It Takes Two
The past week or so I’ve been disappearing into the garage during the day. After my drunken chat with Princess last week, I realized I need to be a better human. Not only that, but I want to be.
As luck would have it—or fate, if I listen to Noah—I think I figured out where I want to put my focus. Unlike Noah, I don’t think randomly helping people is something for me. It brings him a lot of joy, and he makes a difference one person at a time. But for me, I think it would be sort of anti-climactic. I want to be able to see the impact of what I’m doing in a broader sense.
The day after my talk with Mel, I was reading the newspaper. Specifically, an article about the rise of homelessness in California’s college students. It went into a huge breakdown about homeless kids from Kindergarten through high school as well. The entire article was sobering. The more I thought about it, the harder it was for me to wrap my head around.
These kids are eighteen and on their own. Their student loans barely cover their tuition, and any job they get goes toward books and a limited amount of food, with no money left for clothes and housing. I tried to picture myself in that situation and I can’t. We got lucky, but even if we didn’t have success with the band, our parents would have paid for school like they did for Rory and Diane.
Ever since then, I’ve been doing research. Pretty much from sun up until sundown. I’ve got stacks of notes and articles, concept ideas for how to start a charity and thoughts about how it would work. I’m excited to get it going, but it’s going to be a full-time job, and I don’t have time for that until the tour is over. The thing is, that isn’t good enough for me. These kids need help now. There are more kids in need than I could ever hope to help, but even if I can help one, it’s worth it.
I’m in the zone down here with my stuff spread out across the desk and the overflow covering our studio equipment. “All The Small Things” by blink-182 is blasting through the speakers as I make notes about the school I want to contact first.
The music stops suddenly, and when I look up, Noah’s eyes are taking everything in.
Dammit.
“Sawyer, what is all of this?” Noah eyes the mountain of paperwork and there’s no way I can hide it. His eyes are already scanning the paper in front of him.
“Just something I’m working on. I guess a charity of sorts if I can ever figure it out,” I reply, frustrated. I’m excited about this, but it’s a lot of work, and I don’t want Noah thinking I can’t do this.
“May I?” he motions toward my notebook. Reluctantly, I nod. The truth is, Noah’s into this kind of shit. I probably should’ve asked for his help in the first place. Things between us have been so strained, we’re constantly walking on eggshells around each other. Maybe this could help bridge that gap.
“It’s just the beginning, I’m still in the research phase. That yellow sheet of paper is my most recent concept idea, but that’s all it is. I’ve still got to figure out a way to implement it all and do it anonymously. I’m not even sure any of this is possible.”
With eyes that mirror my own, Noah looks up at me proudly. “This is incredible, Sawyer. Seriously, I’d love to help you with this, be your partner if you’d like one. I think it would be good for us. Maybe a way to get back on track … we’ve been so disconnected lately.”
There’s that twin bond in full effect. Even if we don’t say it, we’re still thinking the same thing. “Are you serious?”
He nods. “Yeah, completely. We could have Tony set up an LLC, and he could be the registering agent. It would keep it anonymous, and I know he’s done it for other clients.”
“Let’s do it, Noah. I could use the help and some fresh eyes on some of this stuff. It’s all overwhelming and really sad.”
Smiling, he pulls me in for a hug. “This is going to be great, Sawyer. I’ve missed us, and we’re about to do some epically awesome shit.”
We spend some time going over some more paperwork before I realize I never asked him what he needed.
“Hey, why did you come down here in the first place?”
“Ah, that … The doctor said I could start singing again at my own pace. As long as I take it slow and pay attention to any signals my body gives me that I’m going too far.”
“That’s awesome.”
“It is, and I decided for Christmas I want to make Mel a … this is going to sound so cheesy. I want to make her a mixed tape of sorts.”
He’s blushing again. I’m so glad I didn’t inherit that trait, even if it does work for him.
“Okay, and you need the studio to do that?”
“And you. I want to sing her the songs that remind me of us. She asked for more songs sung by me, so this way she’ll be able to have it whenever she wants, and maybe I won’t feel so on the spot. Sort of a win-win?”
“Sure, I can help you. What are you thinking?”
He visibly relaxes, and I’m excited we’re going to do both of these projects together. It can only bring us closer together, and we need that now more than ever. I don’t ever want to see the look of relief on Noah’s face again when he needs a favor. He should never doubt my willingness to help him.
“Six to eight songs, a basic EP. Since it’s just for Mel, we don’t need to worry about permissions or anything. Nothing is going to be monetized or for public consumption. Just a gift from me to her.”
