𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐝, guy germaine

𝐄𝐋𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐍 | forever

THE STRAP OF MY guitar case dug into my back as I made my way home, darkness settling into the streets. I didn't have to work at the bar until later tonight, so I was able to stay out and busk for a longer stretch of time. It wasn't something I liked to do, but I managed to make an extra 20 bucks, which never hurt.

I was planning to change up and get ready for work, make sure the boys and mama ate dinner, and try to call Guy before I go. He gave me the number to his new hotel yesterday, and considering the time and the fact that he was now in Iowa, they probably weren't doing much.

As I neared the end of my walk, I was coughing up a storm. For some reason, I just kept being sick all the time. It didn't make a lot of sense to me - I kept my space clean and wasn't around people who were sick, but maybe it was all stress. I tried to get it out before I went in, as I had been doing my best to keep mama out of the way of my sickness.

The time was earlier than I expected, so I decided I could call Guy first. It didn't take long for me to get ready, and I could always start dinner. Mama must have been in our bedroom as she should have been, enjoying the AC. The boys were between the living room and their bedroom.

I set my things down, dialing Guy's number from the notepad next to the phone.

"Lester Averman at your service!" Guy's roommate answered, but I could hear the receiver quickly be snatched.
"Hey darling. How are you feeling?"
"Still sick... just happy to hear your voice."
"Aw, I just wanna give you a hug."
"Find your way back to Tennessee and you'll get as many as you'd like."
"How was your day?"
"The same... playing extra long 'cause I got nothing to do."
"Well, Iowa's more boring than I could have imagined. Do you know how much corn we must have passed on our way here? Thousands of acres!"
I giggled at his words, trying not to shake the receiver.

"Nashville has become boring to me. I just wanna go where you go. And knowing I can't leave it all behind is what makes it so much harder."
"We'd take them with us... get a nice house when we're rich and famous and your brothers and mama could move in with us. Except Judson, I wouldn't want him under my roof. And we could have puppies and cats and a turtle-"
"I wish my mama would live to see it."
Maybe that was telling him too much, but it was the time of day where I got sad about things again.

"Opie, baby, talk to me..."
"I can't..."
"Yes you can... come on, I'm a thousand miles away, I want to know what you're dealing with here."
"I can't have mama die without her knowing how much I love her. I tell her all the time, I'm just afraid she doesn't know... she needs to know, I can't make her know..."
"Every mama knows their kids love them, Opal. And if your mom is anything like you, she's intuitive. She knows you love her so so much because you do. There's nothing to feel guilty about, or to feel like you fell short."
"You promise?"
"I promise."
Hearing him say that was like feeling a hug against my skin. Like even a thousand miles away, I could feel his touch. I needed him to come back - I couldn't handle anything anymore.

"I think I've got to go now." I said.
"Okay, well take care of yourself, honey. You can call me if you need anything, seriously, it's boring here. I've got to make sure you're okay. I love you."
"Goodbye."
"Bye."
I hung up the receiver, fighting a sniffle. Then I went off toward my bedroom, going to change. Mama was undisturbed by my movements, continuing to sleep, so I went right to the closet to get my things.

The AC blared loud, but mama was quiet. She had been sleeping a lot quieter recently because of us buying the AC - it made the air a lot crisper for her lungs, so she didn't wheeze so much. After taking my uniform, I walked over to her bedside to kiss her cheek.

Her cheek was cold against my lips. I went and turned the AC down - that wasn't good, she couldn't get too cold either or she'd get sick. But the clanking noise of the dials usually woke her up.