Open Your Eyes

“Goodnight Erin.”

Erin adjusted the black tote bag on her shoulder as she glanced back at the voice calling to her. A small fair skinned waitress with fiery red hair stood behind the counter of Mel's Diner, wearing the same uniform as the blonde she was bidding farewell to.

The waitress, who went by the name of Diana, had been the replacement hired for Lisa. She was young and inexperienced. Erin remembered having seen her walk across the brightly lit stage when she sat in the audience of Jon's graduation ceremony. Erin knew how hard it was to start off at a new job being fresh out of high school, so she had been kind enough to show Diana the ropes and give her tips on how to keep the customers happy. Luckily for Erin, Diana had been a quick learner.

“Night, Diana.” Erin smiled sweetly before she pushed the door of the diner open, letting the brisk night air shock her exposed legs. She wrapped the overly sized black hoodie tighter around herself as the breeze picked up and she made her way to her vehicle across the parking lot.

Upon getting inside her car, she tossed her bag onto the passenger seat but kept one hand inside as she dug around for her cellphone. Something that up until several months ago she had been vehemently against. Her mind had only been changed when she found out about Corinne's condition and the doctor insisted that Corinne have someone available at all times.

Erin was aware that with Jon in California going to school, she would be the only one around which meant she would have to get over her dislike for the cellular device. She quickly accepted the fact, knowing she needed to be able available should an emergency occur.

When her fingers wrapped around the small device, Erin pulled it out and let the bright light of the phone fill the small car. She punched in her password and was brought to the home screen, she was instantly informed that she had two missed calls and one new voice mail.

Erin mentally started panicking, thinking that she had missed an emergency call from Corinne but that panic was instantly put to rest as she saw it was merely Jon and another number she didn't recognize. She then opened her list of contacts and typed in the letter 'J' to easily get to Jon's number but as soon as she did so she was overcome with a familiar feeling of devastation.

The first name highlighted on her list of contacts was Jimmy. She hadn't had the heart to remove his name from her phone after his passing, nor had she deleted any of the random text messages he had sent her over the months they had been apart. She quickly exited out of the contacts list, and went back to the home page, being reminded she had a new voice mail.

Curious as to who left her a message, she called her voice mail and put in her password when the automated voice asked for it. She then brought the phone to her ear as her other hand rested lightly on the steering wheel, her fingers absentmindedly tapping against it as she waited.

A sweet feminine voice that Erin wasn't familiar with filled her ear. “Hello, this is Jenna Berry from Axis Interior Design in Newport Beach, California. I'm calling regarding Erin Listel. I received your portfolio, or at least some of it, a while back but didn't get a chance to take a look at it until a few days ago.”

Erin's brows furrowed at the news. She hadn't sent her designs or work to any design firms in the state of Nevada area, let alone firms in Newport Beach. The only work she had done were simple projects that were apart of the course she had enrolled in back in January at a small art college on the outskirts of Las Vegas.

It was currently early March and she hadn't actually done any large design jobs since her week long visit to California back in the beginning of December.

“You may be wondering why I'm calling.” The woman said with a hint of a laugh in her voice. “Your portfolio was sent in by Jimmy Sullivan in December. Apparently you did some work in his home and he sent in pictures of it, along with a highly praised recommendation letter about you. I have to say I was very impressed.” Erin felt her lips tug upwards at the accolades her work was being given.

“If you are interested the firm and I would like to fly you out here for a trial period as an intern designer, we're always looking for exciting young talent.” The woman who had introduced herself as Jenna, went on to ask her if she could make it out to California within the week and left the phone number and the name of her assistant to call to make arrangements. However, Erin didn't listen, she would go back later and write it all down.

Presently, all she could think about was Jimmy. It had been just over two months since he suddenly passed. She remembered Lisa calling the morose morning of December twenty-eighth. Luckily Erin hadn't been working that day so she got the call directly as opposed to hearing the horrible news over a voice mail.

