Wednesday
morning, finally it was his last day at the center. He couldn’t deny that he
had been counting down the days. Today was finally his last day, he felt happy,
proud and excited.
Tonight he got his own party but there wasn’t really anyone he wanted to celebrate with. He liked Tina and Megane too but they weren’t friends like Sarah had been.
Sarah, he thought, what would she be doing right now? Circling jobs in a newspaper or pushing that to the side to spend time with her family first?
He knew what he would be doing first. Then again, he didn’t have to look for a job. Actually he looked forward to rehearsals next week, he wanted, he needed to play. It had been two and a half months since he last played in front of a crowd. He felt much like when he was on a break of the tour. He liked his break but now he was ready for work again.
At each therapy session today he got congratulations. He was proud, he even felt like he had learned a lot more than last time at rehab. He was ready for his next challenge.
After dinner and chatting to Megane he went to see Tina, it was Wednesday after all. “Let me guess, phone call?” Tina asked as she spotted him walking towards her desk. “Of course.” Richie said happily. “Thought so.” Tina smiled back before getting his phone.
“You have to make sure they pick you up. It would be a shame if you had to stay longer.” Tina joked as she gave him his phone. Richie chuckled. “Nothing personal but I really want to leave.” “Then go make sure they pick you up.” Tina urged him.
Richie turned around and sat down in one of the chairs that he always sat in while making his phone calls home.
He wondered if he should phone Sarah too, she had given him her phone number, he had the piece of paper up in his room. He really wanted to hear her but maybe he shouldn’t, if he’d phone he’d try to make her come tomorrow and he didn’t want to pressure her. It was entirely her decision, as bad as he felt about not knowing, he had to leave it to her. Only then he’d really know that she wanted to, that it was her decision.
He started to dial a number he hadn’t dialed during any of his calls.
“Hey.” Came a short answer. “Heather, you alright?” He asked concerned, usually she answered the phone a lot more cheerful. “Yeah, I’m alright, busy day, busy evening. Your daughter is very excited to see you.” She explained.
Richie chuckled, that certainly explained a busy evening. When Ava got excited, she would talk non-stop. “That’s exactly why I’m calling, tomorrow, when I get home…” He started explaining the idea he had, first Heather sounded confused but after he explained it all, she seemed to understand what he meant.
Heather couldn’t be there tomorrow and Ava had to be at school, so Richie’s idea seemed like a great suggestion and Heather agreed to it.
They hung up and Richie dialed the next number on his mental list he had made.
“Jonny!” He almost shouted when the phone was answered on the other end. “Don’t gotta make me deaf too Richie.” He answered Richie’s excitement. “Sorry, I just miss you so much.” Richie said. “I can’t wait to hug you again.” He continued to joke.
“Richie,” Jon said sternly, “I’m a married man.” Richie almost chuckled when he sounded so serious. “She doesn’t need to know.” He urged. “I’m sorry, I’m not into guys. Women got these things called boobs and oh my God, those are amazing.” Jon explained, almost as excited as a gay man that just found new pink shoes, trying not to laugh while he talked.
Richie sighed. “I’ll have to try my luck with this woman Sarah then.” He concluded, he was too good for Jon anyway. “Oh Sarah?” Jon asked interested. “Yeah, I told you about her, if all goes good you meet her tomorrow. You are coming tomorrow?” Jon was his ride home, he had to be there.
“Of course, I’m flying at night, pick you up at eleven, go to your place and we’ll fly back to New York on Sunday.” Jon explained, still cheerful about their earlier horseplay while Richie groaned. He looked forward to rehearsals but he had forgotten it was in New York, he would only have a few days to spend with Ava instead of the almost two weeks he thought he had.
“I forgot.” Richie confessed. “You can’t miss it.’ Jon said, Richie hadn’t played in a while. Even though he was probably one of the best guitar players in the world, he couldn’t get away with that excuse from Jon. He needed to practice. “I know, I’ll just have to figure something out.” He didn’t want to tell Ava they only had a few days, he didn’t want to disappoint her. What about Sarah? If she showed up, he’d be leaving again in a few days. Was he going to have a long distance relationship with Sarah that fast?
