The Only One
The Only One
Chapter 24
Songs: Day Old Blues, by Kings of Leon
Crying, by Roy Orbison
Kissing You, by De’siree
You Can Leave Your Hat On, by Joe Cocker
You Are So Beautiful To Me, by Joe Cocker
Hard Times As We Go….We Know That Times Will Change
Stockholm.
They had a night off and went to explore the city a bit at their leisure.
Things have calmed down a bit since three days ago. No more shouting, no more throwing of things, no tears, so cursing, no begging. The breaking up was over and done with. Life had to go on. Besides, yesterday, cheers and screaming erupted among the Followills. “It’s a girl!” bellowed Nathan. Little Molly Belle Followill was born, Nacho and Sydney’s daughter.
Claire sat in a leather-upholstered booth in some swanky Stockholm lounge. Another hotel. Another city.
Truth be told, she was exhausted. How these boys did this, day in and day out, year after year, was beyond her. Since Rotterdam, they’ve already trawled through Belgium, Poland, Denmark and now Sweden. In less than a week. And tomorrow, they’d be off for T in the Park in the UK, followed by Oxegen in Ireland.
…While in Copenhagen, Caleb told her that the management wanted to produce a photo op for the inquiring public.
“And that means what?” she inquired cautiously.
“Means that they kind of want us to take a stroll with our ladies…” he explained. She didn’t answer. So he proceeded, carefully, “So I was thinking…”
“Is Lily available?” asked Claire.
“Well…she could make herself available, but…”
“Good.”
“Claire, one day you will have to show your face in public,” he reasoned. He didn’t want to get angry, because it was unfair to rattle her over this issue, but it annoyed him that she was so opposed to actually coming out as his girlfriend.
“My face is in public all the time,” she reminded him. “But listen, do you remember, a couple of years ago, someone snapped us together and posted the photo on one of the forums?”
“Yeah, I think so…”
“Well, let’s just say that while most people were nice and didn’t call me fat and ugly and gross, some did, for no apparent reason. So I just don’t see the need to go through that again and again. What’s the point?”
“The point is that I want to take a walk with my actual girlfriend,” he muttered, but didn’t press the issue.
Claire knew that this was a sore subject for him. But she also knew that he understood her position, and that’s why he kept his dissatisfaction chiefly to himself.
But he teased her,
“Maybe I’ll plant a wet one on Lily then!”
“You plant anything on or in Lily, you can kiss your balls goodbye,” she warned.
“While it’s been said that I was an awesome gymnast in high school, I am not that flexible to actually kiss my own balls.”
Whenever Caleb and Lily were seen in public, their physical connection rarely went beyond holding hands. He never even hugged her, and at award shows, if she were there, he’d give her an unimaginative, almost “brotherly” peck. There certainly were never any photos of them tonguing each other, like Nathan and Jessie. Claire joked and called Caleb “the worst actor ever!” He’d wave her away and mumble, “I can’t do it! It feels weird—I don’t want you to see anything inappropriate.”
“So, what are you going to do?” he asked.
“We’ll go sightseeing with Jackie. And we’ll have lunch and maybe flirt with cute Scandinavian boys,” she shrugged.
“Of course. Scandinavian boys,” he rolled his eyes and then spoke to her stomach, “all right son, I am leaving. You gotta take care of your mother now, and make sure that she keeps her morals. You are the man of the house—when I am not here.”
Later on, looking back at the “photo op” photos, Claire always felt some sadness. Alisa, who was sporting that big sparkler in the picture was actually out of the picture herself. The very next day, she was gone. Caleb’s and Lily’s stiffness with each other also looked pretty unnatural.
Strange times in the KOL family.
It was already late. They had slept in the afternoon, and came out in the evening, after the concert, for dinner and drinks and some nightlife.
“Hello my two loves!”
Caleb slid into the booth, and handed Claire a glass of pineapple juice.
She smiled and kissed him.
He pulled her close, wrapping his arm around his shoulders. A satisfied smile played on his lips. Her swollen breasts pushed into his arm and he loved the feeling, that bursting heaviness of them. He kissed Claire’s cheek, but then pulled back a bit and muttered,
“You are very pale. Are you tired?”
“I think a bit. But I think that everyone is tired…”
“Babe, you gotta take it easy. Don’t do anything.”
“Nothing at all?” she chuckled.
“I am serious! None of that work nonsense!”
“I hardly work anyway. I make some phone calls, play on my laptop, shake some hands. It’s not like I am a line cook at “Applebees”!”
He couldn’t help but laugh, as he rolled his eyes.