She remembered the gut wrenching feeling in her stomach all too clearly as she came to the realization that another person in her life had come and gone unexpectedly. Lisa's usually upbeat voice was low and full of bitterness as she explained what Matt had told her, all the while Erin could hear Zacky harshly cursing in the background and an object made of glass shatter.

She brought the phone away from her ear and placed it gently on the passenger seat, next to her bag. Luckily her house wasn't far from the diner because she drove home in a daze. The entire way home the woman's voice looped over and over in Erin's mind specifically the part about Jimmy.

She felt herself smile wistfully, of course Jimmy would be the one to send in her work without her consent. It now made sense to her why he had propositioned her all those months ago.

”Jimmy?” Erin called, opening the front door to the drummer's home, she had knocked twice but hadn't gotten answer. She knew he was home due to the text message he had sent her a few minutes prior asking her to drive over from Zacky and Lisa's. Erin stepped into the foyer of the house, and carefully shut the door behind her.

“Goldilocks!” He shouted, his voice echoing through the foyer causing Erin to jump slightly. He grinned but didn't let her recover from her erratic heartbeat as he wrapped his arms around her from behind. He held her tight and lifted her up ever so slightly as he placed a soft kiss on the side of her blonde head.

“How's my favorite waitress?” He asked excitedly, returning her to her feet. Erin shook her head as she turned around to face him. She tried her best not to smile but upon seeing his grinning face, she failed miserably.

“I'm good, Jim. How are you?” She questioned, taking in his appearance. He looked a lot different than the last time she had seen him which had been just after they returned home from the European tour. His hair wasn't dark anymore, it was more of his natural brown color and his once clean shaven face was covered in a thick beard.

“Dude, I'm gonna head out. Thanks for showing me that new song. It's gonna be awesome.” Jon walked out from what Erin assumed was Jimmy's music room, with a bottle of water in one hand and drum sticks in the other. Her little brother stopped in his tracks upon seeing her standing next to Jimmy.

A dopy grin appeared on Jon's lips as he stepped closer. He quickly slipped the drum sticks in the back pocket of his jeans before he engulfed her in a brotherly hug. “When the hell did you get here?”

“A few hours ago.” Erin smiled as she pulled away, her eyes firmly set on her newly eighteen year old brother.

It had been just about two months since she had seen him and in that time his appearance had somewhat changed. His fair skin was now a golden brown color, which told her that when he wasn't studying, Jon probably spent lots of time at the beach surfing with the guys. His once short blonde hair was now much longer, giving him the typical California surfer boy look.

“But I'll be here for a week, so if you have somewhere to be I understand.” She insisted. Jon nodded, flashing a smile at Erin and clapped an appreciative hand on Jimmy's shoulder before leaving. Erin turned to Jimmy once Jon was gone, a curious look in her eye.

“How's Jon doing?” She inquired, knowing that her sibling was more likely to rant to Jimmy about any problems he might have been having at school rather than herself. Jon had known she had a lot on her plate with Corinne, work and attending her twice a week classes.

“Great.” Jimmy answered with a shrug. “Bri and I take him surfing every chance we get and he comes over to jam all the time. I like to refer to him as my protege.” Jimmy smiled, sounding somewhat like a proud older brother.

Erin smiled as she nodded her head. “So was there a reason you asked me to stop by?” She asked as her teeth bit her bottom lip softly.

“You mean other than to see your beautiful face?” Jimmy wrapped a long arm around her shoulders as he led them up the large staircase to the second level of his home. A light blush spread across her cheeks but it went unnoticed by the drummer.

“Now I know you're not an official designer yet but I have a project for you...” Erin flashed him a sideways glance as they reached the top of the stairs. He began to lead her towards a set of double french doors. “I want to surprise Leana by re-vamping the bedroom as an early Christmas present.”

“What are you wanting me to do?” Erin laughed as Jimmy ushered her into his master bedroom, a million ideas popped into her head of what she could do with the space but didn't want to get too far ahead of herself.

“Do whatever the fuck you want.” Jimmy smiled, his body bursting with excitement. “I trust you completely.”

Erin sighed heavily, giving him a weary look. “I'm going to hold you to those words if you hate it.”

