Waiting for Never - Post Malone

Make you feel my love

One June morning Austin woke Marli very early saying he had a surprise for her. He had promptly packed her up and sent her and Lou shopping in LA for the day. Marli would have thought it odd, but Austin has ideas pop into his head at random times. So she just shrugged and went with it. By the time they make it back to the Utah house Marli feels dead on her feet. Ready for dinner, a hot shower, and bed. Lou obviously feels the same as she does not even get out of the cab, rather telling him to turn around and head to her address. The house is dark and quiet when she enters it which is really strange as there is always music playing and Austin is a loud person so she is bound to hear him banging around somewhere. Also, the dogs usually greet her, but tonight there is nothing. She walks around a bit and then sees a suspicious-looking box on their bed with an envelope attached to it with her name scribbled on it. She opens the envelope.

L.M

Put this dress on and come to the pool.

A

Marli opens the box and pulls out a soft dusty pink mini dress made of fine lace. Lace. Of course. It feels soft against her skin when she puts it on. She then makes her way up to the pool area. She can see lights from a distance, there is a mixture of white fairy lights, and Christmas lights and she also sees a string of pumpkin lights.

Strange.

When she finally gets up to the pool area Austin is standing holding a fishbowl with a pretty little fish in it. Marli frowns, she is so confused. People start stepping out of the shadows all with shit-eating grins on their faces, except for her mother who looks like she has been crying all day.

Austin starts talking.

"For my birthday I celebrated that you were not with me, I bought myself that fish tank in our passage. It reminded me of you. This fishbowl and fish represents that."

Jonas then steps forward, he is wearing a Colonel Sanders outfit. "I wore this to last year's 4th of July parade," he says proudly. Liz who is standing by his side says, "I wore this when I was in the hospital giving birth to Nathan." She is wearing a hospital gown and gives Marli a twerl. Ella starts jumping up and down until Marli looks at her. She is holding Nathan's hand and is wearing a fairy costume while Nathan has a batman costume on, Willadeene is squished into a Robyn costume. "Nathan, Willadeene, and I were Batman, Robyn, and a fairy for the Halloween when you were away," she says excitedly. Max steps forward holding an apple pie. "On our 9th wedding anniversary and the day we adopted Ruby I baked Jack an apple pie just like this one because it's his favorite and it's the only baking I can do," he says while Jack smiles beside him holding a sleeping Ruby. Charlie and his family step forward all wearing horrible matching Christmas sweaters. "On Christmas, you were away for, we made a family Christmas card wearing these horrible matching Christmas sweaters," he says.

A lady, Janet, from Austin's AA group, steps forward holding a cake with 365 written on it. Colt is standing next to her with icing from the cake smooshed over his face. "This is the same cake I baked for Austin to celebrate his first year sober. Before we got a chance to eat it Colt got into it and finished it off," she says. Tara steps forward holding a photo of her and Austin. "This was taken the first time Austin and I were able to sit down and really talk. The first time I was able to tell Austin what a wonderful big brother he had always been to me. How he had always tried to protect me growing up. He took me to The Olive Garden. Our waitress took this picture," she says. Marli sees a group of her friends from New York. All with big eyes, some of them mouthing, "what the fuck," to her and giving Austin the side-eye. She had never told them that she even knew Austin, it had been too hard to talk about. But they were here and all dressed in pajamas. One of her friends steps forward, Donna, "um...so we were with you for New Years, but Austin Post was not. You dated Austin Post? Um...anyway, happy New Years. Marli had said she had not felt like going out to party so we had a New Years' sleepover. Everyone brought a sweet rom-com or comedy movie except for Lou. She brought a horror film that gave us all nightmares for weeks," Donna says. "I have been with you the whole time, but I wanted to take part in this so I am wearing my not salsa shoes that I wear to my not salsa classes. We won't speak of this again," Lou says from behind Marli's mother. Marli's father is standing with Otis next to him, they look like two old wise men. He smiles at her. He has always been a great Dad and whatever is happening tonight she is really glad he is here. Austin calls over Marli's mother and hands her the fishbowl. Her mother is crying and smiling. Austin kisses her cheek and then turns back to Marli.