Falling Slowly

Pt.2|Ch.8

•••••Austyn's Perspective

The days drifted by, blown away by the winter wind.

One show after another, and my mind was still made up: this was where I was, and this was where I'd stay.

"Two more to go." Aiden nudged me as we headed out to the parking lot.

I responded with a sad smile. "As much as I love Stephanie, I almost wish she wouldn't come back."

She laughed. "It's hard, isn't it? Stepping in for someone and then having to leave?"

"Leaving the stage is harder than getting on it in the first place."

"I'm afraid I can't exactly sympathize from personal experience." She apologized.

I shook my head. "That's fine. You and Cephas enjoy yourselves for me, okay?"

She nodded. "We will."

"Alright," Sky said loudly, "who's riding with who?"

"Depends on where everyone's planning on going." Ben replied. "I'm going home."

"I'm going to Austyn's." Sky offered. "Do you want me to drop you and Josh off on the way?"

"Oh, I wasn't gonna go home just yet." Josh spoke up, earning him four suspicious glances.

Ben raised an eyebrow. "Where are you going?"

He shrugged. "I just wanted to go get ice cream."

"Ice cream?" Aiden asked, the motherly tone slipping into her voice. "It's almost ten o'clock."

"I haven't had any in three days, and I'm not sure how much longer I can last." He clasped his hands together and fell on his knees, looking up at her with puppy-dog eyes. "Please?"

She crossed her arms. "You need to be home before 11:30."

He nodded rapidly. "I will, I will."

"You need to take someone else with you."

His smile faded a bit. "Who do you want me to take?"

Aiden narrowed her eyes, thinking. "I'll let you ask Austyn."

The smile spread across his face again as he looked back at me. "Can you go with me to get ice cream?"

I nodded, laughing. "Yes, I'll go with you."

Josh turned back to Aiden, grinning widely. "So, can I go?"

She nodded. "Yes, you can go."

He threw his arms around her, nearly knocking her over. "Thank you, Mom!"

"Try not to get yourselves into trouble." She warned both of us, patting his head.

"Okay," Ben looked over at Sky. "Josh and I drove Austyn here, so there are only three cars to use."

Sky shrugged. "I can drop you off, Josh can drop Austyn off," he turned to Aiden, who was still being strangled by their son. "Can you drive yourself home?"

She nodded in reply, currently unable to speak or breathe.

"Alright, Josh," Sky chided, "let go of your mom, please."

He scowled in reluctance, but obeyed.

"It's not that I don't love you," Aiden assured him as she caught her breath, "it's just that I already don't have enough oxygen making it to my brain in the first place, and I can't afford to lose any more."