She studied the room for a moment. The ceilings were high and vaulted, giving a larger feel to the space. The floors were carpeted which she wasn't a fan of so mostly likely her first plan of action was to make it hardwood or laminate, it all depended on what Jimmy felt comfortable spending. The rest of the room was somewhat plain, Jimmy being Jimmy she expected the walls to be a bright coat of blood red and or something equally as vibrant as his personality. She had imagined everything to be over the top and crazy, kind of like him. Instead, the walls were painted a sterile white, the carpet was an off white color which looked thoroughly trashed and stained, and his furniture didn't even match.

“Think you can handle the challenge?” Jimmy quirked an eyebrow at her then made a funny face.

Erin laughed softly. “I think I can.” She solidified her answer with a nod. “How are you going to surprise Leana if she lives here though?”

“She's gone to see her family for two weeks, since we spent Christmas with her family last year and it's my turn this year. So she wanted to see them before the holidays, she's gonna be back by the twelfth.” Jimmy absolutely lit up when he spoke about his wife, Erin felt a smile form on her lips.

Jimmy had proposed in Florence, Italy, after having a large breakfast at a cozy cafe by their hotel. Leana excitedly called her immediately after the fact even though Erin was nine hours behind them, in bed sleeping. Upon returning to California both Jimmy and Leana had decided they didn't want a large showy wedding, and instead decided to elope in Las Vegas. On their way up they had called Erin and asked her to be one of their witnesses and Leana's maid of honor, to which the blonde happily obliged.

“Well then we have a week to finish this. I think it's manageable.” She concluded, her hands on her hips. Jimmy gave her a timid smile, looking as if he were about to get yelled at.

“I should probably mention that I wanted to redo the en-suite bathroom and the living room by the front door too.” Erin's smile faded slightly. Three rooms in a week, one being a bathroom and another being a bedroom that looked like it belonged in a cheap motel was a difficult task. He was going give her high blood pressure with the amount of stress this job would cause her, but she couldn't say no to Jimmy.

“We'd better get started then.” Erin shook her head and Jimmy briskly wrapped her up in a hug. For the second time that day he lifted her off the ground, and with her firmly in his grasp, he spun her around until they were both too dizzy to stand up. Nothing but hysterical laughter filled the room for the next twenty minutes.

Erin lifted her foot off the gas as she pulled into the driveway of her two story home. She felt a few tears slide down her cheeks as her hand shut off the ignition and slipped the ring of her keys around her index finger.

Taking in a large breath, Erin wiped the tears from her cheeks and grabbed her belongings from the passenger seat. She quickly moved from the warm vehicle to the front door of her childhood home, calling out to her grandmother as soon as she stepped inside.

“Grandma?” Erin slipped her shoes off and headed down the hall towards the makeshift bedroom that had been set up for Corinne after her sudden relapse in January. Her grandmother, who was pushing seventy-three in a few months, legs had gotten significantly weaker, which prevented her from being able to climb the narrow and steep set of stairs that led to the bedrooms. Corinne had improved since her relapse but not enough for Erin to feel comfortable with letting her climb the old stairs by her lonesome.

Erin stepped into the living room to find Corinne sitting up in her bed. Corinne's glasses covered her eyes as she had the laptop, that Zacky and Lisa had bought Erin for her birthday, on her lap. Lisa told Erin over the phone that the laptop was for them to keep in contact easier even though Erin had insisted that she had little use for it otherwise.

The only time Erin found herself using the computer was when she checked her email for the video links Jimmy would send her from their shows overseas. It didn't go unnoticed by Erin that the videos heavily featured her lead guitarist ex-boyfriend, something which Jimmy assured it wasn't on purpose.

“Cruising the internet for something?” Erin asked casually, setting her work bag down on the floor then sat herself on the chair next to Corinne's bed. Corinne glanced up at Erin with a faint smile.

“I was looking up some local care facilities,” Corinne replied as she folded the laptop closed and removed the glasses from their spot on her nose.

