Better in the Long Run

Because You Live

"Can I run a song by you?" I asked Hunter as I unloaded groceries in the kitchen.

"Always." He smiled and we walked over to the piano. I sat down ran my fingers along the keys

"Because you live and breathe,
Because you made me believe in myself
When nobody else could help
Because you live, dear
My world,
Has twice as many stars in the sky..."

"That's kind of been my chorus," I smiled, continuing on to the rough edges verse I had created.

"It's alright, I survived
I'm alive again
Because of you
I can make it through any storm

I'm so glad I found an angel
I wanna fly looking in your eyes..."

I turned to Hunter, his eyes were soft and sweet. "That's super lovely. It's got a lot of potential."

"Thank you. Wanna co-write?" He nodded and I kissed his nose and handed him my journal. "There's a few others in there. I thought it would be a side project maybe... I know we're busy. Umm what if we did a co-written, acoustic album. You and me doing as much as we can on it."

"Wow, that is a huge personal investment." He said, raising his brow. "I would be delighted to do that but know it's not going to be rushed, and it will be our own creation..." I nodded.

"And really, feel free to look at whatever else left my brain and fell into that book. There could be some buried treasure in there." He hugged me and we geared up to go into the city for a meeting.

"We want to call it 'Hayes Three-Sixty', we looked over your stage designs Hunter, and we feel for the venues in the UK, that circular one you drew out," Melanie, the assistant helping us work on our UK tour pulled a sketch of a stage Hunter drew, "that would be so intimate."

"What was the timeframe for the tour?" I asked, thinking of the kids first.

"Well it would likely be early summer," she pulled up a schedule on her laptop, "here we go, yeah, June twenty seventh to July eighteenth."

"That's pretty well perfect." Hunter said, squeezing my hand.

"I'm excited." We looked over the schedule, London, Birmingham, Manchester, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Belfast and Dublin. "This will be so cool for the kids," I smiled, "thank you guys for making this a reality." We shook hands and headed home.

"How's Sutton's rehearsals?" Hunter asked, "When is the big show?"

"Umm she said it's all going really well. She loves the stage stuff, lighting cues, the music ensemble..." I scrolled through the calendar, "The show is in three weeks. Right before spring break." Hunter dropped me off at home and headed off to the brewery for business while I headed to get the kids from school.

"Homework out, let me check agendas..." I said, flipping through pages, "Beckett, math test, Easton, history project. Okay that will have to wait for your father because I am not American." He laughed and told me he could use his tablet to research and dad could help later. "Sutton, homework?" She nodded.

"Math, science and English."

"Oh darn eh? Let me know if you need help." She took her books upstairs and I got cracking with Beckett while dinner was cooking. Hunter came back home, we sat around the table and decided to share the news of the UK tour.

"So, we have an exciting surprise," I started, "and it has to do with a tour."

Hunter continued, "mom and I are doing a tour together again this summer, but it's only three weeks and it is in the UK."

"Where's that?" Easton asked.

"London, across the ocean. We have to take a big airplane to get there." The kids were mesmerized and we assured Sutton that she would have a birthday party upon our return.

"That's actually pretty cool." She smiled and worked on her dinner. Hunter helped me clean up the dishes while the kids got back to homework.

"I took your journal Jen, read over a few of the other songs. Holy crap they're amazing. They almost all follow a theme. Like a storybook."

"Thank you sweetie, that means a lot." I dried my hand off before turning to face Hunter, his hands were rested on my hips, he leaned in and kissed me. First slowly, then a bit more passionately.

"Umm dad?" Easton said, flatly.

"Yes my son," Hunter turned, "What's up?"

"I have a history project and mom said she isn't American so I should ask you." Hunter doubled over in laughter and turned to place one last kiss on my lips.

"Yes, Easton I am happy to help you."

As they walked away, I heard Easton ask, "If mom is Canadian and you're American does that make me half Canadian?" Hunter corrected him, informing him that my citizenship is different than my background. Our kids were a serious mix of Hunter's many influential ancestors with a 50% mix of my Italian roots. I had a good chuckle before checking on Beckett, then on Sutton.

"So," I whispered quietly to Hunter, "we never finished our discussion in the kitchen." He smirked and put his phone on the nightstand before turning his body into mine.

"You're right," he whispered between kisses, "I think this is where we left off.." He dressed me in the kind of kisses that make a really good make out session and give me butterflies. I fell asleep with a smile on my lips and his arms holding me close.