Always and Forever

by Jerry Cole

  All the bands came out to bow and wave and disappeared from the stage. We went to sit and wait for Micah before Mallory remembered the funnel cake. She ran off to get one, and I trailed behind her, smiling as I watched her dash toward the only remaining truck.

  I was almost there when someone bumped into me. I started to apologize but stopped when I saw Trey standing there. “You think he’s going to stay with you?”

  “I’m with him now. We’re together,” I said, wondering what he was getting at. “You ended things, not him.”

  “He’s no saint. Look at what he does up there.” Trey narrowed his eyes at me, and I shrugged.

  “That’s a job. He puts on a show.” I reminded him as Trey smirked.

  “You just keep on believing that.” Trey turned to walk away, and I watched him in disbelief.

  “What the fuck was that?” I muttered as Mallory brought a plate over to me.

  “What did he say?” She asked as she walked to a table in the middle of the grass.

  “Something about Micah.” I kept watching Trey. “He loves me, right?”

  “Yes. My brother loves you more than I’ve seen him love anybody.” She looked at Trey as he disappeared. “They were never in love. Micah was there, but I knew he wasn’t happy.”

  “Micah did nothing wrong?” I asked, and Mallory sighed.

  “No. He’s a hot singer of a good band, and people want him. He hasn’t used it to get guys. He met Trey at a show and thought he was something different than what he was. He cheated on Micah, and I’m certain that it wasn’t the first time. Trey is an asshole.” Mallory shrugged and smiled down at her plate. “Try this. It’s good.”

  I grabbed a plastic fork and pulled a piece of the pastry covered with custard and powdered sugar. “There’s so much sugar in this.” I ate it and nodded as she watched me. “Okay. It’s good.”

  “I only have them during something like this. I can’t imagine eating like this all the time.” She laughed and took another piece.

  “How much have you eaten tonight?” Micah strolled up and sat beside me, kissing my cheek.

  “Just the sandwich and fries. He needed to try them!” She stared at her brother as he looked at the mess on the plate.

  “Yeah. They are good.” Micah held out his hand for the fork, and I gave it to him. He took a piece of the mess and ate it, laughing as I watched him. “Did you enjoy it?”

  “What is there not to enjoy about watching you onstage?” I shot back as he chuckled. “It was a great night, but for a sad cause.”

  “Indeed. A lot of money was made so they could put her to rest the right way. There should be enough for anything else they need to take care of.”

  We left to head home, and Micah took my hand. When we got into the car, Mallory slid into the back. “Trey was talking his shit after you finished.”

  “What shit might that be?” Micah asked as he started the engine.

  “He’s jealous and warning Keller away,” Mallory said as she and Micah laughed.

  “Don’t listen. Our breakup is all on him.” I grinned at him as he drove, feeling better about things. Trey was obviously drunk and spouting off. He knew what he lost, and he took that out on me, but I had the better part of Micah.

  We fell quiet on the drive home, remembering why we were there. It was the funeral of someone that was a part of the scene, bad or good. That was heavy. The life of a child was gone, and I knew how I’d feel if that were to happen.

  We parted ways once we were home, and I watched Micah as he unlocked the door. “Do you want kids?” I asked as he turned to gaze at me.

  “I never thought about it before you, but yes. I think I would.” We walked in, and he closed the door, locking it. “You?”

  “I never thought about it. I guess all this prompted me to.” We walked inside, and he grabbed two bottles from the fridge before dropping to the couch. I joined him, and we sipped the beer.

  “How are you feeling?” He asked me as I tilted my head at him. “She was your friend for a time. I know you clicked because I saw you together a couple of times.”

  “Well, yeah. I liked her before I knew who she was. Moira was a cool person before everything.” My voice drifted off. “Hard to believe that she’s gone.”

  “It is.” Micah reached over for my hand.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Micah

  Everything settled back down for us. My sister continued to see Talon and left the past behind her. He treated her well and knew that I approved of their relationship.

