FIVE WEEKS BEFORE THE CONCERT
“It’s amazing how someone can break your heart and you can still love them with all the little pieces.” ~ Ella Harper
FEBRUARY 14
SIENNA
Today would go down in history as the least romantic Valentine’s Day since Sienna met Zane. Their first one as a couple easily qualified as the best. It was the night he first played ‘Faded Denim’ for her. He had rented out the Hollywood Bowl and got her to sit on the stage with him while he serenaded her, strumming along on his acoustic guitar. She listened to the sweet words and watched his every expression while he belted out the chorus and smiled at her. When the song ended, she was nearly a puddle, tears streaming down her face, her entire being overcome with a love so big, she had no idea it existed. He took a small box out of his pocket and opened it to reveal a pair of diamond earrings (it couldn’t be a ring, he was still married after all). He told her he’d love her until the day he died. Maybe longer, who knew? They made love right there under the stars, not caring that the security guard was wandering around somewhere.
Every other February fourteenth had paled in comparisonfor her, even though Zane always tried to top it. A surprise trip to Hawaii or Paris for the weekend, a week on a mega yacht off the coast of St. Lucia. If he was away on tour, lavish gifts were delivered—a four-million-dollar diamond necklace worn by Marie Antoinette, a Cartier watch that had yet to be released to the public. The year after she gave birth to Ivy, he gave her a shiny red Ferrari, which she only drove twice on account of it not being at all practical for a new mom.
But none of them gave her the thrill of that night on that stage with her new man, because the song was born of his heart. His words meant everything. He thought about her. He loved her, even though they hadn’t said it yet. In fact, he loved her enough to immortalize her for the entire world. That song was forever, unlike the luxury trips or the Cartier watch or the diamonds (sorry, De Beers, but it was a fact).
So tonight, Sienna expected something that said he was thinking of her, he was filled with regret, and he was ready to make it all up to her. Not that she would let him, mind you. But there was a little thrill in knowing he was working hard to get her back. And she intended to squeeze every ounce of effort he had in him. And then make him wait.
As far as this evening went, he’d rented out a theater and would pick up the girls to take them (as well as all their friends and classmates) to seeBeverly Hills Ninja. She knew he’d chosen that movie specifically to entice their son—the world’s biggest Chris Farley fan—to join them. But Parker was proving to have an iron will, which Sienna was starting to both respect and fear. If he could turn on Zane like this, it wasn’t hard to imagine that he could do the same to her someday.
But then again, she didn’t have to think about that tonight either. Not when she was Parker’s rock. Their sondidn’t seem to be blaming her as much anymore for forcing him to keep his father’s secret. He now saw his beloved mom as the victim and Zane as the villain. After he turned down the offer to see the movie, she said he could invite his buddies over for a sleepover. In an hour, her home would be invaded by six adolescent boys wearing far too much Drakkar Noir, all yelling in voices that squeaked and cracked like rusty old bicycles.
Actually, she probably should’ve canceled the sleepover. Parker narrowly missed getting suspended earlier that day for destruction of school property and swearing at his math teacher. He called him a ‘greasy old asshole’ after his teacher told him to go down to the office for carving the AC/DC symbol into his desk. Sienna was about to leave for yoga class when she got the call from the school. Against her better judgment (and the advice she knew Kylie would give), she’d rushed over there in her Lycra and sweet-talked the principal into letting Parker work off his crime doing odd jobs around the school during his lunch hour. She’d also make a generous donation to replace the desks in the math department (after all, they were all a little beat up anyway). She was spoiling her son, and she knew it might come back to bite her in the ass later. But he wasn’t acting out because he was a bad kid. He was doing it because he was hurting. And canceling everyone’s fun because of his mistake seemed rather harsh. So, she had a long, heartfelt talk with him instead, and he promised he’d never do anything like that again. And she believed him. Besides, having to help the janitor during lunch hour would be punishment enough. No need to double down on it when he’d already learned his lesson.
She was finishing kneading the dough for their traditional heart-shaped pizzas when the doorbell rang.Glancing at the clock, Sienna let out an irritated little grunt while Billie scrambled to get off her bed and rush to the front door. Valerie must have forgotten to close the gate behind her when she left earlier. She’d have to talk to her about that.
She wiped her hands on a dishtowel and threw it onto her shoulder as she hurried to the door. When she opened it, Zane stood on the other side, holding three matching bouquets of red and deep purple roses—exact replicas of her wedding flowers. One was enormous and the other two were smaller versions. He also had a big box of chocolates tucked under his arm that was clearly for Parker, based on the Transformers logo. It was too young for their son, which almost made Sienna feel sorry for the guy, but since Parker was a total chocoholic, she knew he’d still gobble them up the second Zane left.
Her husband looked stupidly handsome tonight with his beard trimmed and a hopeful smile. He was wearing the black leather bomber she bought him for Christmas two years earlier—the one she said he looked ‘highly fuckable’ in. And dammit if it still didn’t affect her that same way. But her brain quickly stepped in to save her, and her smile faded as she remembered he was father to four children now. Not three.
“These are for you,” he said, offering her the large bouquet. Billie jumped up to see him, her tail wagging while she whined a long, pathetic story about how much she missed him. “There’s a card for you as well but maybe wait until later to read it. It’s kind of long and admittedly a little on the mushy side.”
“Thanks,” Sienna answered without taking them. She turned on her heel and walked back toward the kitchen, tapping the side of her leg and calling her traitorous dog,who happily abandoned Zane to go with her. “You’re early. The girls aren’t quite ready to go,” she said over her shoulder.
Zane followed her and set the gifts down on the island. “I was hoping to have a chance to talk to you.”
“I’m pretty busy,” she said, opening the sub-zero fridge to pull out the ham, cheese, and mushrooms.
Zane lifted the dishtowel covering the bowl to peek at the dough. “Heart-shaped pizzas?”
She nodded. “Parker’s having some friends over.”
“Lucky boys,” he said, shrugging off his jacket. “Can I grate the cheese for you?”
Dammit. He knew how much she hated the job on account of the high probability of accidentally grating a nail. Sienna stared at him, trying to decide whether to let him.
Zane gave her that little grin he did when he was being cute. “Let me help, Sienna. I want to make your life easier. Besides, there’s no sense in wrecking that beautiful manicure just to spite me.”
He raised a good point. Letting out a sigh, she said, “Oh, fine.”
Clapping his hands together, Zane walked over to the sink to wash up. Sienna got to work slicing up the mushrooms Valerie had washed earlier that afternoon. (She also hated cleaning mushrooms.) They worked in companionable silence for a minute before he said anything. “Okay, actually, I’ve got two things I need to talk to you about.”
“All right…”
“No pressure, okay? Like, none, because I won’t have trouble finding some place to live. But Idohave to let my landlady know if I want to renew my lease because it’s up in two weeks.”
She gave him a blank look, realizing she still didn’t have the first clue if she wanted him back or not.
“I would give anything to come back home,” Zane told her. “Anything at all. I miss you so much.”
She raised an eyebrow at him. “Would you say yes if you were me?”