Then, seriously, he added,
“I still think that you should pretty much concentrate on the house…picking out couches and wall paint.”
“Whoa, I am shaking in my boots with excitement!”
Jared, newly unengaged, was drinking Champagne with Jackie at the bar. Matt’s done 10 shots in a row and was gone.
Jared glanced towards the booth where his older brothers and their women were sitting.
What a strange guy Caleb was. Neurotic, aggressive, driven, ridden with insecurities and OCD, always beating himself up for something, battling endless internal demons, stupid, yet brilliant in his own right…Jared could never quite get him. Every time he thought that he understood Caleb, the guy slipped through his mental fingers like an eel. Looking at him now though, it was clear that Caleb was in the right place. Physically, Caleb wanted for little, and there it was, next to him—Nathan and Claire. The only thing that was missing was Nacho. Those three comprised all that Caleb really ever needed. Give Caleb his guitar now, a bottle of something, turn some old country music on and transport him to his farm, and he would be happy as any clam.
What’s more, now, after three years, Jared finally understood what Claire saw in Caleb. They were basically the same person. That’s why they could never separate and this love of theirs was so compulsive. They’d fight, but the love, the essence was always there. Jared made a face. Fucking soul mates. Stupid shit like that shouldn’t even exist. Fairy tales. He wasn’t even jealous, truth be told. It was nice to have the ability to move on, to experience different people, different sensations, to like, hate, love, lust after new women. Being so obsessed with someone wasn’t an easy path to take in life. This endless mating of mind and spirit, the desire, the thoughts, the need—Jared could live very well without it. But he could see 30 years down the line, Caleb and Claire Followill, with their cooler and plastic chairs, sitting in front of the stage at some Oklahoma or Tennessee country fair, slapping their knees, listening to bluegrass music, happy as could be. They’d be singing along to every word: Caleb, fat and bearded, in a work shirt and overalls, and Claire, probably still willowy, but no longer as elegant, a mother to three or four children, and a grandmother to six.
Claire’s head rested on Caleb’s shoulder and he held it there, stroking her cheek.
“Good night,” he approved with a smile.
“Good crowd,” agreed Nathan, taking a long sip of his drink.
“But I couldn’t get a cold beer fast enough,” admitted Caleb. “You never know sometimes…It’s weird without Nacho. Doesn’t feel right.”
“Give Nacho some time to spend with his baby!” pleaded Jessie with a smile.
“Exactly,” agreed Claire. “He’ll be running like your bitch all over the stage soon enough!”
Caleb puffed his cheeks and chuckled.
“I want to see the baby!” exclaimed Nathan. “It will be forever before we’ll get the chance to see her! It sucks.”
It was late, but Claire ordered food—Swedish meatballs and mashed potatoes of all things, and soon everyone was picking the tasty treats of off her plate.
“Quit eating her food,” muttered Caleb, “you’ll leave my kid hungry!”
There was a pause in the air. Nathan and Jessie looked at each other, looked at Claire, looked at Caleb, as sauce dripped off their meatballs. At last Nathan roared deafeningly, startling the waiter, who almost fell over with a tray of drinks.
“I called it! I called it!” he shouted.
“Shut up!” hissed Caleb.
“I told you she was pregnant!” knowingly exclaimed Nathan, shaking his finger at Jessie.
“Can you please all be quiet,” proposed Claire. “No need for the whole world to know!”
“Oh my G-d, this is such good news!” smiled Jessie and reached to give Claire a hug. “Now I am jealous!”
Nathan grabbed her hand and said ferociously,
“Let’s go! Now!”
They all laughed.
“Hold your horses, eager guy!” paced him Jessie.
“When are you going to make an honest woman out of her?” inquired Nathan primly, “’bout time you put a ring on it?”
Caleb waved him away and said,
“It’s in the works. And by the way, why do you assume that it’s me? She is the one who doesn’t want to get married! I’d marry her tonight!”
“I do want to marry,” she argued, “it’s just unnecessary right now. I’ll marry you, I promise,” she stroked Caleb’s hand gently.
“So how far along are you?” interrupted Jessie, “I always thought we’d be pregnant together. You beat me to it! Ugh.”
“Almost three months.”
“Does mom know?” asked Nathan.
“Nobody knows. I’d like to keep it that way till it’s showing. I am superstitious,” Claire smiled.
“Yeah, sure. Understandable.”
“Have you decided on the names?”quickly asked Jessie with a smile.
Caleb ran his fingers through his hair and it stood up messily on top of his head. Claire laughed and smoothed it back down.
“Caleb is a little…frustrated with the names…But I think we’ve narrowed down the girls’ names.”
