Melissa drove back to their house, parking in the driveway. She went inside to grab a few things, finding that there wasn't much left. She knelt on the living room floor by the end table, her favorite picture smashed on the floor. The photograph itself wasn't damaged too bad, Nick's face still smiling next to hers. The glass was shattered and the silver frame dented. She gently took the picture out and carried it with her upstairs. She grabbed some clothes: jeans, underwear, a few T-shirts and Nick's favorite hockey jersey. They all went into a duffel bag as she ran around the room in search of a few more items. She was soon ready to go, snatching the bag and photo from the bed and running down the stairs. She walked to the neighbor's house, a close friend of hers.

After knocking, Melissa waited patiently on the steps as the sounds of Amanda's dog barking mixed with running footsteps. The door swung open, the short woman smiling as she saw Melissa.

"Melly!!! What are you doing here?"

"It's a long story…and I have a big favor to ask of you, Mandah…"

"Sure…sure…come on in…" Amanda said, ushering Melissa to the living room.

"Well, I told you bits and pieces about my ex-husband but I guess I should tell you the whole story…" Melissa started as she sat down on the sofa and placed her bag on the floor, placing the photograph gently on top. "I met Marcus when I was a senior in high school. I was 18, and he was 28…but I thought I was in love. He was a wealthy businessman with a suaveness I found attractive…a month after graduation, I gave up my pans of college and a career in writing by marrying him. At first I was happy until he…" she paused as tears filled her eyes.

"What did he do to you?" Amanda asked as she moved closer to Melissa and put an arm around her.

"He beat me, Mandah…a lot. It started about a year after we got married…Not an easy thing for a nineteen-year-old girl. A few months later, I got pregnant…and he was getting worse. A month into the pregnancy, he came home drunk and he went off…I ended up losing the baby and he was arrested. Nick and I were friends since we were little kids…he helped me through it all. I finally realized that he loved me…and I loved him. I had for so long mistaken what love is…but Nick showed me the past two years. He's a year younger than me…but he seems older sometimes…"

""Oh, Melly…I had no idea…" Amanda whispered as she hugged her friend.

"That's all the past though. There's more…and it's in the present. Marcus got out of jail on good behavior. He came to the house today and…and…" she trailed off as the tears began to fall. "Nick's in the hospital…"

"Oh my God…Will he be ok?"

"Yeah, but he's going to be there a few days. And he told me not to stay at the house. My one sister, Kerri, just got married and Tiff, my oldest sister, is out of town. That's my favor, Mandah…can I stay here for a few days?"

"Of course you can!!! Oh my God, Mel…you can stay here as long as you want…" Amanda said as she hugged her again.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________

That night Nick lay in his bed, cold and lonely without Melissa to hold. She always fit perfectly into his arms, her small body the perfect compliment to his large one. With her curled against his side, he felt that the world was at peace around…nothing could go wrong as long as they were together.

He stared at the clock some more, knowing he wasn't allowed to sleep for a day because of his concussion. He cursed Marcus silently as he glanced at the nurse sitting quietly in the corner of the room, her attention riveted to a book. He wished she would talk to him or something…rather than read a book. Didn't she realize he was lonely?

"Whatcha readin'?' he asked, attempting a conversation. She lifted the book so he could read the title. "Oh…" He looked around the room again. White walls, white ceiling, a table, a plant, a phone and a TV, which he was already sick of. He glanced at the phone again. Mel…maybe Mel's still awake. What's Mandah's number? Oh…I think I know it… He dialed the seven digits and waited.

"Hello?" came Melissa's voice.

"Mel?"

"Nick??! What's wrong?"

"Nothing...I just miss you and have no one to talk to…"

"Isn't there a monitor so you don't fall asleep?"

"She's reading…"

"Oh…I wish I could be there…"

"I wish you could be here too…"

"Well, tomorrow…I'll come visit you and I'll bring your favorite comic books and then newspaper and I'll get you that new Spiderman comic you were looking at the other day and I'll go find your Gameboy, ok?"

"You're so sweet...but you don't have to go to all that trouble sweetie. I just want to see you…"

"I know…I wanna see you too. But I'll be in tomorrow, you know I will."

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

Melissa stepped into her bedroom, the morning sunlight now tinting everything golden as she looked around. The room had its usual disorderliness, but it was still clean…it was home. She went to the table on Nick's side of the bed and pulled open the drawer. Inside were a few miscellaneous item thrown on top, and then one of his favorite possessions. His three favorite comic books, their brightly colored covers making her smile. Even though he was 20, he was still a kid at heart. She placed the comics in the bag and then went searching around the room for more items. A few video games, his discman, a handful of CDs and some junk food all made their way into the bag before she zipped it closed and headed downstairs. Halfway down the stairs she froze as she heard a sound in the living room…someone was in the house.

She quietly made her way into the door, peering into the living room to find Marcus overturning the end tables as he stalked toward the kitchen. She ran out and sprinted to her truck. She set the bag on the passenger seat and started the engine. Squealing the tires, she backed out of the driveway and sped away as he ran out of the house.

Once she was a safe distance from the house and sure he wasn't following her, she took a deep breath and thanked God for still being safe.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

"Hi, Nickers…" the soft voice came into his room as he stared out the window. He turned to see her in the doorway, his ray of sunshine.

"Sweetheart…" he said as a grin spread across his face. "I was wondering when you would get here…"

"Visiting hours started five minutes ago, Nick…you're too impatient. But I have a present for you…" she handed him the bag and watched with a smile as he went through all the things she brought.