Page 32 of Rim Shot Rebound

“Sure. Text me when you get home, okay?”

He watched until she got in her car and backed out of his driveway. Watching her leave, he realized just how tired he was of watching Kelsey drive off.

More than that, he was tired of saying goodbye to her. Tired of spending their days and nights apart. Tired of living completely separate lives.

And there was an easy solution to all of that.

 

* * * * *

 

After his Thursday morning lessons—two piano and one bass, all from the same homeschooling family—Eric left his bass safely locked in the practice room, then grabbed his keys and rushed to the front desk. Once again, Josh was sitting in.

“Considering a permanent position there?”

“Nah, just holding down the fort for a few minutes while Charlotte’s running late.” Josh nodded at the keys in Eric’s hand. “Taking an early lunch?”

“Kind of. Got a couple hours between lessons.” Normally he stuck around to practice in between, but today he had other plans.

“Kind of?” Josh asked.

He didn’t have time to get into everything, but he was dying to tell someone. If he told someone, it would be real. Then he’d have to follow through. No chickening out.

Eric dug in his pocket and pulled out the small black box. He held it in his palm, the shape and size giving away its contents.

Josh let out a long whistle. “You weren’t kidding about being for real. You nervous?”

Eric stuffed the box back in his pocket. “Trying not to be.”

In truth, he hadn’t slept more than an hour or two the night before. He had all the faith in the world in him and Kelsey. They could make it through anything. He just wasn’t as solid on the timing.

As much as he wanted to, he couldn’t rush earning her forgiveness or trust. And he’d long ago accepted that they couldn’t heal each other. But they could heal together. They didn’t have to be broken alone. And he didn’t want to wait another day to reassure her that he would be by her side no matter what. With all the uncertainty surrounding her pregnancy, he wanted her to be sure about him, that he was sincere and committed.

“Well, good luck, man.” Josh gave him a big, goofy grin. “Rooting for you guys.”

 

* * * * *

 

Eric stood outside the record store with a soda in each hand and a takeout bag of po-boys from their favorite shop. He’d texted her when he parked downtown, hoping to catch her before she took her usual walk to meet Natalie.

Kelsey exited the store only a minute or two after he got there, and he relaxed a little once she saw him and gave a bright, genuine smile. He could do this. This was Kelsey. He loved her. There was no question in his mind that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. All he had to do was tell her that. The rest was up to her.

He popped open the satsuma soda, a local concoction Kelsey had fallen in love with last year, and handed it to her.

“Thanks,” she said. “Want to eat at the park?”

“Sure.”

He tried to hold back his excitement. His plan all along had been to take her to the little park downtown that was around the corner and just a block away from her store. There was a splash pad for kids, lots of benches, and grassy areas for picnics. Local bands played at the gazebo-style stage every Friday in the spring and fall. The first gig the two of them had played together with Robin’s band was on this stage. It had been a typical kind of gig, nothing really out of the ordinary, but something about playing beside Kelsey had felt magical. He knew he was in love with her that day, right there on that stage.

They sat on the cement stage steps where they could see the rest of the park. He pulled her sandwich from the bag and handed it to her, then unwrapped his own. He asked how her morning was going at the store, and she asked him how his first lessons went, and they made small talk between bites.

It was a beautiful day. A downright perfect day for a proposal.

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