Out of The Box Regifted

by Jennifer Theriot

  He grins, “All the more reason I’m glad he showed up.” He carries me into the bathroom and sets me on the vanity. “How about a nice hot bath and a glass of wine?”

  I close my eyes and stretch my neck. “Mmm, sounds wonderful.” I dangle my feet, eagerly watching, as he gets the water ready. He takes the little seashell scoop from my bath salts and counts, as he scatters them into the filling tub, asking with a questioning grin, “Two or three?”

  “Three please.” I reply, while giggling

  He tests the water with his hand, and nods his head approvingly, “Perfect. I’m going to get you a glass of wine. Hop in, and I’ll be right back to wash your back.”

  I peel off my clothes and sink into the warm fragrant water, absorbed in my thoughts. I lay back, softly splashing the water on my body, while listening to a soulful and soothing Marc Broussard playlist Ash is playing. I take a deep breath, as the warm water caresses my body. I think back about these past two days, and the emotional rollercoaster I’ve been on. Squeezing water from my washcloth, I put it over my eyes and begin to sob. Kelly and Anabelle are dead. Will God ever forgive me for every vile and hurtful thing I’ve said and thought? Tears are still falling from my eyes, when Ash comes back with my wine.

  He sets the glass on the vanity, and drops to his knees beside the tub “Honey, what’s wrong? Why in the world are you crying?”

  I look at him, ashamed, and put my hands back over my eyes, “Ash, I’ve said such ugly things about Kelly, and now she’s dead. She’ll never get to hold her beautiful little baby girl.” I wrap my arms around myself and rock, as I sob uncontrollably.

  He leans over the tub to hold me, as he strokes my head and looks into my eyes, “Honey, of course she will. They’re up in heaven, and that precious baby girl is in her arms right now, you can believe that.”

  There’s such a riveting analogy in his words, and I feel at peace, but my tears still flow as I look to him to console me. “So I’m not a bad person? God, I feel awful. I said such terrible things, Ash…I…”

  He quickly strips down to his boxer shorts and gets in the tub behind me, holding me in his arms tightly, while rocking me and whispers, “Liv, you’re not a bad person.” He breathes into my hair, “You’re the best person I know.”

  He pulls me back into him, rubbing the top of my head, still rocking me. I sigh and sadly laugh, as I remember him holding me this very same way the night Alan told me our marriage was over, “Déjà-vu huh?”

  ***

  I wake the next morning with him facing me, stroking my face. “Mornin, Sunshine! I’ve got coffee made.”

  I smile and take his hand. “Ash? Thank you for letting me go to the funeral.”

  He leans his head back, and looks confused. “Liv, I didn’t let you go; I merely supported your decision, which I’ll always do. You don’t ever have to ask for my permission to do anything, honey.”

  I brush his arm and with my finger, trace circles, as I look into his eyes, “Ash, I know that, but I would never do anything to jeopardize our relationship, and I’ll never hide anything from you. You know that, don’t you?”

  He takes my finger and kisses it sweetly, “Liv, I never would have asked you to be my wife, if I didn’t fully feel confident in your love and devotion to me. I know you needed to go, and I think you did the right thing.” He gets up and motions for my hand, as he pulls me to sit up. “You’re a good person, Liv. You’re caring and thoughtful and above all, you’re my everything.” He fondly gives my behind a little pat, and walks out. “Coffee’s ready, let’s do our morning ritual.”

  At breakfast, we talk about our Paris trip. He won’t divulge many details about what we’ll be doing, though. “You just have to trust me.”

  We talk about Tommy and Emily’s wedding and about Melissa’s wedding. These next few months will be full. With the closing on the condo, decorating, the wedding being held here, and traveling to Palm Beach, my life and schedule is full. No complaining, though.

  The next few weeks, I am in full wedding planning mode. This coming weekend, we are all going to listen to Avenue at the club. Mariah and Gary will be there, as will Ellen and David. I’m excited for Mariah and Gary to meet Tommy and the guys, and Todd even promised me he would be on his best behavior.

  Saturday night, we arrive at the club and make our way to our favorite table, where I see Emily and Kyra already seated. I grab a spot next to Emily, directly facing the stage. Emily is twirling her hair, and is shaking her knee. “I don’t know why, but I’m so nervous for Aunt Mariah and Uncle Gary to meet Tommy.”

