Taste the Courage
eight.
“I thought you said today was going to relive all the stress from the past month, Bri!” Emma sighed as she began checking the list of things she made a few days prior.
Brian smiled and kissed his girlfriend’s cheek, “What’s not relaxing about spending the holidays with our friends in the Colorado Mountains? Dad and Suzy visit this place all the time, they finally ended up buying the cabin. Apparently Brent goes out there all the time.”
She popped out her hip in exaggeration and ran a hand through her hair, “Well… I feel like it might be due to the fact that Abe still hasn’t been enrolled in a school in the area, you’ve only given me like three days to pack for the three of us to be gone for a week, and knowing the boys, nothing is ever stress free.”
“You know I’m a big boy- I already packed my duffle.”
Emma raised an eyebrow, “Really? Then where did you put your gloves. I can’t fit mine in here,” She said pointing to the over flowing bag, “we might as well just keep them all together anyways.”
“Gloves, I uh... I’ll be right back.” The guitarist rushed out of the room only to be replaced by Abe.
“Hey mom, what time are we leaving?” He asked, not bothering to tear his eyes away from his new iPhone.
The boy’s mother stared at him in silence for a moment before answering, “When you talk to someone it’s polite to actually look at them… You should try it some time.”
“Sorry mom,” He looked up from his phone and slid it back into his pocket, “What time are we leaving?”
“Thank you and to answer your question, I don’t really know, sweetie. You have to ask Brian. I think he said something about Uncle Jimmy and Aunt Rachel coming to pick us up.” Emma explained folding her clothes remaining to be packed.
Abe left the room without anther word. Emma sat down on the bed in the room that she and Brian shared. A soft sigh slipped out between her lips as she zipped her bag shut. Ever since the court gave Emma full custody of her son back, it felt like every day he was drifting further and further away from her. Brian reentered the room with a handful of socks and a mind full of witty remarks to make to his girlfriend.
“Babe, I told you I wa-” The musician stopped himself before he made his remark, “what’s wrong?”
Emma looked up with tear rimmed eyes, “Was I wrong to pull Abe away from Max?”
Brian tossed his gloves on top of his duffle by the door and sat beside his girlfriend pulling her onto his lap. He tucked a few loose strands of hair behind her ear and pressed his lips to her temple. In his best effort to comfort Emma, Brian just continued to allow all the sweet nothings he could possibly think of flow out of his mouth. Before he got to the most important thing he wanted to say, there was a loud pounding on the door.
“KNOCK KNOCK! YOU GUYS BETTER NOT BE FUCKING IN THERE. WE’VE GOT A PLANE TO CATCH.”
Emma smiled and laughed as Brian wiped away the last few stray tears. She slid off Brian’s lap and tossed her bag over her shoulder heading towards the door. Brian followed suit and punched his best friend in the shoulder as he closed the bedroom door behind him.
“Ham’s in the car with Rach… dude hasn’t looked away from that phone since I busted through the front door.” Jimmy explained digging for his car keys as the trio walked outside, “I swear, kids these days, so caught up in all their stupid technology.”
“You are preaching to the choir my friend.” Brian laughed popping open the trunk.
▲▲▲
“Ma, wake up. The plane is about to land, you need to move your seat back up.” Abe mumbled ramming his chubby fingers into her rib cage.
She winced slightly and rubbed her eyes, “Ouch, honey that hurt.”
The seven year old rolled his eyes and pulled his phone out of his pocket, “Do you think I’ll get service in the mountains?”
“Ask me about that phone again and it’ll be mine.” Jimmy joked from the seat behind him.
The motley crew loaded off their plane into the cold Colorado airport. Baseball caps and sunglasses disguised the faces of the Avenged boys so that even the biggest fan would not be able to recognize them. As much as the band loved their fans, this vacation was to get away from all the attention and regroup. They split up into three shuttles on their way to the lodge.
