Song of the Swallows

The drummer had spent a good amount of time with the lead guitarist, conjuring up lyrics as they shared a bottle of Merlot right down the middle. Jimmy wasn’t entirely drunk, but his clumsiness gave him the impression otherwise. He neared his soon-to-be wife, arms casing around her with the intent of wanting a hug.

“Hey, I missed you so much while I was gone today.” The tall male managed to plop down on the couch, Leana right upon his lap. It had been a day of serious dedication, and all he wanted was love from his woman. She was his entire world.

“Likewise, babe. I missed you too. Talked to Alexis today about the wedding colors, and she is so dead-set on sparkling stuff, along with things that aren’t very ‘Jimmy-like’, if that makes sense.” Leana felt the need to explain the details of her off-the-wall conversation with her sister, as many of their phone calls were enough to confuse her. Alexis surely had a creative mind, and it was very easy to tell.

“Oh yeah? Did you tell her about the whole thing regarding black, black, and more black? Blue is fine though. I really enjoy that color, along with purple.”

Jimmy propped his feet up on the coffee table before the couch, finding relaxation once again. His legs weren’t what they used to be, cramping and suffering through restlessness every now and then. It was more than likely the side effects to getting older, or perhaps that he was a drummer for a metal band.

“Of course I told her, silly. You know how she is. Blue and purple would actually look pretty good as accent colors to accompany black. I’ll be sure to let her know tomorrow when she gets done with work. Speaking of work, how did everything go today?”

“Oh you know, the usual. Got my drum fills done for the record. Originally I was going to hold off on that, but I felt like getting it all finished before the lyrics were set in stone. It’s pretty sick though, considering I went ape on this record. The kids are going to love it. Also threw in some stuff regarding Syn’s grandpa leaving this world, when it comes to lyrics. We kept singing this chorus over and over, but I think it’s a great progress to whatever it is he’s writing for the song. You’ll be hearing it soon, that I can promise you.”

Jimmy gently lifted her up, setting her down on the couch beside him, before standing to his feet. With a well-needed stretch getting out of the way, he strolled into the kitchen, looking for a quick snack to relieve his slight hunger.

“Baby, do we have any deli meat? Preferably ham? I’ve been dying for a ham and pepper jack sandwich.”

Leana felt the need to giggle, watching her love open the fridge and stick his head into it. Something as simple as that, made her heart flutter about in her chest. There was no doubt that he was the one for her.

“There should be some in the meat drawer. Thankfully I just picked up some pepper jack earlier tonight. Got you some spreads to dress up your sandwiches too.”

She watched as Jimmy pulled out a knife, along with the sliced ham, pepper jack cheese, and sandwich spread. He was always so intricate when it comes to making food, as if it were a hard task. Then again, he did label himself as a perfectionist. The way he’d quietly put it all together, was entirely adorable.

The drummer returned after a couple minutes, a plate in hand with part of his sandwich in the other. He was in mid-chew, eyes rolling back as his taste buds hit a new level of satisfaction.

“Mm! Fuck, this hits the spot! I’ve been wanting something like this, forever! This spread is godly too. Who would’ve thought that something made with hummus would make a great addition to an already delicious creation?! I ought to make this an official thing, and submit it as an idea!”

As he continued on about his new found food admiration, Leana approached him with a smile, resting an arm around his back, and a hand on his stomach. Regardless what anyone tried to say about Jimmy’s weight gain, it looked better than his earlier years of being ridiculously skinny. She wasn’t picky by any means, though. He could be one-hundred and ten pounds, or one-hundred and ninety, and she’d still love him the same.

“Getting a little chubby there, sir. Has someone been sneaking extra calories in the middle of the night?”

“You know me! Food is amazing! It does the body some serious good! Syn took a notice to it as well. I told him that it’s a perfect trophy for the plentiful amounts of beer and cuisine! Now I’m used to getting strange looks, but any stranger...and Syn’s face probably would’ve frozen solid. He has no idea where I manage to put all of what I consume! It’s great!”

There she went, laughing again. How was a person endowed with such a sense of humor? Something he was born with, that kept getting better as time went on? Whatever that answer was, it was such a good quality. Not everyone is able to please the world with laughter, but Jimmy truly had a gift.

“It’s great, just like you. Well, since you’re here now...I was actually meaning to take a shower, and would love for someone to join me-”

“You don’t have to tell me twice!”

All he could think to do, was shove the rest of his sandwich into his mouth, giving it a few good chews before swallowing it down. Whether it was fast or slow, he enjoyed it to the fullest. First food, and then a shower with his lover? Perfect.

“Last one in, has to use the animal shampoo!” Jimmy proclaimed with a high amount of triumph, stomping up the stairs to head into the bathroom.

“Wait, Jimmy! The animal shampoo isn’t for humans! It’s for the cat and rabbit!”

Leana followed in tow, a permanent toothy grin on her face. If it meant smelling like a freshly washed pet, at least it kept him entertained.