  “They’ll love him Emily, I have no doubt. What’s not to love about Tommy?” I tease.

  Mariah and Gary arrive just before the show starts and Tommy, along with the guys, come to the table.

  “Mariah and Gary, this is Tommy, Emily’s husband to be.” I say. Tommy opts to hug them both, instead of shaking hands, which makes me proud.

  “It’s so nice to finally meet you.” Tommy smiles and says. I can tell they are both impressed. Tommy has on tight jeans and a black v-neck t-shirt, which shows his toned body, his tattoos are visible and he looks like the consummate rock star. His hair is fashionably messed up, and I can tell he hasn’t shaved today.

  “So Tommy, I used to play bass in a band back in the 70’s. It was a hard rock band.” Gary says.

  “Seriously? That’s so awesome. How long has it been since you’ve played?” Tommy asks.

  “Well, I still play with a group of guys, just for fun, though. We call ourselves a bunch of old geezers who never grew up.” Tommy laughs, and I think to myself that he’ll be asking Ash and Gary to come up and play with them tonight, for some strange reason. They talk about songs Gary’s played, and he mentions a few. Tommy excuses himself and goes to talk to the guys. I can see a conspiracy in motion. A few minutes later, Todd motions to Gary, and he makes his way over to the guys. Todd whispers something in his ear, to which he nods yes, and gives a thumbs up. Ash makes his way over to them all, and I can see him nodding as well.

  After the show starts, and into 2 breaks, Tommy comes on stage. “Folks, tonight we’re gonna celebrate our going out on the road. We’ve got Uncle Gary and my dad Ash playing with us, and we’re gonna do a Jackson Browne set to commemorate our upcoming tour. Let’s give these guys a big hand.” Gary’s ecstatic, and Mariah is smiling from ear to ear, as everyone claps. Tommy is at the piano and starts playing The Load Out, as Gary tunes his bass with precision, and Ash straps on his guitar. When they go into Stay, the house roars. Todd sings the high-pitched voice, which gives me goose bumps, and is perfectly on key and impeccable. Brian, from his drums, nods and gives us a heads up. The next song they play is Bon Jovi’s Livin’ On A Prayer, with Tommy singing lead. The band is playing to the crowd and when the chorus starts, the whole place erupts, going absolutely wild, singing and raising their arms in unison to the popular chorus of the song. It’s so loud in the club, that I wonder how it sounds outside. I am out on the dance floor with Emily, Kyra, and Mariah, dancing like I’m in my twenties, jumping and screaming with the best of them. Ash puts a Cub’s cap on Gary’s head, backwards of course, and he laughs, but doesn’t miss a beat. Whether or not he knows it, he has just been initiated into this musical fraternity, and he’ll be a life member from this night forward. The guys all love him. Mariah never mentioned he played, but he’s great! My Ash is rocking out as well. I love our musical family.

  Emily is sitting with Mariah, who has her arms around her, and I’m so happy she has family here. Mariah leans over to me and comments, “Gary’s in his element, I hope you know, and I’m so glad the guys included him. You have no idea how much this means.” They play one more song with Gary and Ash, before the break. Once again, the crowd roars. Emily, Kyra, Mariah, Ellen, and I all go back out onto the dance floor. The guys are all looking at us, giving us the heads up. We dance like there’s no tomorrow, as we sing all the word to the song. “Damn they’re good!” Mariah exclaims.

 
; Ash, on lead guitar, is tearing it up. Pretty damn good for a 60 year old man.

  Todd and the guys introduce themselves to Mariah, when they take a break. “Hi, I’m Todd. I’m the sex pistol of the group.” He jokingly says.

  “I’ll bet you are.” Mariah winks, and says.

  “He thinks he is anyway. But we let him go with it.” Kyra laughs and says.

  Mariah whisper is my ear, “He is pretty flippin hot.”

  The guys sit and drink with us for the rest of their break. Emily sits affectionately on Tommy’s lap, and he is kissing her nonstop. Kyra is in Todd’s lap, and he’s got his hands all over her.

  “Guys, you need to stop. Get a room, for God’s sake.” I say.

