“I can’t stop to cuddle or we’ll never get out of here and I’m already fighting the Neanderthal urge to carry you back to bed and claim you.” I giggled and kissed him once more before letting go. “I’ll be out in a minute, chère.” He sauntered into the bathroom and I sighed.
The food was delicious, my aches were delicious, and he looked delicious. I couldn’t think of a more wonderful Sunday.
When he finished, I took my turn in the shower. I did a quick French braid and stepped out of the bathroom in my robe. He was already dressed, pulling on his boots, at the table.
“You’ll probably want long pants and shoes you don’t mind getting a little dirty.” I gave him a quizzical look and he raised his eyebrows at me. “C’mon, beautiful. We need to get a move on.”
Suddenly, quite anxious to get some time outdoors on a beautiful day, I hurriedly dressed in jeans, Keens and a red tank with a skull on it. I rubbed on some sunscreen and put on some eyeliner. I packed my sketchbook and pencils in my backpack.
“I’m assuming we have some mode of transport? You do know I don’t have a car?”
He nodded and a fiendish grin graced his gorgeous mug.
“I have a vehicle parked right outside, milady. You ready yet?”
I grabbed a couple of waters from the fridge and asked, “Do I need to pack us some snacks or anything?”
He shook his head. “Just your pretty little self, now let’s get a move on.”
He grabbed his guitar and took my hand, leading me out. I decided to text Mackenzie later to check on her. I figured they might want to sleep in. Who knows what they were up to last night?
We stepped out the back door and I had to squint in the bright sunlight. “You know, I kind of feel like a vampire. We've been inside so much lately. The sun feels great, but man does it sting the eyes.”
He chuckled and said, “I’ve got an extra pair of shades if you need them.”
I smiled up at him, using a hand to shade my eyes and that’s when I saw it. “You brought it,” I breathed in wonderment. I felt his kiss on top of my head as I was drawn to the black and chrome beauty before us.
“I told you I needed to get something from Houma. I needed my other girl.”
I was speechless. Gods, the car was perfection! A 1967 Chevelle SS convertible. Black on black with chrome finish. I turned to him with stars in my eyes and said, “This is a fantastic piece of machinery.”
He chuckled and threw his arm over my shoulders. “This is Rose. My daddy bought her when I was a kid and taught me how to work on her. The paint and interior we had done by someone else but he and I rebuilt the engine ourselves. You up for a ride, chère?”
I was bouncing on the balls of my feet. “Absolutely!”
We climbed in and he placed his guitar and my backpack in the backseat. He cranked the engine and the roar that sounded was loud and furious. I grinned at him maniacally, impressed by his cool exterior. In his white t-shirt and jeans, black hair loose and hanging in pieces around his face and silver hoops reflecting in the sun, he was that bad boy personified again. He drew on his shades and handed me another pair from the glove box. When I didn’t take them right away, he looked over at me.
“What is it, beautiful?”
I had the shades clutched to my chest and all I could do was stare at him. He laughed at me and I just settled further into the seat and sighed. “Just enjoying the view.”
He pursed his lips together, put the car in reverse and backed out of my small driveway. Only about four cars could fit in the back of our building. Mackenzie had an old truck back there and the other spots were reserved for customers. I hadn’t wanted or needed a car when I arrived and Mackenzie lent me her truck whenever I needed it.
Devon pulled out onto Frenchman street and headed away from the French Quarter.
“I’ve not done much exploring away from the Quarter, where are we headed?”
He smiled at me. “No? I’m glad I get to show you around then. I thought we’d head over to Houma if that’s ok with you?”
This date was getting better and better. “I would love that.”
He reached over and grasped my hand. “Well then sit back and enjoy the ride, chère.”
I rested my head against the seat and pulled my legs up under me. Devon navigated the streets with ease and when he pulled onto the interstate, he gave the engine a kick and we flew down the road. The car was pristine. The interior was polished and lovingly tended to. Devon switched on the radio. We listened to Cajun music and enjoyed being out and about. I pulled our hands up and kissed his knuckles.
“This could be all we do today and I would think it was a perfect date.”
He laughed softly, glancing over at me, and squeezed my hand.
"I'm glad to hear you say that, but it's not all we're going to do. I just felt like being outside and Rose has been neglected for too long. I had to have Daryl give her a jump last night. I haven't had her out since I've been home.”
We rode for a long time without speaking. I stroked his hand with my fingers and he had a peaceful smile on his face. I realized in that moment how much he really had relaxed since I met him. I don't know how he was with others before, but I know he wasn't smiling and the thought that his feelings for me helped get him to this point made my heart swell.
We drove for a little over an hour through the gorgeous land of southern Louisiana. I hadn't been out this way and the view was breathtaking. We pulled off Highway 90 and took Main Street through town. Devon turned into the parking lot of Magnolia Cemetery and turned off the car. He sat for a moment staring out the windshield, his face expressionless behind his shades.
I waited for him to speak. When he took a deep breath and smiled weakly, I knew why we were here.
“I wanted to come see Maggie and introduce you. I hope that's ok.”
