“I really don’t want him to leave.”
Diane and Heather help me up off the floor and walk me over to the couch. I feel someone take my shoes off, and then a warm blanket being tucked in around me.
I want to thank them, but I’m already half asleep, dreaming of Roberta playing piano softly in the background, and Brendan’s body curled around mine.
The first time, ever I saw your face...
***-***
Brendan
“Is he…singing…while lying on his kitchen floor?” Austen is quiet, trying not to draw too much attention at the crowded departure gate as she watches a video of Miller Day, drunk literally off his ass and singing a love song.
To me.
“He has a decent voice,” Royal offers, for once not cracking a joke. “But why does he think you’re going anywhere? We’re the ones hopping on the plane.”
That was the question. Well, it’s was one of them. Another is, who’s the unlucky SOB who gets to tell Miller that Fred recorded his drunken confession and sent it to Austen via text?
Fred: M would have told B this in person, if we’d let him have his keys. #WhoisWatson
I stare in judgmental silence at Austen, and Royal joins me until she crosses her arms defensively. “What? How was I supposed to know he’d be too drunk to drive here? You were really upset when you showed up, Brendan, and I worried that he might be too. I wanted to help. Pay it forward, Cupid style.”
Royal chuckles, sliding his arm going around her shoulder. “I think we should all quit the Cupid business. We’ll never be able to top our first time.”
She leans into him with a nod. “I hated the thought of him being miserable while I was in Paris, that’s all.”
“Don’t worry,” I say, looking down as the video starts to replay. “Can you send this to my phone?”
“Not if you’re planning to torture him with it.”
Royal kisses her forehead and slides the phone out of my hand, forwarding the video. “Don’t worry, I didn’t also send it to myself to pull out on their tenth wedding anniversary. I swear.”
Our tenth? “He’s drunk,” I tell them weakly. “People say crazy things when they’re drunk.”
What if he changes his mind again in the morning? What if he still doesn’t trust me enough to believe we stand a chance?
Don’t act as if this is a choice. You already made yours.
Royal grips both my shoulders and shakes me.
Always the affectionate bear.
“Brother, that man sang to you. Sang. Talk about romance. What more could you want?”
Everything. Every boring, mundane, ordinary and wonderful thing. Which doesn’t sound like me at all. “You’re right.”
“I always am. Unless she is.”
Austen laughs. “That was exactly the right answer.”
I’m not jealous of that perfect-couple banter. At all.
Royal catches my eye as if to say, See what I mean?
“Come on, big man,” she says, sliding her carryon over her shoulder. “We’re about to start boarding.”
“Oh, I know. I managed to snag us a few of the best seats, too.”
She gazes up at him with interest. “Oh yeah?”
“They might turn into a bed. I’m just saying.”
I take a step back and laugh. “I’ll say goodbye now before I hear too much.”
Royal looks between us, then bends down to give her a kiss. “I’ll be right there, Austen.”
He hangs back to give me another back-cracking hug. “Wish me luck.”
“Why?” I ask. “You’ve already got the girl. And she’ll be trapped on a plane with you for hours.”
He pulls back and glances over his shoulder. “If this weekend goes the way I think it will, she’ll be trapped with me for a hell of a lot longer.” His smile is a beautiful thing. “I love her. And you love Miller, right? Here’s to retiring from the pirate’s life.”
I do love Miller. I have from the first. It just took me a while to figure it all out.
And he loves you, even if he hasn’t told you to your face yet. Didn’t you listen to the song?
“Have fun, Royal. And good luck.”
He nods, grabbing his bag to heft it over his shoulder. “Thanks for keeping our flight schedule to yourself, by the way. Can you imagine the circus if we had her family and mine seeing us off?” He laughs. “If JD knew about it, he’d have flown them all out just to tick me off.”
“Luckily, he doesn’t have clearance to get all the way to the gate like some of us.”
“Enjoy it while you can,” Royal teases.
“I will. Now run.” I push his shoulder, pretending to panic. “Because if anybody can talk their way around security, it’s your brother.”
I watch them hand their tickets to the flight attendant and disappear before I turn on my heel and race for the parking garage.
It’s time for me to go home.
***
“Oh. My head.”
I smile and share a look with Fred. “It lives.”