So things have been going really well with Beth since she moved back in last week. We are taking the whole thing slowly, really focusing on making it work with one another. It’s also the first time where we have absolutely nothing else to do but be together. On tour, you’re here there and everywhere trying to get everything you have to do done and trying to keep a relationship going through that is tough. Living together lets us just be us and live normally together, if you can call that media herd at the end of my driveway normal.
We have our moments though that I never really appreciated before because we never really had the time. Beth was lying on the bed with me, clad in one of my tee shirts playing with the dog while I laid next to her and wrote some lyrics. I was going for a sip of beer when I froze, realizing the simplicity of the whole situation. Yeah, life is going pretty well.
A bagel pops after being toasted in the toaster and I put it on a plate, adding cream cheese and putting it on the table. Two glasses of Orange juice sit on the table and Beth yawns as she raises her arms above her head, stretching them up towards the ceiling before sitting down in the chair. I pass her the bagel and she smiles appreciatively, “Thanks.”
I smile, glad I remembered how she took her bagel. I don’t care how minuscule that something like that is, the point remains I remembered. This coming from the guy who could never remember her name.
Beth ours herself some coffee, since orange juice can only go so far for that girl, and feeds Bella who is sitting at her feet a piece of bacon from her plate, “So I was curious if you wanted to take a drive today.”
I look up from the overly happy dog that has formed an immediate bond with Beth just for the simple fact that she feeds her table scraps, “Where did you have in mind?”
Beth smiles and clears her throat, “New Jersey?”
I groan a little, “Don’t you think you’re mother hates me enough? The next time she sees me she just might pull a knife on me.”
Beth chuckles, “Naw, she’s more a loaded weapon kind of woman. I wasn’t thinking my mom’s though.”
“What were you thinking?”
“I’ll tell you when we get there,” she responds cheekily.
“Fine, be like that,” I pout.
She just shakes her head at me and rubs the back of the dog’s head. I could so get used to this, her across the table from me every morning, being the last girl I see when I close my eyes. It’s really the first time I have felt that way, being okay with a commitment like that. It’s a nice feeling.
I take a bite of my omelet, “Do you know where we’re going?”
Beth nods again and I wrack my brain as to what the other reason she might have for wanting to be in New Jersey, “Is it Sam?”
“No. You won’t guess it Einstein so just drop it.”
I glare at her for a moment, “I am Einstein thank you very much.”
“Yeah, from the guy who couldn’t figure out how to work the microwave,” she retorts.
“I figured it out.”
Beth starts to laugh so hard a small snort comes from her nose, “Oh yeah, that was right after you put aluminum foil on top of that Chinese you were warming up and almost blew the thing up.”
I try to keep from laughing since it hits at my masculine ego of handling the machinery in the house but her laughter is infectious, “Who knew that would happen?”
Even the dog seems to be mocking me, “Just about every other human being on this earth.”
I roll my eyes as she laughs harder before I finally stand up throwing her over my shoulder as she squeals and carry her to the shower.
________________________________________________________________________
We piled into the car and I drove as Beth gave me directions to her mystery place. It’s nice just to be driving with her, though she is overly controlling about the radio. I swear every time the station went to commercial she would automatically switch to another station so that there would be constant music. It’s like a spasm for her. I wait for her to do it again and sure enough, three seconds later she’s playing with the knob again.
“You are going to break that thing off.”
Beth smiles a little, “I hate when they talk.”
“I’m going to buy you satellite radio because this is ridiculous.”
Beth crosses her legs, “Oh please, I don’t want you to buy me anything.”
I put my hand in her hair, “I want to take care of you.”
“The kind of care I need doesn’t include your bank account.”
“I just meant I will do whatever I have to do keep you in the lifestyle I feel you should be accustomed to.”
“I just need you to be supportive and there for me. That is the lifestyle I am accustomed to.”
I smile, “I can do that.”
Beth motions to a building on the left, “Stop there for a minute.”
I pull over into the parking lot and put the car into park, “A florist? That’s you’re surprise?”
Beth ignores me as she grabs her purse from underneath her feet and unbuckles her seatbelt, “I’ll be right back. Just stay here.”
“Are you sure you don’t want me to come with you?”
“No, it’s okay. I’ll be out in a minute.”
Beth runs inside and I sit here to ponder what the hell we are doing. After about a minute she gets back in the car with soft pink roses.
I notice her expression is a little dazed so I crack a joke, “Are we getting married?”
“Yeah, and then we are going to jump off a cliff onto jagged rocks for fun.”
