In Another Life

Chapter 15: Mia

I pull up to the house after my shift at a local diner. It's about eight thirty and I swear to god every single light in our goddam house is on. I park my Judge our front before walking up to the front door. Upon opening it, music floods out of the house and into the street. And here's me thinking that Vicy and I were loud.

The boys are sitting around the living room watching old Steven King movies. I'm not quite sure how they hear it over the music but whatever.  CC looks up at me and his eyes grow. He throws a football at the stereo shutting it off then turns down the tv, much to the other three's disappointment.

"Minnie!" He says at me and I nod.

"That's me." I say as I sit on the arm of the couch beside Rikki.

"I need help." CC states and I nod.

"I've been saying this for years but continue." I say and he scowls. "Hold on."

I run to the kitchen and grab a beer from the fridge before returning to the arm of he couch.

"Continue." I say as I open the bottle taking a sip.

"I want to ask Vicy to marry me." He says and I choke on my beer.

After about five minutes of nearly dying, I look at him.

"You want to do what?" I question. "Honey, you've been back in our lives two days and you want to do something like that?"

"Honey, I've been in love with her for eight years." CC rolls his eyes like it was obvious. "I've spent so much time without her that I don't want to spend another second without her." I cross my arms and sigh in answer. "I need your help on how to do it." That perked my interests.

"That I can help you with!" I state and he lights up.

"You got an idea?" He wonders and I nod. "I knew you'd come through for me Minnie. These jackasses had me asking Bret to marry me. Explain your idea."

"Well remember that Christmas thing in the park we went to, the one where I couldn't swear or your mom would personally send me to hell?" I ask and he laughs.

"Yes but she never said that." CC says.

"That's like Victoria's favourite memory. If we could recreate it--I mean she still has the Christmas dress--" I start.

"Do you?" CC wonders but I'm in my own little world of planning.

"Do I what?" I ask and he laughs.

"Do you still have your Christmas dress?" CC wonders and I scratch the back of my neck.

"No it died horrifically in a house fire that took place in the bottom of a burn barrel." I explain and the boys laugh. "Back to the point, if would work out better if we could get it to snow in July..." I trail off while I think. "Wait! I know how we can do that."

I explain my idea. I'd get Vicy in that dress and we'd go down to the park. We'd go down to the little gift cart that always sits there. I'll pick up a New York City snow globe and make her look at it. I know her very well so I know it would bring back that memory. When she turns around, CC will be there with the ring. Tada! It's fool proof (so CC will understand it all).

It sometimes scares me how my mind works.

Vicy comes home shortly after. She hangs out for a while but goes upstairs to bed eventually. One by one, everyone goes upstairs to bed. Rikki and I are the only ones left. He looks over to me and smiles.

"You're not going to bed?" Rikki wonders and I shake my head.

"Nah, I stay up late. It bugs Vicy, she thinks it will make me sick or something. I'm just a night owl." I explain and he nods.

That's only a half truth, I do stay up late for a few reasons. I like the feeling that darkness gives me, no one can see me. I love the moon and the stars. Third I'm prone to nightmares. Vicy knows this but I'd rather have her worried about me not sleeping than her freak out when I wake up screaming.

"Me to." He admits. "It works out well when we're on tour and have to stay up late to do the shows. CC will fall asleep nearly anywhere, it drives security guards nuts."

"Really?" I wonder and he nods.

"It's so much fun to screw with the security guards though. Like we hide in closets and stuff and watch them freak out." Rikki explains happily and I laugh.

"Sounds great." I admit with a smile.

"Best job on the planet." Rikki stretches his arms out in front of him then lays them across the back of the couch.

We talk for hours. It's like I've known Rikki my whole life. I don't mind letting him in within the walls of my emotional 'no mans land' as I call it. Rikki is funny and sweet and makes me smile until my cheeks hurt. His arm has slowly moved from the back of the couch to around my shoulders.

"You know Mia, CC always talked about Vicy and how beautiful she was. He never mentioned the knock out red head." He says and I blush. Rikki smiles. "You match your hair."

I even half to laugh at that one.

"You really are beautiful, Mia. I can tell that you'll never actually believe it but you are. I've been all over the world and I've found the most beautiful girl in Brooklyn no less." He says and I smile.

Rikki leans in and kisses me gently. I smile into his mouth and I kiss back.

If I only knew who was watching.