  We were happy to hear that Jill would be coming to visit the following month with Jim. It was going to be for two weeks, and Evelyn was more than happy to let them stay with her. I knew there would be family dinner and tours for the entire time around work schedules and family obligations. It seemed like they were warming up to the idea of coming for Christmas. It wasn’t the weather they were used to for a holiday but visiting now would be a test.

  I knew that Keller hoped it would become a permanent move, but Jim had a stable job in California that he loved.

  “Maybe he’ll retire,” I offered up in bed when we were too tired to move any longer.

  “He’s only in his fifties. I think he’s in better shape than I am,” Keller groaned, slipping an arm over my stomach.

  “That’s true.” We determined the man must work out somewhere at the building since he worked so much. He also ran on the beach when he had the time. “He might want to do that job somewhere else.”

  “Possibly.” I could hear that Keller was too tired to keep talking and smiled as I watched his face relax in sleep.

  “I love you,” I whispered as he smiled, moving his lips. I knew what he was saying and watched him drift off into peaceful rest; I soon followed.

  Work was busy since we all ended up with a couple more clients each. We worked a steady four hours in the mornings, sometimes making it a full day. We still tried to spend time outside as much as possible, and Mallory would spend time with Talon when she could.

  Mom kept Sunday dinners a tradition, and everyone came to her house for the afternoon, including Evelyn and the twins, if they were up for it on that particular day. In a week, Jim and Jill would be with us as well. It was a relief to force ourselves to walk away from work and relax. We ate good food and spent time with people that we loved.

  After dinner one night, we sat with Rick and talked numbers. He was always pushing us to take care of our money and plans for the future, to some degree. Rick also wanted the three of us to enjoy life but without the fallout of spending everything we had. Rick also did our taxes since he was in investments and knew his way around numbers. He was a good ally to have behind you.

  He looked over our spreadsheets and approved of everything with a suggestion to put a bit more into the investment account. He accepted a cup of coffee from his wife with a kiss, and the three of us shared a smile.

  “Have you considered how long you’re going to stay in the houses?” He asked, and I raised a brow. “Both of you kids are settled in relationships now, and that has a way of speeding things up.”

  “That’s true, but our places are big enough for two, and I don’t think kids are in the future for any of us.” Mallory laughed as she reached for her wine.

  “I know, but the market is good right now as far as selling. You could probably get something for what you pay in rent, maybe less.” Rick smiled, and I glanced at Keller. He was all but moved in.

  “There’s a part of me that feels like I’m abandoning Mom,” Keller admitted, and Rick gazed at him.

  “She talks to Irene all the time. She’s doing great and wants you to live your life. It isn’t like you live in another state or anything like that.” He clapped Keller on the back and made him smile. “Evelyn has a lot of people on her side.”

  “I’m so glad for that.” Keller sighed and looked at me.

  “What do you think we should look for, Dad?” I asked as curiosity washed over me.

 
; “I think you could find a good, smaller home for you two with a backyard. It’s something to sink your money into. It wouldn’t even have to be a permanent thing more than it is an investment.” He looked at Mallory. “You could do well with the same or even a condo. Isn’t Talon touring soon?”

  Her shoulders slumped. Since Moira’s death and the falling apart of her band, Talon’s group inadvertently took their place. She would be alone a lot, and I saw the point Rick was making. “Yeah.”

  “You could also get a small house near your brother and be close to one another like you are now.” Rick offered, and she smiled as she tilted her head to the side.

  “What do you think about a timeshare or vacation home?” Keller asked as I looked at him in shock.

  “Tell me more,” Rick leaned back and crossed his arms over his chest.

  “When we were visiting my mom, we saw a lot of the things I love about San Diego. I considered looking into a timeshare so we could all have a place to visit when we need the sun and ocean.” Rick grinned at his use of the word ‘all’ and laughed.