“She’s going to love it. We can start tomorrow. Today is pretty much shot anyway.”
We’re in quick agreement about how to balance working on the EP and this new project without anyone finding out about either one. Noah texted Tony and he’s completely on board and will meet us in his office later this week to talk details in private. I’ve got a good feeling about this whole thing and can’t wait to officially get started.
Today is Christmas Eve, and Mel has been gone with Eli most of the day. The entire family is here, and Noah is a fidgety mess. It’s hilarious.
“He’s just her friend, Noah. Relax,” I tell him when we’re alone in the office wrapping some presents.
“Yeah, I know. I still hate that she picked him to go shopping with.”
“All you have to do is remember it’s your dick she’s coming home to, not his.”
“Jesus, Sawyer. Thank God for that!” He’s laughing now; at least I accomplished that. “I wanted to talk to you about something.”
Leaning back in my chair, I give him my full attention. “Shoot.”
“I’m ready.”
Two little words, but I know exactly what he means. A huge smile breaks across my face. “When do you want to do it and how can I help?”
He’s watching my reaction carefully, but there’s nothing to fear. I’m genuinely happy for him. Hopefully, for them.
“New Year’s Eve. I’m thinking down on the beach, overnight.”
Noah always has to be romantic, and under the stars by the light of the moon really can’t be beat.
“What are you thinking? It’s going to be freezing down there.”
He pulls a sheet of paper out of his pocket and passes it to me. It’s a checklist or an idea list. “Big portable tent, portable heaters, hard floor, music, food, a place to sleep. Sounds like a good start. We could easily have J get his supply guy to help us. You know, the one who brings in extra chairs and stuff when he has an event. I’m sure he has all of this and more.”
I pass the paper back to him, and he writes that down. “That’s a good idea. I know it’s all doable, but with the holidays and the short notice, it might be difficult.”
“Money talks, Noah. Difficult equals expensive, but if this is what you want, it’s worth the price, don’t you think? I think Darren and Wyatt are gone after Christmas, but J and I can help. I’m sure Rob would too.”
“No.” He laughs. “Rob can’t keep a secret to save his life, but it would be perfect if you and J could help.”
I’m excited for him, not only because he’s going to propose but because he knows exactly what he wants in life and he’s working hard to achieve it. “Wow, I can’t believe you’re getting married. It’s the end of an era for us.”
I hate getting nostalgic, but if anyone can pull it out of me, it’s Noah.
“Nah, it’s just the beginning of a new one. We’re blessed you know? We’re not even thirty, we’ve lived the lives most people dream of, we’re financially solvent, and we’re opening a business together. Think of all the indie bands we can help, all the kids green around the gills. We’re going to do so much good, Sawyer. Not to mention our other project. It’s a life worth living for sure.”
This guy, always with the optimism.
Someone pounds on the door. “Are you two done wrapping yet?” It’s Rory, and Noah lets her in. “You guys haven’t even started? What have you been doing in here?”
“Waiting for you to come bug us so you could make them look pretty,” Noah responds, and she rolls her eyes.
“Fine, but you better have gotten me something really good this year for this. It looks like you bought out the whole store for Saylor and Emme.”
“We did,” we both answer at the same time, and she shakes her head.
“Fucking twins. You guys are so much alike. You know, I didn’t even get to truly enjoy being the youngest because the focus was always on the two of you. I think I should get something for my neglect.”
“Ha!” Noah exclaims. “No one neglected you. Besides, I gave you a ton of love.”
“I didn’t,” I answer, giving Rory the attention she deserves for once. “But when we finish touring, I’ll take you on a vacation.”
“Seriously?” Her mouth is agape, and her eyes are wide, but it’s short-lived.
“Hell no. Sawyer doesn’t get to take you across the world and corrupt you.”
“Pretty sure he can,” she retorts. “And it would be much appreciated. No girls though, Sawyer, you actually have to make an effort.”
“No girls other than you, Rory. I promise.”
“Eeeppp, I’m so excited. Where will we go?”
Shrugging, I reach for a gift to help wrap. “Wherever you want. Sky is the limit.”
“I’m going on record now that I think this is a bad idea. If I have to fly across the world and bail you two out of some foreign jail for acting a fool, you’re going to owe me big time,” Noah grumbles.
“But would you do it?” I counter, thoroughly enjoying his discomfort at the situation. Rory has always been his sister; it’s my turn to spend some time with her.