Richie sighed. How could he forget, rehearsals were always in New York, he was the only one that lived on the other side of the country and sometimes it was a real disadvantage. With that, they started talking more about business.
After a few minutes Richie had to hang up to phone Ava. They said goodbye and Richie dialed the next number.
“Daddy, why didn’t you talk to me when you talked to mom?” Was the answer he got, she sounded disappointed. “Cause I had to talk to Jon first so I would have more time to talk to you. What’s up?” He asked leaning back in his chair, ready for her long report of the last week.
Tomorrow he’d have the whole evening to listen to her. While listening to her talk about what happened in English class he wondered how she could keep talking like that without ever losing her train of thought or her voice, she could continue for hours. But he liked listening to her; it was another thing that made him happy.
“I can’t wait to see you tomorrow. Oh we should go out!” Ava said excited. Richie chuckled; being in public was one of the things he didn’t want to do right now. If paparazzi spotted him, the questions would never stop and he didn’t want to tell them about his time at rehab, which was definitely something private.
“I thought we could stay in, order some food and watch a movie or something?” He suggested. “Yeah that’s cool too, as long as you actually watch the movie.” Ava said just as excited. It didn’t seem to bother her what they did, which was good cause Richie was looking forward to spend time with his daughter.
He had a lot to make up for since last time and he only had a few days to do it. They talked for the remainder of the half hour that was left.
Saying goodbye to her was just as difficult as the times before even though he was seeing her tomorrow.
After handing his phone back to Tina, Richie returned to the living room where everyone had gathered already. He was happy with the congratulations he got but he wished his friends could be there. Not only the friends he had made here but his other friends too, they should be here. He had shared the last twenty-six years of his life with the rest of the band, they should be there to support him and celebrate with him. It was seriously time to leave and get back to his normal life.
Go to the next chapter
Tonight he got his own party but there wasn’t really anyone he wanted to celebrate with. He liked Tina and Megane too but they weren’t friends like Sarah had been.
Sarah, he thought, what would she be doing right now? Circling jobs in a newspaper or pushing that to the side to spend time with her family first?
He knew what he would be doing first. Then again, he didn’t have to look for a job. Actually he looked forward to rehearsals next week, he wanted, he needed to play. It had been two and a half months since he last played in front of a crowd. He felt much like when he was on a break of the tour. He liked his break but now he was ready for work again.
At each therapy session today he got congratulations. He was proud, he even felt like he had learned a lot more than last time at rehab. He was ready for his next challenge.
After dinner and chatting to Megane he went to see Tina, it was Wednesday after all. “Let me guess, phone call?” Tina asked as she spotted him walking towards her desk. “Of course.” Richie said happily. “Thought so.” Tina smiled back before getting his phone.
“You have to make sure they pick you up. It would be a shame if you had to stay longer.” Tina joked as she gave him his phone. Richie chuckled. “Nothing personal but I really want to leave.” “Then go make sure they pick you up.” Tina urged him.
Richie turned around and sat down in one of the chairs that he always sat in while making his phone calls home.
He wondered if he should phone Sarah too, she had given him her phone number, he had the piece of paper up in his room. He really wanted to hear her but maybe he shouldn’t, if he’d phone he’d try to make her come tomorrow and he didn’t want to pressure her. It was entirely her decision, as bad as he felt about not knowing, he had to leave it to her. Only then he’d really know that she wanted to, that it was her decision.
He started to dial a number he hadn’t dialed during any of his calls.
“Hey.” Came a short answer. “Heather, you alright?” He asked concerned, usually she answered the phone a lot more cheerful. “Yeah, I’m alright, busy day, busy evening. Your daughter is very excited to see you.” She explained.
