Big Bad World

My Heart Breaking pt. 3

Keith had fallen asleep on the bed in the room that we were both staying in. He was adorable when he was asleep. It was tempting to fall asleep next to him and forget about life for a moment, but I had a lunch to attend to. I was exhausted from traveling, but hopefully after the lunch I would have time to get a nap in. My nerves were on an all time high. I was about to go to lunch with Keith’s mother. It was a scary moment, but she seemed really nice. I had hoped she would just think that same about me regardless of my age.

 After getting freshened up, I shut the door so that Keith could sleep peacefully. I wondered the halls aimlessly before heading down the stairs to meet up with Keith’s mom. The walls were covered with pictures of family. I couldn’t help but giggle at some of Keith when he was little. One of the pictures captured my attention of all of them. It had Nicole in it. I almost had a hint of jealousy in me because of it. I observed the picture a little bit more before I was caught looking at it by Keith’s mom. “I always forget to take it down” she commented.

 I gave her a shy smile. “When was this?” I asked her.

 “They were dating at the time. He was so happy there. I guess I really like seeing my son happy,” she said with a smile.

 “Me too,” I assured her. “ I know he makes me the happiest I’ve ever been!”

 She smiled and took the picture down from the wall. I almost felt bad. She didn’t have to take it down. It was her house. “I do keep meaning to take it down. I’m sure it’ll be replaced with a picture with you in it!” Her comment made me feel accepted. “He seems really happy, Lacey. I have you to thank for that!”

 My cheeks flushed some. “You have an amazing son!”

 She gave me a hug and then went to put the picture away. I had waited in the hallway for a moment before she returned. His mother was radiant with beauty. She looked so incredibly young, and I could see a touch of her in Keith. It had looked like the young genes ran in the family. “You ready for lunch, dear?” she asked. I nodded with a smile. My feet followed her downstairs and onto the balcony that overlooked the ocean and the beach. It was more beautiful from the outside than on the inside. The table was nicely set, and she had already brought the food outside. Whatever it was smelled delightful. It must’ve been some kind of Australian food. “Please, sit! I made some Lobster Ravioli. I hope you like Lobster.”

 I loved Lobster, and the food looked delicious. “I actually really do!”

 She smiled and motioned for me to try it. I took a bite and nodded signaling that I thought it was delicious. Living in a place like this would be a dream come true. The water was so peaceful, and the weather had been so perfect thus far. My eyes traveled toward the view until she reeled me in with a question. “So, how did you and Keith meet?” she asked.

 I let out a light giggle. “Well, it’s kind of a funny story. I’ve always loved Keith’s music. I guess in a way, his music has helped me through a lot. So, my best friend thought it would be a great idea to have Keith surprise me on my 26th birthday. So, that’s exactly what happened. I met him, I cried, and then I fell asleep watching a movie with him. I guess after that, we just really clicked and the rest is history.”

 She gave a soft smile. “So you were a fan before actually meeting him?”

 I shrugged. “I guess. I don’t know. I wouldn’t really consider myself a huge fan girl or anything. His music saved my life, but I never acted like a huge fan. I just knew that his music gave me hope. I’ve never seen him in concert. I’ve never really tried. I never really wanted to. So, I guess in that sense I wasn’t a typical fan girl. I’m a huge fan of his work.” I had hoped that none of that sounded bad, but it was very true. There were many reasons why I chose not to ever see him in concert. I had millions of opportunities to, but I knew I’d be too emotional. I’d be one of those people, and I didn’t want to be, at least at the time.