She hadn’t left me, but why had she stayed? All I wanted was to grab her and hold her and make love to her but I needed to know if she stayed because of me or the job, and yet I was too much of a coward to ask.

After a long, hot shower, I climbed into bed. I tossed and turned for hours before I gave up and went to Gia. When I passed the clock on the microwave my heart stilled. It was four in the morning—the same time and day Deb was pronounced dead.

Asleep on the couch was Gia. She was here and whatever the emergency she had, she’d chosen me. I scooped her into my arms. She woke and curled into my chest.

“I’m so sorry Abel. I didn’t mean to hurt you.” She cupped my cheek and looked into my eyes. “I’d never hurt the ones I love.”

She loved me. She fucking loved me. My heart swelled with hope. I walked her back to our bedroom. Yes, our bedroom because I’d never be able to see it without her lying next me. Her writhing under my body. Her voice calling out my name when she climaxed. This was hers as much as mine. She brought warmth and life to it with just a smile.

“I’m sorry, Gia. I acted like a child. Once again, I let a woman down. Rather than ask you what your emergency was, I focused on how it would affect me. I’m so sorry.” I pulled her close to my body and held on like my life depended on touching her. “I don’t know how it happened, but over the last few weeks you worked your way into my damaged heart and started to heal it. I love you. I can’t imagine my life without you here. I was so damn wrong when I said I didn’t need a babysitter. It’s obvious I need you.”

We kissed for minutes before I realized that once again I was accepting what she was giving without thought to what she might need in this moment.

“What happened that made you need to leave? Let me help you figure it out. Let me get you a flight to wherever you need to be.”

She snuggled closer to me. “I need to be here.”

I ran my fingers over her back and breathed in her scent. I didn’t want her to leave, but I knew I had to be okay if she did. “Tell me what’s going on.”

She opened up about her father and his gambling debt. About how she took this job because she needed to pay off the loan sharks. She cried when she said she felt like she failed him. I understood that all too well.

What tonight taught me was that each of us have choices to make and we have to own them. Deb made her choice and it landed her in an early grave. My mother made her choice too. I had no idea where she was, but I imagined she wasn’t in the arms of the person she loved.

Gia’s father made a choice to gamble his life away, but I refused to let him gamble Gia’s future happiness away. She didn’t need to spend the rest of her life working off his debts. She was mine, and I’d take care of her, which meant I’d take care of him. In a round about way, I owed the man for making poor decisions because it was those choices that brought Gia into my life, and I’d be forever grateful.

I made sure Gia felt my love with every thrust and stroke that night. In the morning, I left her sleeping peacefully in our bed while I set out to right the wrongs and plan my future.

It was me who delivered breakfast that morning. Me who fed my beautiful woman pancakes while she laid naked between my sheets and me who entered her for the first time wearing nothing but a smile.

At the concert that night, I kissed her as I walked onto the stage. The crowd went wild when I appeared. The love of the fans was good, but the love of a woman was everything.

I’d hardly given the date much thought since this morning, but as I stood on the stage I realized that all that mattered was love.

I tapped the mic and quieted the audience.

“I wanted to start this off a little different tonight. As many of you know, I suffered a great loss three years ago when Deb Taylor passed away. I loved her but not how the press would like you to believe. She was a friend. A good friend.”

I looked to the stage left where Gia sat. She knew this was a tough day so she threw me a kiss.

“I blamed myself for years because I wasn’t there for her. I told myself I hadn’t done enough, I hadn’t loved her enough, but that wasn’t true. I loved her for all that she was. The problem was she didn’t love herself enough. So, I’m asking each one of you to love yourself enough to ask for help when you need it. Sex isn’t love.” The crowd erupted and I had to wait until they settled down. When they did, I continued. “Don’t get me wrong. It sure feels good, but filling your bed doesn’t equate to filling your heart.”

I looked at Gia who smiled. “Don’t believe everything you read in the papers but … if you happen to read that I fell in love with a beautiful woman named Gia Simone, I can tell you it’s the truth. Believe every fucking word of it.” I waved for Gia to join me and she shook her head. “My woman is shy but she’s sassy. Come here, Gia.” When she refused to budge I left the mic in the stand and went to her.

“Don’t you dare make me go out there.” She shook her head and gripped onto the seat of the stool. If she thought that would stop me from having her next to me, she was crazy. I picked her up, stool and all, and carried her to center stage.

She covered her face with her hands. I pulled them away and kissed her lips. “Stay with me?” I looked deep into her soulful eyes.

“Forever,” she said.

“I whipped up this song this afternoon when I was thinking about love.” The roadie ran my acoustic guitar and stool to me. I sat close to Gia. “This is for you, baby.”

I sang a song called “Yours to Love”. It was about hopes and dreams and my love for Gia. She sat next me in what I’d still call the second best seat in the house. When we got back to the bus I’d remind her of the best seat in the house and then I’d make love to her all the way to our next stop in New York where I’d put a ring on her finger and make her mine forever.