“Audrey,” said Caleb, “runners up are Isabella and Maya. I like Rose, but she doesn’t like it.”
“Oh, I love all three!” Jessie clapped with excitement.
Jared was watching the foursome from across the bar. There was some major excitement going on. Nathan ordered a bottle of Cristal for the table, and there was a lot of hooting and ahhhing coming from that corner.
“What’s going on there?” Jackie also noticed the animated reaction, the clapping and the squeals. Jared pursed his lips and shrugged.
“Ahhh, I don’t know. Those four always hang out together. They have their own secrets and stories.”
He assumed that the fuss was being made over Claire’s pregnancy. He wasn’t stupid and was very observant. He suspected that this was the case for a couple of months now, and by the looks of it, the big announcement was going to take place very soon. But he was not going to be the one to spill the secret. It annoyed him, though, not to be included on it.
They walked back to the hotel. It was a mild night and there were a lot of people outside, shopping and eating. Caleb bought the two of them ice cream cones.
“Sorry…I didn’t mean for it to slip out like that,” he apologized.
She shrugged and took his hands.
“Can’t keep it a secret forever. I am impressed that you’ve held out this long!”
He chuckled.
“Because I am a blabber mouth?”
“With Nate you are.”
They walked slowly, looking at store windows and people, who strolled leisurely beside them. Suddenly, Claire stopped and turned to him.
“What?” he asked.
She didn’t answer at first, but threw her arms around his neck and kissed him deeply.
“I love you so very much. You have no idea,” she admitted breathlessly.
In the still of the night, Claire woke up.
She lay unmoving in darkness. Caleb was breathing evenly next to her. A couple of years ago he’d grind his teeth in his sleep. He actually had to wear a mouth guard. He’s calmed down since then.
It was almost 4am. They had an early wakeup call—they would be flying to Scotland, for T In The Park in the morning.
Caleb’s hand felt warm and heavy on her stomach. When they returned to their rooms after the late dinner, she went to change for bed and he watched her from the bedroom.
“Your belly is beginning to pop a bit,” he announced happily, a wide smile on his face.
“Yeah, I think so too,” she agreed, patting her stomach.
He thought for a moment and then said,
“Isn’t it weird? I pork you one time, and we get a baby!”
She couldn’t help it and laughed.
“Eloquent as ever. You “pork” me?”
“Well, you know…”Make love” to you. Is that better?”
…She knew that something was wrong before it even came about. It was like a cold, slimy thing in the pit of her stomach, scratching. She got up to go to the bathroom and didn’t turn on the light. But it was there. She felt it—the wetness, warm and sticky, on her pajama pants.
Light went on in the bedroom.
“Caleb,” she called.
“Claire! Jesus…Claire,” there was panic in his voice and in the next moment he rushed through the bathroom door.
The light blinded her momentarily, but her eyes didn’t hurt because of the light, but because of the tears.
“Caleb, it’s over,” she wept, as dry sobs raked her chest.
“No, no, no,” he slid on his knees in front of her, feverishly tugging on her legs, “no. It can’t be. All right, all right,” he was thinking, his movements erratic, “come, sit down,”
But she bowed over with a most intense abdominal pain she’s ever experience. If he hadn’t caught her in his arms, she would’ve collapsed on the stone floor.
He picked her up and carried her to the bedroom.
She clutched at him, sobbing loudly—not from pain, but from the loss.
He kissed her and laid her on the bed.
Caleb came through for her that night. That insane discipline that he had, the stoic silence, they all were revealed at once. He called downstairs for help, went to wake up Nathan and explained what was going on. Then he closed the door and stayed with Claire. She was bleeding heavily, crouching in a fetal position on the bed. He had to go and get her new towels from the bathroom to somehow mop up the blood, while the two of them waited for the ambulance. There was nothing to say.
At the hospital, all Claire remembered was that the name of blonde nurse who held her hand the entire time that she was losing her baby, was Annika.
…The brightness of the sun was dimmed by the cheap plastic shades.
The doctors had given her sedatives for the pain and she had fallen asleep.
Caleb was standing in front of the window, arms crossed on his chest.
She didn’t want to, but she couldn’t speak—the moment she mouthed his name, a wretched sob escaped her chest.
He didn’t say anything, but reached her hospital bed in one stride and hugged her gently.
“Don’t cry,” he whispered.
She cried. He rocked her against his body, until she couldn’t cry anymore. Everything was hurting her at once.
“Claire, my love, my darling, don’t cry…Shhhhh.”
“Caleb, do you still love me? Even a little bit?” she sobbed.
