To the Moon and Back

Butterflies

I sat on the bench of my piano, laid my phone beside me and activated the voice recording. I set up the papers of the notes I found for Flashlight, I played through it once, letting each note consume my mind. I listened back to it, and happy with the sound, I sent it to Hunter.

J: Gonna keep practicing

H: Amazing. You're a true talent Jen

J: Takes a talent to know one ;-)

I closed my phone and ran through it again, but I sang along.

I get lost sometimes, just like everybody else. Lose track of my life lines, lose track of myself. And there's all kinds of reasons to be scared and run away.

I was interrupted by a key turning in the door, my parents had their arms full of groceries for Christmas Eve dinner. I looked outside at the blanket of snow that covered the pool and the streets. 

"You guys want hot chocolate?" I asked, walking toward the keurig.

"Yes, thank you." my mom said. "Jenna can you take this and get it in the fridge please." 

"I don't know why you buy so much food, there's just five of us." I laughed and grabbed a few bags. 

"Well trust me, I have no patience to go shopping until after Christmas. I looked at the calendar as the keurig spit the hot chocolate into the mug. Christmas was five days away. Hunter was flying in from the 26th to the 29th, then we are going to Nashville for New Years. I got the milk and finished making the hot chocolates and distributed them to my frigid parents. I sat back at the piano bench and my dad came over to see the sheet music that littered the area.

"This is one of Hunter's." my dad noted, he had clearly been brushing up on his music.

"I thought you hated country," I laughed, straightening the papers out.

"I don't like it," he smirked, 'but I like Hunter, he's talented and hes a stand up guy." 

"I have to agree with you," I ran my fingers along the keys, "he's talented alright. He was born for this. Now he knows I play music - ahem...dad. Let's keep my other talents a secret please."

My dad shrugged, and kissed the top of my head, "I'm just proud of you." He took his hot chocolate to the other room and I got back to playing my songs. 

The next few days were a whirlwind of snow, baking cookies and divulging in food. It was finally time for me to go get Hunt from the airport. I arrived, parked the car and texted him.

J: I'll meet you at the end of the terminal. big glass doors :)

H: Just getting off now. Be a bit. It's so busy.

J: No rush. I have all the time in the world.

Almost an hour later, I see Hunter emerging in a black winter coat and jeans, Blundstones and a toque.

"You look so Canadian," I laughed, kissing him and wrapping him in my arms.

"Jenna! Hunter!" We turned to see three strangers photographing us. "Merry Christmas!"

We waved and made our way to the car, hesitant to draw extra attention to ourselves. I turned on the car and flipped on Hunter's seat warmer. "What is this temperature?!" He laughed, rubbing his hands together to warm up.

"It's Canada. Today's not bad, its only five below." I smiled, and handed him a pair of gloves. "What's Nashville like?"

"I just came from Louisiana, I was wearing a tee shirt yesterday. Nashville got a dusting of snow." We headed through the bustle of traffic to get back to my parents for dinner. The ride home was mostly catch up chit chat,  a few 'I missed you's' and some red light kisses.