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Epilogue One: Carinna
The little shivers run up and down my body as I listen to him sing our song up on the stage. The roar of the crowd singing along almost drowns out his voice but I can still hear it by memory. Still mouth the words with him. Still feel my heart lift when he turns and smiles right at me every single time he sings that song. The one that made me realize I loved him.
“Thank you!” he hollers, his deep voice making shivers run along my arms. He runs to me and pulls me onstage before I realize what’s happening.
“Wait, what? What are you doing, Chris?” I try and dig in my heels but he just pulls harder until he yanks me alongside him on the stage.
Smiling, he grabs the microphone and whistles so loudly that the whole stadium goes eerily quiet.
“Thank you for coming tonight, everybody! I think every night with y’all is special. But this particular night is extra-special for me.” He turns to me and my eyes widen as he slides down to one knee, pulling a blue box from his jacket pocket. “Carinna, I’ve loved you since the very first minute I saw you. I was an idiot and let you talk me into leaving to follow my dream, but that dream wasn’t you. And nothing matters as much to me as you and our family. I let you bear the burden of that for entirely too long and that is something I can’t make up for. But what I can do is spend the next fifty years taking care of you and our daughter. And I intend to. If you’ll have me. Because baby, there is nothing on this earth that means more to me than you do. I love you, Carinna. Will you do me the greatest honor on this earth, make me the happiest man ever and marry me? As soon as possible. Hell, now if we can find a minister! I just want to know that you’re mine. That you belong to me and I belong to you. That nothing is ever going to change that. Us. That’s all that matters in this world is love. Doing what you love, being with the one you love. Say you’ll be mine now and forever.”
My eyes mist over and I struggle to breath through the tears clogging my throat. I know I must look like a tear-streaked mess but he’s still looking at me like I’m the most beautiful thing he’s ever seen.
“I will marry you, Chris, I love you so much!” I whisper, barely able to get out my reply through the emotions clogging my throat.
“She said yes!” he screams happily into the microphone. The stadium erupts into a thunderous ovation, hands and feet stomping and clapping, whistles and cheers like the melody, clapping the drumbeat of my heart as he pulls me close, swinging me around before his lips find mine.
My heart soars as his firm lips cling to mine and the stage rocks with millions of fans cheering. My lips follow his until he backs away, whispering, “Later. I’m going to make love to you until neither one us can walk and then I’m going to do it all over again. Because you’re my drug, baby girl.”
He backs away and my brow wrinkles in confusion as the band files back onstage and sets up. The crowd goes wild at the impromptu encore.
Lights flash and I start to back out of the limelight but he pulls me over to the stool beside him. He tosses his dark blond hair back and settles his guitar on his shoulder.
“This is for my one true love. I love you, baby.”
The pounding beat starts and then he swings into a softer rock ballad that I’ve never heard him play.
“She steals into my dreams every night. I can’t see anything but her and her beautiful brown eyes, her soft curves and bright hair burned into my vision.”
“She’s the air that I breathe, the light I see, every vision is my reality, until I wake to find that she’s not there. She’s my drug, her body calling me. Her lips whispering and pleading for me.”
“Call me tomorrow, call me an hour before. Doesn’t matter, I’ll drop everything for you, every second I breathe it’s yours. Every minute I see is yours.”
“Love you, baby girl. Love you like a storm building, like a fire raging out of control.”
“You’re my drug, fill me with your light, fill me with your love and stay with me forever.”
The rich melody and honesty wrap around my heart, stealing my breath, tears streaking my cheeks.
The last note falls in a hushed, dark room and then all hell breaks loose.
Wild cheers and thrilled clapping. They just saw a new song, a gift for me but also for them.
Although he’s mine, for the hours he plays, he’s their’s as well. And that’s okay.
I can share him for a few hours a night. As long as I know he comes home to me.
He leans over to kiss me gently and I lean back and whisper in his ear, “Just so you know, I’m pregnant again. You’re gonna be a daddy again.”
The smile on his face is big enough and bright enough to light this entire space.
He picks me up and swings me around. “That settles it, we’re getting married next week. Or maybe sooner. I can’t wait to take care of you, baby girl. I love you so much.” He sits me down and grins, “The little one too.”
“You sure you’re okay with this?” I ask, holding my breath.
“Okay, hell, I’ve never been so happy. I can’t wait to run out for ice cream and pickles.”
“Ugh,” I make a face. “No way, no how. That’s disgusting. But I could really use a pint of rocky road ice cream and swedish gummies.”
