The Bird and the Worm

“So? What’s the verdict? Is she a Haner yet?”

Brian laughed, tugging me closer to him with his arm around my shoulders. “Yeah, we went to a Forever 21 store before she let us take her to a Hot Topic. She let us buy her some clothes, and she even listened to Nirvana.” Senior’s eyes widened. “Yeah. I know. Heather and I were surprised too.”

“Is she still out in the car or something?”

I shook my head. “No. She’s just waiting for one of us to call for her.” Turning my head over my shoulder, trying to see over Brian’s arm, I called, “McKenna, hon, get in here.” I turned my head back to look at Deb and Senior. “She actually looks like she’s related to you guys.”

She walked in, sliding the sunglasses from her eyes and striding in. She was dressed in the outfit we’d bought for her at Hot Topic- a Misfits baby doll tee, a pair of skinny black jeans, a pair of black and red Chuck Taylors, and an AFI wristband- and she flashed a smile to her parents as she came to a stop beside her brother. “Hey Dad,” she said, and she let Brian pull her to his other side.

“Wow. You do actually look like a Haner now.” Senior smiled, rising from the couch and rising to give his daughter a hug. “You look good, kiddo.”

“Um. Thanks, dad.” She hugged him back, awkwardly, and then they pulled back. “Can I, uh, go to my room now? I kinda need to jam to Joe…”She was a little hesitant, even dressed the way she was, about asking to listen to her music. “I mean, I’ll listen to the AFI CD Heather made me buy later, but, right now, I just…”

Senior nodded, and she dashed upstairs.

A few minutes later, we heard a Jonas Brothers power ballad, and Deb and Senior retreated to another room. They looked like they wanted to talk about something, and I wasn’t complaining about a chance for Brian to pull me close to his chest, wrapping his arms tight around my waist and my own arms sliding around his neck.

“I love you,” he said, and he ducked his head down so that he could press his lips to mine. “When we have kids, they won’t be listening to the crappy Jersey version of Green Day, right?”

“I’ll try to get any children we have into our kind of music, but y’know. A girl can only do so much.” He laughed softly at me, and then he kissed me again, giving me the chance to absorb the taste of his mouth (he’d popped a fruit-flavored mint or two about ten minutes before this) before pulling away. “I love you, Brian.”

He touched my face before returning his hand to my back. “Forever and ever, kid.”

His cell phone started ringing, and he sighed. I didn’t recognize the ringtone, so I couldn’t tell who it was. He reached into his pocket with one hand, one arm still around me, and then he pressed the green ‘answer/call’ button, holding the phone to his ear.

“Yeah?” A moment’s pause, and his hand ran up and down my back. “Oh. Hey Jimmy. What is it, man?” “Yeah, I’m at my parents’ house with Heather.” He was quiet long enough for three relaxed breaths. “Yeah, I knew Gina and Vengeance were together, what does that have to do with anything?” “What?” I looked up at him. He was blinking in surprise. Brian Haner was blinking in surprise. “Where did you find her?” “Why was she at the pier?”

“Brian?” I asked, a little worried. The tone of his voice wasn’t exactly promising.

“She was crying?” He sighed, and he offered me a half-smile before he pulled away, walking toward the stairs and sitting on a step, bowing his head and rifling a hand through his hair. “What does that have to do with me?” His voice was more subdued now. “Scars? What do you mean, scars?”

“Brian?” I stepped toward him, but he looked up at me and shook his head, so I sat on the couch, stunned, still watching him. The last female name I’d heard was Gina’s, and I was beginning to feel worried.

“Where are you now, man?” “Okay, well, should I take Heather home, or should she come with me?” His voice grew quiet again. “I thought that by…yeah, well, Val’s always been a bit worried about her, since the whole breakup thing with that guy…yeah, from that band.” “You said you’re at your place, right?” He was silent for a few moments, and I walked over to him, sitting beside him and resting my hand on his leg. “She’s right next to me now.”

“Brian what’s going on?”

“Hold on, Jimmy.” He pressed the phone to his chest and looked over at me. “Michelle was thinking about jumping off the Santa Monica pier today,” he said, and his voice sounded, well….I didn’t know what it sounded like. I knew he was worried, and I laced my hand tightly into his, trying to be supportive. He gave a small smile, and then he put the phone back to his ear. “Did she say why?”

There was a five-second silence, and it felt like forever. I knew I wasn’t supposed to like Michelle because of how she’d trashed the man that meant everything to me, but I knew that what she’d attempted to do today.

“Oh my...that’s just…that’s what she said?”

He sounded different now- more so than he ever had.

“We’ll be there in a few minutes, Jim. Thanks, I guess. Real lucky you were there.” “Yeah, see you in a few.” “Bye, Jim.” He sighed, closing his phone, and then he stuffed it back in his pocket. “We get to go to Jimmy’s house. Michelle had a ridiculous breakdown, and Matt is with Val, trying to keep her calm, so...we get to help.” I nodded. “Are you okay with this? I mean, with it being Michelle and all.”

“Yeah, I guess I have to be. Helping someone out, right?” He nodded, sighing, and we rose together.

“Mom? Dad?”

Deb and Senior appeared in the doorway.

“Something came up, so Heather and I are going to have to go over to Jimmy’s house to help out. We’ll come over soon, okay?” They nodded, and they each gave us both an awkward sort of hug. “Bye.”

We left the house, and as we got in the car, I looked over at Brian, my husband, trying to figure out why the woman he’d almost married didn’t understand that he didn’t want what she wanted anymore.

I kept my opinions quiet, though. I didn’t know how upset he would get.