Misprinted Lies (Alice in Chains/Bruno Mars)

Paint the Truth

Bruno had just wrapped up part of a tour. I did the sound again. I didn't love it but I had no immediate projects and also had Layna this time so it was amazing. In a few months, later that year, we would be working on a live album together anyway.

We had just eaten dinner. I was about to put on my pajamas for movie night. I changed into my sweatpants first. When I put on my tank top, I started down on my left forearm. It was already 2022. It had been 20 years. I still miss you Dad.

"Mommy!"

I turned around. "What is it Layna?" I always called her Layna, every time I had the chance.

"It's movie time, DUH!"

Someone had been spending a lot of time with Daddy. She had so much spunk in her.

"Yeah, Mommy," Bruno said, walking in. "Duh."

He picked her up and spun her around the room, making her giggle.

"I'll be down in a minute. Go help Daddy get the snacks ready."

Layna ran down the hallway and the stairs. Bruno stood next to me.

"You better go help her," I said.

He snickered. "I think she can do it better by herself."

"Yeah, you're probably right."

He playfully hit me in the arm and then held me for a second.

"I love you," he said, kissing my cheek.

"I love you too."

"I need help!" Layna screamed. She had quite the voice.

Bruno laughed. "I love that little girl."

"I know you do."

"She's just like you."

"Somebody help me!" Layna screamed even louder with a whole lot of sass.

"Well, that was definitely you," I said.

He kissed me one more time with the biggest smirk on his face. "I'm comin' princess," he yelled down the stairs.

I stood there, staring at my tattoo, the picture of me and Dad, and then switched back and forth to the one of me and Bruno. Finally the one of me, Bruno, and Layna caught my attention for a long time. I must've looked down a dozen times, stopping at the tattoo. I read the words I frequently got touched up so they wouldn't fade. "Loving," "Talent," "Friend," "Hero," "Kind," and finally "Dad."

Every chance I could, I explained to Layna how important my dad was to me and how important even just his name was. I told her stories about how I used to draw pictures with him, how he would sing to me, and every little detail I could to show her how amazing he was. I knew how she could relate.

A few weeks previous, the three of us had gone to the beach since Bruno and I had been working so hard. Even though we lived close to the coast, we couldn't always find the time to enjoy it. Bruno took Layna out the water to play. They came back when I was doing an injection. 

"You brought one to the beach?" Bruno pouted, letting Layna down from his shoulders. 

"My last box was defective...so I didn't have time before to do it." 

"That's why you were at the doctor for so long?" 

"Well..." I said, my voice droning off.

Bruno turned his head to Layna. 

"Hey...how 'bout we dig a giant hole!" Bruno cheered.

"Yay!" Layna exclaimed.

"Why don't you start it? Bruno asked, pointing closer to the water. "Start it right over there and I'll be there in a couple of minutes, okay?"

"Okay," Layna said, grabbing her pink shovel.

Bruno sat down on the sand beside me. 

"You found something out at the doctor, didn't you?" Bruno asked, looking at my leg. "Why is it taking so long?"

"Relax...relax," I assured. "My blood pressure is a bit high."

"That's it," he said sternly. "We're delaying the live album." 

"No..." I said, grabbing his arm. "No Bruno it's not because of the work...it's really easy for me to get high blood pressure and it's a symptom from Humira so I need to inject slower...that's all."

"Lily but we did the therapy and all that...you really need to take it easy."

I smiled a little to try to ease his worries. "Bruno you know that I go stir-crazy. We both knew that there wouldn't be a complete cure for everything. My heart has gotten weaker over time. I just have a weak heart because it's been overworked. It's not a shock to me." 

"You," Bruno smiled, "you don't have a weak heart. You have a beautiful heart."  

"Well thank you," I said, "but you know what I'm talking about." 

"Yeah," he said, rubbing my back. 

"Ya know what would make me feel better?" I asked, nodding my head in Layna's direction. "Go help Layna with that hole." 

I hadn't realized how long I had been standing there in front of the dresser, lost in my thoughts and remembering that magical time I had with Dad in Hawaii, building castles and digging holes.

"Lil," Bruno said in the doorway. "You coming, baby?"

"Yeah," I said, grabbing a throw blanket with pictures of the three of us on it that Presley had made. I almost took his hand but he wrapped his arm around me instead.

Bruno jumped on the couch next to Layna and started tickling her like crazy for a little, before stopping.

"I love you so, so much, baby girl."

"I love you too, Daddy."

I couldn't help but smile.

People said what they wanted to about Dad and they say what they want to about Bruno, but Layna and I, we knew the truth about the kind of man he was, and is, just amazing. Layna could get the same tattoo as I have with all the same words. Those words would be used to surround his name... Bruno. They would paint a picture of who Bruno really was; the words printed would paint a picture of the truth.