Gonna Ride Again

Concert Part 1

Sissie POV
Watching Brantley perform was something I will never forget. It was amazing the energy he put out and how it was returned back to him. They truly were his family and you could see that he was born to do this. PJ standing beside me leaned over," you know you are a big part of his success, his inspiration for a lot of his songs. If you didn't then listen to the words and you will"
I nod my head and listen to the words of the songs and it takes me back to those years of us being together. For a short time in my life everything was good, school, my boyfriend, home with dad. Then I think about the months leading up to me leaving, the drinking, the pills and the waiting for the call that he had wrecked his truck, laid his bike down or that he was with another girl. I just don't think I can go through that again.  I listen as he sings You don't know her like I do, it tears me apart. He does know me and he has been by my side no matter what shit I have thrown at him since he found out daddy passed away. How many men would do that especially with the fact the last time I had seen him I was swinging a crowbar at his head. Maybe he's right, maybe he had changed. I just don't know...

  I watch and my body and my heart are saying go for it but my brain is telling me its to good to be true. He can't have changed that much. But I know Daddy said he had been sober since 2011. That means this year will be 4 years. Everything I ever wanted for him, for us seems like is just at my fingertips.  I watch him and he is so happy and he's talking about his songs how they are parts of his life. I see myself in several of the songs. When he sings My kind of Crazy it takes me back to his room at the MC and me taking his guitar while he was trying to watch UGA play football, how he just smiled and went along with me and then what happened later that night. Then he starts singing Picture of the Dashboard and in that moment my heart stops as I watch and listen with my heart

You aint nothin like your memory
At least it hangs around
And that old photograph you gave me
Girl I can't bare to lay it down
And when this bottles empty
Girl I'm gonna paint this town

Yeah after all, we're said and done
I don't have one good reason you should turn and come back home
Or the right to blame you girl I don't have much at all

I still got you picture taped to the dashboard
On the mantle right by the front door you
Said if you leave you'd never come back
Well baby I don't believe that's were it's at
It's all of wrong times, all of the right things
In my right mind to say things I don't mean
But baby that's me and it's way to late
But I still got your picture on the dashboard

And I aint like I use to be tough as hell and hard to please
But you came along and this old boy hit his knees
And the day was to much without you yeah my life revolved
Around you and you dropped a stone down on my heart
And now I can't move on
Cause we danced to all our songs
Up to midnight all alone

I still got you picture taped to the dashboard
On the mantle right by the front door you
Said if you leave you'd never come back
Well baby I don't believe that's were it's at
It's all of wrong times, all of the right things
In my right mind to say things I don't mean
But baby that's me and it's way to late
But I still got your picture on the dashboard

Oh when I'm driving down this old backroad,
Way to fast, I'll never kno
Girl I can't look down, cause I'll see your eyes
Right next to 65

I still got you picture taped to the dashboard
On the mantle right by the front door you
Said if you leave you'd never come back
Well baby I don't believe that's were it's at
It's all of wrong times, all of the right things
In my right mind to say things I don't mean
But baby that's me and it's way to late
But I still got your picture on the dashboard

I know he means every word of that song and as he finishes our eyes meet and I can't stop the tears from falling, he loves me and honestly never stopped....

I see B running off stage and listen as the crowd screams he grabs a bottle of water chugs it down, wiped his face winks at me and went running back on stage for an encore. PJ nudges my arm," What do you think Sissie?"
"He is amazing PJ so much more than we ever dreamed he would be. It feels like a dream being here with B, seeing the man I always pictured he would be, I am thankful I got to see it up close and personal." I tell him as the band walks off. Jeff comes up and tells BG that he has an interview . I watch as he walks with Jeff to clean up before he talks to the reporter. I turn back around and watch Jason's concert. He is good and I enjoy his show. The crowd is loud as Jason finishes his encore and they start changing the set out to Kenny's stuff. I look over my shoulder and B is standing doing the interview and Kenny walks up and says something before making his way to his spot to start his show. I am a huge Kenny fan even though I often yelled at the radio over the years saying ,"Shut up Kenny" when a song came on that reminded me of B or a memory we had made to one of Kenny's song.