While the boys carried the entire luggage from the shuttles to cabin with the help of all three drivers, Emma, Whitney, and all the rest of the girls hurried to get inside. Val immediately sat down with a piece of paper and pen. She and Rachel began assigning everyone rooms while Emma, Whit, and Mona- Johnny’s girlfriend, started preparing food for the savage beasts.
The rooms were split evenly- each couple got their own room. Abe had initially volunteered to sleep on the pull coach on the lower level before the group even left the runway. With stuffed bellies and a warm fire crackling, the party of ten all went off their separate ways for the night.
“Goodnight Abie.” Emma whispered pressing her lips to her son’s forehead, “I love you so much, honey.”
“Love you too, Mom.” He mumbled hiding his phone under the covers.
She shook her head as she tangled her fingers with Brian’s as they headed up the stairs to their room, “I swear, for seven years old that kid has the worst attitude I’ve ever seen.”
Brian laughed, “Trust me babe, you’ve got it easy compared to the way I was with my parents. God I was a fucking nightmare.”
“For some reason, I don’t doubt that.” Emma giggled as she felt her boyfriend’s eyes burning into her skin as she began peeling off her warm layers.
He continued to watch the ‘show’ going on before him as Emma continued to take of her leggings. He emitted a loud sigh when he watched her cover her legs back up with a pair of extremely baggy sweatpants which once belonged to him. Brian kicked off his jeans and slid beneath the covers beside Emma.
“Aren’t you going to be cold babe?” She asked feeling his bare arms wrap around her.
He shook his head and kissed her, “I wouldn’t be much of a man if I let a little chill defeat me.”
Emma rolled her eyes, “You’re ridiculous.” She smiled kissing back.
Back downstairs, Abe pulled his iPhone out from his sweatshirt pocket and began typing away on the screen sending his father a goodnight message. Knowing he wouldn’t get a reply, Abe sent the message anyway in the hopes of one day getting a response. Even though he barely knew his father, in the short time that they did spend together, Abe already loved him. He was willing to put aside the hatred he once had towards the man who had abandoned his mother and himself.
Abe had officially forgiven his father.
Brian smiled and kissed his girlfriend’s cheek, “What’s not relaxing about spending the holidays with our friends in the Colorado Mountains? Dad and Suzy visit this place all the time, they finally ended up buying the cabin. Apparently Brent goes out there all the time.”
She popped out her hip in exaggeration and ran a hand through her hair, “Well… I feel like it might be due to the fact that Abe still hasn’t been enrolled in a school in the area, you’ve only given me like three days to pack for the three of us to be gone for a week, and knowing the boys, nothing is ever stress free.”
“You know I’m a big boy- I already packed my duffle.”
Emma raised an eyebrow, “Really? Then where did you put your gloves. I can’t fit mine in here,” She said pointing to the over flowing bag, “we might as well just keep them all together anyways.”
“Gloves, I uh... I’ll be right back.” The guitarist rushed out of the room only to be replaced by Abe.
“Hey mom, what time are we leaving?” He asked, not bothering to tear his eyes away from his new iPhone.
The boy’s mother stared at him in silence for a moment before answering, “When you talk to someone it’s polite to actually look at them… You should try it some time.”
“Sorry mom,” He looked up from his phone and slid it back into his pocket, “What time are we leaving?”
“Thank you and to answer your question, I don’t really know, sweetie. You have to ask Brian. I think he said something about Uncle Jimmy and Aunt Rachel coming to pick us up.” Emma explained folding her clothes remaining to be packed.
Abe left the room without anther word. Emma sat down on the bed in the room that she and Brian shared. A soft sigh slipped out between her lips as she zipped her bag shut. Ever since the court gave Emma full custody of her son back, it felt like every day he was drifting further and further away from her. Brian reentered the room with a handful of socks and a mind full of witty remarks to make to his girlfriend.
“Babe, I told you I wa-” The musician stopped himself before he made his remark, “what’s wrong?”
Emma looked up with tear rimmed eyes, “Was I wrong to pull Abe away from Max?”
