The band is back together, with Miles happier than I’ve seen him in a long time.While rekindling our relationship was what he wanted too, there was always this small piece that was missing.
Performing.
It’s what Miles does best.It’s what he was made for, and if he never tours again or only plays here on the islands, it feels like it will be enough for him and the band.
I have no idea what happened on tour, but obviously, it wasn’t just that the band broke up.I can see it in Lacey’s eyes.I can see it in the way the guys look at her—protective yet concerned.Maybe one day the story will come out, but for now, they all seem content to be together.
“That was the best show I’ve ever seen you perform,” I tell Miles as we drive back to our house, his equipment packed in the car.
It reminds me of when we were kids, driving from bar to bar, open-air amphitheaters and then stadiums.I was with him every step of the way, then watching him leave for his first real tour on the mainland.
I wish things would have been different.I wish I had gone with him and that we never broke up, but we wouldn’t be where we are today if that had happened.I have to be grateful for our time apart and the way it built us back stronger and more supportive of each other.
“Thanks, babe,” Miles replies, a sweetness to his tone that sends goosebumps dotting my skin.“It felt like the best show I’ve ever played.Thatweever played.”He corrects himself, giving credit to the band, and I can’t agree more.
They were so in sync, each one of them smiling and playing their heart out, and it felt like it did when they first started the band.
“I think it felt even better knowing Isaac couldn’t show up and ruin it,” Miles adds, and I swallow hard at the mention of his name.
I nod softly, Miles reaching over to take my hand.Giving it a gentle squeeze comforts me, but I know that it won’t be enough to move past what happened.
Sloane and I have talked about going to therapy, needing it to help us both overcome not just the fire, but all the shit that’s happened in our pasts.Things we’ve pushed to the side, things we’ve been told to just “get over,” but it’s not that simple.
I want to be able to sleep at night without the fear of my house being set on fire.I want my business to thrive without the constant worry that he could show up and ruin it all.And adding to this is my fear of abandonment; I don’t want it creeping in and causing issues between Miles and me.
“Everything feels better knowing Isaac is in custody,” I reply, a quiet whisper to my words, still wrought with guilt over ever getting involved with him.
“None of what happened is your fault, Daisy, and I will spend forever reminding you of that.”Again, his hand tightens in mine, and that feeling of safety and comfort radiates through me.
“I know.”I keep saying this in the hopes that one day I will begin to believe it myself.“It’s hard, but I’ll get through it.I think I’m going to start therapy after the bakery is open,” I admit, and Miles looks over at me, giving me a simple and sweet smile.
“That sounds like a great plan.”
We drive in silence for a few minutes longer, pulling up outside the bakery.He stops, the headlights casting a perfect spotlight on the building, and it’s hard to believe that just last week, I thought it was gone forever.
Isaac had used gasoline to start the fire, dragging a line of it along the back and front entrance and lighting it.It’s the reason the building wasn’t fully damaged, only catching where the gasoline touched, and with the arrival of the fire department so quickly, it was put out before it could destroy the bakery.
He wanted to trap me inside the building, wanting it to go up in flames without any way to escape, and really, he did accomplish that.But Eli and the rest of the fire department did exactly what they were supposed to, and it’s what I think about when the intrusive thoughts edge too close.
“It’s gonna be amazing, Daze,” Miles says, and while I’m nervous, it’s also paired with an excitement that has my heart racing and my mind swirling.
“It is.”
Both Miles and I fall asleep quickly, the busyness and excitement of the day getting to us, and it’s not going to stop for the next few weeks.
Miles has a couple of gigs lined up here on Maui, and once word gets out that Silent Daydream is back together, I’d bet the bakery they’ll be playing larger places than just local bars.Especially judging by how crowded Lisa’s place was last night.Bars here can’t accommodate those kinds of crowds, so it will move to amphitheaters and stadiums.
“Let’s do this,” I say to Miles before the sun has even begun to rise.It’s early, but that’s how owning a bakery works.
I’m dressed in a T-shirt with Daisy’s Flour Shop logo across the front and a pair of jeans, and hanging on a hook in the bakery kitchen is my apron.
Miles is wearing the same T-shirt, determined to help me however he can, and while he isn’t the best in the kitchen, he will certainly be great behind the register.
My heart is racing as we leave our house, making the short walk to the bakery.I’ve been buzzing with nervous energy ever since I woke up this morning.A part of me wonders if we shouldn’t have gone surfing first to burn some of it off, but I’m not even sure I could have concentrated on anything else.
We enter through the back door.The cement outside the door is still blackened from the fire, but everything else looks as if nothing happened.It’s a small reminder, and when Miles notices where my eyes have fallen, he whispers, “I’ll take care of that.”
Pulling me to him, he kisses my temple, and we stand together on the spot where the fire started, almost as if we’re both trying to make a better memory.
