A guitar note explodes from the speakers and we all look to the stage to see Broken Bells almost ready to play, testing sound. “I love these guys,” I say to the group.

Sean nods next to me. “They’re incredible, but why aren’t you playing?”

I squint toward the stage, my shoulders hunched as I lean on my elbows like he’s doing. “Your mom asked me to. I told her I just wanted to spend time with you guys. She said she understood.” What I don’t confess is that my vocal chords are shot from when I heard about the crash. Some things I keep to myself.

Jack laughs. “She did?”

I grin and reach for my beer. “Yeah, she calmly patted my chest, turned away, and didn’t bring it up again. I think you’re going to notice a lot of changes around here.”

“I hope it doesn’t fade,” Jack admits with uncharacteristic feeling before he takes a sip from the pint in his hand, the condensation dripping down the side as the sweet amber ale slides into his mouth. He licks his lips and makes a loud, “AHHHH!!!!”

I can’t wipe this smile off my mouth. The only sour thing about this day is I have to keep my mind off Rue. She’s stunning me in her white sundress and it’s a challenge, but one I’m determined to meet. Keeping my mind off the subject of her wiggling toes, I ask, “So how did the submarine rescue you exactly?”

Rue pipes up, leaning forward excitedly, “Yeah! Did they position themselves under you guys and say, Swim down! Down here! Come on! We’ll catch you!”

Jenna is now sitting up, too, leaning on her knee. “Tell us everything!”

Jack and Sean share a look, remembering the harried night. Sean shakes his head and launches in, “I couldn’t believe we managed to get on the plane to get here, after what happened. I won’t lie when I say it felt safer because it was bigger, which makes no sense, because you’d think a huge hunk of metal flying through the air would need to be smaller to stay up. But still, it felt safer.”

Affirmative noises all around.

Jack continues, “And for the first time we enjoyed the public knowing who we were. There was so much enthusiasm for our surviving the crash, it was really moving. It got to both of us, huh Sean?” Sean nods, sucking on his lips. Jack acts out with his hands, “People hugged us and we were like, COME HERE! Hugging them back. Remember that lady?”

Sean smiles. “Yeah. A sweet woman who looked like a librarian grabbed our faces one at a time and kissed us on the lips. Not weird, but in a motherly way. SMACK! I’m so glad you boys made it! We were praying for you!”

I exhale, remembering the woman who held me at LAX.

Jack takes another sip from his beer, his finger held out on his free hand to tell us to wait so he can continue. “AHHHHH! DAMN THAT’S GOOD BEER! So when the sub pulled up, they sent out naked ladies to service us.”

Jenna and Rue both scream, “Shut UP!”

He laughs, shoulders shaking. “No. They shot out a line that had a harness on the end. One at a time, they hauled us in. Steve was first because he was wounded. Poor guy.”

Sean takes over, climbing onto the ground to sit next to Jack. “The pilot, you remember Terence?” Jenna and Rue nod. I don’t have to; they know I know Terence well. Great guy. Really glad he made it. Sean continues, “Well, he’d been in the military so he explained that a couple officers would be there with the rescue team, the strongest men in the crew. As we watched Steve get hauled into the cockpit, Terence told us there was a watertight retractable wall between the cockpit and the shaft to protect the hull of the sub.”

Jack adds, “That way water can splash into the cockpit, but not into the main part of the sub. And when it gets into the cockpit, they can get it out, mostly.”

Rapt, the girls both say, “Oh!”

I glance over to Rue, but her focus is on her brothers. A pang twists in my chest and I shove it away, focusing on the story by asking, “So what happened then?”

Sean picks it up. “Right, Terence said he wanted to go last, but Jack wouldn’t have it.” Jack looks down at the ground with a modesty uncommon for him as Sean plows forward, “Terence was really adamant about it, but Jack said, I don’t have a wife waiting for me. You go.” The girls stare at Jack with new eyes, and they’re not the only ones. Surprise tilts my head a little and my interest is back, full swing. “And of course, it was the same for me. He made me go before him. Fucking guy. When I was being pulled through that ice-cold water, I was crazy terrified a shark was going to grab me by the legs and tear me out of that thing. So close to being saved, you know your mind does funny things. So when I was safely pulled up over the sides of the cockpit by a couple of men larger than I’ve ever seen…”

“You got a hard-on?” Jack jokes.

