The Girl

THIRTY-TWO: TO BUILD A HOME

"By the cracks of skin I climbed to the top, I climbed the tree to see the world..."

SONG: TO BUILD A HOME
ARTIST: THE CINEMATIC ORCHESTRA

Brianna went back to her own apartment after we got back to New York, mostly because her mother was there and she didn't want her to stay there. ("She'll rearrange everything. My messy room is an organized kind of messy. I know where everything is. She'll destroy my system"). Either way, I had to head back home because Jack and Celeste wanted to see me at the shop and I was excited because they said they had news.

The shop was covered by a white sheet and Celeste stood outside with both of my brothers. She looked annoyed and her hand kept running over her stomach. I got a little nervous because she was due any day now and then she would stay with their kids for a few months, and then I'd be taking care of their son whilst they went on their honeymoon.

"What's going on with the shop?" I panicked and almost tore through the front door when Celeste placed her hand on my chest. "Cel, there's some--"

"Wait," She hissed and made me sit down on the bench. "We're waiting for the men who are supposed to deal with this shit."

"What the fuck is going on with my mum's shop?" I snarled and clenched my fists. Celeste brought her index finger against her lips, motioning for me to shut up.

An exhale pushed past my lips and I really wanted answers, but no one was giving them to me and I was outrageously annoyed. I ran my fingers through my hair and closed my eyes before I was lifting it to meet with the sound of a dozen cars and men climbing out with cameras. Brianna emerged from one of the cars with her brother and smiled when she saw me.

"Hey," She reached for my hand as soon as I was on my feet. "Are you excited?"

"Excited for what? I don't even--"

"We haven't told him yet," Celeste told her, smiling softly. Brianna nodded and bit down on her lip.

I wanted to groan, but there were too many cameras and even though they all probably set this up, Brianna did like the attention unless it was me giving it to her. She didn't show how uncomfortable she was, more for her sake than mine.

"Right," Jack clapped his hands together. "My mum opened this shop in the late nineties and handed it over to my brother a year before she died and while we love it to death, but it's just really old school and his girlfriend actually had the idea for this--"

Even though I was fucking confused, I looked down at Brianna and she avoided my gaze, (which I later found out was because she wanted to see my face when they announced it). I bit down on my lip.

"And my brother had this crazy idea of turning the basement into a recording studio," Jack continued to speak while Brianna and her brothers tore off the sheets and brought me to look at the shop.

Everything looked new. They had bought the space next door and tore down the wall so everything would fit and it didn't look so clumped. New instruments littered the wall, vinyls hung in those empty spaces, pictures of bands and my own hung around. I almost choked on my tears at the sight of it.

It was the way my mum wanted. I pressed my hands against the glass and exhaled. I was trembling and I just wanted to send everyone away and cry in the middle of the shop. Instead, I turned to my girlfriend and kiss the living shit out of her. She scrunched her eyes, gripping my shirt and she smiled against my mouth.

"Merry Christmas," She whispered and left one last, chaste kiss on my mouth before she pushed the doors open. "From all of us."

Now, I was crying. I was inside and the paparazzi outside, but I allowed myself to cry because I had the best girlfriend in the world, and I had the best brothers. I pressed Brianna against my chest and buried my face in her hair. She wrapped them around my waist and tilted her head up, kissing my forehead softly.