Mr. Misty-Eyed | Josh Dun

reality | forty-two

"You should take my life,
You should take my soul."

. . . . .

Water dripped down from the roof, the morning sun that shown from above melted away the bit of ice that had accumulated overnight. February was here and the days were still cold, but even so the hopefulness of spring was already on its way.

I licked my lips just as I brought my coffee mug back up to my mouth and took another sip. My eyes stared out the kitchen window as I looked across the street to the house the held my girlfriend and her shaken family. It had been only three days since I had told Trisha and Bryce about seeing Johnny's father at the store. These three days had been treacherous for everyone and I wished I could do something to help.

Bryce had made it clear that she didn't want me anywhere near the situation. She had told me that she didn't want to bring any more anxiety into my life just as I was getting back on my own two feet. But what was my newfound mindset good for if I couldn't even help the girl I loved with something so important?

I took another sip of coffee before I turned away from the window. Tyler glanced up at me from his phone for a brief moment as he sat across the room from me at the kitchen table. It was early and neither of us had eaten, but with the news of Johnny's father still hanging in the air, preparing food didn't seem to matter that much.

"I have to go..." Tyler spoke as he stood from his chair and stuffed his phone into his pocket. "I'm meeting up with Jenna for bit. Are you good here?"

I smiled half-heartedly at my friend and nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine."

He gave a soft smile in return and patted my shoulder on his way out the door. I watched after him as he disappeared into the front hall, waiting patiently to hear the sound of the front door closing. A long sigh left my lips once I knew I was alone and I slumped back against the counter tiredly. For once I didn't mind the quiet. 

. . . . .

A loud knock on the door came around mid afternoon. Tyler hadn't made it back to the house yet as he had just texted me to say that him and Jenna had more wedding plans to make.

My eyebrows knitted together as I stood from the couch and made my way over to the front door. As I pulled open the door my heart rate picked up as I stared down at Trisha and the young boy by her side. The look of desperation on Trisha's face was something I knew all too well. I had seen it on my own features each morning when I woke up and looked at myself in the mirror.

"Josh." Trisha talked with a breathy sigh. "I need your help..."

Before she could even finish what she had planned to ask, I spoke up. "Do you need me to watch Johnny for a while?"

She looked up at me in relief and nodded. "But only for an hour tops, I promise. Bryce will be by to get him soon."

"It's no problem." I shook my head. "Whatever I can do."

Trisha's eyes grew glassy as she spoke. "I just really think he needs a distraction right now."

I nodded and bent down to Johnny's level, his eyes glancing up at me for a second as I smiled as best I could at him. "What do you say I show you what songs Tyler and I have been working on?"