For All Eternity

Apart

Joe put his weight on the bumble bee case and zipped it shut, his gaze falling on his girlfriend's back who was in the bathroom poking various parts of her face, as she often did. At first, back at the beginning of their relationship, he had worried she was picking at insecurities but it turns out she just had a passion for popping spots. Still, he mused, she looked beautiful doing it. He never knew it was possible to fall in love with someone (who wasn't made from him) more and more each day- but with Dianne he had.

"That everything then my love?" He asked, standing the case on end. Joe watched her spin around nodding. He also watched her face slowly dissolve behind her hands that she had drawn to her cheeks. She blubbed his name, frozen to the spot.

"Oh honey, come here," he stepped forwards and encircled her in his arms.

"This bloody period is making everything worse." Dianne sniffed, wiping her eyes with a crumpled-up tissue, that she had been using all morning to dry her eyes after random outbursts of upset.

"I know. I know. You'll be 'right though. Just a day of feeling crappy and then you'll be okay, Little One." Joe said, his lips on her forehead as he spoke.

"I just want to snuggle with you all day though. And sleep." Dianne said, it was feeling like another bad one and if she didn't have to work today, she would have been stubborn with herself and stayed in bed. Unfortunately, that wasn't an option and a car would be coming for her any minute to take her to the train station to get her to Birmingham where the rest of the cast and crew already were.

"I'm sorry that we can't do that. Hey, tell you what, I'll come with you to the train station, so we have a bit more time okay?" Joe said, as he kissed her head again.

She looked up at him and nodded wiping her eyes. He gave her a sad smile and kissed her on the nose and then on the lips, drawing her close again. "I'll be with you on Friday after 5, we're coming straight from school."

"And Connie, too right? Because then its going to be like 2 weeks or something stupid. Longer than I've gone before," she panicked, her nails digging into his back, as she held on tight.

"And Connie yes," Joe reached behind and moved her hands to his chest, holding onto them, "medicine? Have you got stuff on you? In your rucksack?"

"Lots, travelling with you has rubbed off on me," she giggled.

"Glad to hear it, what about... phone charger, laptop charger?"

"I think so, can we go through your checklist downstairs where my rucksack is?" Dianne asked, at the same time she tucked her head into his collarbone.

"We can, come on then," Joe said, kissing her cheek, as he took her hand.

"What time are we going to call? I know after, but that's just me and you. What time for Connie?" She asked, as Joe went through her bag making sure she had all of the obvious bits.

"Well, anytime after 4 really. When she's in from school. Or before school if you're awake. As long as we get to speak to you, we don't mind. And we can do voice notes as well."

Dianne nodded, holding her arms up for a hug from Joe again. They hadn't done this tour together the previous year and they had only gone to one show so for Joe it was an unknown layout. They'd fall into a rhythm, for sure, but it would take a while to find it. "We'll miss you little one."

"Me too. So much."

"Okay, cars 1 minute away, shall we get our coats on and get out?" He said, as her phone dinged on the counter.

"Yeah. Oh Joe." She sighed, feeling her tears again.

"Last one for ages, last one until May, okay?" Joe said, rubbing her back, as she cried into his shoulder.