Willow's Struggle

Evan Makes a Promise

    When we got to the kitchen, I immediately put the flowers into a flower vase and added water.  I put the vase in the middle of the dining table.  The whole time I kept smiling from ear to ear.  My first gig had been a success and I was feeling euphoric about it.  Skylar quietly watched me as I hummed putting the flowers away then headed up the stairs with her following behind me.  My mom had stayed back at the café chatting with Savannah.  They had become close friends since I started working there.  

    When I reached my room, I immediately walked to my bathroom and started pulling the hair clips out of my hair.  Skylar was quick to help me pull the clips out of the back where I couldn't see them.  I released my hair from the bun and allowed it to flow over my shoulders in unruly waves.  When I finished, I walked back to my room and pulled a pair of light purple pajamas out of my dresser.  

    After I got changed I went to my sketching table and sat down.  As I pulled out my new dress design, I said, "Hey Skylar, I want you to see what I am working on right now."

    She quickly walked over and scanned the sketch I had been working on.  "That is going to be gorgeous when you finish it," she gushed enthusiastically.

    "I plan to use the money I earned from the gig to buy all of the materials I will need to make it," I explained happily.

    "If you nail it, you gotta make me one too," Skylar said cheekily.

    "I would be happy to, so long as you buy the materials," I exclaimed.

    "Oh definitely, you just make me a list of what you will need and I will get them," she replied.

    I put the sketch away then grabbed my notebook of songs.  Skylar being my bestfriend, I share everything with her.  I flipped to the last one and held it out to her as I said, "This is the song I wrote a few nights ago.  Tell me what you think about it."

    She read over the words smiling the whole time then excitedly said, "This is definitely one of the best songs you have written so far.  Is it going to be a country song?"

    "I don't know yet, I have been debating between country or soft rock.  I might just make a tune for it in both genres and see which one the gets the most reaction from the crowd," I answered honestly.

    "Oh you should definitely do that," Skylar said as she giggled.

   Just then I remembered that my guitar and amp were still in my trunk.  I quickly got to my feet and headed to my bedroom door as I said, "I am going to grab my guitars from the trunk."

    Skylar followed me down the stairs and out the front door.  As we were pulling the guitars out of the trunk, my mom returned and parked beside us.  She quickly hopped out of her car and ran over to help us carry my stuff back inside.  They both knew right where I stored all of it, so they headed inside as I got my trunk closed and relocked my car.  

    As I headed toward my porch, I heard a familiar voice ask, "Did you get the flowers I left for you?"

    I spun around to see Evan standing just a few feet away from me.  It was dark outside, but the porch light gave enough light for me to see the genuine smile he was giving me.  I flashed him a small smile in return as I said, "Yes, I did, thank you.  They are beautiful."  As his smile widened I continued, "However that doesn't mean that I am going to just give you another chance just like that.  If you want me to give you another chance, it will take more than just a few flowers.  You have to prove to me that you deserve it and that you truly have changed."

    His eyes narrowed just a tiny bit, but the smile stayed plastered on his face as he proudly said, "I will prove it to you, just you wait and see.  I am a changed man and I have realized that you are the one who has stolen my heart.  I tried to deny it at first but I can no longer do that.  I will show you how much I care about you from this moment forward."

    "Evan my heart was once yours and you broke it.  It took me a long time to heal from that heartbreak and it will take you a long time to earn another chance with me.  When I say a long time, I mean a long, long time.  You need to understand that and really think about that before you even begin to try because I promise if you f**k up even one time, you will never ever get another chance.  I will not let you hurt me like you did before.  You need to seriously think long and hard about that," I deadpanned.

    He slowly closed the gap between us then brought his hand up to my face.  He rubbed his thumb across my cheek bone as he said, "I know that I broke you heart before and I understand what you are saying.  I will do whatever it takes for however long it takes to win your heart back."

    There was a twinkle in his eye that I had never seen before and I unconsciously closed my eyes as I enjoyed the way he caressed my cheek.  I suddenly heard my mom clear her throat from the porch.  My eyes immediately snapped open to be met with the twinkling eyes of Evan as he chuckled then said, "I will see you around, kitten."  He turned on his heel then walked down the driveway.  When he got to the sidewalk he turned back to look at me still standing in the same spot he had left me.  He flashed me a warm smile then winked and walked away.

    When I turned around my mom and Skylar were both standing there with the hands on their hips giving me a knowing look.  I shrugged as I walked past them into the house.  My emotions were all over the place and I didn't want to talk about it until I processed everything he had just said.  When I reached the bottom of the stairs still in a daze, my mom cleared her throat again then said, "Are you not going to talk about what just happened out there?"

    I turned my head to look at her then said, "To be perfectly honest, no.  I had no intention of talking about it.  What's there to talk about anyways?  A bouquet of lilies and a few sweet words aren't enough to change my mind about him."

    "From what I just saw, you two just shared quite a moment and there was some serious emotions flowing between the two of you," my mom said as she gave me another knowing look.

    "I don't know what that was back there, but I am beyond tired.  I am going to bed.  I will think about all of this in the morning when I have a clear head," I said as I walked up the stairs.  Skylar quickly followed catching up to me in no time. 

    'Goodnight, honey," I heard my mom call as I walked into my bedroom.  I quickly threw myself onto my bed, then patted beside me to let Skylar know she could join me.  We usually slept on my bed together when she spent the night so it wasn't unusual for either of us when she laid down beside me and pulled the covers over us.

    She turned on her side to face me then asked, "Do you think he has really changed?"

