Page 151
Story: All I Have Left
“You can marry my sister,” he says, knowing exactly what I wanted to ask him.
“How did you know I was going to ask that?”
“You’re sweating. Get your shit together and ask her to marry you already.”
“It’s June in the south. It’s hot. That’s why I’m sweating,” I point out.
“That’s not why.”
He has me there. “I’m asking her tonight.”
The truth is, I’m nervous. I’m a fucking wreck over this.
For months I’ve been thinking about asking her, waiting for the right time, wondering if we were ready. My answer, after nine months of therapy and working on ourselves, and healing, it’s yes. We are finally ready for this step in our relationship, and I want to create a new memory for this day.
I always thought that a gentleman would ask permission before asking a woman to marry him, but since Evie’s father isn’t around, I decided to ask Ethan. I’ve already asked her mom and got a yes before I even finished the words. She even helped me with getting Evie’s ring sized.
“You aren’t even going to drill me on shit?” I finally ask.
“On what? I know you can take care of her. You know I could say the same thing here. I married your sister. It would be a little hypercritical of me if I said no to you.”
“I mean with everything we’ve been through.” Pausing, I run my hand over my head, the bumps from my scar still present. It’s a gnarly one, from my temple, around my ear to the base of my skull in a crescent shape. “Do you think we’re too damaged?”
Ethan looks over at me as he merges onto the highway. “Well, you’re both fucked up, but most people wouldn’t have survived what you two have been through. That right there tells me your love for my sister will last a lifetime. That’s all I care about.”
I nod, not knowing what to say. “Thanks, Ethan. I just want you to know that I love her more than anything and I know you don’t want to hear that sentimental shit any more than I do, but I’d do anything for that girl.”
He smiles. “Hey, as long as you don’t let her stop our love for music, I don’t have a problem with all this fucking love talk.”
“That won’t be a problem, I assure you. Which reminds me, I’m doing it tonight on stage.” We’re playing at The Point tonight. First time in a while, but now that we’ve gotten back into music again, it’s been a nice change of pace from doctor’s appointments.
“Tonight?” His eyes widen. “She’s gonna kill you. Does she realize the date?”
“I think so, but I don’t know for sure. I’m almost certain she does, actually.”
“And you want to do it tonight?”
I think about it for half a second. “I want new memories for this date. Not the reminder of something he took from us.”
He nods. “It makes sense.”
It does make sense and tonight, I’m asking her. We’re far too young to be so goddamn broken, and it stops now. With a question and a promise of forever. She deserves forever.
68
GRAYSON
I’m off around two this afternoon. Ethan drops me off at the house, and Evie and I head to Dr. Kane’s office in Dothan. Yep, finally got my license back and a new truck.
“Try not to burn this one down,” my dad told me the day he bought it for me. I argued with him for weeks, refusing to accept the gift, but he’d bought Frankie and Kelly’s first cars, I just beat him to the punch when I bought my Chevy back in high school.
So I accepted the gift because of the smile on his face when he told me, “It’s nice to be able to give you something, son. You’re a hard worker and deserve this.”
It still didn’t feel right, but driving did.
In the truck, Evie hands me the mail and laughs. “Jameson sent us tickets to the Talladega race.”
I already knew that. He called not long after I was released from the hospital and asked if we wanted them. “You wanna go?”
“How did you know I was going to ask that?”
“You’re sweating. Get your shit together and ask her to marry you already.”
“It’s June in the south. It’s hot. That’s why I’m sweating,” I point out.
“That’s not why.”
He has me there. “I’m asking her tonight.”
The truth is, I’m nervous. I’m a fucking wreck over this.
For months I’ve been thinking about asking her, waiting for the right time, wondering if we were ready. My answer, after nine months of therapy and working on ourselves, and healing, it’s yes. We are finally ready for this step in our relationship, and I want to create a new memory for this day.
I always thought that a gentleman would ask permission before asking a woman to marry him, but since Evie’s father isn’t around, I decided to ask Ethan. I’ve already asked her mom and got a yes before I even finished the words. She even helped me with getting Evie’s ring sized.
“You aren’t even going to drill me on shit?” I finally ask.
“On what? I know you can take care of her. You know I could say the same thing here. I married your sister. It would be a little hypercritical of me if I said no to you.”
“I mean with everything we’ve been through.” Pausing, I run my hand over my head, the bumps from my scar still present. It’s a gnarly one, from my temple, around my ear to the base of my skull in a crescent shape. “Do you think we’re too damaged?”
