“This is a house!” Mia yelled as she climbed into the tour bus that was waiting outside our home three days later. I smiled at her as she ran around the bus and crashing into everyone and everything. It was nice to back in the same place where I’d first stayed with my husband.

I sat on the sofa as Phil, Tino, Aaron, Alan and Austin organised everything they needed to do.
Mia had decided she was going to sleep in the bottom bunk on the left. I tried explaining to her that it was Phil’s bunk but Phil had said he would sleep with Tino on the sofa bed.

Mia sat on the bed with a colouring book and as I passed her she held her hand out. I reached out and took her hand in mine before kissing the palm of her hand.

“Are you excited?” I asked her as I perched on the bed opposite.

“Yes!” she squealed and handed me a picture. She still hadn’t grasped the idea of colouring in the lines and I kissed her forehead.

“Try and get some sleep, we’re going to be on this bus a long while.”

“Jammies!”

I reached under the bunk and pulled her pink suitcase out and she hopped off the bunk and I changed her into her pink pyjamas. She then climbed into the bed and I tucked her in the bunk with the blanket she’d insisted on taking with her and she snuggled up close to Echo who Austin had demanded be bought with them.

I kissed her forehead before drawing the curtains closed and headed upstairs to the bedroom. I unzipped Austin’s case and searched through his bags and I put the away.

“Austin? Where is your heart medication?” I yelled down the stairs and he stuck his head around the stairs with a frown.

“Haven’t you got it?”

“No, I thought you packed it.”

“Shit.” Austin ran his hands through his hair and looked out the windows and watched the world pass by. “Um, right. Let me get to the drugstore.”

Austin disappeared and I heard him talking to someone and Alan poked his head around the stairs again and was holding up an orange bottle.

“There is only three in here but they should do until he can get some more.” Alan tossed the bottle up to me and I winked at him before disappearing back into the bedroom and unpacking our clothes. I put Austin’s pills on the side table and he headed up the stairs.

“Where are we going first?”

“Chicago.” He said before he stripped his shirt off and jumped onto the bed. I sat down next to him and he wrapped his arm around me before clicking the TV on that had been installed on the wall. We watched a random film and I kissed his chest.

“Did you get your heart medication sorted?” I asked about halfway through the film.

“Mmm, a drugstore in Chicago is getting some in for me. Should be there by the time we are.” He said as his hand made patterns up and down my back. I rolled over onto my back and looked up at the ceiling as my hands landed on my stomach.

“Are you happy?” he asked me.

“I’m happy.” I whispered and I noticed the skylight in the ceiling of the bus that’d I’d not noticed before. The clouds whizzed past above us and I turned my head to Austin to see him staring at me.

“Want to see the new tattoo I got yesterday?” he asked with a wink. I sat up further on the bed and he stripped his shirt off before turning around and showing me the tattoo on his back. Across the middle of his back in script was ‘you see the thing is since I first heard your music there was something about you that I knew I loved which sounds like every deranged fan girl, then I saw you live and knew there was something special about you. I never in a million years thought you’d ever think of me the way I thought of you and I thank the heavens every day that you’re still here with me. I’m sure you must be crazy to find me beautiful but I’ve finally accepted it that you love me and I love you. That’s all I need…for now.’

“Austin…” I whispered and reached out to touch the vows that he’d tattooed across his back. He spun around and held his face between my hands before kissing me hard. He was grinning when he pulled away from me and reached his hand under my shirt.

“Don’t think I don’t know about the tattoo you got a week ago.” He said as he pushed my shirt off. I laughed as he gently nudged me to the bed and pushed my bra up and underneath my left breast was his name. I smiled as he bent down and kissed it with a laugh.

“Do you know it is five years in a week?” He asked me before he sat up and knelt on the bed next to me. He then reached over the bed and in a drawer. He plucked a box out of the drawer and held it for a moment before opening it. Inside was a ring, it was two hearts intertwined with our names engraved in the silver metal.

“It’s beautiful.” I said as he slid it on my finger. He stood up and turned the remote to a small stereo system in the corner and held his hand out for me. I took his hand as he clicked the stereo to Turbulence by Bowling for Soup and pulled me into his arms. We danced around the bedroom as the song crooned away behind us.

“I know that we can make it through.” He sung to me as he dipped me and twirled me in his strong arms. The song finished and he sat me on the edge of the bed.

“Thank you.”

“For what?” I asked as I stroked his face with a smile.

“Letting me get back out there.”

“I didn’t let you do anything. I just came along this time.” I kissed his nose and he sat on the bed with me. I traced his arm tattoo and kissed his shoulder before changing into my nightclothes.

“Well, I love you for that.”

“As do I, as do I Austin.”

Notes

Title Cred: Bowling For Soup