Page 155 of Rock Chick Rematch

I put on the album.

And I curled on the couch and waited for him.

He showed not much later with a baby monitor in his hand.

His eyes came to me, but his body went to the kitchen.

He came out still with the baby monitor, but also with aglass of wine.

He set the monitor down on the side table then he curled hislong body around mine from the back.

“Well?”he asked into my ear.

I knew what he was asking.

We had a big decision to make.

I rested against his wide chest.

“Life’s an adventure, right?”I asked back.

“That’s not an answer, baby.”

I twisted my neck to look at him.“What do you want to do?”

No bullshit or prevarication, he said, “I wanna go.”

“Lee and Eddie won’t be there.”

“Yeah, they will.They’ll always be there.Maybe not asclose, but they’ll always be there.”

He was correct.

“Mom’s gonna retire soon.The weather is better there,” hetold me.“She’s sick of snow and cold.”

He was correct again.

“I’m sick of it too,” he added.

“What’ll we do with the house?”I asked.

“Rent it.”

I made a face.

He smiled and said, “We can build a wine cellar anywhere,sweetheart.”

I glanced around the space before saying to him, “It’s notjust that.”

“We’ll take the stuff with us,” he said.“Or Danni and Gabbywouldn’t turn down another job.”He smiled again.“I’m outnumbered now.You andAntonia can make it what you want it to be.”

“We want to be surrounded by you.”

He closed his eyes and dropped his forehead to mine, andclose up, I could see those long, curly lashes I fell in love with years ago ina row of books at a used bookstore resting against his cheeks.

When he opened them, I whispered, “Let’s go to LA, baby.”

He kissed me.

“So Long, Frank Lloyd Wright” ended and the arm of theturntable lifted up and whirred back in place.

Darius left me, flipped the album and set the needle.

He came back and curled around me.

And together, we listened to Darius’s life in a song (forthe most part), sitting close, sipping wine, our son across the country,preparing to take on the world, our daughter upstairs, sleeping and dreamingand carefree.

And Darius and me, on our couch, but riding a cloud.

TheEnd