The Rise and Fall of Matt Litter

Chapter 14: Just like a dream

Cleveland is a beautiful city; I'll never get tired of it. The first time I came here, I was all excited because they have the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (which I visited already and, to be fair, wouldn't mind visiting again). Among the main attractions, one can also find a Botanic Garden, beautiful museums and, of course, the beach. I've never been the beach's biggest fan, as I believe I've said before, but I don't mind staying there for a while, especially when Demian's there. It's also true I haven't visited many beaches in my life either, but I just hate sand and salty water and basically, I hate the fact that, when you're wet, sand sticks literally everywhere... just awful, plain awful if you ask me... and not to mention beaches are always full of people... Anyway, it's December, we're in Cleveland, and it's way too cold for any of us to even dare to approach the sea. We arrive the morning of Christmas Eve and with a little snow. Of course, living in New Jersey all my life made me used to the snow, same with New York now, but that doesn't mean it sort of hits different while being away from home... I don't know how to explain it, it's just like that.

We have a great Christmas, by the way. It's probably the best one I've had yet, even if the ones of the past few years haven't been quite bad —all the opposite. I buy presents and I get presents, which makes it fantastic. I also eat a lot, and go for a lot of walks, even if it's cold outside, even if it's snowing.

Our third album comes out on that date, by the way, which means we spend the next few days on radio interviews and talking over the phone to some people, so we don't take much of a break regarding that aspect... besides, Demian's keeping an eye on the band's social 2media constantly, since between him and Freddy they sorts of manage it (if one's thing sure is that we don't let anyone who isn't any of the five of us do it). It stresses me out a bit, to be honest, especially because social media gives us a way of being much closer to our fans, but at the same time, it's a tool for critics to reach us much more easily than usual.

Apparently, our third record is welcomed fondly by the fans, who absolutely adore it, and it's qualified by the critics as our 'best work yet', as well as 'an outstanding evidence of the growth and lyrical development of what's definitely one of the top bands of the century, and, of course, 'an unexpected jump of maturity that proves once again that Free the Doves came to stay'. Those are just some of them, by the way, but they're good critics... amazing ones.

I miss my New York daily walks while in Cleveland, and since Demian usually doesn't walk as much as we use to at home when we're on holiday, Ada becomes my walking companion during these weeks. She's in college now, here in Cleveland, and majoring in Biology. One morning, a few days before New Year's Eve, we take a walk very early in the morning, around eight, and we make a bet in which she assures me today's going to snow, and I say it won't because it doesn't look like it. She's grown a lot since the first time I met her, to be honest —not that she isn't still one of the coolest persons ever, but she's just much more mature now, even much more clever than what she used to be if that's even possible. She confides me, during that freezing stroll around the city, that she heard our album at least.

"I heard it as soon as you guys put it out, but I didn't want to boost my brother's ego," she tells me, as I laugh.

"Did you like it?" I ask her, with a bit of embarrassment.

"Honestly? It's close to a masterpiece," she admits, "critics weren't wrong..." she stares at me, smiling, as I thank her, and it takes me a few seconds to dare to ask her,

"What?"

"Nothing, it's just— when I first met you, I hated you, you know?" I raise my eyebrows, absolutely shocked.