That was the only thing going through Marlie Monroe's mind as she collapsed in bed each evening after finally settling her two daughters. The girls were sweet-natured but handling them alone was more than a challenge. Between potty training, teaching them to walk and talk, meal times, story time and naps Marlie barely had a second to herself.
She slept when the girls slept, worked her shift for a wage which barely covered the day-care fees and ate whatever was in the fridge. She was so stressed out that she didn't have a second to look after herself, she had no energy, her fitness was gone the same way as her confidence and she didn't like to look in the mirror.
She called Ben now and then to make it clear that he was welcome to see his daughters if he wanted to but he never picked up.
Marlie often thought afterwards that if it wasn't for those small moments of magic, like the time she came out of the bathroom to find both girls toddling together for the first time, then she might have gone insane.
Even so, she knew it couldn't go on. Eventually she had to pack in her job, supporting herself on hand-outs coupons and the tiny amount she had saved. On sunny days she played her guitar at the park for tips, keeping a close eye on the girls playing feet away. If she was careful she reckoned she might just hold it together until the girls were at school.
Just as she reached her wits end Marlie was rescued by the kindness of some elderly neighbours.
The Taranowskis had observed the young mother struggling and they offered to watch the girls for an hour each morning whilst they napped. They missed their own family, thier grandchildren had moved out of state and they lived a quiet life and were good to the girls, Marlie had never been more grateful.
That precious hour would see her run to the park to busk, coming back via the store with the essentials. Once a week though, she allowed herself the ultimate luxury, a peaceful walk all by herself to clear her head.
Each Sunday morning Marlie would walk to the beach down the lane from her house. It was a little swampy and dirty but it was peaceful. She'd just sit on a rock or a bench, close her eyes and breathe in the fresh air.
In these moments Marlie would remind herself how lucky she was, she was healthy, had two beautiful daughters and a roof over head. Three years ago she had had nothing. All the ugliness with Ben, the stress and the poverty were a price worth paying for her precious little family.
She was dozing on the beach the fall morning when Broderick Cole first laid eyes on her.
Broderick was new in town and he'd come out to explore the nearby countryside, it was pretty enough he guessed but it lacked the drama of his old home in Vermont. But the morning he saw the beautiful blonde bathed in morning night, completely oblivious to her surroundings he was glad he had moved.
It took Broderick a month to figure out Marlie's habits, he spent every spare moment at the beach hoping he could find a way introduce himself without startling her. Once he realised she only came on Sundays he waited by the road early the next weekend, shivering in the frost and hoping to catch her before she settled in to her peaceful moment.
That morning Marlie had left a screaming Belle with Mrs Taranowski and all but run to the beach. She was so caught up in her thoughts that it took three 'Hellos' for her to realise she was not alone.
She couldn't imagine why this handsome stranger was looking at her. She was in her ancient coat and boots, it was probable there was baby food on her somewhere and she couldn't remember if she'd brushed her hair that day... or week.
The man in front of her was wearing some rather ungainly sportswear but he had thick auburn hair, a chiseled jaw and looked as though whatever was under his clothes was in exceptionally good shape. She was so busy staring that she missed the beginning of his sentence hearing only,
....'Broderick Cole, but please call me Brody. I've seen you here before. What's your name?'
'UghiittsssMarliee?' She croaked, Her voice betraying her nerves.
But he didn't laugh or walk away, he just smiled warmly and began to ask her about herself. They talked for over an hour, hardly noticing the chill when Marlie suddenly realised she had been gone too long. 'Oh crap, I have to run' she apologised, and ran off, already convincing herself that his attention had been a weird fluke or a dare or something.
The next week, just in case, Marlie made an effort with her appearance, slipping on a new (and completely seasonally inappropriate) dress under her coat which she had tried, partially successfully, to clean.
When she rounded the corner to the beach and saw Brody standing there her heart gave a little skip. They spent another hour talking about everything. She discovered he was of Irish ancestry, single, charismatic and a great kisser, no wonder she found him so irresistible.
That day when she began to make her excuses and leave Brody just fell into step beside her asking,
'Do you mind if I walk you home?'.
Marlie was flattered and surprised, even in high school nobody had treated her so much like a princess, her prom date hadn't even made it to the dance floor before trying to slip a hand up her dress. While she revelled in Brody's company she was also aware it wouldn't last much longer. As soon as he realised she was a single mother he was bound to run, she didn't understand why he was interested in her to begin with and two four year olds is a lot for anyone to take in. It was bound to scare him off, wasn't it?
When they arrived at the front door, Marlie nervously invited him to come inside for some coffee. Broderick accepted without hesitation, excited to get some insight into the life of this mysterious woman who had captivated him with her warm heart, ready smile and unaffected charm but who he knew so little about.
He was not expecting to see two cribs in her home and it showed on his face.
She called Ben now and then to make it clear that he was welcome to see his daughters if he wanted to but he never picked up.
Marlie often thought afterwards that if it wasn't for those small moments of magic, like the time she came out of the bathroom to find both girls toddling together for the first time, then she might have gone insane.