“Come on now,” he stroked her head. “Come,” lifting her swollen, wet face up he kissed her tenderly. “I will always love you. Nothing will ever change that. Here, drink a little bit, or you’ll completely lose your voice,” he held a glass of water to her lips and she gulped it down almost instantly.
Caleb looked about 45. His beard made him look older, but right now, his whole face sunk and he resembled an old man. She reminded herself that while she could weep and wallow in her grief, he had to remain strong for her, as well as for himself. It could not be easy, to shoulder the burdens of loss, as well as support. She wiped her eyes with shaking hands.
“There you go,” he encouraged her lightly.
“Did they say…say…” she couldn’t formulate what she wanted to ask. She didn’t even know what she wanted to know.
“They said that you’ll fully recover and we can have as many children as we want. That’s what they said.”
“Yes?”
“Yes,” he nodded.
She didn’t even think to ask of the future, since she was only thinking of the past.
Caleb put his cheek on her chest and wrapped his arm around her, wiping her face with his hand.
“Don’t cry, okay?” he begged.
She looked at him and nodded.
“You are such a good man. I hope that you know that.”
He took her hand and pressed it to his lips.
“I am sorry it happened…especially here,” he said, “in Sweden…far away from home.”
“They are very nice here, and they speak English…”
“It’s not what I mean,”
“I know. But what could my mom or BettyAnn do really? You are here, that’s all I needed. What time is it? When are you leaving?”
He looked at her with confusion and said,
“I think it’s around 10:30…I am not going anywhere. What are you talking about?”
“Don’t you have T In The Park?”
“Well, yeah…but I am not going to Scotland now! Not with you here, in the hospital.”
She stroked his cheek and said, “you should go.”
“What are you, nuts?” he demanded and raised his head.
She gently pushed it back on her chest and stroked his beard.
“Don’t make people unhappy. They’ve waited, they’ve spent a bunch of money, they’ve travelled. Some of them live for this moment. I am lucky, because I have you every day. They have you for 2 hours, maybe once a year. Maybe once every two years. You owe them.”
“Claire, I can’t and I don’t want to leave you. Isn’t losing a…” he paused and couldn’t continue. She stroked his head, biting her lip until she tasted blood. She didn’t want to start crying again.
“Isn’t it enough of a reason?” he asked at last.
“Sometimes, we don’t have the luxury of being our own people. Please, my love,” she pleaded softly, “don’t add more sadness to this day. Go. Take your mind off things a little.”
“Claire…I can’t. It seems so trivial and ridiculous right now. “Your Sex Is On Fire”? what the fuck? I should be singing that mumbo jumbo tonight?”
She smiled.
“I think it’s cute. Think of me giving you head, if it helps.’
He chuckled weakly.
“Not sure if it’s on my mind right now.”
The door opened and a doctor came in.
“Fru Followill, how are you feeling?” he inquired.
“Okay, all things considered.”
“I’d like to examine you. If there are no complications, we can release you later today.”
Caleb gave her a kiss and said, “I’ll go take care of the bill.”
The doctor was nice. He wasn’t too intrusive, and once he was finished, he told her, “I am sorry for your loss.”
It meant a lot.
“Hey, my little Fru,” Caleb returned with cake and coffee. “Fru Followill, no less. Here,” he handed her the plate with the cake and a coffee.
She smiled.
“Thank you.”
“I like “Fru”. New nickname?” he winked at her.
“No, no “Fru”. You can call me “Missus”, but no “Fru”.”
He shook his head and muttered, “shame”. He sat on the bed with her and it was what she needed. She wanted to have him next to her, touch the warmth of his body. Her abdomen, hips and all the way down her thighs were semi-frozen with pain killers. So that coldness that she felt during the night was still present. Caleb was warm and firm, and he helped her sit up. She balanced her plate on his knee and forked her cake. There wasn’t much appetite to be had.
“I won’t go, if you don’t want me to,” he said again.
“I want you to go,” she insisted and kissed his hand. “Play the concert and by the time you are back, I’ll be there. All right?”
“Don’t fly anywhere if you aren’t ready!” he warned.
“I promise.”
“Jess will stay with you. Do you want anyone else to stay?”
“No, no. I am sure we’ll be fine.”
“A car will come and pick you up, drive you to the airport, first class to Scotland—make sure to lie down on the plane, and then a car will drive you to the hotel. And go to bed right away.”
“You worry too much,” she said.
Suddenly, Caleb got up swiftly and walked to the window.
She looked up at him, wondering what was going on.
He didn’t say anything for a long time. When he turned around, she saw that his eyes were red.
