‹ Prequel: Gin and Juice
Status: Finished {foREVer}
Rum and Coke
Angel in Disguise
As Ellie walked away, Brian was struck with inspiration. He sped to the studio and worked diligently on Danni’s song…a song that he hadn’t touched in over nineteen years. Brian couldn’t believe how easily the chords and words came to him. It was as if he had a tiny muse with him…his Ellie…his daughter. It felt so weird for Brian to think, let alone say, it aloud. He was so into writing that he completely lost track of time. He cursed himself when he finally did look at the clock and it was six in the morning. Brian quickly pulled all of his music together and threw himself into the car, driving like a bat out of hell all the way home.
The house was eerie when he entered. Michi was sitting on the couch, staring at the blue screen on the TV. Sightlessly, she looked at her husband. “Where have you been?” she asked in a cracked voice. Brian could see her puffy eyes and the mascara that blazed a trail down her cheeks.
“The studio,” he replied simply, sitting down next to her.
She scooted away from him, causing Brian’s heart to sink. “The entire night? I thought you didn’t have to mix anymore.”
“I didn’t. I was writing.”
“Brian…you told me that you wouldn’t…” She was close to tears.
“No, it’s not like that. I was just finishing a song that I started years before I made that promise,” Brian soothed, reaching a hand up to cup her cheek.
She turned away from him.
“Mich…Michelle…talk to me, baby. I want to know what’s wrong. What did I do to upset you?” He asked, withdrawing his hand.
“Where were you, Brian?” She asked him again.
“I already-”
“No, where were you before that? I know you too well.”
“I was in Santa Monica.”
She drew in a sharp breath.
“Now, before you jump to conclusions, let me explain. I went there to clear my head. Some things happened earlier and I needed to sort them out…so, I went to the beach…met Ellie there, and we talked.”
“How did that go?” Brian knew she was forcing herself to ask him that.
“It was good, all things considering. We came to a mutual agreement to get along. She’s quite a character.”
“Earlier- did it have something to do with Ellie?” She still hadn’t looked at her husband.
“Yes. I said some things that I shouldn’t have and I got forceful. Why am I the one getting interrogated? Last time I checked, it was a free country and I own this house….Are you…are you jealous? Of Ellie?”
She whipped her head around so fast, Brian surprised she didn’t get dizzy. “Of course I am not jealous of that child! Do you even know what day it is?! Of course, you don’t! You’re too busy with everything else…like always! Well, happy fucking anniversary to you to! If you need me, I’ll be at my sister’s. Bye.” She yelled before storming out of the house, making sure to slam the door behind her.
“I thought you two were finally finished with fighting.” A soft voice said from behind Brian. He whipped his head around to see his son staring down at him from the top of the stairs. “What was it about?”
“Don’t worry, Bri. Your mom was just in one of her moods again. She’ll be back home later. Go back to bed.” Brian told his son softly.
“No, not until you tell me what you were fighting over.” Bri said, descending the stairs.
“Brian, we weren’t fighting.”
“You were yelling.”
“That doesn’t mean we were fighting.”
Bri glared at his father as he walked past. “Whatever” Bri said, grabbing his coat and heading out the door.
“Where are you going?!” Brian yelled.
“Away from you.” He replied before slamming the door behind him.
“What the hell did I do?!” Brian screamed to the empty house. Bleu, his rescue dog, came slowly walking into the living room. He looked at Brian once before sneezing and walking away. “Great, even the dog’s against me now.” He grumbled, flopping on to the couch and turning on the TV. What a great start to the day, Brian thought miserably to himself.
The house was eerie when he entered. Michi was sitting on the couch, staring at the blue screen on the TV. Sightlessly, she looked at her husband. “Where have you been?” she asked in a cracked voice. Brian could see her puffy eyes and the mascara that blazed a trail down her cheeks.
“The studio,” he replied simply, sitting down next to her.
She scooted away from him, causing Brian’s heart to sink. “The entire night? I thought you didn’t have to mix anymore.”
“I didn’t. I was writing.”
“Brian…you told me that you wouldn’t…” She was close to tears.
“No, it’s not like that. I was just finishing a song that I started years before I made that promise,” Brian soothed, reaching a hand up to cup her cheek.
She turned away from him.
“Mich…Michelle…talk to me, baby. I want to know what’s wrong. What did I do to upset you?” He asked, withdrawing his hand.
“Where were you, Brian?” She asked him again.
“I already-”
“No, where were you before that? I know you too well.”
“I was in Santa Monica.”
She drew in a sharp breath.
“Now, before you jump to conclusions, let me explain. I went there to clear my head. Some things happened earlier and I needed to sort them out…so, I went to the beach…met Ellie there, and we talked.”
“How did that go?” Brian knew she was forcing herself to ask him that.
“It was good, all things considering. We came to a mutual agreement to get along. She’s quite a character.”
“Earlier- did it have something to do with Ellie?” She still hadn’t looked at her husband.
“Yes. I said some things that I shouldn’t have and I got forceful. Why am I the one getting interrogated? Last time I checked, it was a free country and I own this house….Are you…are you jealous? Of Ellie?”
She whipped her head around so fast, Brian surprised she didn’t get dizzy. “Of course I am not jealous of that child! Do you even know what day it is?! Of course, you don’t! You’re too busy with everything else…like always! Well, happy fucking anniversary to you to! If you need me, I’ll be at my sister’s. Bye.” She yelled before storming out of the house, making sure to slam the door behind her.
“I thought you two were finally finished with fighting.” A soft voice said from behind Brian. He whipped his head around to see his son staring down at him from the top of the stairs. “What was it about?”
“Don’t worry, Bri. Your mom was just in one of her moods again. She’ll be back home later. Go back to bed.” Brian told his son softly.
“No, not until you tell me what you were fighting over.” Bri said, descending the stairs.
“Brian, we weren’t fighting.”
“You were yelling.”
“That doesn’t mean we were fighting.”
Bri glared at his father as he walked past. “Whatever” Bri said, grabbing his coat and heading out the door.
“Where are you going?!” Brian yelled.
“Away from you.” He replied before slamming the door behind him.
“What the hell did I do?!” Brian screamed to the empty house. Bleu, his rescue dog, came slowly walking into the living room. He looked at Brian once before sneezing and walking away. “Great, even the dog’s against me now.” He grumbled, flopping on to the couch and turning on the TV. What a great start to the day, Brian thought miserably to himself.