“In a heartbeat, but I’m going to rub it in your faces until my dying breath.”
Rory groans. “He’s just like Mom. Remember that time we missed the cruise because Dad didn’t get everything ready on time? Now every time we go somewhere, we have to hear that story weeks in advance to be sure it doesn’t happen again.”
“Well …” I’ve got Mom’s back on this one. “In her defense, we did have to take a bus from Long Beach to Tijuana and from there to Ensenada in the middle of the night because she wasn’t about to lose the money for that trip for all of us.”
“Oh God,” Noah pipes in. “Do you remember how hungry we were? There was no time to stop for food, and Dad and a couple of other people who missed the boat found street vendors at about two in the morning?”
“I don’t remember that,” Rory says. “About the food.”
I reach for some tape before replying. “Probably because Mom got you to sleep without eating. No one ate, Ror. That food was so spicy my mouth might still be burning.”
We’re all laughing. That was such a fun trip, even though it started off rough. “Sawyer’s right, it was super spicy, but skipping dinner Friday was probably a good thing since we ate so much food the rest of the weekend,” Noah recalls happily.
There’s a quick rap on the door before Mom pokes in her head. I swear this woman knows when people are talking about her.
“What are the three of you laughing about? I can hear you all the way in the kitchen!” She’s sipping on a glass of homemade eggnog without a care in the world. I love seeing her so happy, and I know it’s because when we’re all home; she can stop worrying about us for a little while.
“We were just reminiscing about the cruise we all took that year,” Rory tells her, and Mom’s face puckers with the memory.
“You know, that would have been a much more relaxing trip if your Dad had listened to me.”
The three of us burst into laughter again. Without fail, she jumped right on it. This is the one thing I think this woman will somehow taunt him with from her grave.
“Why are you laughing?”
I stand up and give her a hug and a kiss on her head. “We love you, Mom. Our lives have never been boring. I’m going to get some eggnog, anyone else want some?”
Noah and Rory decline, but Mom passes me her glass to refill as they fill her in on our talk. Days like these are why we’ve always made sure to block out the holidays and family occasions from touring. As special and honoring as it is to be invited to awards shows, or to do private events for exorbitant amounts of money, there is nothing better than spending time with the people you love and who love you back.
Later in the evening, J shows up with a girl. I’ll admit I’m floored, not only because he brought someone he barely knows to Christmas but because they look like something is going on between them.
J is pretty open about his sex life, and with Tyler back in the picture, I thought for sure the next six months of J’s life would be owned by him. It might also be throwing me a bit that the way he looks at her is different, more like how he looks at Tyler. He’s got feelings for her. I’d always just assumed J would end up with a dude. His male-to-female ratio is high, but if he’s happy, I’m happy for him.
Someone knocks on the door again. Hopefully, it’s the pizza because I’m starving, and so are the munchkins.
“I got it.” When I get to the door, I open it cash in hand and am met with a snicker.
“Paying me to go away already, Weston? Damn, I thought you at least liked me,” Eli says with a cocky smirk.
“Sorry, man, I thought you were the pizza. Come on in. Who are you here for?” I already know the answer, but I want to hear his reply anyway.
“If you could get Mel, I’d appreciate it. I’ll only keep her for a minute.”
“Mel! This one is on you!” I call out.
As soon as Mel is in his sight, Eli darts past me and scoops her into his arms before spinning her around. Noah walks past them to stand next to me with a furrowed brow and a frown. I elbow him and mouth “be nice.” He rolls his eyes like a kid, but at least he stops frowning.
“You crazy, amazing, wonderful, thoughtful best friend of mine! You made me cry in front of everyone, but I fucking love you, woman! Your friendship is still the better gift though.”
Mel looks like she’s about to fall from dizziness when Eli sets her back on the floor. Once she’s braced herself against the wall, she smiles.
“I take it you got your gift.”
He pulls her close and hugs her again. Holy shit, I think Eli is crying. What in the world did she get him? Whatever it was, Noah’s present better beat the pants off of it.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for it to upset you, Eli,” Mel says sweetly.
Eli pushes her out to arm’s length and shakes his head, seemingly at a loss for words. When he finally does speak, it’s with awe. “I’m not upset. I’m so happy I could burst. Seriously, Mel, that gift is everything, and it means more to me than you could possibly imagine. I had to come thank you in person. I’m sorry for interrupting. My parents weren’t too happy about me ditching out, but I had to.”