I scooted over next to him on the seat and cupped his face in my hands. “I'd be honored, Devon."
I couldn't see his eyes through the shades but I knew what they would tell me. Deep sadness would be there and maybe a little uncertainty about how I would feel about this. I meant what I said to him. I knew how hard this was and I was so proud of him for facing his fears.
We stepped out of the car and he grabbed his guitar case and a backpack. I followed him through the gates and down the path through the rows of tombs. I found the cemeteries of New Orleans fascinating. However, when I'd visited before, I had no idea I'd actually ever see a tomb for someone I'd known. They seemed so old, like from another time. Of course I knew they still buried people this way. I guess it hadn't occurred to me that Maggie would be in one. He led me to an older tomb with the name Boudreaux elegantly carved into the stone. He took out a blanket and laid it down on the path for us. The weather was warm and the sun was high in the sky. I could hear the buzzing of cicadas in the trees surrounding the cemetery.
We sat down next to each other and he was quiet for a while. He held my hand loosely against his thigh and stared up at this resting place of his ancestors. I thought about what that must be like to have such a family history, to know where they ended up, and to have a connection to your past. I envied him for that. There were dates going back to 1861 on the tomb. I didn't know anything about my family other than my Charles grandparents were from Colorado originally and that my father moved to California when he joined the service.
"The last person we buried here before Maggie was my daddy, and before that was my great grandmother.” He winced. “I didn't think I'd be back here so soon after my daddy.”
I squeezed his hand and he took a couple of shaky breaths.
“I've been wanting to come out here since we came back, but I didn't feel strong enough. I'm still not sure I am.” He laughed nervously. “When we buried Daddy, Maggie held my hand and gave me tissues when I cried. She helped me pick out one of Daddy's old suits and a nice red tie for the service. The pants were a little short and too big in the waist. The sleeves rode up on the jacket. But she assured me
I looked handsome. She didn't leave my side the whole day. She didn't even cry until we got home and she could go to her room and be alone.”
I wanted to soothe him, but I could tell he wanted to continue, that he needed to get this out.
”When it was time to get ready for her funeral, I thought about my daddy's suit and how I felt like he was with me when I wore it. There was no way it was going to fit, though. I had some Armani bullshit suit Maggie made me get, so I wore that. I did find the red tie.”
He turned and kissed me on top of my head and then reached for his guitar case. He brought out a beat up Marshall acoustic and strummed it a few times, getting the tuning right.
"When I went home the other night I planned on just grabbing the keys to Rose but I walked around a bit and ended up in my room. I found that damned tie in the closet along with this, my first guitar. I wrote a song that night and I want to play it for you.”
I smiled at him and said, "I would love to hear it.”
He smiled sadly, but I still couldn't see his eyes. The melody he started to play was achingly tender, and when he started to sing, I didn't need to see his eyes to know how much pain he was in.
She held my hand through my darkest days
She dried my tears and kept me moving
She dressed me up and gave me strength
She made me stand and kept on proving
And when I thought life would tear me down
She was there to help me turn it around
Love will be with you through all the pain
Love will comfort and always remain
Love will keep you always sane
Love will shelter you through the rain
She left me here in darker days
She left me and I gave up moving
She dressed me up and left me hollow
She made me stand and left me so low
And when I thought her death would end me
Her words were there haunting me
Love will be with you through all the pain
Love will comfort and always remain
Love will keep you always sane
Love will shelter you through the rain
You pulled me out of the darkest days
You dried my tears and got me moving
You undressed me and gave me strength
You helped me stand and keep on proving
And when I thought I was forever broken
She sent me an angel, her words again spoken
Love will be with you through all the pain
Love will comfort and always remain
Love will keep you always sane
Love will shelter you through the rain
He played a few more notes and then stopped, his arms resting on top of the guitar. I reached over and pulled off his shades to find his eyes on mine, unsure of what my reaction would be. His words were still reverberating in my head. The depth of his emotions fascinated me.
“I really want to kiss you right now, Devon. Can I kiss you?”
He smirked and set down his guitar, then pulled me onto his lap. His eyes searched my face for my reaction, but words couldn’t express to him how much his song moved me. I hoped my kiss would be enough to show him how much I wanted to do those things for him, to be that angel for him.
I pulled back and held his face in my hands, his eyes still closed. “I want to be that love for you, Devon. I’m glad you are letting me.”
He smiled and held me tight in his arms. From far off we heard children laughing and I thought it might not be appropriate for someone to come across us in this position so I slipped off his lap and sat in front of him.
"So, are you going to introduce me to the Boudreaux clan?”
He held my hands and motioned for me to turn and face the tomb. He cleared his throat and then leaned over my shoulder.
"Daddy? Maggie? I'd like for you to meet a very special person, Jaylene Charles. She's my girlfriend and I would very much like for her to be part of the family. Jaylene, this is my sister Maggie and my daddy, David Boudreaux.”
I turned my head towards him to see if he was finished. He was smiling nervously. I gave him a quick kiss and turned back towards the tomb.
