Mimi packed her bags, trying to keep the tears at bay. She had to be gone before Jason got home from work. She needed to get away from Salem and see if she could make it on her own. She had always been the charity case. Her home built for her, popular by association, even her job at Basic Black had been given to her because she was Belle's friend.

Mimi needed to go do it herself. She hated leaving Jason this way, but he was the only man she had ever been with and she didn't even know if what she felt was love. She picked up her bags and headed for the door. Mimi was going to stay in Austin, TX with her brother. She glanced around their apartment one more time before she shut the door.
~~~~
Jason came home expecting Mimi to be there, but all he found was a note. With his hands shaking he picked it up. His worst fear had come true. She had left him.

She finally realized that she was too good for him. Jason had always feared she would do this. In his mind, he didn't deserve her.
'Jason, I can't stay here anymore. I need to clear my mind and do things myself.'
Jason sat down on the sofa and held his head in his hands. One tear escaped before he sniffed and took a deep breath. If that's what she wanted, then he'd wait for her. He'd wait for forever.


~She left without leavin' a number

Said she needed to clear her mind

He figured she'd gone back to Austin '

Cause she talked about it all the time

It was almost a year before she called him up

Three rings and an answerin' machine is what she got~

Mimi stood at the kitchen counter, phone in hand. She wanted to hear his voice so badly. It had been almost a year since she had seen or heard him. Mimi took a bracing breath and dialed his number. Of course she got the answering machine. This is what she heard: "If you're callin' 'bout the car, I sold it. If this is Tuesday night, I'm bowlin.' If you've got somethin' to sell You're wastin' your time, I'm not buyin'. If it's anybody else Wait for the tone, you know what to do And P.S., if this is Austin, I still love you"

Mimi dropped the phone. He hadn't given up on her. Jason still loved her. She slumped to the floor and cried, thinking how she had given up on them. She had walked away and Jason was still there. Still caring for her.

~The telephone fell to the counter

She heard but she couldn't believe

What kind of man would hang on that long

What kind of love that must be

She waited three days, and then she tried again

She didn't know what she'd say

But she heard three rings and then~

Jason got home and played the answering machine. There was one from Shawn and one from Philip about their upcoming fishing trip, and there was one where all he heard was the click of the phone. Jason stood there, unmoving, staring at the answering machine. Could it have been? Jason slowly smiled.

Mimi waited a couple of days to work out in her head what she was going to say. She finally decided to wing it and called. Damn! She got the machine again. She smiled as she listened to it. Jason was a one of a kind.
"If it's Friday night, I'm at the ballgame, And first thing Saturday, if it don't rain I'm headed out to the lake And I'll be gone, all weekend long. But I'll call you back when I get home On Sunday afternoon And P.S., if this is Austin, I still love you"

Mimi left her number, but didn't say anything else. She knew he'd know. She heard the beep and said, "1-897-564-8923." She didn't think she could wait for him to get back Sunday from his trip. She wished she was there so they could go together.

Jason got home Sunday and left his gear by the door. He collapsed on the sofa. Worn out by the long drive home. He glanced at the answering machine and saw the blinking light. He pulled himself off the couch and pushed the button. There was one from his mother, begging him to get out more, one from Belle telling him to come over for dinner next week and then there was one from her. He'd never forget that voice. She had left her number for him. He couldn't dial the numbers fast enough.

~Well, this time she left her number

But not another word

Then she waited by the phone on Sunday ev'nin'

And this is what he heard~

Mimi waited by phone, like an old cliche. She held the phone in her hand and jumped when it rang. Jason's number appeared on the caller I.D. Mimi's heart was beating fast. She clicked the phone on and said: "If you're callin' 'bout my heart, It's still yours I should've listened to it a little more. Then it wouldn't have taken me so long, To know where I belong, And by the way, boy- This is no machine you're talkin' to Can't you tell, this is Austin, and I still love you, I still love you."

Jason couldn't hold the tears back anymore. "I love you too, baby. I always will."
~~~
Mimi stepped off the plane and searched the crowd for him. Spotting his tall blonde form, she dropped her luggage and ran to him. Jason caught her in his arms and he twirled her around, gripping her tightly. Both where crying and Mimi couldn't get him close enough to her.
Jason pulled back and looked into her eyes and meshed his lips with hers. He was starved for her as was Mimi for him. Their mouths tried to devour each other.
Mimi pulled away and sighed, "I'm not going anywhere."
Jason smiled, "You're damn right you're not."