the next hour and a half talking to him. The conversation flowed, we didn’t get into anything too deep, trying to save the details of everything for when we meet up. He still had assumed I was married until I told him the day before. Needless to say, I can’t wait to get out of town this weekend!