The year is 1994. The Artist finds himself in a situation no one ever thought could happen. How does he get out of it, or perhaps more importantly, how did he get there in the first place?
The trailer, courtesy of @QueenofDisco ...https://youtu.b...
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August 31, 1994
**The Artist POV**
As I sit outside Lani's door, guitar on my hand and a soft smile on my face, I find myself feeling an odd hodge podge of emotions...excitement, nervousness, nostalgia, happiness...the cycle is seemingly endless. Underlying it all though, I feel at peace. I'm finally back where I belong...
I stop playing for a moment to softly knock on the door. Her car was in the parking lot, so I know she's home...
"Lani? Mama, are you there?" I ask softly, fingers fiddling with the guitar as I nervously wait for her response. Unfortunately, when it finally comes it's the last one I was expecting.
"Go away," I hear her soft voice reply with a hint of anger and annoyance from the other end of the door, followed by a dull thud of something slamming against the door. Huh?
Unsure if I heard correctly, confusion laces my voice, my fingers absentmindedly strumming my guitar as I offer softly. "Can't I come in, mama? I've missed you..."
"Didn't you hear me the first time?" her voice bites back with a touch of annoyance...followed by a sad sounding, "I said, go away." What the...?
Her emotional rebuff leaves me feeling sucker punched...however it's the soft sniffle I hear afterward that breaks my heart a little. Ouch!
Feeling confused and hurt by her plea, I find myself floundering a bit as with shaky hands I gently lean my guitar against the wall before turning my attention back toward the door... No matter what she says...I'm not leaving. I can't...
"I heard you...." I start hesitantly as I try my best not to let my emotions get the better of me. Unfortunately though, I wasn't completely successful...as I finish with a hurt sounding, "What I don't understand is why..."
I hear some scuffling, along with a muffled, but irate sounding, "You've got a lot of nerve asking me that," coming from the other side of the door, followed by a choked up sounding, "You couldn't even wait a week..." Wait...what?!
"What the hell are you talking about?!" I burst out in confusion, even as I hear open weeping from the other side of the door. "Come on, mama...open the door. " I offer plaintively, placing my hand on door in a silent appeal.
Through the sound of her broken sobs, I hear her pained voice whisper, "Please...just go." I can't just leave you...not like this...
"Not until you open this door and talk to me," I offer quietly, determined to keep my emotions in check...even as I feel my heart breaking at the obvious pain in her voice.
"After everything we've been through, I think you at least owe me that..." I say in appeal, even as I gently rest my forehead against the door...desperate to close the distance between us any way I can.
For several moments, all I hear is an unbearable silence...broken only by the occasional devastated sob. How the hell did we manage to get here?
Eventually her cries dwindle down to the occasional sniffle, and I hear her soft sorrowful voice hiccup out before trailing off, "I'm s-s-sorry....I just c-c-can't... "
There may be only a door separating us, but it might as well be a million miles. How did everything turn out so wrong? All I wanted was to make things right...
"If you really want me to go Lani, I will..." I reply softly, voice breaking as I force myself to continue. "But first I need you to know that I still love you, mama..." I offer quietly, heart in my hands. "...and that I'm not giving up...on you, or on us..."
I gently place my ear against the door, listening for any possible response from inside. After hearing nothing for several moments save for the occasional muffled sob, I gradually resign myself to the fact that I'm not going to get any answers...at least not today, and start slowly making my way to my feet with a sigh.
As I reach over and strap my guitar back across my back reluctantly preparing to leave, I leave her with a promise in the form of parting words. "I may be leaving for now, mama...but I still love you, and I will be back...."
--
**Lani POV**
As I hear the sound of his footsteps taking him away from the door...and out of my life, I feel my heart shatter into a million pieces inside my chest as I slide down the wall onto the floor sobbing uncontrollably. Damn you for making me love you...damn you...
As I sit there silently sobbing, rocking back and forth in a pitiful attempt to ease my broken heart, I suddenly hear another quiet knock at the door. I knew he wouldn't give up on us! I knew it!
I quickly wipe my tears out of my eyes, desperate to show him that I'm willing to give us another try. I still love you, my e ipo...
I open the door with a tearful smile, preparing myself to jump right into his arms...only to see a rather excited looking Aloha exclaiming, "Lan lan! I'm so happy to see you!"
Unfortunately that's all it takes for my face to fall, silent tears once again streaking down my cheeks. I hear Lo's voice suddenly drop with concern, even as she drops her luggage and envelopes me into a tight hug, "Oh Lani...what's wrong?"
**Author's Note: Sorry this took so much longer to get out than I anticipated. I can only hope the wait was worth it. So Aloha has finally made an appearance...and poor P is leaving confused...but determined to fix whatever's gone wrong. What happens next you ask? Only time will tell. ;)**
