Chapter Twenty Two

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The orange leaves that had fallen from the trees were scattered along the cobblestone-filled pavement - a beautiful painting of orange and brown mixed with the hues of regrets and doubts. The blonde held her breath as she stopped her car. It had been a week since Danny and Debbie moved out, sure she and Danny talked over the phone, but now, she was there, outside of Debbie's house with her heart on her hand, ready to give it to Debbie. She actually wasn't sure what would happen to it, but she sure hoped that her ex-wife would not trash her heart on the floor in pieces.


Lou heaved a sigh; a sigh of hope, and a sigh begging for new pages to write over again. The smell of the rain was lulling her nose and it was obvious that a downpour had occured. The fallen leaves were wet on the pavement and she wondered if Debbie and Danny were awake; it just rained, could they be sleeping? She wished not. With a shaking heart, she fixed the collar of her button-down blouse. She planned on wearing a dress, but her mind told her to opt a blouse to be tucked on her faded blue jeans. Another long sigh and a pat to her own back before Lou reached for the bouquet of tulips on the passenger seat, and out she went - walking towards Debbie's house, towards Debbie's heart again.


The blonde was skeptical about the whole thing. Visiting her family and hopefully a talk with Debbie that Tammy had been nagging her for a week. She walked towards the house and when she stood just half a meter away from the door, it was when she heard Danny and Debbie's voice.


"Really, mom?" Danny inquired, her voice full of wonder.


"Hmm." Lou smiled as she heard that soft sound Debbie  made, "I wrote it in when I was in London, but I didn't finish it. I just finished it two days ago. I also learned how to play the piano because I got bored in London."


"So it's finished?" Danny asked again, "Can you sing and play? Please, mommy? Pretty please???"


Debbie elicited a soft chuckle before the blonde heard a soft thud, as if Debbie was dragging a chair. She wanted to knock, to let the two know that she was there, but a part of her did not want to ruin the moment. She wondered what Debbie and Danny were talking about, so she stood outside and waited.  A gush of air. A sprung of note and Debbie's angelic voice. It all took that moment to let Lou realized what was gonna happen.


I still remember the look on your face
Lit through the darkness at 1:58
The words that you whispered for just us to know
You told me you loved me
So why did you go away?

Away

She remembered that dawn. 1:58. Her and Debbie drunk. Through the darkness, up on the rooftop, Debbie confessed and she did too. And she knew the words behind every line that Debbie was singing. She left metaphorically. Got so invested at her bar, left Debbie with an infant Danny at the loft. She had her post-partum depression, but she could have had battled it with Debbie, but she didn't.


I do recall now the smell of the rain
Fresh on the pavement, I ran off the plane
That July 9th, the beat of your heart
It jumps through your shirt
I can still feel your arms


But now I'll go
Sit on the floor wearing your clothes
All that I know is I don't know
How to be something you miss
I never thought we'd have a last kiss
Never imagined we'd end like this
Your name, forever the name on my lips

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