“When I saw it…” he muttered so quietly, she could barely hear him, because his voice was so hoarse and strangled, “all the blood…When I saw it, I didn’t think of the baby…” he wiped his eyes with the back of his hand. “I didn’t think of it at all. I only thought that something would happen to you and you’d be gone and I wouldn’t have you.”
She reached for him, making a move to get up, but he came to the bed and lay at her side.
“It’s not right,” he said, “to be so selfish and to think only of myself. But I couldn’t stand the thought of losing you. Not even for a moment. I didn’t care about anything or anyone. I just didn’t want to lose you.”
Usually during festivals, the band stayed on festival grounds. They stayed for a few days, hung out with other artists, enjoyed listening to bands, misbehaved in a variety of ways and generally had a good time.
Tonight, as soon as the concert was over, Caleb was on his way to the hotel.
No one spoke to him.
The only thing that Nathan said was that Jessie texted and said that she and Claire had arrived.
Caleb used the back entrance into the hotel, so to avoid eager fans who often waited for him in lobbies. He went through the kitchen and up to his floor on the service elevator.
His suite was dark, with only one table lamp illuminating the vast room. He tiptoed to the bedroom, but found it empty, the bed untouched. Instantly, he was alarmed, his heart beating wildly in his chest. He strode back to the salon and then heard Claire’s voice.
“I am here, my love.”
At last he noticed her, a lonely figure, curled up on an ottoman, behind the dining table. She lay there, wrapped, he noticed, in his black cardigan, looking outside the enormous window.
“I am sorry, were you sleeping?” he asked.
She shook her head.
“It’s such a pretty view…” she murmured.
“Have you eaten?” he asked, concerned.
“A little.”
He took off his jacket and scarf.
“Come, lay with me,” she invited.
He suddenly felt unbearably tired. He felt like he was carrying the weight of 100 years on his back. He shuffled to the ottoman and lay against her legs, putting his face on her stomach. She winced a bit, and he noticed.
“Oh, sorry…”
“No,” she put her hand on his head and held it to her stomach.
“You want me to order food?” she asked.
“No. I am not hungry.”
He closed his eyes and pressed her hand to his face.
“Lebby, you look so tired,” she whispered sadly. “It’s so sad for me to see, my love. I am sorry.”
“It’s all right, Claire-bear. How are you? Are you in pain?”
“I’ll be okay. Don’t worry about me.”
He closed his eyes and sighed. Her sad, bearded, pale, drawn, exhausted man. She loved him so much, her heart actually hurt. She held him close to her hollow stomach and stroked his cheek slowly. His eyes were closed and she thought that he had fallen asleep. His voice was hoarse lately and he’s been swallowing throat pills and trying to talk less and less. He turned and pushed his face into her belly.
“Sleep, honey,” she murmured.
“I’ve destroyed Mabel,” he muttered.
She was quiet for a moment, then asked him,
“What?”
Now he was silent.
“I destroyed Mabel. My guitar,”
“I know what Mabel is!” she interrupted him. “I named her! What do you mean you destroyed her?”
He shook his head, in shame and sorrow.
“I don’t know what happened…The concert was going okay—the sound was off, but it wasn’t bad. And then…” he began to cry, sad, slow tears wetting her stomach, “I…I don’t know…I realized that it was over. That the baby won’t be born. Ever. And I couldn’t deal with it.”
He wiped his tears. She couldn’t say anything. She could hardly breathe. But as hard as it was to watch him weep, it was also good to see him open up about the event, rather than hold everything inside and grieve in silence.
He held her over the hips, like a little boy and cry, unabashedly.
“I loved the baby. It didn’t matter if it was a boy or a girl. I wanted it so badly. I am sorry,” he gulped and rubbed his eyes, “you are the one who’s gone through the hardest part…and I am fucking falling apart here…Sorry…”
“Can you salvage it?” she inquired. The news broke her heart. “Mabel”, Caleb’s guitar was the voice of the band, just as much as his own voice was the defining instrument of Kings of Leon. TO have him use another guitar was unthinkable.
He shrugged,
“I don’t know. I don’t know anything. I gave to Nacho whatever is left of it…The body is okay, I think. The neck is broken.
“I feel like everything is falling apart…I don’t know. I didn’t want any of this stupid fame, I didn’t…”
“Shhhh,” she lifted his head and he moved over her. She took his face in her hands and kissed him.
“Claire…Will we be okay? Tell me something good…” he begged, caressing her hair and her neck with the tips of his fingers.
“We’ll be all right, Lebby. You gotta survive even if it kills you.”