  “I can’t keep my fucking hands off of her. She’s smokin ass hot.” Kyra swats his hand away from her rear end, and places it on the table.

  Ash is making his rounds, talking to everyone. He sits and talks to Ellen and David, then to Mariah and Gary. Feeling neglected, I head to the restroom. When I come out, he’s waiting for me and takes me into his arms. “Come here, you sexy thing. I’m dying to get those clothes off of you and get you under me. You’re killing me. Do you even know what you do to me?”

  We start to kiss passionately, and stop when we see Emily and Kyra approaching. “Umm, are we interrupting a moment?” Kyra asks.

  “A moment that will be continued later, much later.” I respond with embarrassment.

  “You guys are too cute. I just love it.” Emily giggles.

  “Yeah, we’re pretty cute, aren’t we?” Ash retorts, as he playfully puts my arms around his waist. “I’ve been watching her dancing, and just wonder if she has any dances left for me.”

  “I’ll always have dances left for you, Ash.” Emily and Kyra make cute faces at us, and make their way back out to the table.

  The last set is mostly all Avenues’ original songs, which everyone knows and sings along. They have such a loyal following of fans, and I just know they will do well on the road. Todd and Tommy write all of their music. The songs range from a heavy hard rock, to gentle ballads like Fairy Tale Man. The words to every song come from their own life experiences, and the way Brady and Steve put the perfect music to them, is incredible. Ash and I dance along with a packed dance floor, and he sings the words in my ear. As Todd sings Fairy Tale Man, I get tears in my eyes as Ash and I slow dance.

  “This is a great song. I really like it.” Ash says.

  “Yeah, it’s probably one of my Avenue favorites.”

  “I think Todd wrote it.”

  “He did.” I respond. “It has special meaning to him. It’s beautiful.”

  Tommy comes to the microphone and announces, “Folks, this our last song of the night. It’s another Bon Jovi song we want to leave you with, and I want you all to get out and dance. This goes out to everyone who has a special someone in their lives, someone they’re thankful for… thankful for loving them. Love is the drug that keeps us going folks, remember that. Love is all you need. Thanks for all your support. It means more than you know, and we love you!” He fist pumps his heart, and the dance floor is packed.

  Tommy is singing lead and once they start, Ash takes me into his arms. The song is one of my absolute all-time favorites, Thank You For Loving Me. As we dance, Ash starts singing softly in my ear. There is a part in the song that says, you parted my lips when I couldn’t breathe, and I sing those words in his ear. “Ash, you breathed life back into me. I was dying, and you rescued me. But you know that, don’t you?” With tears streaming down my face, I look into his eyes. He tenderly wipes my tears away with his thumb.

  “Liv, I know that. God, I love you so much. This is officially our song. It’s everything we’ve been through. It’s us.”

  We dance slowly, in adoration of each other, and I don’t want the song to end. Tommy is singing with such emotion, and Todd is harmonizing with him. They’re both looking at us, and I feel like they sang this song just for us. I look to the stage, and Todd winks and points at me. I’ve shared the night of my meltdown with him, and I know he realizes how much this song means. I look back at him and mouth the words ‘thank you’. He gives me a thumbs up, and Tommy goes to the end of the stage, gets on his knees with his guitar and sings to Emily. She puts her hand on her heart and blows him a kiss. These guys are so incredibly talented, and so much a part of my life.