Richie chuckled, that certainly explained a busy evening. When Ava got excited, she would talk non-stop. “That’s exactly why I’m calling, tomorrow, when I get home…” He started explaining the idea he had, first Heather sounded confused but after he explained it all, she seemed to understand what he meant.
Heather couldn’t be there tomorrow and Ava had to be at school, so Richie’s idea seemed like a great suggestion and Heather agreed to it.
They hung up and Richie dialed the next number on his mental list he had made.
“Jonny!” He almost shouted when the phone was answered on the other end. “Don’t gotta make me deaf too Richie.” He answered Richie’s excitement. “Sorry, I just miss you so much.” Richie said. “I can’t wait to hug you again.” He continued to joke.
“Richie,” Jon said sternly, “I’m a married man.” Richie almost chuckled when he sounded so serious. “She doesn’t need to know.” He urged. “I’m sorry, I’m not into guys. Women got these things called boobs and oh my God, those are amazing.” Jon explained, almost as excited as a gay man that just found new pink shoes, trying not to laugh while he talked.
Richie sighed. “I’ll have to try my luck with this woman Sarah then.” He concluded, he was too good for Jon anyway. “Oh Sarah?” Jon asked interested. “Yeah, I told you about her, if all goes good you meet her tomorrow. You are coming tomorrow?” Jon was his ride home, he had to be there.
“Of course, I’m flying at night, pick you up at eleven, go to your place and we’ll fly back to New York on Sunday.” Jon explained, still cheerful about their earlier horseplay while Richie groaned. He looked forward to rehearsals but he had forgotten it was in New York, he would only have a few days to spend with Ava instead of the almost two weeks he thought he had.
“I forgot.” Richie confessed. “You can’t miss it.’ Jon said, Richie hadn’t played in a while. Even though he was probably one of the best guitar players in the world, he couldn’t get away with that excuse from Jon. He needed to practice. “I know, I’ll just have to figure something out.” He didn’t want to tell Ava they only had a few days, he didn’t want to disappoint her. What about Sarah? If she showed up, he’d be leaving again in a few days. Was he going to have a long distance relationship with Sarah that fast?
Richie sighed. How could he forget, rehearsals were always in New York, he was the only one that lived on the other side of the country and sometimes it was a real disadvantage. With that, they started talking more about business.
After a few minutes Richie had to hang up to phone Ava. They said goodbye and Richie dialed the next number.
“Daddy, why didn’t you talk to me when you talked to mom?” Was the answer he got, she sounded disappointed. “Cause I had to talk to Jon first so I would have more time to talk to you. What’s up?” He asked leaning back in his chair, ready for her long report of the last week.
Tomorrow he’d have the whole evening to listen to her. While listening to her talk about what happened in English class he wondered how she could keep talking like that without ever losing her train of thought or her voice, she could continue for hours. But he liked listening to her; it was another thing that made him happy.
“I can’t wait to see you tomorrow. Oh we should go out!” Ava said excited. Richie chuckled; being in public was one of the things he didn’t want to do right now. If paparazzi spotted him, the questions would never stop and he didn’t want to tell them about his time at rehab, which was definitely something private.
“I thought we could stay in, order some food and watch a movie or something?” He suggested. “Yeah that’s cool too, as long as you actually watch the movie.” Ava said just as excited. It didn’t seem to bother her what they did, which was good cause Richie was looking forward to spend time with his daughter.
He had a lot to make up for since last time and he only had a few days to do it. They talked for the remainder of the half hour that was left.
Saying goodbye to her was just as difficult as the times before even though he was seeing her tomorrow.
After handing his phone back to Tina, Richie returned to the living room where everyone had gathered already. He was happy with the congratulations he got but he wished his friends could be there. Not only the friends he had made here but his other friends too, they should be here. He had shared the last twenty-six years of his life with the rest of the band, they should be there to support him and celebrate with him. It was seriously time to leave and get back to his normal life.
Go to the next chapter
I truly hope Sarah is there tomorrow morning, otherwise Richie is going to be crushed. I love th relationship between Jon and Richie they are just a couple of goof balls lol.
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