Erin narrowed her eyes at Corinne before scoffing. “You don't need a care facility.” Erin reached down inside of her work bag to pull out Corinne's favorite meal that she had brought home from the diner. Corinne ignored the Styrofoam box being placed in her lap and kept her eyes focused on her granddaughter.

“I do if you're going to be in California working.” Erin's body promptly froze, only her eyes shifted up to look at the woman in front of her. “I heard the message, it's on the machine. By the look on your face I assume she called your cellphone too.” Corinne's expectant gaze caused Erin to shift in her seat.

Erin was aware that if she didn't respond somehow Corinne's heavy stare would remain set on her until she vocalized that Jenna had in fact contacted her mobile device. However, she was currently unable to get any words out so she settled with a meek nod. The news was still fresh in her mind and she hadn't yet had time to determine whether she'd accept the unforeseen offer. It all seemed like so much, so soon.

“There's a facility right near Spring Valley hospital, Dr. Saracen can keep an easy eye on me there.” Corinne continued as Erin's blue eyes look everywhere but at her grandmother. “You should go, it's a great opportunity.” Corinne's mouth curved into a half smile. “One that doesn't come around very often.” She finished by placing a gentle hand on top of Erin's.

Erin brought her gaze back to Corinne, seeing the hopeful look filling the hazel eyes before her. “But I'm not even close to being done school and I--” Corinne stuck up a hand to stop Erin mid sentence. Erin promptly closed her mouth as Corinne shook her head.

“If this Berry woman cared about that, wouldn't she have said something? James would've wanted you to do this.” Corinne's features softened at the mention of the late drummer. Since Jimmy's passing, Corinne had insisted to call him by the name his mother had given him, out of respect for him and his family.

“You can't say no to him.” Her direct gaze told Erin not to argue with her.

“You really know how to guilt someone into doing something don't you?” Erin half smiled jokingly before her face got serious once again. Corinne let out a soft chuckle. “I'm still not sure though.” Erin breathed warily, her blue eyes peered down at her hands that were folded neatly in her lap.

“Sweetie, you loved California. You were so happy there.” Corinne reached out a dainty hand, placing it just under her granddaughters chin, lifting it so their eyes were locked.

“Why are you so frightened to go back?” Corinne asked softly before the room fell silent for a few beats. The only sound was the old clock on the wall ticking faintly in the background. As she sat wrapped in the warm blankets of her bed, Corinne noticed Erin wringing her hands in her lap and her jaw clenched slightly.

“Are you scared of seeing him again and how it might make you feel?” Erin's entire body tensed at the question, giving Corinne the necessary confirmation without words. Even if Erin had decided to speak and tell her no, Corinne would've been able to tell the words were a lie. “I'm sure he'll be happy to see you again.”

Erin swallowed the lump forming in her throat and ignored Corinne's comforting words. Pushing the thoughts of Brian aside, Erin tried to focus on the decision she had to make.

She pondered it briefly before she slowly came to the realization that taking the job that Jimmy had fought so hard to get her, was the right thing to do. And if Erin wanted to honor her late friend, accepting the proposal was the first step in doing so. Erin reached into the pocket of the black hoodie that was draped around her body and pulled out her cellphone.

She searched for the desired contact and pressed call when the name appeared. Erin brought the phone to her ear as Corinne watched her curiously. Erin didn't speak until a familiar voice on the other end happily greeted her.

“Lisa?” Erin uttered, a wary smile crossed her lips. Corinne eyed her granddaughter with one eyebrow raised. Erin reached her free hand out to grasp Corinne's tenderly, staring straight at Corinne while she spoke. "It looks like I'm moving to California."

Upon hearing her admission, the girl on the other end proceeded to let out high pitched squeals of excitement and yelled for her fiance. Erin pulled the phone away from her ear, still able to comprehend what her best friend was saying but the risk of damaging her ear drum decreased significantly.

Erin laughed as Lisa continued to enthusiastically celebrate on the other end. With one hand lovingly grasping Erin's, Corinne brought her other one up to brush her fingertips softly along the side of the younger woman's face. She was happy that amidst all the tribulations within the past six months, Erin finally had an opportunity regain some happiness in her life.