Heaven Can Wait || Eddie Munson Story ||

Me and the Boys

"You should just marry her, dude," Dustin says as we sit down at the table to eat.

Dustin, Steve, and I have agreed to meet at the local Burger Shack to get a bite to eat and catch up since it's been a while. AnnMarie's leg has been improving a lot and she can now walk mostly on her own with some support from the cane. The end of the week long window is almost up for her to let me know if she will come to L.A with me and she still hasn't let me know. My anxiety is at an all time high.

"Why do you say that?" Steve asks him, picking up a fry and plopping it into his mouth.

"Well," Dustin tilts his head slightly to the side. "Moving is a pretty big deal and if I was in AnnMarie's shoes I would feel uneasy about uprooting my entire life. It might make her feel more secure if the two of you were married and this felt more like a joint commitment. You were planning on marrying her anyway, right?"

"Of course," I say around my burger. Steve nods his head from side to side.

"But do you think it will be too much for her all at once. 'Hey AnnMarie move with me to L.A and also become the missus?'" He shrugs and dunks some fries in ketchup. I point at him, indicating he has a point and give Dustin a look.

"Well for one, Eddie would have more tact than that," Dustin said, rolling his eyes. "But it might also be nice to do it before you leave so we could all be a part of your big day. It might help her feel like she hasn't left anything unfinished. Besides what are you waiting for. You've got the career you've always dreamed of. You guys had a baby and you already practically live together and you're asking her to move in to your home in California. Put a ring on it!"

Dustin become more and more animated as he talks until he is flushed in the face and he ends on an impatient huff. Steve and I share a look as he slowly collects himself and settles back into the booth. He picks up his burger and takes a bite.

"When did he get so damn wise?" I ask Steve in a whisper and he shrugs.

"I keep telling you guys I know my shit, but no one cares to actually listen," Dustin grumbles, tearing into his food.

"I have been wanting to ask her. I actually thought about asking her multiple times over the last few weeks I just worried it was too soon. I don't want her to think I'm just doing it because we have Ozzy or just because I want her to come with me to California."

"What are you going to do if she says she doesn't want to go to California?" Steve asks.

"I'll have to see if the label will be alright with us stationing ourselves out of Indianapolis. If they aren't then I'll have to travel to California to record and work and then travel home to be with AnnMarie and Ozzy. It will be a lot, but I'll do what I have to."

"So what do you want to do?" Dustin asks, taking a sip of his soda.

"I want to ask her after I hear her answer." I sigh and wipe my hands off with my napkin. "I want to marry her no matter what her answer is, but like I said I need her to know without a doubt that it's because I want to be with her and not because of some other motive. She would make it out to be about something else if I asked her now.

If she says she will go then great if not then that's fine too, we will figure it out. I'll plan to ask her a little after I get her answer."

"Does AnnMarie want to get married?" Steve asked.

"We haven't talked about it much," I rub the back of my neck and lean back in my seat. "Her parents were never married, but her grandparents had a very loving marriage that she talks about fondly. She's never outright said she hates the idea and she didn't seem to mind when people at the hospital called me her husband. She never once corrected anyone even when she wasn't doped up."