Reasons To Stay

ELEVEN

"Take care," Porter said as he hugged me.

"And don't forget to come see us during break," Kyle said as it was his turn to hug me.

"If you are here. Won't you be promoting your new album?" I asked them.

"It won't be out for at least another two months," Rae explained.

"But," Porter said with a mischievous smile.

"But?" I asked, not trusting the smiles they were all giving me, Rae included.

"But we have one here for you if you want it," Kyle said smiling brightly.

I shrieked in excitement. "As in a copy of your new album?"

"More than one actually."

"For you..."

"For our biggest fan, your sister."

"And for who will, hopefully, be our new co-writer, Lance."

***

Leaving New York wasn't as hard as I thought it would be. Maybe because I knew I was going back after the year was over and I graduated from school. Maybe because I was finally getting back to my sisters, who I had missed so much. Or maybe because I was just happy. Happy with my life, with all the changes of the last four weeks, happy with everything that had happened and everything I knew was about to come.

During the plane ride (we had managed to get one of those this time), I played Roman Soldiers' new album as I finished a digital portrait of Porter. Since the album had my art in the cover, the band wanted to change the general look of their web page, and asked me to design the images that would be in it.

Every time I saw the cover of their album on the screen of my phone as I heard their songs, butterflies erupted inside my stomach and a smile took over my face. I still couldn't believe everyone in the world would get to see my painting as long as they had a computer or a music store near where they lived.

The plane ride felt too short, mostly because the boys had insisted I travel on first class and, well, that was a seat I never wanted to leave.

As I waited for my suitcases to appear on the baggage carousel, I moved my head and tapped my foot on the floor to the rhythm of one of the band's fast-paced songs, which were all of the songs in the album except two. People were looking at me weirdly, but for the first time in a really long time, I didn't care what they thought.

I even sang a little. "So jump with me and let me show you, I could be your guy and you could be my girl. So jump with me and let me take you to a place with views that'd take your breath away..."

***

"Sloan!"

I probably would have heard my sister calling my name if I hadn't been so focused on singing to my new favorite upbeat song in my mind.

"Sloan!" Trish yelled as she placed her hand on my shoulder. I didn't hear her, but I did turn around.

"Trish," I squealed as I hugged my sister and took my earphones off.

"Well, you seem happy," she said with a teasing tint to her voice just as two little arms hugged the back of my legs as their five-year-old owner squeaked my name.

Soon, Ro joined us, too, and we were all hugging and laughing. A few steps away I saw Mrs. Goode, whom I had talked to plenty of times during the time I was away, and a desire of hugging her overwhelmed me. Aunt Rae was coming back as soon as everything about the album was taken care of, and then Yori, the boys' new agent who had been recovering of a knee operation, would be able to go back to work and free my aunt.

And Mrs. Goode would go back to her old job at the hospital. A month ago, I would have probably pushed her away, fearing the moment she would leave and knowing it would be hard for me when it came. Now? Well, now I was going to make the most of every single moment we had left with her.

"You need to tell us everything," Ro said excitedly as we walked to the car.

"How about I first show you guys, this," I said as I took the band's new album from my handbag.

"Oh My God. Sloan, is that yours?" Trish shrieked, eyes wide open.

I nodded. And my sisters all squeaked and hugged me and I felt even happier than I had just an hour before, if that was even possible.