“Damn, Mel, what did you give him?” Wyatt asks before Anna shushes him.
“All right, you guys, I’m sorry for interrupting your night. Amelia Triton, you have always been and always will be my all-time favorite person. Hold on to her, Weston, they don’t make them much better.”
Noah is beyond irritated, but when Eli turns his glance to Rory, I think he’s about to explode. I’m not sure what’s going on there, but I should warn Rory later Noah may be a problem for her if she hooks up with Watts.
As soon as Eli leaves, all eyes are on Mel. “It was nothing, you guys. I gave him a guitar.”
“Boy Band plays guitar?” Wyatt voices what the rest of us are wondering.
“He does, and he’s really good too. He learned from the best.”
That’s cool. I’d give up one of my nuts for a chance to jam with Joey Triton. For a chance to learn from him? I might give up both. My curiosity gets the best of me, and the next question is out of my mouth before I realize it. “What kind of guitar was it?”
“Does it matter?” she snaps as Noah and I lean back against the wall.
“Humor us,” Noah tells her.
“Fine. It was a 1934 Martin 000-45.”
Wyatt whistles, Noah looks hurt, and I’m mad. If she was going to give anyone that guitar, it should have been Noah. That is a great gift.
“Did you go home to get that?” Noah demands to know as Wyatt and I wonder aloud what home she’s talking about. As far as I know, she let her apartment go when she came on tour.
“No, Noah, I wouldn’t do that without you. I called one of the property managers and had them pack it up for Eli and send it to him. I don’t owe you an explanation, but I’ll give you one because I don’t have anything to hide.”
She pauses, and I’m not sure if it’s to control her anger or keep herself from crying, maybe both. “My dad taught Eli to play on that guitar. It was Dad’s favorite guitar and he took it everywhere with us. He always intended to give it to Eli one day. After he was gone, I didn’t think about it. Probably because I was so angry with Eli. When we started talking about the house the other day, I remembered. And since Eli did me a huge favor by going with me to get your present today, I figured I owed him one. This one just happened to be a long time coming. Giving Eli that guitar was the right thing to do, and none of you are going to make me feel bad about it.”
She storms off to the kitchen, leaving the three of us gaping behind her.
“What home, Noah?” I ask quietly.
“She still owns her parents’ house.”
Oh shit. I didn’t even think about that.
“Wow, I bet that would be hard to get rid of,” Wyatt muses. “You should go make things right, Noah. She didn’t do anything wrong.”
“I agree with Wyatt. They’re longtime friends. You can’t be mad about their history. She got shot over yours.”
Noah looks up at me like he can’t believe I just went there, and then he laughs. “You’re so fucking spot on with that one.”
He goes into the kitchen to make nice with Mel, and I head back to the living room to continue getting wasted. Allie and Jordan keep touching each other subtly, and I almost wonder if she’s just the person he needs to knock Tyler out of his system once and for all.
By the time the pizza arrives, we’re all starving. Other than Rob, I think everyone is drunk. We’re all spread around the kitchen having a great time when Saylor asks a very Saylor question.
“Uncle Noah?”
“Yes, ladybug?”
“My mommy says you’re going to make lots of babies with Amelia. Will they be my cousins?”
The quiet in the room is instant, and for some reason, the thought of them having kids makes me sad. It’s not something I’m even going to dwell on, and when Rob falls into a fit of uncontrollable laughter, I shake it off. The problem is, Princess saw the look on my face. Even worse, her expression didn’t look much different than what I imagine mine looked like. I can’t help but wonder what that means for Noah’s dreams of becoming a dad.
The rest of the evening passed in the blink of an eye. We did all the typical family stuff for Christmas—ate, drank, played games, got the cookies and milk and reindeer food set out. It was a perfect night. That is, until everyone went to bed. I got up to get some water, and Noah and Mel were doing their best to act out their favorite porn or something. It was painful to hear, and I can’t bring myself to go past their room again to get to mine.
“What are you doing?” Belle asks, padding to the refrigerator.
“Getting some water so I don’t wake up with a hangover. What are you doing?”
She pulls out the box of pizza and grabs a piece. “You mean aside from listening to my best friend getting fucked? Getting fat because my baby is a glutton.”
That makes me laugh, and talking to Belle helps keep the sound down.
“Yeah, maybe we need to soundproof the house. They’re obnoxious.”
“What they are is in heat. Mel is drunk because she’s far too reserved to make noises like that with a full house if she were sober.”
