Don't Lose Sight of Me

(46) The 12 Months

Juliette
1 month later

"He's getting by." Alysa sighs into the phone. I look down at the magazine cover that was bashing Tom's latest performance.

"How are you?" She asks. I look down and bury my hand into the warm sand, slowly letting it slip through my fingers. "It's a work in progress."

"I think you calling him would be good for both of you." Alysa quietly mumbles so as to avoid having the boys know she has my new number. "No one said you two couldn't be friends."

"If I call him now, and he asks me to come back, Alysa. I would leave tonight. And I'm just.. not ready." I mumble.

Month 2

"It's really just.. from the plane, to the hotel, rehearsal, show, and then all over again." Alysa sighs deeply. "Oh." I quietly mumble looking down at Tom's hoodie in my lap.

"But he's.. doing slightly better."

"Yeah?" I ask.

"He'll have dinner sometimes with us. Occasionally he'll crack a smile. I think that's something."

Month 3

"He's laughing more. Sometimes he'll play around with the guys. They went paint balling a few days ago. And he'll sometimes go out to dinner with us and hang around longer." Alysa says in excitement.

I smile at that, imagining Tom laughing again.

"How are you? Anything new?" She asks.

I sigh and turn to look at my grandparents who were walking by the shoreline, hand in hand. My grandma spots me looking and waves me over as their friends arrive. The couple's son glances over his shoulder at me, and hesitantly waves, shyly smiling at me. "Mi joya! Come!" (My jewel) shouts my grandma.

"Things are.. starting to be okay." I sigh. "I'll call you some other time Alysa." I giggle as I begin walking towards my grandparents and their friends.

My grandma excitedly grabs my arm and rests her head against my shoulder. "This is my jewel. Juliette Amara." My grandma giggles.

Her friend grabs the guy from his hand and yanks him forward. "Gabriel! Say hi." The lady demands.

Him and I both awkwardly smile at one another.

Month 4
Tom
"Tom!!" Kora squeals as she runs towards me, throwing her arms around me. We both nearly fall backwards but I manage to steady us.

"I didn't think you'd actually come." I chuckle grabbing her suitcase from her. She smirks and looks up at me. "Pass up a week in Paris? Never." She says.

We begin to leave the airport, catching up and laughing all the way to the car. She looks around at the city, mesmerized by it all. "The city of love." She sighs looking over at me again as we begin driving to the hotel. "What do you have planned for me?" She asks.

I glance over at her, meeting her mischievous gaze. "The possibilities are endless ever since I got out of that arranged marriage."

The show a few nights later was perhaps the best yet. Although I think Kora had a lot to do with that.

I grab Kora who was slightly drunk from having drank a bit too much with Alysa.

Kora was giggly all the way to the hotel. She shakes her head repeatedly as I try to put her in bed. "No?" I ask. She shakes her head pointing towards the bathroom. I finally understood, rushing her to the bathroom right as she collapses on her knees and begins throwing up.