That Summer

I'm Getting Older, Too...

            "Karen, I really don't know how I'm going to get through these next 12 weeks. Like I know you need to go take care of your sister, but I can't believe I agreed to this..." Stevie was reluctantly helping her trusted assistant pack her suitcase, and even though this was the right thing to do, Stevie knew this summer would be absolute chaos without Karen.

"Stevie, I promise that the new girl will be fine. You might even decide you don't want me back after Labor Day..."

"Karen! Don't even say that!" Stevie playfully hit Karen's arm. Karen laughed, smiling at Stevie, "It'll be okay. I wrote everything down for her, she has my cell if anything goes wrong. And I made sure that your schedule for this summer is pretty light...only a few stops this summer."

"Ah, fantastic!" Stevie exclaimed, "I can finally chill out and actually enjoy this gorgeous beach!" She looked out her window at the Pacific Ocean and glanced back at Karen. "I'm really going to miss you; I don't think we've ever been apart for this long!"

"I don't think we have... and I'll miss you, too, Steves. It'll fly by, I'll be back before you even know it!" Karen zipped up the suitcase and rolled it to the entryway of her guest bedroom. "Well, I made us a reservation at that new steakhouse up the road as like...a farewell dinner."

"You made a reservation? You remember how to do that?" Karen gasped. Stevie hit her arm a little harder this time, "Oh, SHUT UP! I know how to make a damn phone call! Don't make me regret it..."

"Well, thank you. I'm impressed! What time is this reservation?"

"8:30... I figured we'd try to beat the crowd." Stevie replied.

"I'll be ready with the car!" Karen said laughingly. Stevie chuckled and walked toward the door. She gave her beloved assistant a hug.

Even though nothing was said, Karen knew Stevie was being left in a very vulnerable state. Things were up in the air with Lindsey, per usual. They weren't not fighting, but nothing was currently ensuing; however, that all could change at any moment.

Her brother's family was traveling this summer, and though Stevie was invited to join them, she wanted to stay home and use the time while not on her few Soundstage tour stops to focus on writing and other projects before touring picked back up in the fall.

As Karen headed downstairs to get the rest of the stuff in order for Stevie's temporary assistant, Stevie went in her bedroom to lay down for the few hours she had before dinner. She lay on her infamous four-poster bed with her little dog, Sulamith, resting on her stomach. She flipped through her Vogue magazine until her eyes got heavy, and she fell asleep.

Karen woke her at 8:00. "Steves, you ready to go in five?" Stevie slowly headed back to reality after prancing around in dreamland. She nodded as she opened her brown eyes wider and sat up to stretch. "Let me just freshen up a little and put on my shoes." She replied. Karen gave her a thumbs up and headed to get the car.

Stevie walked over to her beautiful bathroom and looked in her wall-width mirror. Ugh, I'm so old! She thought to herself. She had just turned 60 last week. She didn't want a huge party, as she really hated the concept of age. Even though she knew she looked good, it was still hard to come to terms with entering this new decade, especially without a lot of the things she thought she'd have by now: a consistent partner being one of them.

Even though she was content with the choice she made to "follow her muse" and not focus on anyone but herself and her music, there were still days (and nights) when she wondered if she spread herself too thin. Her past relationships were wonderful and beautiful, and sometimes she'd hear a song or see a happy couple that made her wish to feel those same feelings about someone again.

"What do you think, Sula? Mama look okay for being an old lady?" Sulamith just glanced up at her owner, not really offering any helpful glances. Stevie smiled at her little dog and proceeded to apply her concealer, powder, and mascara – nothing crazy since it was just her and Karen in a back room on a Tuesday night.

She settled on a pair of wedge sandals, combed her fingers through her tousled blonde locks, and gave Sulamith her dinner before walking down to meet Karen at the car.

My last night of normalcy... Stevie thought to herself as they drove up Sunset Boulevard to dinner. She watched out the window as the dark sky enveloped the rows of palm trees, then suddenly heard a familiar tune on the radio.

"Karen, what's this called again?" Stevie asked, frustrated that she couldn't remember herself. She might be old, but she knew her music! "I think it's Constant Craving... k.d. lang?" That was it! Stevie began to harmonize along, as she always did.

Maybe a great magnet pulls

All souls to what's true

Or maybe it is life itself

Feeds wisdom

To its youth

Constant craving

Has always been...