Even so, she knew it couldn't go on. Eventually she had to pack in her job, supporting herself on hand-outs coupons and the tiny amount she had saved. On sunny days she played her guitar at the park for tips, keeping a close eye on the girls playing feet away. If she was careful she reckoned she might just hold it together until the girls were at school.
Just as she reached her wits end Marlie was rescued by the kindness of some elderly neighbours.
The Taranowskis had observed the young mother struggling and they offered to watch the girls for an hour each morning whilst they napped. They missed their own family, thier grandchildren had moved out of state and they lived a quiet life and were good to the girls, Marlie had never been more grateful.
That precious hour would see her run to the park to busk, coming back via the store with the essentials. Once a week though, she allowed herself the ultimate luxury, a peaceful walk all by herself to clear her head.
Each Sunday morning Marlie would walk to the beach down the lane from her house. It was a little swampy and dirty but it was peaceful. She'd just sit on a rock or a bench, close her eyes and breathe in the fresh air.
In these moments Marlie would remind herself how lucky she was, she was healthy, had two beautiful daughters and a roof over head. Three years ago she had had nothing. All the ugliness with Ben, the stress and the poverty were a price worth paying for her precious little family.
She was dozing on the beach the fall morning when Broderick Cole first laid eyes on her.
Broderick was new in town and he'd come out to explore the nearby countryside, it was pretty enough he guessed but it lacked the drama of his old home in Vermont. But the morning he saw the beautiful blonde bathed in morning night, completely oblivious to her surroundings he was glad he had moved.
It took Broderick a month to figure out Marlie's habits, he spent every spare moment at the beach hoping he could find a way introduce himself without startling her. Once he realised she only came on Sundays he waited by the road early the next weekend, shivering in the frost and hoping to catch her before she settled in to her peaceful moment.
That morning Marlie had left a screaming Belle with Mrs Taranowski and all but run to the beach. She was so caught up in her thoughts that it took three 'Hellos' for her to realise she was not alone.
She couldn't imagine why this handsome stranger was looking at her. She was in her ancient coat and boots, it was probable there was baby food on her somewhere and she couldn't remember if she'd brushed her hair that day... or week.
The man in front of her was wearing some rather ungainly sportswear but he had thick auburn hair, a chiseled jaw and looked as though whatever was under his clothes was in exceptionally good shape. She was so busy staring that she missed the beginning of his sentence hearing only,
....'Broderick Cole, but please call me Brody. I've seen you here before. What's your name?'
'UghiittsssMarliee?' She croaked, Her voice betraying her nerves.
But he didn't laugh or walk away, he just smiled warmly and began to ask her about herself. They talked for over an hour, hardly noticing the chill when Marlie suddenly realised she had been gone too long. 'Oh crap, I have to run' she apologised, and ran off, already convincing herself that his attention had been a weird fluke or a dare or something.
When she rounded the corner to the beach and saw Brody standing there her heart gave a little skip. They spent another hour talking about everything. She discovered he was of Irish ancestry, single, charismatic and a great kisser, no wonder she found him so irresistible.
That day when she began to make her excuses and leave Brody just fell into step beside her asking,
'Do you mind if I walk you home?'.
Marlie was flattered and surprised, even in high school nobody had treated her so much like a princess, her prom date hadn't even made it to the dance floor before trying to slip a hand up her dress. While she revelled in Brody's company she was also aware it wouldn't last much longer. As soon as he realised she was a single mother he was bound to run, she didn't understand why he was interested in her to begin with and two four year olds is a lot for anyone to take in. It was bound to scare him off, wasn't it?
When they arrived at the front door, Marlie nervously invited him to come inside for some coffee. Broderick accepted without hesitation, excited to get some insight into the life of this mysterious woman who had captivated him with her warm heart, ready smile and unaffected charm but who he knew so little about.
He was not expecting to see two cribs in her home and it showed on his face.
Marlie's heart sank at his expression but he recovered quickly and asked about her family. Marlie introduced him to the girls who he seemed to be charmed by. Whilst Brody still seemed to be flirting with her, Marlie was disappointed when he hastily made an excuse about work and left without his coffee or any mention of a plan for them to meet again.
That night on opposite sides of town both Brody and Marlie were consumed by their doubts.
Marlie ate her way through a family serving of nachos and increasingly convinced herself that Brody wouldn't be back. Looking like he did there was no way he would want an insecure, single mom to be his girlfriend. Girls like her got the Bens of the world.
She knew that even imagining them being together would be ridiculous and though she barely knew him her heart ached at the thought of never seeing him again, never knowing how his lips might have felt on hers.
Alone in his apartment Brody was paced the floor all night. He had spent weeks consumed with the idea of Marlie. She was so sweet, so unassuming, so good, all he had wanted since they first spoke was to be around her. But being a father figure to somebody else's kids was something he'd never considered. Could he do it? They seemed like nice enough children, but could he love them? And where was their biological Dad?
Brody knew he had some thinking to do - should he take a chance on Marlie and her family or would the challenges of small children be one thing more than their barely formed relationship could stand?