I lean over and kiss her head, “So you want to tell me what were doing with the roses?”
Beth looks at me playfully and shakes her head no. I decide to stop bothering her since it is clear to me she isn’t going to be telling me anything. I pull out and we drive a little father. We are off the highway and going through a little town. I admire the small town feel to it and watch out the window a little.
“Take the turn here,” Beth says, pointing to the side road.
Then I realize where she was taking me. I park the car and get out of the car, looking around the area. I watch as Beth closes her door and comes over to me. I slide my hand in hers, “Lead the way.”
Beth nods and we walk a little ways until she finds what she’s looking for and sinks to her knees, “Here she is.”
I look at the headstone as the inscription reads, “Here lies the body of Sarah Anne Addison, beloved sister and daughter.”
I bend down and make myself comfortable next to her as she adjusts the flowers at her grave. Beth pulls out a photo I haven’t seen before and hands it to me, “That was taken a few months before she died. Today is the day she died.”
I look over the photo at a girl who smiles back at you, eyes exactly like Beth’s. Blue as the sky. Her overly pushed smile and blonde hair is obviously for the camera but her eyes don’t lie. I hand it back to Beth, “She looked really happy.”
Beth smiles a little sadly, “I think she was. I really missed her when she left but all I wanted was for her to be happy.”
“You can see the family resemblance,” I remark.
“I wish my dad had felt the same way.”
“Well he is blind,” I retort.
She leans into me and relaxes, “I wish you could have met her. You would have liked her.”
“I’m sure I would have.”
We sit in silence for a little before I decide this is a good moment for her to hear my surprise, “Hey, I had an idea about what we could do about the whole job thing.”
“Oh yeah?” she asks, looking up at me.
I nod, “I just can’t handle my girlfriend picking up after me or getting me coffee so I thought about it and I was wondering if you wanted to run my charity. I’m starting one for people with drug and alcohol addictions looking to quit. I’m going to have a rehab center and everything. Not the kind celebrities check into that have Egyptian sheets and that crap but a haven for people who really want to get back on their feet.”
Beth eyes start to water and wraps her arms around my neck. That is generally a sign I have done something right, “So is that a yes?”
Beth pulls back so she can look at me, “Yes, yes that would be perfect.”
“You can arrange the building and the charity events to raise money. Stuff like that. This way you can spend time with me on the road and then occasionally have to set up events.”
“That sounds so…. amazing. Thank you,” she says earnestly.
“I’m just glad you like it. This way you get what you want and I get you most of the time.”
“Because that’s what this is really about,” she kids.
“You have to have your priorities strait. Sex happens to be my number one, followed closely my food.”
She cracks up a little as she brushes a few stray tears away. I kiss her head softly, breathing in her scent. She sits in between my legs and we just talk about everything like we used to. Happy days are here to stay.
________________________________________________________________________
I clean up the sink and wash the dishes we used for dinner. I can’t believe he is starting a rehab center and better yet, I get to help run it which lets me work and have a relationship with him at the same time. I hum to myself softly as Justin comes up behind me, kissing my neck, “I’m just going to go grab us a carton of ice cream.”
“Okay, I’ll just finish up here,” I respond, wiping the pan dry.
He gives my butt a pat on his way out the door. I put some moisturizing cream on my hands after I turn off the faucet. I look around the room to make sure I didn’t miss anything and make my way into the living room, changing the channel to the guide in hopes that something interesting might be on. The doorbell goes off and I groan as the dog who was silently laying at my feet just moments ago is now barking like crazy at the door. I press mute on the clicker and look out the peep hole to see who it is. Fuck.
I swing the door open abruptly catching him off guard, “What do you want?”
Trace swallows before answering, “Is this how you greet all your guests or am I just special?”
I stand in the way of him entering the house, barring him from looking inside, “I’ll give you one guess.”
He rubs the back of his neck and looks like a deer caught in headlights, “Is Justin here?”
“No,” I say simply.
“Will he be home soon?” he asks carefully.
The nerve of him, “I don’t know.”
Trace nods and backs down the stairs, “Could you just tell him that I stopped by and that’s I’m sorry for everything?”
I resist the urge to say no but it’s not my life, “Sure.”
He turns around to leave as he goes down the path but he stops short and spins around, “I’m really sorry for your loss.”
I look up to him, “Loss?”
“The baby. It was on the news the other day.”
Fabulous. The whole world now knows, “Thanks.”
“Your welcome,” he responds, getting into his car and I watch him drive away. Why do dramatic things always happen to me just as things are starting to come together for me?