  “That’s not a bad idea. I might even be willing to look into that with you. I don’t think Mom would do a flight well, but it isn’t a horrible drive for a vacation.” I felt bad when he mentioned Olivia.

  “Could she handle that?”

  “I’m not sure. Probably with breaks or a vehicle she could be comfortable in. I could even look into someone to care for her since your mom could use the break.” Rick smiled. “Want to do a little looking right now?”

  We were on the tablet in a circle, checking out prices and amenities when Mom walked in. “The cake is cut. What are you doing here?” She walked over and glanced at the screen. “Are we moving? Why didn’t you talk to me?”

  “No, love. Keller was talking about a vacation home near his mom, so we decided to look. Want to make it a family home?” Rick smiled at her as he watched Irene’s eyes widen.

  “In California?” Mom asked in shock as we all laughed.

  “Maybe. What do you think?” I asked, and she pressed a hand to her heart.

  “Let’s have some cake and get your mom to bed. We can all look after that.” She kissed Rick, and we all moved to join Evelyn and the girls at the dining room table. We told them about the plan, and the teens immediately asked if they could bring their friends.

  “Slow down. They haven’t even looked yet.” Evelyn laughed as Keller looked at her.

  “I do want you all there. I hope it isn’t too much to take a trip.” His voice was soft, and she smiled.

  “I was thinking about maybe getting an RV if we do this. We could take Olivia and Evelyn with us and make a nice drive of it.” Rick smiled at the twins. “You could fly. Don’t worry.”

  “Good.” They smiled in relief. “However, we’re going to think carefully about this decision. I am going in with the kids, and we need something that suits all of us.”

  “Agreed.” Irene smiled and started handing out plates of chocolate cake. We talked about Jim and Jill coming out and what we planned to do with them. We had just enough of summer to make it fun for them before Fall came.

  She got Olivia to bed, and we all looked together. We wanted something at least close to the beach for the sake of Evelyn and Olivia and convenience. We also thought that something with several bedrooms would be good, at least five. It wasn’t cheap, but Rick said that between the group of us, we could pull it off.

  The hard part would be looking at the actual homes. We’d talk about that when it wasn’t getting late, but Rick said he’d find a good agent out there. We headed home excited and went to our separate places since Talon was coming over after a late show.

  “Are you excited?” I asked as Keller led the way through the door.

  “I’m numb. I didn’t think Rick would jump in. We can do this right now.” Keller reached back for my hand. “I haven’t even thought about it a lot since we went for the visit.”

  “It makes sense. Everyone would use it. Jim and Jill could even use it if they needed a bigger home.” I pulled Keller to me for a kiss. “What do you think about buying something here?”

  “That’s an idea we should look into. I love this place because it’s where we started but owning something might be good.” Keller slipped one arm around my neck and kissed me harder. We dropped everything and headed right to bed, needing to end this night of plans the right way.

  We got up and worked through the day, eating leftovers. Mallory came for part of the day when Talon went to meet the band about the upcoming tour. She was quiet, sipping coffee as she worked with a blank face.

  “Are you okay?” Micah asked as she frowned.

  “Just bummed about the tour. I’m so happy they’re making it, but I haven’t cared about someone this much to where I’d miss them so much.” Mallory shrugged and looked at us. “You don’t want that with the band, do you?”

  “I guess I wouldn’t mind, but Ryan has his family. That’s a lot of time away, even if they have a lot of friends.” Micah looked at her with a smile, and she nodded.

  “I know. I’d hate that if we had a baby.” I heard the tone in her voice and glanced at Keller.

  “Do you want that?” I asked, and she looked down at the table with a small smile.

  “We’ve discussed it but not right away. There’s time for that. I think we will in the future.” Mallory looked at us. “We’ve talked about moving in together. He’s not home often.”

  “Sounds like us,” I laughed as I looked warmly at Keller. “Want to buy a place?”

  “I never thought about it, but it’s not a bad idea. I can’t believe he wants in on a vacation house!” We all laughed. “I asked Talon, and he said we could look. His roommate has a girlfriend, so he won’t care.”