Jared was upset about the loss of the baby. He never even “officially” knew about it, but once it happened, and there was the hospital stay and the guitar breaking, it wasn’t a secret anymore. Over the years, it kind of began to view Claire as a friend, and just an overall beneficial addition to their tight knit group. In some ways, he also knew that if it weren’t for her, the band wouldn’t have survived. Caleb would’ve self-destructed, others would’ve been left without the main song writer and a singer. It would’ve been a short lived affair. Then Claire came into the picture, and actually straightened his crazy son of a bitch brother out. Not to say that Caleb was entirely normal and grounded even now, but he was a lot better than even three years ago.
Now, Jared was hoping that with Claire pregnant, Caleb marrying her and getting that piece of mind that he was always after, as well as additional responsibility, things would be hunky-dory. But the baby was lost, and he got worried again. The miscarriage could’ve been a catalyst for some insane behavior on the part of his brother. But…Nothing dramatic happened. After Ireland, and a few other European dates, they returned to the US.
There were a few weeks to decompress.
It was good to be back home.
Caleb didn’t really have a place to live. So much for being a rock star. Jessie and Nathan lived in Nashville and were building a new house. Jared finally settled on a massive palatial estate that cost almost two million dollars. He still had his large house near Matt and Nathan, but he was eyeing something bigger and better. He finally settled on a stylish and very massive place in an older, quaint neighborhood. Claire sealed the deal, when she exclaimed, “I would absolutely buy here! It’s such a lovely neighbourhood!” Jared liked hearing that and the deal went ahead.
Caleb ended up moving in with Claire, into her two bedroom condo.
“I’ll buy something bigger!” he kept promising, “I just need to find it.”
“Honey, I really don’t care about that,” assured him Claire.
“Well, I am sure you’d want something more impressive…”
“I am perfectly fine—you have no clothes and you have nice cookery stuff. It should work out perfectly!”
He laughed and laughed.
“That’s all it takes?” he finally asked.
“Well, according to my grandma, the secrets to a good relationship and a marriage are as follows: eating together, having some common interests, having a laugh and liking each other in bed.”
“Grandmas are wise women.”
“Oh, and a good relationship and true love, do not, by the way include, women slapping men, and men slapping women back.”
She stuck her tongue out at him and he shook his head.
“I kind of feeling like slapping something of yours right now!” he warned.
They settled in very quickly and fairly seamlessly.
It wasn’t a long break, only 2.5-3 weeks, before the band was scheduled to headline Lollapalooza, but every little bit of time and “home” mattered.
Caleb did almost all of the cooking, since it was something he enjoyed, and Claire’s specialty was baking anyway. He did all the cleaning, because as he quickly found out, Claire really sucked at cleaning, became irritable and snappy when she did it, and at the end of the day, he still had to finish up and do things himself. No wonder she’s always had a cleaning woman. And she’s only vaguely knew how to do laundry. She could operate the machines, but nothing in a way of separating colors, delicates and the like—apparently, Mrs. Prendergast always took care of laundry for her children.
“Freakin’ trust fund babies,” would mutter Caleb, as he headed to the cleaners.
“Hey, if you want it cleaned, I can clean it for you. If you want it cleaned in some special way, you are on your own,” announced Claire.
They lived very well together.
November finally arrived.
The tour was over. The last show they played was in Abu Dhabi, which was a little odd. The guys worried about lack of booze, since it was a Muslim country. They didn’t have to be concerned, and Caleb even did a Tequila shot on stage. And then, it was back home at last, and right into showers, bachelor parties and weddings.
Matt and Johanna, defying all tradition and giving a big “fuck you” to superstitions and bad luck decided to have their wedding Friday the 13th. It wasn’t going to be a big thing, and they weren’t looking to overshadow Nathan and Jessie’s wedding, which was the following day. Nathan and Jessie were planning a much bigger affair, on a big farm in Brentwood.
“Hey, what are you doing here?”
“Hey! What are you doing here?”
Claire was just opening the door to her parents’ house, when Caleb exited and bumped into her.
“Well, I am picking up my outfit for Jessie’s party,” explained Claire, still confused. “Wait, what are you doing here?”
“Nothing…Just invited your dad for a round of poker. You are so nosy! I don’t ask you why you hang out with my mom and what y’all do together!”
“We get manis and pedis and go shopping,” she answered. “But I am friends with your mother…and I didn’t know that you were friends with my dad.”
“Well, we are friends.”
He cupped her face and then kissed her.
He was in a good mood.
“Have fun,” he told her.
“You too. Try not to get blown by every stripper you guys are going to have at your shindig.”
“Nah…Champagne coolies and “pigs in blankets” is as exciting as out bachelor party will get.”