------------------------------------------
What do you all think of Brody? Hot or what? And can he step up and be the man that Marlie so desperately deserve? Let me know in the comments!
Next time on The Monroe Legacy - Brody makes a decision, Marlie makes a change and the twins have a birthday.
Read it now in The Monroe Legacy - Chapter 9 - The Start of Something New
Rose XX
That night on opposite sides of town both Brody and Marlie were consumed by their doubts.
Marlie ate her way through a family serving of nachos and increasingly convinced herself that Brody wouldn't be back. Looking like he did there was no way he would want an insecure, single mom to be his girlfriend. Girls like her got the Bens of the world.
She knew that even imagining them being together would be ridiculous and though she barely knew him her heart ached at the thought of never seeing him again, never knowing how his lips might have felt on hers.
Alone in his apartment Brody was paced the floor all night. He had spent weeks consumed with the idea of Marlie. She was so sweet, so unassuming, so good, all he had wanted since they first spoke was to be around her. But being a father figure to somebody else's kids was something he'd never considered. Could he do it? They seemed like nice enough children, but could he love them? And where was their biological Dad?
Brody knew he had some thinking to do - should he take a chance on Marlie and her family or would the challenges of small children be one thing more than their barely formed relationship could stand?
------------------------------------------
What do you all think of Brody? Hot or what? And can he step up and be the man that Marlie so desperately deserve? Let me know in the comments!
Next time on The Monroe Legacy - Brody makes a decision, Marlie makes a change and the twins have a birthday.
Read it now in The Monroe Legacy - Chapter 9 - The Start of Something New
Rose XX
Oh Marlie, it's good that she seems to have gotten used to the way her life has become. Brody seems very nice, and he has a good head on his shoulders because he's thinking about the fact that Marlie has two kids already. He definitely is smarter than Ben was, LOL.
ReplyDeleteThat's not saying much, Ben was about as smart as a tin of beans. I was pleasantly surprised when the game generated Brody, he's not perfect but Marlie doesn't need perfect, just someone reliable. Maybe it could be him....
DeleteOh, man!!! I mean, really, there's a man!! :) So very excited to see what I was hoping to see!! I love that he sought after her! He waited to see when she would come just because he wanted to meet her! He's already 10x better than Ben and I KNOW he'll get even better. I love that you said, "Twins are exhausting." Words were never more true. LOL!
ReplyDeleteAlso, I liked how you said Brody and Marlie were both have doubts on opposite sides of town. I just absolutely loved that line, too! Great job!
Haha yep - EA did good for once though really - what kind of a name is Broderick. I was like "HELL no am I typing that out fifty times a post"
DeleteI wouldn't know about real life twins - but Sims twins are a pain in the ass - it's red pumbob central until they get to school!
She definitely has a complicated life, and now Brody appears in her life... I hope they end up together, just so that Marlie can be happy. He is really handsome, and hopefully he could bring some money to the household.
ReplyDeleteAlso, can't wait to see the twins become children
Hi Laura, I love Brody too, A relationship with Marlie's certainly a gamble but I think Brody might be up to the job. And the money sure would be helpful.
DeleteYou wont have to wait long :)
Poor Marlie. I feel bad for her, for having such a wrong view about her body. :\ Hopefully she's able to see herself as she is.
ReplyDeleteI like Brody. I'm guessing he's gonna stay with her! :3
Yeah it's hard to write her sometimes... She has such a low opinion of what she deserves and Ben didn't help ... She needs someone to give her a bit of perspective... Maybe Brody can be it....?.
DeleteThanks for reading and commenting!
I can understand though, it's an issue so many people have :( it's just hard, seeing someone and wanting to help them... it just shows how well you've been writing that, sparking that emotion in me :)
DeleteOoh, Brody! I like him, he seems like a good guy. I hope everything works out!
ReplyDeleteHe definitely has something going on, and he's no Ben which is great!
DeleteThanks so much for reading :)
Brody is hot! I feel so bad for Marlie, thinking so bad about her own body. It's an issue many people struggle with though, myself included. Wonder how it will work out with Ben!
ReplyDeleteYep - I love Brody! Marlie deserves a guy like him, if Ben can avoid ruining it! Marlie certainly has some body image issues, having her struggle to see herself as beautiful was one of the first things I decided about her. She's basically the anti-Marilyn, Marilyn was no skinny model but she was confident and owned it and is still rememberes as a sex symbol - Marlie sees her curves as something to be ashamed of and I think the beginning of this story is as much about her beginning to love herself as it is about her falling in love :)
DeleteI am determined to get completely caught up today because I love this story so much :3 Brody seems like a good guy but then again don't they all X3 I hope he's the one.
ReplyDeleteHahah thanks! Well if you can't then I promise it will still be here next time :p Brody certainly seems a good guy... Can it last?!
DeleteMarlie has such low self-esteem and Ben didn't help. I hope that Brody gives her a chance. I think they might be good for each other. Hopefully Ben doesn't just show up out of the blue because Brody takes an interest in Marlie and the kids. It seems like something he would do though.
ReplyDelete