me.
I never smiled so big in my life.
Mila nodded. “Even your son agrees that you need to go play a show or two, Silas.”
Chapter Thirty-One
MILA
It was a big day.
Oddly enough, it had nothing to do with Olivia and I being pregnant.
Which came as a relief, at least to me.
We both still had a ways to go before we were due, but each day it seemed like all eyes were on us. Like the entire town eagerly waited for us to have our babies together. Even Ma was in on it. Forever talking about Olivia and I going into labor at the same time. The two of us in hospital beds, holding hands, Ma cheering us on to push out some grandbabies.
So it was nice to have some attention elsewhere.
“Are you nervous?” I asked Silas.
“Why would I be nervous?”
“This is a big day. A big moment.”
“Not for me,” Silas said. “For Buddy, yeah.”
“You’re going to play with him, right?”
“I promised I would, yeah. I’m just excited to see who this person is he’s playing to.”
As we drove to the address Buddy gave us, I started to put things together.
The house itself wasn’t familiar when we showed up.
But there was a feel to the house.
A long ranch style house with a garage and no vehicle in the driveway.
The porch had so many beautiful looking flowers in hanging planters.
And then there was Buddy.
Standing outside his old pickup truck.
Holding his guitar.
Silas grabbed his guitar from the backseat.
We got out of Silas’s truck and Buddy nodded to Silas.
“Ready to do this?” Silas asked.
“I’m nervous as hell,” Buddy said.
“She’s going to love it,” I said.
“Do you know where we are, Mila?” Buddy asked.
“I have an idea. I’m happy for you.”
“So this isn’t some twenty-one-year-old blonde bombshell we’re playing for?” Silas asked.
“Oh, I’m sorry, is that what you secretly want?” I asked.
“Never,” Silas said. “You give me that pregnant body of yours all day and night and I’m a happy man.”
“You’re an asshole,” I snapped. “Go play guitar and be quiet.”
“Damn,” Buddy whispered to Silas. “Do you want her to kill you in your sleep?”
Silas laughed and he put his arm around Buddy.
They walked to the porch and Buddy climbed the steps.
He knocked on the door and stepped back.
Silas stayed at the bottom step.
Buddy started playing his guitar.
Silas played too, staying quiet though. He kind of just filled in any of the notes and sound that Buddy wasn’t ready for yet.
The front door opened and out stepped Dorothy.
Dot.
I covered my mouth.
I said I had an idea… and this all made sense.
“Buddy?” Dot asked.
Buddy started to sing to her.
His voice was aged and choppy but it tore through my heart.
The sweet romantic gesture from Buddy at his age plus the pregnancy hormones… I was screwed.
I wept like a fool as Buddy sang to Dot.
I didn’t know much about or of Dot, other than her full name was Dorothy. But she was a nice woman, never caused any issues, and whatever this was between her and Buddy, it was so cute to see.
Dot had come in the restaurant plenty of times.
She also had Dad do some work on her house a few times.
Dad usually only took on big projects, but for some people in town, he’d do something as small as changing a bad outlet. Or add a ceiling fan to a bedroom.
That’s what made Dad so awesome.
Dot smiled the entire time Buddy played and sang to her.
I had to admit… this was more than just a romantic gesture.
The look on Dot’s face was pure love.
She was in love with Buddy.
He was obviously in love with her.
The song came to an end and I walked to Silas and stood at his side.
He put an arm around me and hugged me.
“Dammit, Buddy,” Dot said. “What was that about?”
“I’ve never stopped loving you, Dot,” he said.
“Oh, Buddy…”
“I can’t help it, Dot. I’m sorry I waited so long. I made a promise to a girl in high school. Remember that promise? I told you I was going to sing to you. I never did. Until now.”
“Until now,” Dot said. “You stupid, old fool.”
Dot put her hands out and Buddy hurried to take his guitar off.
He took her hands and pulled her toward him.
When they kissed I started to weep again.
Next to me Silas laughed.
I punched him in the stomach.
What an asshole.
“Mila Justa,” Dot said to me. “You look beautiful. I heard you were pregnant.Tyler’s fiancée is too, right?”
“That’s right,” I said. “Her name is Olivia. She’s amazing.”
“That’s so great. And you must