Lyrics to My Life (First Book in Life Series)

Chapter 2

Lean on me when you aren't strong, I'll be your friend, I'll help you carry on. For it won't be long till I'm going to need somebody to lean on
~Bill Withers, Lean On Me, 1972

I pick up Holly at around ten from her house. Holly has straight, brown hair that falls to the top of her shoulders and big, brown eyes. She is a journalist for Nashville's biggest newspaper. She took this week off so she can get ready for all the holidays coming up. "I think Xavier is going to propose." She says as soon as she climbs into my truck.

"Why do you think that?" I ask.

"I went through his sock drawer." She says matter-of-factly.

"What have I told you about going through people's sock drawers?!" I scold sounding exasperated.

"That whenever you go through people's sock drawers you will find out things you probably shouldn't know." Holly replies. "But it was for good reason!"

"What was the reason?" I ask, sighing. I pull out of her driveway and onto the street.

"I was putting laundry away and Xavier had a bunch of clean socks and so I opened up his sock drawer and found a box."

"A box could mean anything. It could be earrings, necklace, or just an empty box." I say.

"It was definitely a ring box." She says. "I hope he proposes soon. We have been together for five years. It's about damn time he does." She adds. "Do you think Blake will propose anytime soon?" She asks.

"I don't know. I don't think so." I reply.

"Well if he proposed today, what would you say?" She asks.

"I don't know what I would say. I don't think that either of us are ready for that step in our relationship." I reply. "I wouldn't want to say no but I don't know if I could say yes either."

"That makes sense." Holly says. "So Xavier and I went out to dinner last night and we had a very interesting conversation." She says.

"About what?" I ask, merging onto the highway that leads to the mall.

"Our future. We talked about marriage, babies, life. It was interesting. It's partially why I think that he is going to propose." She replies. "We both want three children. We want to get married in the spring. We also want to spend the rest of our lives here in Tennessee." She adds.

"Blake and I never have those conversations." I mumble mainly to myself but of course Holly hears me.

"You don't?"

"We don't talk about how many kids we want or if we want to get married. We talk about what we want out of life but that's it." I say. "He actually never brings the topic up."

"Maybe you should bring the topic up. See how he reacts." Holly suggests.

"Maybe I'll do that tonight." I say before pulling into a parking space at the mall.

We hop out of my truck and head straight into Nordstrom. We buy a couple items for Christmas presents and then a couple items for ourselves. "What do you want to do for lunch?" Holly asks after we pay for the stuff.

"How about Angelo's?" I suggest.

"Sounds good." Holly replies.

Angelo's is owned by a family that we are good friends with. The restaurant is about five minutes from the mall. In my opinion, they serve the best Italian food in the world.

We put our bags in the back of my truck and then I drive us to the restaurant. I put the truck in park in the parking lot and we head in. Bianca, the owner's youngest daughter, is there. Bianca has five older brothers and no sisters. "Monroe! Holly!" Bianca says, waving. She walks over to us. Bianca is our age so she is 23. She has dark, brown hair and big, blue eyes, just like her brothers.

"Hey!" Holly and I say in unison.

"Haven't seen you guys in awhile!" She says cheerfully. "It's just the two of you?" She asks.

"Yep." I say. She grabs us two menus and leads us to one of the tables.

"How are you guys doing?"

"Good." We both say.

"That's great! Oh! Greg proposed last week!" She says. Greg is her long-time boyfriend.

"It's about damn time." Holly says with a grin. "I think Xavier is going to propose soon."

"He should! Then we could have a double wedding or something."

"That would be amazing." I just roll my eyes.

After our day of shopping and eating, I drop Holly off at her house then I head home. I hide Blake's presents in the guest bedroom closet. I head into the kitchen and start making dessert for tomorrow. I take the pie crusts out of the fridge and put them on the counter so they can become room temperature.

I first start by making the pumpkin pie. Once I put that in the oven, I move on to the apple pie. Blake comes home when I am in the middle of slicing the apples. "Hey, Honey!" He says, giving me a kiss on the cheek.

"Hey." I reply. "How was work?" I ask.

"Busy. How was shopping?"

"Fun. Holly and I went to Angelo's for lunch and saw Bianca." I say.

"Nice." He says. "How is Bianca?"

"Good. Greg proposed to her last week." I say. I put the sliced apples in a bowl and dust cinnamon, nutmeg, and brown sugar on top and then toss them together.

"That's good for them." He replies sounding kind of bored. 

"Yeah it is." I say. "Do you think we will ever get married?" I ask my boyfriend.

"Married? Maybe eventually." He says, looking a little uncomfortable at my question.

"Would you ever want kids?" I ask.

"Maybe. I haven't really thought of that. I really have been thinking of my career." He replies, still uncomfortable. "I think I am going to go hop in the shower." He says before practically bolting from his chair to the bathroom.