Page 33 of Heart Strings

Chapter Fifteen

Abigail

The gown fluttered around my ankles, threatening at any moment to join forces with the wind and trip me, but I didn’t care. I had my diploma in my hand and my cap on my head, and nothing could take away the triumph I felt at this moment, especially not some pesky wind - and absolutely especially not when the love of my life was standing on the green expanse of Tulane University’s quadrangle, waiting for me.

I broke into a jog, then a faster jog, then I jumped into Al’s arms. He caught me easily and lifted me off the ground, gown, cap, diploma and all, swinging me in a celebratory circle.

“You did it!” he exclaimed, setting me down on the lush spring grass.

“I know!” I exclaimed, jumping up and down. “Well, I knew I did it a couple weeks ago,” I admitted, managing to calm down somewhat.

“Yeah, but today you get recognized for it. Today is all about you, how hard you worked, and how far you’ve come.”

I had to stand on tiptoes and take care to make sure I didn’t mess up the diploma while I kissed Al, but it was worth it. Every second of time I could spend with him made all the sacrifices and hard times I had gone through worth it.

“Hey.”

I looked up at him. His head blocked the sunlight, and his eyes drenched me with a host of emotions.

“I’m proud of you.”

Happy tears pooled in the corners of my eyes, but Al wiped them away. Al had helped me see what my great-grandmother had really wanted for me…and just now, he had spoken the words that she would have spoken if she had been here.

It was fate. We were meant to be.

“Thanks. I agree.” I smiled widely, all trace of tears gone. Only room for happiness and dry, sparkling eyes today.

After a celebratory lunch at the restaurant of my choosing, Al drove us back to his hotel room. “So I guess we should talk, huh?” He sat on the bed and reached for a folder on the nightstand.

I laid the gown, cap and diploma on a chair and sat down cross-legged beside him. “Definitely. About what to do next?”

“Exactly. I’m thinking we go back to Miami for a few days and use the practice room at my house to do some experimenting. We’ll have to move the grand piano in there for you, of course.”

“And you have to introduce me to the new drummer,” I reminded him. Al had just finalized things with him yesterday.

“Sure. You’re one of us now. You get a say on who joins.” Al could smile adorably with the wrinkles around his eyes, and he was doing it now.

“Then I guess he gets a say about me too?”

“Absolutely not. You’re here to stay. If he doesn’t like it, he can find a new band.”

I giggled. “Good. By the way… I wanted to show you something.” I retrieved my discarded purse and pulled out three sheets of paper folded into quarters. “I, uh… I finished the song. The one my great-grandmother gave me.”

He took the sheets, unfolded them and perused them. I tried to get a read on him, but he didn’t look annoyed, happy, interested, scared or… anything. He didn’t look emotionless, either. Just…neutral. “I…” His voice trailed off like the end of a song.

This is too much for him. Too different. Too…weird. I shouldn’t have brought it up.But I couldn’t live hiding my beliefs from the man I loved, keeping them to myself with the fear of what he would do if I said the wrong thing aloud.

“I like it.” A wonderful, beautiful smile broke through his neutral expression. “It feels a lot lighter and happier now that it’s completed. Maybe we could try to incorporate the song into one of our new songs for our new album…which we still need a name for.”

“Hm…” I reached for Al’s hand and held it as I glanced over the first sheet of notes. “Oh, I have an idea! How about Heart Strings?”

Al stared at me. “You’re a natural at this. That’s the perfect name for our first album with our new sound.”

I took a pencil from beside the bed and wrote “Heart Strings” neatly in large letters on the sheet I held. Holding it at arm’s length, I cocked my head in thought.

Heart Strings.Catchy, short and it introduced the concept of a piano in Vaporized.

I loved it, but not as much as I loved Al and this new fate we were living out, right now -

Together.