“Right…………You’ll be in Vegas. “Sin City” the last time I checked?”
“Hey, we’ll do some gambling, but I think we are primarily going for bowling, nice dinners and the pool. I promise to keep it in my pants!”
“Comforting,” she kissed him back and stroked his head.
“You trust me, right?”
“Of course, my love,” she murmured, “I trust you.”
Matt and Johanna’s wedding was completely private—just the two of them. No one was invited. It was somewhere on the beach, among candles, with only one person officiating.
The following day they returned to Tennessee, for Jessie and Nathan’s nuptials.
“Look at you, in a tux,” smiled Claire.
Caleb looked quite debonair, in his tuxedo and Dior boots.
She still had her hair wrapped in a towel and was wearing a t-shirt.
He was fussing with his hair, nervous. The Best Man toast that he was required to deliver filled him with dread. Even after headlining arenas and singing in front of tens of thousands of fans, Caleb still feared public speaking.
“You’ll be fine,” she fixed his tie.
He chewed his lip and said,
“You know Lily will be there.”
“I can handle that,” she smiled. “Now go.”
Caleb went ahead of her, for family photos and for legal stuff such as witnessing and signatures.
By the time Claire arrived to the farm, guests were already mingling with the alpacas and among the fire pits. It was a beautiful place, vast and open, framed by beautiful autumn forests in the distance. The reception was to be held in a barn, but the ceremony was outside, during the sunset.
She walked among the guests, looking for Caleb. Men admired her. She overheard muttering. “Who is that?” “Bride’s side? Or groom’s side?” “What a hottie…” “That’s Caleb’s girlfriend.” “Ohhhh…No surprise.” She smiled.
“Claire, Claire!” she turned around and saw Jackie.
“Finally, a familiar face!”
There was some discussion on whether Jared would be inviting Jackie to his brother’s wedding. BettyAnn was not happy about the decision, as she was still hoping that Jared and Alisa would reconcile. Johanna also made her opinion known, saying “isnt it a little too premature for such displays of affection?” However, Jared was smitten and it helped that Claire liked his new girlfriend and took her under her wing. Claire’s opinon very much mattered to Jared. And then Caleb obviously agreed with Claire, and so it went.
“I love your dress,” said Claire.
“Thank you! Not too much?”
“You look very pretty. We stand out in this sea of black.”
Jackie nodded with a smirk.
Claire looked around.
At last, she finally spotted Caleb. And Lily. She was at his side, talking, dressed in her uniform of tight black mini dress and black booties.
“Seriously, it’s a wedding. She could wear something more appropriate.”
Claire turned around and saw Sydney, Nacho’s girlfriend.
“She ain’t ever going to let him go,” muttered Syd. “Why is she even here? It’s pretty out of place.”
Syd and Claire were very close, from the moment they met each other.
Claire shrugged. She didn’t like being a shrew.
“Jessie is friendly with her. It would’ve been awkward if she wasn’t invited.”
Caleb turned his head.
Lily was talking and talking, and he couldn’t concentrate. He was hoping not to forget the Best Man speech. That’s when he spotted Claire.
“Whoa…fuck me,” he muttered.
“What?” asked Lily.
“Oh, nothing. Sorry. I gotta go. You look good. See you later.”
He hurried away.
Claire walked towards him. She wore a gray-silver chiffon dress with a flowing skirt, a diamond necklace that he gave her, and a cream-colored cashmere cardigan with pearl buttons.
“You are the prettiest girl in the world if there ever was one!”
Claire smiled.
“Well thank you.”
“This dress is awesome! You are gorgeous!” he raved.
“You are very handsome too, my darling,” she took his hand and kissed it. “And sober!”
He laughed.
“I am so nervous. I’ll be doing some drinkin’ after I am done with that G-d damned speech!”
“If you are so crazed about this speech, why didn’t Nate ask Jared to deliver it? He is a brother too!”
Caleb puffed his cheeks and exclaimed,
“’Cos if it’s Jared talking, 14 hours later we’d still be all sitting at the table, listening to him.”
Syd and Claire laughed.
“Now I am going to go and play with my little cousin,” he took little Molly from her mother’s arms and walked to his parents.
The ceremony was simple and unadorned, and Caleb whispered into Claire’s ear, “We should do something like this too.”
The food was excellent and plentiful—it helped that the newlyweds actually knew something about cuisine and didn’t settle for rubbery chicken or dried-out beef options. And Caleb delivered his toast without a hitch—he didn’t curse, he was funny, but appropriate, and there was no nasty sarcasm or his usual, often unnecessary, sharpness. He was complimentary towards Jessie and kind towards Nathan, wishing the two of them all happiness, saying that he is “rooting” for them.