    Staring up at the ceiling, I shrugged then responded, "I honestly do not know.  It seems awfully sudden, but I guess we will find out soon enough."  Then I let out a long sigh, then I closed my eyes and said, "I need sleep, we will talk more about it tomorrow.  Promise."

    She gave my arm a light squeeze then said, "Okay Willow goodnight."

    "Goodnight," I said as I tried to will my brain to go to sleep.  

    Within minutes I could hear the occasional snore from Skylar as she slept.  I laid there thinking about everything that had happened tonight.  First I thought about my gig and how awesome it had gone.  Then I thought about what happened in the kitchen and the look that came across Evan's face when he heard about me saying I was going to punch him.  That led me to start thinking about the flowers and the conversation we had in the driveway.  I thought about the way it felt when he touched my face.  It felt so right when his thumb brushed across my cheek.  Yet, there was a sense of weariness that filled my head making me worry that he is just playing some sick game or something.  

    I was close to giving up on sleep when I finally drifted off into dreams about the conversation Evan and I shared.  It replayed over and over again as I slept.  Making me see the twinkle in his eyes, the genuine smile on his face, and the kind words that had floated out of his full sexy lips.

    When I woke the next morning, he was all I could think about.  Frustrated that I couldn't get him out of my mind, I huffed and got out of bed.  I stomped to my bathroom and hopped into the shower hoping it would ease my tense muscles.  

    When I left the bathroom I was feeling a little better.  Skylar was awake, sitting on my bed playing on her cellphone.  As soon as she heard me, she looked up and smiled with a mischievous look in her eye.  I looked at her suspiciously and asked, "Why are you giving me that look?"

    She giggled then said, "Evan just texted me asking what your favorite candy and food are these days.  I think he planning something nice for you."

    I scoffed then said, "Oh yea, we will see about that."

    "I don't know Willow.  It seems to me like he really is trying to win you over," she said dreamily.

    I couldn't help but to giggle at her silliness.  Then I remembered the doughnuts that I hadn't finished yesterday and smiled as I said, "I'm hungry and I have doughnuts in the kitchen calling my name."

    Skylar immediately squealed then shouted, "Yay doughnuts, my favorite," as she clapped her hands excitedly.

    I giggled again as I left my room with Skylar on my heels.  When we got to the kitchen, we both grabbed a doughnut, then I grabbed two glasses from the cabinet while holding my doughnut between my teeth.  I set the glasses on the counter then grabbed my doughnut out of my mouth.  With my empty hand, I grabbed the orange juice from the fridge and held it toward Skylar.  She quickly pulled the cap off for me and I immediately poured us both a full glass.  Skylar put the cap back on, then I returned it to the fridge.  I sat down by Skylar at the table and we enjoyed our doughnuts and orange juice in a comfortable silence.  

    When we were done eating, I rinsed our glasses and put them in the dishwasher.  Skylar was playing on her cellphone again, so I ran up to my room and grabbed my acoustic guitar then ran back down.  I hollered to Skylar still in the kitchen, "Hey I am going to sit on the porch."

    I heard her respond, "Okay," then I walked outside.  When I got myself comfortable on the porch swing, I adjusted my guitar on my lap then started playing with some new tunes for my new song.  Within a few minutes, Skylar had joined me and sat quietly as she listened.  When I created a tune that I was satisfied with I started singing my new song along with the tune.  

    When the song finished, Skylar thoughtfully said, "That was beautiful.  You never seize to amaze me.  I don't think you need to create another tune in a different genre.  It sounded perfect the way you just sang it."

    "Thank you.  That means a lot to hear you say that," I admitted as I flashed her a genuine smile.  

    Suddenly Evan appeared from the side of the house.  He flashed me a smile then said, "You sing like an angel."   He then winked at me and walked away before either of us could respond.  Skylar and I exchanged looks as her lips formed a wide grin.  I shrugged while smiling then practiced the song some more.  

    When my voice started getting hoarse we went back inside.  We had been out there for a few hours and it was lunch time.  I grabbed a two cans of soda out of the fridge then a pan of leftover lasagna.  I heated up two pieces then we sat at the table and enjoyed the yummy food.  My momma makes the best lasagna I have ever had.  

    After we finished eating and got our mess cleaned up, Skylar went home to get ready for work and I went back to my bedroom to make a list of all the materials I needed to get for my dress.  When the list was done, I folded it and put it in my purse.  Suddenly I heard my cellphone ping.  I immediately noticed a text from Evan, so I quickly unlocked the screen and read the message.

Evan:    Hey, kitten, do you have plans tonight?

Willow:    Not really.  why?

Evan:    I was hoping you would have dinner with me

Willow:    I don't know about it Evan

Evan:    Please I promise you won't regret it

Willow:    Fine what time?

Evan:    I will pick you up at 6

Willow:    okay see you then

Evan:    see you then kitten

    I couldn't stop the smile that spread across my face at the pet name he kept calling me.  It was kind of cute.  I set my phone down and picked up my ukulele.  I started playing one of my faster Hawaiian themed songs as I sang along.  It was one of my favorite songs to play when I'm just hanging out having fun.  

    After a while, I pulled my notebook out and starting writing the words to a new song that had suddenly popped into my head.  When I was satisfied with the words I had written I hopped in the shower again so that my hair would be wet and easier to style.  

    After getting dressed, I applied styling gel into my hair and used my hands to run the gel through my curls.  I pinned the front and sides with a small clip leaving a small bouncy curl on each side of my face.  Then I put on a light coat of make-up.  I threw on a pair of flip flops, then went downstairs and sat on the couch in the living room while I waited for Evan to pick me up.