Living On A Prayer

A ringing sound woke Eloise from her afternoon nap on the couch. Rubbing her face, not fully processing that her front door bell was rung, she slowly sat up letting out a yawn. A second ringing snapped her out of her daze. Walking to the front door slightly confused as to who would be ringing her door bell, she sighed opening the door. Frozen with her hand on the door knob, Eloise stared at the spiked hair man in front of her.

“Brian, what are you doing here?” Eloise finally managed to get out.

“Um, I came to talk to you about something.” Brian admitted his hands stuffed into the front pockets of his jeans. He glanced up seeing that Eloise moved aside and gestured for him to enter. He stepped inside the house as she quietly shut the door behind her not wanting to wake James up.

“Can I get you anything to eat or drink?” Eloise asked leading Brian further into her house.

“No thanks. I just got done a lunch meeting with the bands manager.” Brian declined. He stood in the arch way looking around at the open floor plan of the kitchen, dining room, and living room.

“Alright, um have a seat.” Eloise said as she took a seat on the couch. Brian followed suit taking a seat on the other end of the couch. “So you were saying you wanted to talk about something?”

“Oh yeah, actually I was won—” He stopped talking when he heard a small cry. Looking around he noticed a baby monitor on the coffee table. Eloise gave him a small apologetic smile. He just waved her on. Biting his lip he looked down at his bare finger that use to be adorned with a silver band and sighed. He was more nervous then he’d ever been before.

“Sorry Brian, he’s teething so it wakes him up.” Eloise voice snapped Brian out of his little world. He looked up to see her struggling to hold the crying baby.

“Here, I’ll take him and you get what you need.” Brian offered standing up, not knowing where that came from. She hesitantly handed over James to the tattooed man before going into the kitchen.

Fishing the teething ring out of the freezer, Eloise glanced over her shoulder to see Brian cradling her son while he stroked James cheek. A smile taking over her features, Eloise rushed back to the living room and placed the ring into James mouth. “I can take him . . .”

“Nah it’s okay.” Brian said sitting back down his gaze not living the baby’s face. “He’s a cute kid.”

“He looks a lot like his father.” Eloise commented softly. Brian glanced up seeing a longing look on her face.

“Do you miss him?”

Eloise sighed as she played with her hands feeling where her wedding band used to be. “I do sometimes but, things happen. I accepted it a long time ago.”

“How do you just accept things?” Brian asked shifting James in his arms.

“Well, I went through my grieving then I realized I had something to live for and I couldn’t wallow in self pity. I had to think of my son.” Eloise explained.

“Well you’re doing a good job.” Brian commented as his gaze went back to James and noticed that he was falling asleep.

“So what was it you came over for Brian?” Eloise asked brining the subject back to the front.

“Oh right . . . well,” Brian cleared his throat. “Um I was—I was wondering if you . . . see we, the band, are doing a show Saturday at The LBC. I was—” Brian let out a little chuckle. “I’d kick my own ass if I saw a guy pussing out like this but,” Eloise let out a small laugh, still wondering what Brian was going on about. “So I’ll just get to the point, would you want to go to the show with me?”

“As in a date?” Eloise clarified.

“Yes as in a date. I’d pick you up, we’d go to sound check then I’ll take you out to eat then we’ll come back for the show and then I bring you home.” Brian sat there still cradling James waiting anxiously for Eloise’s answer.

“One condition,”

“Sure anything.”

Eloise gave him a smile. “Sunday, after the show, you have to come to church with me.”

“Uh . . . okay I will. I guess you’ll be out of your element and so now I will be.”

“Exactly,” Eloise stood up before slowly taking James from Brian’s arms. Brian watched as she disappeared behind the wall before he pulled his phone out. He felt like a teenage girl as he texted Matt.

She said yes!