I down my water and toss the bottle into the recycling bin before grabbing another.
“As long as they’re happy, right?”
She hops up on one of the barstools and reaches for another slice of pizza. That baby must really be hungry.
“How about you, Sawyer? Are you happy?”
“I’m not unhappy.”
She looks at me skeptically. “Want to say that again with some conviction behind it?”
“You know, you were just supposed to come to a few shows, write a couple of blogs, and disappear into the night. How did you end up working your way into a friendship spot where you can ask me private questions at one in the morning?”
Belle smiles and reaches her hand across the island for a high-five. “Cause I’m smooth like that.”
“That must be it. To answer your question, I’m happy for them. I’ve got a lot of stuff going on, and for the first time ever, I think I’m finally okay with this whole retirement thing. Letting that go once and for all has lifted a huge burden I didn’t realize I was carrying around.”
She spins on her stool, opens the fridge, grabs some water, and spins back around. “You’re not the only one. I think Darren is feeling the same way. It’s funny how life changes in an instant, isn’t it?”
“Yup. I think it will be a whole new start for everyone when we get on the bus in January. Speaking of, did Noah get you and your mom sorted for Mel’s signing?”
She flashes me a beaming smile. “Oh my God, yes! She’s going to be so surprised, and Mama is over the moon that her boss is letting her extend her vacation so she can be there for Mel’s big day.”
When Noah mentioned it to Warren, they put their heads together and figured out how to move our schedule around so we could all make an appearance and then take the rest of the night off to celebrate. Warren seems to have a loyalty to Mel. I know it’s because of his relationship with Joey. I’m hoping one day he’ll sit us all down and tell us about it. In any case, it worked in our favor because we’re all able to go to Princess’s signing.
“I’m glad she’s going to have you guys there for her. We’ll all be there, too, but it’s not the same thing. Even my mom offered to fly in, but Noah told her no. He’s trying to break her in slowly since Mel’s so skittish about family.”
Belle turns and puts the pizza box back in the fridge. “That was sweet of her, and I think Mel would have been fine, but it’s never a bad idea to space out visits with the in-laws.”
Belle crinkles her nose, and now it’s my turn to interrogate her. “Not loving your future in-laws?”
She fiddles with the top of her water. “Darren’s parents are cool …”
I chuckle as it dawns on me. “You met the grandparents.”
“Yeah, I sure did.”
“They’re … inappropriate.”
“You mean racist?” she counters, and I nod in agreement.
“What did they say to you?”
“Psht, nothing I can’t handle. Our illegitimate, bi-racial, beautiful baby has muddied up the pristine lineage of their family even further. They don’t seem to understand why the men in their family have a penchant for women with … darker skin than their own.”
I’m full-on laughing now, and she joins in. Her imitation of Grams is perfect. “Did you have a response for that?”
“Oh I had a few, but the one that actually came out of my mouth was tamer than most. I told them that somewhere in their pristine lineage, someone neglected to teach the men it could be considered the height of bad manners to have unprotected sex in the first place.”
“No way!”
“Sure did, and when their wrinkly old faces puckered worse than if I’d stuck my finger up their asses, I told them this black woman has no problem correcting those manners in future generations to come. And if they’re set on keeping future generations on the whiter side, maybe they should try investing in some moisturizer because, unlike them, black don’t crack.”
“You’re my fucking hero right now, Belle, for real.” We’re laughing so hard Darren even comes out of his room.
Darren looks between us. “She told you about Grams, huh?”
I’m wheezing from laughing so hard and can only reply with a nod.
“Yeah, I’m not sure she was too happy about that, but it was incredible to witness. I think Grams will think twice next time before she says anything.”
I’ve finally composed myself enough to talk. “Was your mom there?”
“Oh yeah,” he says, grabbing a piece of pizza.
Belle snuggles into Darren before continuing. “When we were leaving, she hugged me and told me she wished she had put that biddy in her place years ago.”
Darren wraps his free arm over Belle’s shoulder. “Mom loves Belle. Dad looked like he was about to shit himself, but he texted me on the way home and said he was proud of us for sticking up for ourselves.”
“That’s the best story I’ve heard in a long time. You’ll have to tell Noah, he’ll get a kick out of it. And speaking of, it sounds like things might have died down in there. I’m going to go to bed and try to get some sleep before the girls wake up at the crack of dawn.”
Belle yawns. “Ugh, good point. I guess this will be a trial run so we can see what we’re in for. Night, Sawyer.”
“Night, you two.”