  As the wedding gets closer, I find myself immersed in details. I’ve got tenting arranged, a caterer booked, and a floral designer friend of Sarah’s has agreed to do the flowers. Emily wants only simple flowers, nothing elaborate on the tables, and small bouquets for her and her bridesmaids. Kyra and Lainey have found their dresses, which compliment Emily’s perfectly. They are a striking coral color, soft flowing fabric with empire waists, with lots of layers. The empire waist is perfect for Lainey’s resplendently pregnant body. Tommy told Emily he wanted her to wear converse tennis shoes, but she shot him down on that, thank God. Kyra ordered her a divine pair of Tory Burch coral sandals as a surprise, which she will give her at the shower Ellen is hosting. The shower will be a surprise couple’s shower next weekend. Emily thinks we are just going to Ellen’s for dinner, and I’m certain she has no clue that dinner will actually be a wedding shower. Tommy should be surprised as well. This wedding, and the festivities leading up to it, are enchanting. Ash and I want for nothing more than a memorable occasion and I know without a doubt, Emily and Tommy will have their dream wedding. Todd and Kyra have the departure from the wedding handled. Todd has arranged for a 2011 Rolls Royce Drophead convertible, complete with driver, to take them to take them to their honeymoon night at the Trump International Hotel. Todd and the guys have booked the Grand Suite for 3 nights, and plan on going to the city to party with them on their last night there. I’m so excited for them, and the guys have outdone themselves. Todd said nothing is too good for his best friend, and he wants them to have a first class wedding night. Emily has no idea where they are going; since the band leaves so soon, they will have to spend their honeymoon local, so doing it up in luxury only makes sense. Todd told me that Tommy actually booked a room for him and Emily at the hotel, but Todd cancelled it and booked the suite. Emily and Tommy have written their own vows, and have met with Scott several times at his shop. When I first met Scott, I had no idea he was anything other than a very talented tattoo artist who owned a shop. I can’t wait to hear them speak their vows to each other. Lainey and Kellan did traditional vows, and I haven’t been to a wedding where the bride and groom each wrote their own. I’m sure it will be very emotional, and I have no doubt I’ll be in tears. Knowing Tommy and Emily, they will probably have a tough time getting through the vows without tears.

  The next week is very busy at the shop, with not only customers, but with wedding plans and life events. We’ve heard back from the realtor in Houston, that our closing will be in 2 weeks, and in anticipation of it, Marcus has sent us a color board; complete with his selections for the fixtures, lighting and counters, and I am elated. Everything he has selected is exactly what I pictured in my mind, and I can’t wait to get this project underway and completed. Ash thinks I should plan a trip to Houston, to look at the remodel once they get started, which I am eager to do. We should be completed by June, according to Marcus. The fact that Marcus and I have a limitless budget makes this all the more fun.

  Emily and Tommy have gotten all of their invitations electronically sent, and we’re planning on around 150 people. She’s gotten her dress back from alterations, and it fits perfect. We’re keeping it at the house, and she has made me promise not to let Tommy go into the guest room to peek. He’s asked me what her dress looks like, and I’ve told him that when he sees her, it will be well worth the anticipation; that she will be the most beautiful bride.

  Kyra, our organizer, says we’re all on track with our tasks and seems pleased. She and I have met for coffee and are going over the list, catching up.

  “Olivia, I’m happy to say that we are one hundred p
ercent accomplished. Emily’s sandals are in, and I can’t wait to give them to her. She’s gonna be so surprised. I gotta tell you, I was tempted to keep them for myself, that’s how pretty they are.”

  “Kyra, I swear I don’t know what we’d have done without you. I’ve never put together an event like this with such short notice, and I appreciate everything you’ve done. Organization is definitely one of your talents.”

  “I’m happy to do it. And yes, I am an organizer; I’ll give you that. I always have been, and sometimes I think I border on obsessive compulsive, or so my mom says. I’m just so happy for Tommy and Emily, and I love how they are going with a non-traditional wedding. If, and when, I get married, this is exactly what I want.”

  I grab her shoulder and squeeze her into me. “Well Kyra, with the way things are going with you and Todd, I can say from a mother’s perspective, I see another wedding on the horizon.”

  With a spooked look on her face, she laughs, “Ah, let’s not get ahead of ourselves, Olivia. Todd isn’t exactly the settling down kind, you forget. Plus, we’re taking our relationship a day at a time, and I’m never really sure what direction he wants us to go.” She holds her hands out, and giggles, “I mean, I adore him, and we’re having a lot of fun, so for now, that’s cool.” She puts her hands on her hips, and scrunches her lips to the side, “Once they go out on tour, who knows…I mean, think of all the girls that will be following them around on a daily basis.” She puts her arm across the table and taps her fingers. “When I think of it, part of me says we need to take a break until he gets back; but the other part of me says to stay with him.”

  I look directly in her eyes and grin. “And what does Todd tell you?”

  She laughs, “He doesn’t want us to see other people, and the thought of me dating or kissing another guy, makes him want to kick some you know what.”

  I snicker, “I’m sure he said a few choice other words, but I’m sure he would do that. He’s pretty sweet on you.”