He was sweating, when he sat down.
“Good job!” approved Claire.
“When Jared gets married, Nate is the one delivering the speech,” he promised. “This was a once in a lifetime thing.”
She smiled,
“What about Nacho?”
“He has Tyson. I am all done.”
“You did very well. Now, I’d like for you to dance with me, and then we’ll eat some cake!”
“I would love to dance with you,” he nodded, “I have a song in mind too.”
Thanksgiving rolled around. It was unseasonably warm, so half of the day was spent outside, playing games.
…“It’s a done deal!” Caleb sounded excited on the phone.
“Signed and sealed?”
“Sure is! Your man is now an owner of a record company!”
“My man is amazing! And you have how many artists on your label?”
“All of one!”
She laughed.
“Baby steps. You gotta start somewhere.”
“Yeah…But it’s The Features, so that’s good enough! I am at the farm. Come celebrate!”
“All right. I will. I am stopping over somewhere for a stiff drink.”
“Why? What happened? Why are you so breathless?”
“Dude, I just had an hour long conversation with Robert Plant!” she squealed. “I am freaking out! I can’t stop shaking. Robert Fucking Plant!”
Caleb was laughing.
“Breathe, girlfriend. Just breathe! I guess we are all full of good news today. Is old Rob putting the moves on my hot girlfriend?” he demanded severely.
Claire burst out laughing.
“I wouldn’t even know if he did! I was just trying not to pass out and sound semi-sane and not say anything crazy.”
“I am sure you were fine. Cool as a cucumber.”
“I m not so sure, but thanks for the vote of confidence. I’ll tell you all about it when I am home.”
“I’ll be waiting.”
She arrived to the farm and saw that only Caleb’s Chevy Blazer was parked in the garage. The party didn’t start yet.
For December, the weather was lovely. It was cool and crisp, but not cold, and there was no wind. The air smelled of grass and firewood. First stars appeared on the purple sky.
Claire entered the house and was greeted by Joe Cocker’s rough voice, singing “You Can Leave Your Hat On”. She smiled and slowly untied the belt of her trench coat.
“Perfect timing!”
Caleb danced his way to the hallway, holding two glasses of wine.
“Take off your shoes…baby, take off your dress…yes, yes,” he sang along to the song.
He sashayed to her and gave her a fleeting kiss on the lips.
“You give me reason to live,” he murmured into her ear.
She smiled, as he helped her out of her trench.
“Of course Robert Plant wanted to talk to you for an hour!” he exclaimed.
Claire laughed and accepted her glass of white wine.
“Mr. Followill—wine, music…and,” as they walked into the kitchen, she saw a long, snaking path of lit candles that led to the porch, “candles…feeling romantic?”
“I am feeling romantic, Miss Prendergast,” he nodded and swirled her around to the music.
She laughed and threw her head far back, exposing her long throat. He couldn’t help himself and kissed it from jaw to collarbone.
“Signing The Features does wonders,” she murmured.
They finally got to the porch and sat down on the swing. She shivered and he took off his black cardigan and put it on her.
Numerous candles flickered on the wooden floor, reflecting their bright counterparts in the sky.
She put her head on his shoulder and he draped his heavy arm over her.
“I love you, Caleb,” she whispered simply.
The song changed. “You Are So Beautiful To Me”. She closed her eyes, savoring every bit of the moment.
“I love you too, Claire,” he said calmly, and then gently disengaged from her.
She looked at him, as he got down on one knee and said,
“You are the only one for me. That’s all. Please marry me.”
Claire started to cry.
He smiled and opened his palm. Inside, lay a beautiful vintage ring, shaped like a flower, with an impressive diamond in the middle.
“You are all I ever wanted,” he admitted, “from day one, I knew you were the one.”
“Of course I will marry you.”
He put the ring on her finger and muttered, “Phew.”
She smiled through her tears.
“Were you worried?”
“I was worried two weeks ago, when I went to ask your father for your hand in marriage.”
“You did?…You did!! That’s why I saw you at the house. Yeah, you invited my dad to play poker!” she rolled her eyes.
He smiled.
“It took some persuading. He wasn’t impressed with my money or my success and was only worried if I’d make a good husband to you. It wasn’t a picnic. Your father is a pretty formiddable gentleman. I think I convinced him.”
She laughed.
“You think?”
“Once he saw the ring, he was cool.”
Caleb was still on one knee in front of her.
“You can get up.”
“I like it here. I like looking at my bride,” he ran his fingers along a lock of her hair.
To be continued….