  “I’d like to be close by. I’ve grown used to it living here.” I looked at my sister.

  “Me, too.” She agreed.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Keller

  Jim and my mom arrived a week later. I managed to get a lot of work in so I could spend some time with them. We were all looking forward to seeing them again and planned activities with Irene and Evelyn. Jill decided to spend part of the time with Evelyn at her home so they could catch up and part of it with Irene. It was no surprise to any of us that Irene and Jill were phone friends already and talked a lot about the trip.

  Keller wanted to pick them up, and everybody agreed. I went with him the evening the plane landed, and we stood downstairs to wait for them. He seemed nervous, and I slipped an arm around his waist. “Are you okay?”

  “I just know that we’re bringing them here to a family. It’s not just to visit me, Evelyn, and the girls anymore.” Keller grinned at me, and I kissed him.

  “They’re going to be so fucking busy. Mom has been going nuts.” I chuckled as he looked at the escalator again.

  “In a good way. Your family rocks at hosting people. The food alone makes me hungry now.” Keller smiled, and I leaned my head against him as I gazed at the scattered crowd moving down the stairs. “There they are.”

  Keller and I moved forward to greet them with hugs. Jill looked thrilled to be here and hugged Keller twice before we walked to get their luggage.

  “I can’t wait to see Evie. It’s been so long.” Jill gushed as Micah and Jim grabbed their suitcases. We loaded up the car and headed over to Evelyn’s house for the first part of the trip. She had a small meal ready, and we all sat down in the living room to eat as she and Jill sat together.

  They talked and laughed together as we ate, catching up on all the time they were apart. Jill marveled at how grown up the twins were while Jim chatted as the volume in the room rose. “Just wait until you get to my place. It’s going to be loud and busy.”

  “It’s worth it to see her this happy. Jill loves Evelyn so much and worries about her.” He smiled at the women. “I haven’t spent a lot of time here, so I’m looking forward to it.”

  “It’s a beautiful place.” We decided to
hold off on mentioning the vacation home until they were at the other house. Irene wouldn’t be able to keep her mouth shut, and it took a lot of bribery to make her keep it secret this long. We did everything short of paying her cash that she refused to accept.

  We made small talk about local sports and life until it was time to go. Mom was tired from a busy day, and Evelyn looked like she needed some sleep. We hugged everyone, saying goodbye and walked out to the car to head home.

  “That was good,” I said as Micah took the driver's side. Jim and Jill were both into the outdoors, and the following day would be spent at Pike’s Peak. We already had tickets for the train to get to the top, and Evelyn planned to bring a picnic along.

  We checked on work when we got back to make sure the projects were running smoothly. There might be fixes here and there, but we mostly ended up work free. Mallory planned to go, and it was going to be a great day. Micah dragged me to bed after an hour of emails, and I chuckled as he pushed me to the bed.

  We were up at six and headed to the car rental agency for the large SUV we planned to use for the two weeks. From there, we went to pick everyone up at Evelyn’s house. The girls took the back row while Jim, Jill, and Evelyn sat together in the middle seat. It had another row that we didn’t need yet, so it was piled with the picnic basket and jackets in case we needed them, covered by purses.

  Micah drove the car, and we chatted along the way. Mallory suggested stopping for breakfast, and everyone agreed, so he found a diner along the way. We piled out and took two tables, ordering coffee and platters as the young waitress stared at us with wide eyes. The food was great and once we finished, Jim offered to drive part of the way. We agreed, and Micah stayed in the front while I joined the moms. The drive was short but fun, and we pulled into the parking lot, ready to walk around for a while.

  Evelyn was feeling great. She had her cane with her, so something was working with her doctor. We went into the main building and gift shop before taking a walk to look around. It was beautiful, with green grass and trees everywhere. There were jagged rocks scattered about and picnic tables, but we’d left the basket in the car. Nobody was hungry after that meal.