Lucky Ones

She glanced in her rearview mirror at the empty car seat and smiled. Her gaze cast a quick glance at the stop light, still red, then down at the scattered papers on her passenger seat. She grinned and silently egged the light to finally turn green. Thirteen seconds later it did. She moved as quickly as the speed limit permitted; cops were harsh in small towns.

The messy scrawl that littered the margins made her grin widen; that boy would be the death of her. She was more than grateful for her fiancé having a day off. She bopped her head along with the tune currently blasting from her tinny speakers; just five more minutes and she’d be there.

I’ve been wandering ‘round, but I still come back to you. In rain or shine you’ve stood by me girl. I’m happy, happy at home; you’re my best friend.

She grinned at the ring tone garbling through her tiny mobile speaker; it was somewhere in the mess that was her son’s play room. She heard it off to her left—the pirate ship? She sunk to her knees and reached behind the bookshelf and pulled out the odd shaped toy ship. The song was louder now—when had he gotten a hold of it?

She quickly reached in and snatched out her phone, smiling briefly at the name flashing across the screen. She pushed TALK and said hello. She shrieked at the responding voice.

“I need you! Can you come out three days from now? I don’t think I can do this!”

She chuckled at the exaggerated desperation in his voice.

“I’ll have to check with Daniel, mostly for Miles, but I’ll see what I can do.”

He squealed; one of the many things she adored about him.

“I love you, I love you, I love you!”

She put the car in park and stared out at the scenery before her; she missed the quiet of small town but she was a city girl at heart. She knew he’d be out back in the patch of field one could just lie down and get lost in.

Without bothering to glance in the mirror or any surface to check her reflection she climbed out. Clutching nothing but her keys she dashed across the street and walked around the small ranch styled home.

She searched for his always beanie clad head, ah, there he was. She slinked up to him, a smile spreading across her face as she approached. He was so lost in his music she thought—then again he usually was. She stopped a few footsteps behind him, letting him play.

“You’d better get over here, I can’t—the ending is what I’m having trouble with.”

He stopped playing but didn’t turn around; she watched his fingers clench around the neck frets. She walked up to him and sunk to her knees behind him, brining an arm up to his shoulder, the other slinking on his waist. She rested her chin on his shoulder and he finally turned to glance at her.

His brown eyes met her blue and they smiled that small little smile just for them.

“I’m glad you’re here…I, the other day wasn’t good…she um, she said…”

He sighed and turned away from her. She said no. That’s the only reason he called the way he did. She moved, wrapping her arms around his waist from behind and pecked his cheek.

“B, you’re amazing, any girl should be so lucky to have you.”

He smiled and nudged her head with his.

“You won’t have me.”

They grinned at each other. She shifted so they could press their foreheads together. She met his stare.

“We’re best friends B, we tried the whole something more bit. Heck, we’ve got the most beautiful boy from it, but we just don’t fit that way.”

He sighed, his breath fluttered across her lips; even just one year ago she’d have pressed forward—she knows it, they probably both would’ve. Without turning away he started moving his fingers. She recognized the tune immediately—it was her song.

She sat back, taking her arms with her, he stopped. He set the guitar down and turned to her, facing her head on. He reached out, cupping her cheek; she wasn’t sure why she was letting him. No, she did, it was the look in his eyes.

“B,” she sighed.

It was the look that the person on the receiving end know that they were unconditionally loved. She knew he loved her, always, just like she loved him. He nodded and dropped his hand.

“I’m sorry…I, I do this a lot…call on you when I need someone.”

She reached out, placing her hand on his arm; his eyes widened.

“B, I love you and I always will. You’re the father of my son, but you’re my best friend. You have to stop putting me 0—“

“I have to stop choosing you over them.”

The dejection in his voice made her ache in a way she thought she was long since over. She moved closer, reaching over and picking up his guitar and handing it to him. He took it and started strumming odd chords here and there. She leant forward and rested her chin on his shoulder once more. He laid his head on hers, she wrapped her arms around him, one on his shoulder, the other curled on his waist, her knuckles skimming the back of the guitar; she turned and found him looking at her and they shared a smile that was strictly theirs. They were going to be okay, they always were.