Yours Truly, Austin Post - Post Malone

3

"We met when we were eighteen. I was renting a room from a guy named Tom who is now a mutual friend. He told me one day that his friend from Texas was moving to LA in an attempt to jump-start his music career and wanted to know if I minded him sleeping on the couch for a few weeks. I was a little worried but, said yes and I am so glad I did because that very friend was Austin," Gracie says, she's giddy as she talks - a dreamy look in her eyes. Ava can tell she fell hard and fast for Austin. "I thought you slept in a cupboard when you first moved to LA," Ava says. Austin chuckles and nods. "Gracie here had felt it only fair that I had some privacy so she cleared a large hallway closet for me and happily showed off my room when I arrived...but, that only lasted one night."

"We got married two days after we met," Gracie chips in rolling her eyes and sighing at their impulsive choices. "Not a second goes by with any regret, baby," Austin says. Gracie lets out a soft laugh as her cheeks blush, the woman is in a blissful love bubble. "Me too, darling," she says pecking his lips. Two days? Geez, how do people make such lifelong commitments in such a short time? Ava knows Austin is twenty-five now and guesses Gracie is the same age, if they are this wrapped up in each other after so many years she can just imagine how wrapped up they were when they met - it must have been pretty intense. "I was busy with my studies as a kindergarten teacher and Austin was working on his music. He made that wonderful song and then overnight our lives changed. We were able to rent a nice place near the school I had started working at and Austin's success just exploded, I always knew it would because he is just so talented. I would work every day and then go to his shows in the evenings, during the school breaks I would go on tour with him. It was so much fun to see how much he was growing and how much people adored him! He works very hard and deserves all the accolades he gets. I nearly screamed the house down when he got his first award, I made him a big cake and a card that has a skunk on it, and it says 'I am so stinking proud of you'. I am very proud of him," Gracie says, her eyes now glassy as her chin wobbles when she looks at Austin.

"Could not have done it without you," he says. "Oh, don't be silly. You are driven and determined, you will continue to grow and one day when you are old and grey you will look back and see all the amazing things you have accomplished in your lifetime," Gracie says. "You are the greatest accomplishment in my life," Austin whispers. Ava's heart squeezes, she does not think she has ever met two people more in love and captivated with each other. That's not true - she knows one other couple that were this much in love, but they don't exist anymore. They're talking to her but, there is this invisible bubble that Austin and Gracie sit in. Gracie smiles at Austin then turns to look at Ava and her face goes sullen, Austin's matches hers. "I started getting headaches. At first, I thought it was a combination of constant noise from being in the classroom and then at Austin's shows but, after weeks of having a constant dull headache the pain only intensified. Then I started vomiting constantly - we had hoped all this was signs of being pregnant...morning sickness. But, the pregnancy tests came back negative so Austin insisted I go to the doctor...a brain tumor was not something that crossed our minds. I was only twenty-three at the time. I had an op, chemo, radiation...but it came back...stage four...there was nothing more the doctors could do."

"I brought her here...a place to be happy...our home," Austin adds, his voice strained. "And I am so happy here. I love my home, I love the life you have carved out for me and I love you," Gracie says softly wiping his cheeks as he looks at her, desperation in his face at being so helpless. This one, this job, is going to be hard. The second hardest Ava will ever have. Gracie yawns and her body slumps a little. "Goodness, I get tired so quickly these days," she says leaning on Austin. "Time for a rest, baby," he says standing and helping her off her chair. "Oh, but I need to show Ava to her room and around the house and I need to explain my schedule to her," Gracie says but she battles to talk and is a little slurry with her words. "I will do it," Austin says lifting her in his arms gently. "Be nice to her please," Gracie says as she rests her head on his chest then lifts her head and looks at Ava with a soft smile. "Thank you for coming and I am sorry for being so rude, but I am so pleased you are here. I think we will make fast friends," she says. "I think so too, Gracie, you are lovely," Ava says as she watches Gracie's head droop and then fall heavily against Austin's chest. Her eyes flick to Austin's and her chest burns when she sees the heart-wrenching fear that swirls in them. He is watching his world crumble before him and there is not a dam thing he can do about it. It's heartbreaking.

Ava finishes her sandwich and then gathers the plates, Gracie only took a bite out of one square, she washes them and stacks them to dry. She looks around the kitchen and assesses that this is probably the room she will spend most of her time in, it seems to be the place Gracie is most happy in and Austin has moved in here too to be close to her. It's a huge kitchen but has a country feel to it with white cabinets and marble countertops. Sweet little art projects are stuck around the cabinets, walls, and fridge with get well soon messages. Ava suspects they are from the little students Gracie once had. There are also sweet little 'I love you' notes stuck around that she suspects are notes left for Gracie by Austin. She walks closer to the fridge and looks over the photos that are dotted chaotically around. She recognizes members of Austin's family like his father, mother, stepmother, and two men she thinks are Austin's brothers. The way they have looped their arms around Gracie's shoulders or are hugging her close and smiling at her tells Ava that they all adore her. There is one photo of Gracie on Austin's brother's back with them both laughing at the camera and another of Gracie sitting on a couch between Austin's parents as they all grin happily in matching Christmas pajamas. There are other photos of Gracie and Austin with people she does not know but she suspects they are Gracie's family by the way the older woman who looks a little like Gracie is hugging Austin she suspects Austin is loved by Gracie's family just as she is his. The photos paint a picture of a happy family, one that is not ready to say goodbye to a much-loved and cherished young woman who had only just begun living her life. It's heartbreaking and Ava finds herself having to swallow the lump in her throat. Most of her clients had been old women or men who had lived a full life, done and seen all they needed to, but Gracie still has so much life to see - life, that will slip between her fingers as Austin breaks at the loss of her.