Page 83 of Love Song, Take Two

“Okay.” He leaned back, head resting against the wall. “I agree with that assessment. I’m glad you were excited about the drums and wanted to make it your thing. I love that you were raised on my music and maybe it inspired you. But I’m also proud of you for powering through even when it wasn’t working. And admitting that maybe it’s not your thing.”

“When I was a kid, Mom told me I could be anything. So I tried everything and some of it felt weird, some of it felt really good. Being a drummer sounded good. You know that when I was growing up, she talked about you a lot? How The Rescuers made some of the best music of her generation.”

He smiled as he glanced at Emery, his heart racing at the knowledge that Micah talked about him and his band to her kid when she was little. “That made you want to become a drummer.”

“Mom loves me more than anything in the world, so I wanted to do something else she loved and I hoped that I’d be good enough.”

His heart ached for Emery and Fletcher bumped her shoulder with his. “You know that you didn’t have to do that, right? You are your mom’s whole world and she will support you no matter what you do.”

“She said that too,” she whispered, picking at invisible lint on her pants. “Maybe I’ll focus on Drama Club instead. Could be fun.”

“Oh, you would be perfect in Drama Club.” Fletcher laughed when Emery whacked him with the back of her hand. “What else do you like?”

She shrugged, a slight blush rising up her neck and cheeks. Fletcher had seen some of the longing looks Emery shot at her best friend, but he didn’t want to ask about it. It was none of his business after all.

“Maybe instead of playing music, you and I can talk about it?”

Fletcher smiled at her effectively changing the subject and nodded. “Absolutely. Micah and I have this long-standing discussion about who the best female rockstar is. Do you have any opinions?”

“Alanis, duh.”

He barked out a laugh and shook his head. “Your mom said the same thing.”

“Have you really loved her forever?”

His breath caught at the question and he looked away from Emery, eyes focused on the ceiling. “We met in the early 2000’s, when I was on tour. I wasn’t expecting her, but she changed my life,” he said softly, not wanting to share too much. “She inspired our greatest hit.”

“Whoa, “Mermaid” is about Mom?”

Nodding, he smirked at Emery’s shocked expression. “I have loved her for a long time, even when I didn’t realize it. I think on some level, everything in my life always came back to Micah.”

After a long moment, Emery said, “You’re not going to vanish on us, right?”

“What?”

She sighed and he watched as she untied her hair, fingers working through the tangles in the dark blonde locks. Emery seemed to be considering what to say and Fletcher nudged her gently with a nod.

“My dad, Geoffrey, was an asshole. He didn’t love us enough. He didn’t even want me,” she spoke softly, but given that they were sitting close together, he heard the hitch in her voice. “He hurt Mom by being the worst person on the planet and I know that not everyone is like him. But he was awful. He wasn’t worthy of Mom and I’m glad she left him.

“She’s also been really weird about dating. Like, I know she’s gone out with a few people, but she’s never introduced any of them to me. Whenever Sadie and Tatum come over, they gossip and they’re not as quiet as they think. So I’ve heard them talk about their…dates,” Emery said, shuddering on the last word. “And Mom hasn’t been this happy, like ever. So clearly that’s your doing. And I’m glad. She deserves someone who loves her the way you do.”

His heart clenched at how open and emotional she was being. He never imagined that this would be how they’d spend their last music lesson.

“That’s why…I want to make sure you won’t hurt or leave her.”

“I won’t. I don’t want to make promises, but I intend to be right here for as long as your mom wants me.”

Emery nodded, sniffling loudly as she said, “What if I want you to stay forever?”

The world stopped and he sucked in a sharp breath as he replayed the question. What if I want you to stay forever? This kid wanted him to stay forever. He looked at her and found Emery staring up at him, worrying her bottom lip. Nodding slowly, he smiled, not wanting her to take his silence as anything but a promise that he would stay forever.

“I’ll stay forever, if that’s what you want.”

She released her bottom lip and smiled, turning quickly to hug him. The awkward way they were seated made it hard for him to hug her back, but he rested his cheek against the top of her head the whole time she held him.

“Thank you, Fletch. For showing up in our lives. For loving my mom. For being there for me.”

He forced back the tears that were blurring his vision and he smiled as Emery pulled away. “Easiest thing I’ve ever done in my life,” he whispered, bumping shoulders with her. “I’ll always be here for you. Okay?”

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