I stifle a laugh as Sean grins and rolls his eyes. “Fucker. Well, I looked over and saw Jack all by himself on that little raft, the ocean surrounding him in every direction, and for the first time I could see what we’d been up against from a different vantage point, a different angle and it was intense. As they threw the line to Jack and it missed a couple times, it hit me hard how close we were to dying out there.” Emotions well up his eyes and he shakes them off, his tone shifting. “And Jack… you were really brave. He saved me and Steve.”

“Sean…” Jack says, bringing up his hand again with his gaze on the ground.

“No, let me tell them.” Sean pauses to swallow the lump in his throat. He takes a breath for strength and tells us all about the crash and the water coming into the plane, and how Jack came back for them. How they battled to get to the raft. How Jack found the co-pilot unconscious in the ocean.

Jack finally stops him. “Look, it’s a party. Let’s not talk about it anymore.” Sean nods. We’d all gotten caught up in it, but Jack’s right, it’s time to put it behind us so we can all heal from the pain we felt. Rue climbs off the chair and hugs Sean. His arms encircle her as Laney Turner walks up and interrupts.

“Well, aren’t you two the magic wonders of the elite world!” Descending upon us with two shorter men behind her, Laney beams that famous plastic smile with her greedy, gossip-starved eyes soaking in Rue and Sean’s hug as the two separate. The group looks up at her with gravity.

“Good to see you again, Laney,” Jack bobs his head up.

“And you!” She points a dragon-yellow painted nail at their sister. “After I ran into you at Boa, I wanted to interview you, but now I’m thinking if I could interview the three of you, the world would be so grateful.”

“But you wouldn’t be grateful at all,” Jack smirks, losing his normal flirtatious way he talks with her.

She notices, but lets it go over her head - eye on the goal. “So, can I pencil you in?”

Sean leans back and shrugs, also not playing the game anymore. “We’ll think about it. Oh, and…I’m gay.”

For once in her life, Laney is speechless.

“We’ll give you a call Laney. Good to see you,” Rue wiggles her fingers in a wave. Laney blinks a couple times and turns around, but then slaps her hands together. “Sean! You must love me!” Dancing off with the two guys in tow, she pulls out her phone.

“Did you want to make her year?” Jack asks, wryly.

Sean just grins. “Nah. I’ve been telling everyone.”

Broken Bells launches into October, one of my favorite songs of theirs, and people cheer all around the yard. The five of us sit and listen for a few songs, enjoying the privilege. At the fourth song, The High Road, Rue twists in her chair to look in the direction of the food trucks. “Have you guys tried the BBQ? I want to stay and listen, but I’m starving!”

I object loudly, “How can you be hungry with this song on? Come on!” She winks at me, knowing I’m only playing.

Jenna’s leaned back with her arms casually over her head. “Yep, when you were in talking with Mrs. Stone, I had some nibbles. The Thai is pretty good, but the pupusas were my favorites. I tried them all. ‘Cause that’s how I play it.”

Rue wrinkles her nose. “Poo poo what?”

Her friend leans toward her, long dark hair hanging toward the ground between the two chairs. “Pupusas! They’re Salvadorian. Like Pancakes but not. Beans and cheese inside. So good.”

“Is there avocado?” Rue asks, more interested by the second.

“There is. And salsa,” Jenna says in a tempting voice. “Mmmm… salsa and avocado.”

Rue leaps out of the chair. “Okay. You got me!”

Jenna laughs, leaning back, announcing to her male audience of three, “She’s a sucker for Mexican food. You guys should see her at my family’s parties. Never leaves the damn guacamole bowl until it’s gone. I had to hide it from her once.”

Laughing, Rue walks away, holding a finger up behind her. “I still can’t believe you did that to me. That was just mean!”

As Jenna calls without looking back, “Desperate times call for desperate measures. You were needed on the dance floor!” Jack jumps up to follow Rue. I watch him, wondering what he’s doing, and catch Sean looking at me.

“I’m glad you’re back,” I tell him.

Sean smiles. “Me, too. It’s good to see you.”

I make a happy noise and turn to the stage.