Ethan looks over at me as he merges onto the highway. “Well, you’re both fucked up, but most people wouldn’t have survived what you two have been through. That right there tells me your love for my sister will last a lifetime. That’s all I care about.”
I nod, not knowing what to say. “Thanks, Ethan. I just want you to know that I love her more than anything and I know you don’t want to hear that sentimental shit any more than I do, but I’d do anything for that girl.”
He smiles. “Hey, as long as you don’t let her stop our love for music, I don’t have a problem with all this fucking love talk.”
“That won’t be a problem, I assure you. Which reminds me, I’m doing it tonight on stage.” We’re playing at The Point tonight. First time in a while, but now that we’ve gotten back into music again, it’s been a nice change of pace from doctor’s appointments.
“Tonight?” His eyes widen. “She’s gonna kill you. Does she realize the date?”
“I think so, but I don’t know for sure. I’m almost certain she does, actually.”
“And you want to do it tonight?”
I think about it for half a second. “I want new memories for this date. Not the reminder of something he took from us.”
He nods. “It makes sense.”
It does make sense and tonight, I’m asking her. We’re far too young to be so goddamn broken, and it stops now. With a question and a promise of forever. She deserves forever.
68
GRAYSON
I’m off around two this afternoon. Ethan drops me off at the house, and Evie and I head to Dr. Kane’s office in Dothan. Yep, finally got my license back and a new truck.
“Try not to burn this one down,” my dad told me the day he bought it for me. I argued with him for weeks, refusing to accept the gift, but he’d bought Frankie and Kelly’s first cars, I just beat him to the punch when I bought my Chevy back in high school.
So I accepted the gift because of the smile on his face when he told me, “It’s nice to be able to give you something, son. You’re a hard worker and deserve this.”
It still didn’t feel right, but driving did.
In the truck, Evie hands me the mail and laughs. “Jameson sent us tickets to the Talladega race.”
I already knew that. He called not long after I was released from the hospital and asked if we wanted them. “You wanna go?”
Table of Contents
- Page 1
- Page 2
- Page 3
- Page 4
- Page 5
- Page 6
- Page 7
- Page 8
- Page 9
- Page 10
- Page 11
- Page 12
- Page 13
- Page 14
- Page 15
- Page 16
- Page 17
- Page 18
- Page 19
- Page 20
- Page 21
- Page 22
- Page 23
- Page 24
- Page 25
- Page 26
- Page 27
- Page 28
- Page 29
- Page 30
- Page 31
- Page 32
- Page 33
- Page 34
- Page 35
- Page 36
- Page 37
- Page 38
- Page 39
- Page 40
- Page 41
- Page 42
- Page 43
- Page 44
- Page 45
- Page 46
- Page 47
- Page 48
- Page 49
- Page 50
- Page 51
- Page 52
- Page 53
- Page 54
- Page 55
- Page 56
- Page 57
- Page 58
- Page 59
- Page 60
- Page 61
- Page 62
- Page 63
- Page 64
- Page 65
- Page 66
- Page 67
- Page 68
- Page 69
- Page 70
- Page 71
- Page 72
- Page 73
- Page 74
- Page 75
- Page 76
- Page 77
- Page 78
- Page 79
- Page 80
- Page 81
- Page 82
- Page 83
- Page 84
- Page 85
- Page 86
- Page 87
- Page 88
- Page 89
- Page 90
- Page 91
- Page 92
- Page 93
- Page 94
- Page 95
- Page 96
- Page 97
- Page 98
- Page 99
- Page 100
- Page 101
- Page 102
- Page 103
- Page 104
- Page 105
- Page 106
- Page 107
- Page 108
- Page 109
- Page 110
- Page 111
- Page 112
- Page 113
- Page 114
- Page 115
- Page 116
- Page 117
- Page 118
- Page 119
- Page 120
- Page 121
- Page 122
- Page 123
- Page 124
- Page 125
- Page 126
- Page 127
- Page 128
- Page 129
- Page 130
- Page 131
- Page 132
- Page 133
- Page 134
- Page 135
- Page 136
- Page 137
- Page 138
- Page 139
- Page 140
- Page 141
- Page 142
- Page 143
- Page 144
- Page 145
- Page 146
- Page 147
- Page 148
- Page 149
- Page 150
- Page 151
- Page 152
- Page 153
- Page 154
- Page 155
- Page 156
- Page 157
- Page 158
- Page 159
- Page 160
- Page 161
- Page 162
- Page 163
- Page 164
- Page 165
- Page 166
- Page 167
- Page 168
- Page 169
- Page 170
- Page 171
- Page 172