Nothing and Everything

“Conor, Hi! Janet, it’s so nice to see you. I’m so glad you two could make it.” Jeff’s eyes lit up as he saw Conor and his girlfriend walk slowly through the door of the new home he shared with his wife.

“It has! I’m just glad Janet let me out of the studio,” he said as she looked at him quizzically. “We’re working on some new tracks, and she wanted it to be... Ah, what was the word she used? Perfect.”

“Well you were singing rather flatly during the first hour of recording...” She posed with a sarcastic voice, although she was half serious, slinging an arm around Conor’s waist in the process. Their bodies collided with a soft sound, and for the first time since he had met Janet, Conor felt uncomfortable with what she was doing. He took her hand as lovingly as he could and placed it by her side, giving it a firm squeeze because Hayley said to do this whenever possible, but not too often. He created an excuse for keeping his hands to himself by taking off his coat and draping it over the right angle his arm formed, his elbow acting as the vertex.

“That’s Janet for you.” Jeff laughed and patted Conor on the back in welcome and sympathy. Janet informed her friend that she was going to go say hello to Hayley, and walked through the hall, into the dining room.

“So how was your honeymoon?” Conor smiled again, happy, but still wishing...

“Oh, it was incredible, Conor.” I wish we could make the trip again together, just us. I haven’t traveled with you in a while.”

Conor nodded. “If you’re serious, I definitely want to.” His friend smiled once again, a flash of determination in his eyes that read, we can talk about our plan later when my wife isn’t about give a second opinion.

“Hayley, Conor’s here.”

“Hey, Jeff,” Conor hald-whispered as Hayley approached them, “I don’t think I’ve ever seen Hayley more elated since you two met...”

Hayley glided over to her husband, a wine red apron draped across her modest frame. As soon as the garment met Conor’s eyes, they widened in shock, swiftly turning into surprised despair.

“I... Didn’t know you started cooking again, Hayley. That’s... Wonderful!” The sarcasm was seeping out of Conor’s voice like blood from a paper cut - blatant, yet not too intense.

“Oh of course, Conor. I would never wear an actual apron simply as a joke...” Hayley laughed as Conor kissed her cheek politely but abruptly as they threw their arms around each other the way any two friends would. “Don’t worry, the house is completely full of caterers...”

Conor smiled jokingly in appreciation, but he was more than glad that seeing Hayley in an apron was intended only for bringing shock to guests’ eyes.

Jeff took his friend’s coat willingly, and placed it on the nearby rack.

It was laid directly on top of a worn, black leather jacket that had been plaguing Conor’s mind ever since the wedding.

It was his.

All of a sudden, every dam Conor had built against the memories of Jasmine, complex trumpet riffs and scuffed leather shoes cascaded back into his mine like a waterfall, everlasting, impossible to escape.

“Oh, and by the way, guess who else is already here?” Jeff asked, cracking the cement of the silence between them.

Conor gazed into the nearly invisible space between the floorboards and nodded to himself. He wasn’t ready for this, but it would have to work somehow. “Gerard?” He asked rather meekly. However, his tone did not register with Jeff in the slightest.

“Well, actually, yeah, Gerard is here. I think he went into the kitchen... But I was going to say my mother! She heard about our dinner party and asked if she could come. Isn’t that strange? I mean, she flew all the way from Washington, just for this... Do you think she has important news? I’m really not sure whether to be worried or not.”

Jeff’s words spilled out quickly, causing him to stutter, pausing every few seconds to make sure he was on the right track. “Hey, I’m sure that for whatever reason she flew out here, it, it was for a good reason. Even if everything’s not okay when she does tell you, Jeff... We’re still here whenever you need us.” He locked eyes with his friend, assuring him that he would help him through whatever was about to happen.

“Conor, I-”

“Conor! I - Hey! It’s so good to see you again! I thought...” This was officially the evening of trailing off, mid-sentence....

“Hey,” Jeff greeted. He was happy to see his friend, but still apprehensive, still fidgeting, still lost.

“Gerard, hey. I, um, have to, go use the bathroom. I’ll be right back.” Conor managed, his increasing heartbeats immediately taking over his body as he walked away swiftly. Gerard frowned slightly, but he was still confident, it was still early, and the thought of giving up was still never going to be an option.