”I'm very pleased to meet you both. Devon has told me so much about you. I'm very grateful he brought me here to see you today.” I glanced at him before I continued. “I wanted to take this opportunity to tell you how wonderful a man you both helped to raise. He is unbelievably brave, kind, and generous. You should be so proud of how hard he has been working to put his life back together. He misses you both so very much and he's doing his best to honor you by being a great friend, son and cousin. I hope that you know your words have helped him deal with his loss, but he could still use a little help. So if you don't mind sending him some peace, that would go a long way in helping him move forward and meet his obligations to the band. I'm so grateful to be a part of his life and I will be here to hold his hand through whatever else life decides to throw his way, you can count on that. Thanks for listening.”
Devon shook his head and laughed. “Leave it to you to find conversing with my dead relatives perfectly understandable. You're incredible, you know that?”
He wrapped his arms around my waist from behind me and at that very moment, two white butterflies flew out from behind the tomb, circled each other, flew around us while doing their dance upon the breeze, and then fluttered off into the trees.
We looked at each other, shaken by the experience. We knew something important had just happened.
”I’m kind of looking for Mage to be hiding behind a tomb or something,” Devon said nervously.
“I think it’s beautiful. You know they supposedly symbolize death and the spirits of those who’ve left to the families and loved ones they left behind.”
He shook his head. “I didn’t know that. Do you believe they are really still with us?”
I thought about it for a minute. “I’m not actually sure. I’d like to think they are watching us and sending us hope and love when we need it. But I also want to think of them as beyond pain, and I would think it would pain them to see us suffering. So I don’t know.”
Devon nuzzled my neck and inhaled a few deep breaths. “How about we go get some lunch?”
I looked to him and smiled. “Sure, unless you need more time?”
He shook his head. “Nope. I did what I came to do.”
We stood and I made quick work of folding the blanket and putting it back into the backpack. Devon stepped over to the wall of the tomb and he ran his fingers lightly over David’s and Maggie’s names. When he turned to look at me he was smiling a half smile. He looked better. Much of the sadness had left his gaze. As he took my hand and led me to the cemetery gates, I said a silent prayer that he would be able to keep this peace in the coming weeks.
We drove back down Main Street and stopped at the Houma Grill.
”Isn’t this your family’s place?”
He nodded. “Haven’t been here for a while, thought maybe you could meet more of the family. The living ones.” He laughed and kissed me lightly as we entered the restaurant.
The restaurant was very much a seafood shack kind of place. The tables were wooden picnic benches with red and white-checkered tablecloths. Wood beams hung low and there were family pictures all over the walls along with some of local celebrities. I quickly noticed pictures of the band and smiled at the thought of how proud these folks must be of the boys’ success. There were also several pictures of Maggie at various ages. I particularly liked one of her and Devon hugging that must have been taken not too long ago. He looked as he did now. Maybe his hair was a little longer.
As we approached the hostess stand, a girl in her late teens ran forward screaming, “MAMA!!! Devon’s here!!”
She hurled herself at Devon and he caught her and swung her around in his arms. Three other women came forward and hugged him as well. He kissed them all on the cheek.
“Ladies, I wou
ld like you to meet my girlfriend, Jaylene Charles. Jaylene this is my Aunt Claudine and cousins Deborah, Ada and Jeanette.”
The women looked at me in shock and only caught themselves in time to avoid a look of scorn from Devon and hugged me warmly.
“It’s very nice to meet you,” I said nervously, Devon’s hand at my back keeping me from completely freaking out.
They all exclaimed how happy they were to see us and seated us at a table near the back of the restaurant. Jeanette was the young girl and she took our drink orders while the older ladies, in their 30’s and 40’s maybe, asked after Devon’s mama and the rest of the gang.
“Jaylene, these ladies are cousins on the Boudreaux side. Aunt Claudine was Daddy’s sister and Jeanette is her daughter. Deborah and Ada are my second cousins.”
The ladies continued to gaze at me in curiosity. Claudine saw my confusion and spoke. “So Devon, what brings you home?”
He smiled and said, “Uncle Daryl helped us rent the St. Germaine House in the Quarter so we could work on songs for the next album. Jaylene and I had a day off so we came on out. We went by the cemetery first.”
They all nodded in understanding. Deborah reached out and touched his shoulder and he smiled sadly.
Claudine said, “We haven’t seen Daryl much lately, how’s he doing?”
Devon told her he was good, that he’d spent some time with the guys recently. They asked about Marcus and Jade and Devon said they were fine, leaving out the part where Marcus behaved like a jackass.
When Jeanette came back with our drinks, Devon’s cell phone rang. “It’s Marcus, I need to take this, chère.”
I waved to him to go ahead. He leaned forward to kiss me on the cheek and then stepped outside, leaving me with his four gaping relatives. I looked up at them, and they must have sensed my growing discomfort. Claudine sat across from me and smiled.
“Darlin’, I apologize if we was bein’ rude when y’all first came in but we’ve just never met any girlfriend of Devon’s before. I think we were all a bit shocked.”
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