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“I hope you get married.” His eyes shine with happiness.
“You do?”
He nods with a shy smile.
“Why’s that?”
“Because then you could be my mommy.”
My heart melts. He’s so sweet and pure and full of love. I’m pondering how to respond appropriately when our mountain of ice cream arrives. We actually put a pretty good dent in it.
When we get back to the studio, security greets us and escorts us up the elevator. We walk down a narrow hall before the guard stops and opens a door. We walk through. Two guys sit in front of a million knobs and switches. I spot the band behind the glass wall in front of us as Brady’s smooth voice fills the room. It’s not a song I’ve heard before. It sounds like he’s in pain. The words are about being broken, about not being able live with his loss. It’s the next verse that has my eyes burning and filling with tears. I can’t make out all of the words, but “you should’ve listened to your heart” and “please come back” come through with clarity. The music stops. I turn to wave at Brady. He doesn’t respond, and I assume the glass is one-way.
The guy with the dark hair at the desk says, “She’s here. Now will you quit dicking around?” He turns and winks at me as he mouths, He’s been impossible.
I smile.
The guy’s voices come through the speakers. “Hey, Tori.”
“I missed you, Sunshine.” I hear the happiness in Brady’s voice.
I laugh. We only went for ice cream.
“Get to work,” I say, smiling at the two guys behind the desk.
“Thank you.” The blond guy looks up, laughing. “You heard the lady — we got an album to finish.”
I turn to see Andrew coloring at a small table next to the back wall. He’s obviously comfortable here. I sit next to him, looking down at his drawing of two large smiley faces with thin lines for arms and legs. “Who do you have there?”
“It’s me and my mom.”
I swallow hard. “You did a very nice job.”
“Thanks,” he says as he continues to color.
I lean in close to get a better look. “You want to hang it on your wall?”
He lets the crayon fall. His head turns to look at me. “Nope.”
I’d love to know what’s going on in that head of his, but I don’t dare ask. “Okay, but if you want to, we can.”
“I know.”
I sit with him for the next few hours, coloring and talking. He’s funny and smart, but he’s also sweet and kind. The more time I spend with him, the harder it is for me to fathom how Annabelle could walk away.
It’s
late when the session wraps up. Brady stops to talk with the two guys behind the controls. Jesse’s the first of the band to greet me. He lifts me from the floor in his signature hug. He sets me down and looks at me nervously. “You good?”
I nod and smile.
“I’m glad you’re back. Your guy was an unpleasant ass while you were gone.”
I laugh just as Chad comes to hug me. I welcome his hug. He offers similar sentiments about Brady’s behavior in my absence. I notice Gabe laughing with Andrew and giving him high-fives. I walk over to them.
“Oh, hey, Tori.”
He shakes my hand. My eyes travel up his tattooed arms to his gauged ears. I can’t help but thinking he’s a prime example of why you should never judge people. His outward appearance screams rowdy and wild, yet he’s more the laid-back, gentle type.
