Fic: Green Means Go
Fandom: The Bridges of Madison County
Pairing: Francesca/Robert
Rating/warning: PG (het pairing! Eek! I know, this is so not what I do.)
Prompt: Thank you to girlie_girl_23 who left the prompt in fictorium
A/N: This story is not betaed. Also, it took me about 45 minutes to write, so I imagine it's not perfect.. Still, hope you enjoy. It is Meryl after all ^_^
Green Means Go
The light was green, and Richard was honking the car horn to signal his impatience. And yet Robert's truck stayed still in front of ours. I could hear the rain drumming heavily against the metal roof of the car, its powerful sound paling in comparison to the erratic beating of my heart. My hand closed tightly around the door handle, and slowly, so slowly, it moved an inch. Then another. Just a little more and I would be free to go live my life with the man who had, most unexpectedly, stolen my heart.
My courage wavered, and the handle turned no more. Time seemed to stand still. In my head, I could see a million different versions of this exact moment playing out like mini movies. None of them had a fairytale ending. Someone would always end up hurt. The question was: whom to choose?
The horn sounded again, and finally the moment I'd been dreading had arrived. The worn-out pickup truck jerked into forward motion.
“No!” I cried suddenly and wrenched the car door open before Richard had time to put his foot on the gas.
“Frannie, what in God's name do you think you're doing?” my husband shouted angrily at me as I climbed down onto wet asphalt.
I turned my tear and rain soaked face towards him for what I knew would be the last time. “I am so sorry, Richard.” The words burned my tongue even as I spoke them. Maybe this was just a taste of what it would feel like to be in hell, for that's where I'd be headed once this life was done. “Please tell Michael and Carolyn that I love them. I'll call them in a couple of days.”
And then I slammed the door closed, not able to look at the incredulous expression on his face for a second longer. Turning to my right, I lifted my hand up to shield my face from the rain. Squinting into the distance I saw the battered, green truck parked approximately 30 yards away. Not caring what anybody might think, or if in fact what I was doing was dangerous, I ran diagonally across the intersection to where Robert was waiting.
Robert. Waiting. For me.
Slowly a part of the feelings of guilt and sadness I was experiencing began to fade, and warmth and love flooded in their place. Yes. This is right, my heart told me.
It took me mere moments to reach the car. Robert was already keeping the door open for me from the inside. I jumped in and shut the door to keep the rain out.
Robert gazed at me with his trademark solemn look. He then reached out to take my hand in his, brought it up to his lips and bestowed the gentlest of kisses on the back of my hand. And even if he didn't speak, I knew what he wanted to tell me with his simple gesture and with those solemn eyes. He was saying he was sorry I had to go through all this pain for us to be able to be together. He was saying thank you for not giving up. On us.
On love.
I squeezed his hand in mine to signal that I, too, was grateful.
Fin.
Pairing: Francesca/Robert
Rating/warning: PG (het pairing! Eek! I know, this is so not what I do.)
Prompt: Thank you to girlie_girl_23 who left the prompt in fictorium
A/N: This story is not betaed. Also, it took me about 45 minutes to write, so I imagine it's not perfect.. Still, hope you enjoy. It is Meryl after all ^_^
Green Means Go
The light was green, and Richard was honking the car horn to signal his impatience. And yet Robert's truck stayed still in front of ours. I could hear the rain drumming heavily against the metal roof of the car, its powerful sound paling in comparison to the erratic beating of my heart. My hand closed tightly around the door handle, and slowly, so slowly, it moved an inch. Then another. Just a little more and I would be free to go live my life with the man who had, most unexpectedly, stolen my heart.
My courage wavered, and the handle turned no more. Time seemed to stand still. In my head, I could see a million different versions of this exact moment playing out like mini movies. None of them had a fairytale ending. Someone would always end up hurt. The question was: whom to choose?
The horn sounded again, and finally the moment I'd been dreading had arrived. The worn-out pickup truck jerked into forward motion.
“No!” I cried suddenly and wrenched the car door open before Richard had time to put his foot on the gas.
“Frannie, what in God's name do you think you're doing?” my husband shouted angrily at me as I climbed down onto wet asphalt.
I turned my tear and rain soaked face towards him for what I knew would be the last time. “I am so sorry, Richard.” The words burned my tongue even as I spoke them. Maybe this was just a taste of what it would feel like to be in hell, for that's where I'd be headed once this life was done. “Please tell Michael and Carolyn that I love them. I'll call them in a couple of days.”
And then I slammed the door closed, not able to look at the incredulous expression on his face for a second longer. Turning to my right, I lifted my hand up to shield my face from the rain. Squinting into the distance I saw the battered, green truck parked approximately 30 yards away. Not caring what anybody might think, or if in fact what I was doing was dangerous, I ran diagonally across the intersection to where Robert was waiting.
Robert. Waiting. For me.
Slowly a part of the feelings of guilt and sadness I was experiencing began to fade, and warmth and love flooded in their place. Yes. This is right, my heart told me.
It took me mere moments to reach the car. Robert was already keeping the door open for me from the inside. I jumped in and shut the door to keep the rain out.
Robert gazed at me with his trademark solemn look. He then reached out to take my hand in his, brought it up to his lips and bestowed the gentlest of kisses on the back of my hand. And even if he didn't speak, I knew what he wanted to tell me with his simple gesture and with those solemn eyes. He was saying he was sorry I had to go through all this pain for us to be able to be together. He was saying thank you for not giving up. On us.
On love.
I squeezed his hand in mine to signal that I, too, was grateful.
Fin.