Brian tossed his gloves on top of his duffle by the door and sat beside his girlfriend pulling her onto his lap. He tucked a few loose strands of hair behind her ear and pressed his lips to her temple. In his best effort to comfort Emma, Brian just continued to allow all the sweet nothings he could possibly think of flow out of his mouth. Before he got to the most important thing he wanted to say, there was a loud pounding on the door.
“KNOCK KNOCK! YOU GUYS BETTER NOT BE FUCKING IN THERE. WE’VE GOT A PLANE TO CATCH.”
Emma smiled and laughed as Brian wiped away the last few stray tears. She slid off Brian’s lap and tossed her bag over her shoulder heading towards the door. Brian followed suit and punched his best friend in the shoulder as he closed the bedroom door behind him.
“Ham’s in the car with Rach… dude hasn’t looked away from that phone since I busted through the front door.” Jimmy explained digging for his car keys as the trio walked outside, “I swear, kids these days, so caught up in all their stupid technology.”
“You are preaching to the choir my friend.” Brian laughed popping open the trunk.
▲▲▲
“Ma, wake up. The plane is about to land, you need to move your seat back up.” Abe mumbled ramming his chubby fingers into her rib cage.
She winced slightly and rubbed her eyes, “Ouch, honey that hurt.”
The seven year old rolled his eyes and pulled his phone out of his pocket, “Do you think I’ll get service in the mountains?”
“Ask me about that phone again and it’ll be mine.” Jimmy joked from the seat behind him.
The motley crew loaded off their plane into the cold Colorado airport. Baseball caps and sunglasses disguised the faces of the Avenged boys so that even the biggest fan would not be able to recognize them. As much as the band loved their fans, this vacation was to get away from all the attention and regroup. They split up into three shuttles on their way to the lodge.
While the boys carried the entire luggage from the shuttles to cabin with the help of all three drivers, Emma, Whitney, and all the rest of the girls hurried to get inside. Val immediately sat down with a piece of paper and pen. She and Rachel began assigning everyone rooms while Emma, Whit, and Mona- Johnny’s girlfriend, started preparing food for the savage beasts.
The rooms were split evenly- each couple got their own room. Abe had initially volunteered to sleep on the pull coach on the lower level before the group even left the runway. With stuffed bellies and a warm fire crackling, the party of ten all went off their separate ways for the night.
“Goodnight Abie.” Emma whispered pressing her lips to her son’s forehead, “I love you so much, honey.”
“Love you too, Mom.” He mumbled hiding his phone under the covers.
She shook her head as she tangled her fingers with Brian’s as they headed up the stairs to their room, “I swear, for seven years old that kid has the worst attitude I’ve ever seen.”
Brian laughed, “Trust me babe, you’ve got it easy compared to the way I was with my parents. God I was a fucking nightmare.”
“For some reason, I don’t doubt that.” Emma giggled as she felt her boyfriend’s eyes burning into her skin as she began peeling off her warm layers.
He continued to watch the ‘show’ going on before him as Emma continued to take of her leggings. He emitted a loud sigh when he watched her cover her legs back up with a pair of extremely baggy sweatpants which once belonged to him. Brian kicked off his jeans and slid beneath the covers beside Emma.
“Aren’t you going to be cold babe?” She asked feeling his bare arms wrap around her.
He shook his head and kissed her, “I wouldn’t be much of a man if I let a little chill defeat me.”
Emma rolled her eyes, “You’re ridiculous.” She smiled kissing back.
Back downstairs, Abe pulled his iPhone out from his sweatshirt pocket and began typing away on the screen sending his father a goodnight message. Knowing he wouldn’t get a reply, Abe sent the message anyway in the hopes of one day getting a response. Even though he barely knew his father, in the short time that they did spend together, Abe already loved him. He was willing to put aside the hatred he once had towards the man who had abandoned his mother and himself.
Abe had officially forgiven his father.