Stevie bounced to the darker beats of her Evanescence CD while furiously stirring the steaming pot that was boiling upon her stove. She had been working the entire evening to prepare a feast for her little sister, mostly because it was a tradition for Friday nights, but also as a thank you. Stevie couldn’t have been more grateful for Keveney forming such a deep friendship with Howie. As much as Stevie approved of Keveney finally finding a stable man, she also realized how extremely wonderful it would be for her own career. She had already confessed her wicked thought to Keveney, only to have the little Moore laugh in a funny amusement. So, Stevie had laughed, too, knowing that Keveney understood it was so much more than a boost to her career. Stevie’s many-layered personality was like a favorite childhood story for Keveney.
Like the fact that, despite her formal appearance within the office, Stevie held a flare for an extremely fashionable attitude with just a faint spice of what the fashion industry coined “punk.” It was quite the mixture for a woman who presented a cool and collected appearance within the office, but when she returned home she ventured back into her extreme comfort zone. She still remained neat and quite feminine, but done so with a pair of black hot pants trimmed in a hot pink with a matching hot pink tank scripted with a vulgar saying. She looked as if she could pop from the latest fashion magazine, but instead she stood over a stove till the phone rang.
Then, sheer frustration took over her as she flung the spoon across the stove. It clattered loudly against the music, but she didn’t seem to care. She had moments of just an abrupt snapping, which followed with a quick cooling. Keveney often described the eldest Moore as a mini-volcano. She could completely blow within one moment, only to dull and pacify in several seconds after the initial quake. Unfortunately, she anticipated another cancellation from Keveney as she yanked the phone from its place and to her ear. Immediately, the fire sparked and the words exploded like a rush of molten lava. “Keveney Marie Moore! So help me God, you’re dead if you tell me you added another shift like some lap dog for those dinosaurs they call nurses—”
“Is it illegal to pocket a little extra cash after the holidays?” Howie laughed.
“Oh! Howie!” Stevie gasped in horror, practically dropping the phone into the boiling pot. Only, somehow, she managed to recover, cursing softly at the heat brushing against her wrists. She yanked backward, shifting the phone to hear Howie’s voice. She felt so foolish at that moment.
“Hey, Stevie. I’m guessing that Kevie isn’t home?”
“Quite clever,” Stevie humored, rolling her eyes though Howie couldn’t see the gesture. So, quickly realizing that she only had to focus on her speech, she moved back to the pasta. She grasped the assaulted spoon, dunking it back into the boiling liquid. She wanted to make sure it didn’t stick to the bottom like Keveney tended to do when she became scatterbrained with various thoughts popping into her memory like bubbles. “But, no, she’s at work… Well, she should be on her way home, but she usually gets caught up with a patient. Or other nurses corner her to do their duties, damn decrepit dinosaurs! Doesn’t matter that I’m slaving over a blistering—”
“Should I call back later?” Howie interrupted with a nervous laugh. He already realized that Keveney tended to push her sister’s fury buttons more than any one person should, knowing that her impish playfulness could be deadly for someone who didn’t understand Stevie’s natures. Someone like himself.
“Huh? Oh! I’m sorry, Howie. That girl just drives me nuts.”
“I can tell.”
“So, how’s Jillian?” Stevie questioned, making her tone light and airy.
“Better. The antibiotic did wonders. She’s almost at a full recovery, thanks to Kevie playing Mommy Dorough…” Howie’s voice trailed at the thought of Keveney playing the title of his wife. He felt his heart warm, but quickly realized that he was speaking to her sister instead of her. So, quickly, he struggled to change the subject. “Um… But, I got the final copy of your article today!”
“Oh?”
“It’s absolutely beautiful.”
“Thanks! You really approve?”
“Of course. You have quite a way with words, even if it’s just a simple article. You have a way of putting a positive spin on almost anything you get your hands on. Us artists really appreciate that tone of voice. You know? Too many people are just ready to kick us in the balls as AJ always says. They like to find our flaws and exploit them. Like with Jillian, you could have completely destroyed me. But, you handled it extremely diplomatically. I thank you so much for that. And I think I’ll have you do all our interviews—”
“Seriously?!”
“Would you want to?”
“Are you seriously asking me that question?!”
“Do you really question my authenticity?”
“Howie!” Stevie groaned with annoyance, spinning herself within the cord of the phone. “My answer is yes, okay? I would love to do all your interviews!”
“Then I’ll talk to our publicist about making it happen.”
“Oh God! I owe you one!”
“Good, I want to cash in that one…”
Keveney cursed openly as she fumbled for her car keys while killing the engine, feeling as if she were trapped within a numbed body. She was struggling to function properly, the panic attack dulling her reflexes from being elevated far too long. A fine film of sweat coated her skin as she tumbled out of her car after releasing the sticky keys from their port. She hit the asphalt with a sharp smack, only to roll into a standing position like a cat that could never land on her back. Her heart thudded heavily against her chest while racing to the Dorough home, anxious to find and alleviate the problem. Stevie had terrified her when she arrived home, rushing out of the house screaming hysterically. Never had Keveney saw her sister so overwhelmed with distress, unless she counted the one moment when Keveney had tied all of Stevie’s expensive bras together to create a rope-pull for the hospital fair. But, needless to say, a sly story of Howie’s hysteria had unfolded from Stevie’s lips as she shook Keveney furiously to add the affect of terror. The eldest Moore had claimed he was dripping with anxious energy, begging for Keveney to rescue him from some unknown disaster.
So, she naturally feared the worst.
“Howie?! Jillie Bean?! Howie? Where are you?!” Keveney hollered, bursting into the home. She started her search within the downstairs. Her heart continued to hammer dramatically within her aching chest, causing her to inhale and exhale the sharpest breaths in the shortest amount of time. She started to feel lightheaded from the lack of oxygen, but persisted in her pursuit. Her hands trembled with a nervous flurry, knotting the hem of her shirt. She didn’t know what to expect. “Howie—”
Keveney’s breath caught deep within her throat as she entered the kitchen. The rest of her sentence erupted like a jumbled mass of vowels, staring at the invitation in front of her upon the kitchen table. A simple cream-colored envelope had been propped upon the table with a single coral rose sitting within a matching vase. White, vanilla candles flickered softly within the lighting, causing her eyes to shimmer with fascination at the burning dance. Upon the envelope was her name scrawled with a delicate writing, which drew her closer that before. Slowly, she reached to withdraw the rose from its case, inhaling the sweet scent. She closed her eyes for the longest moment, drawing her fingers along the edges of the envelope before flipping it open. Then, she withdrew the elegant note card trimmed in silver.
Gently, Keveney settled the note card and the envelope back onto the tablecloth. Her mind immediately traveled in several different directions, wondering what Howie could have possibly meant with his carefully crafted words. She pressed the soft petals to her nose for the sweet scent, hearing the cute laughter of Jillian. So, she turned in excitement to find Howie and Jillian in the threshold of the kitchen. Her violet eyes twinkled with surprise, moving to kiss Jillian’s cheek and then Howie’s cheek, though she kissed close to his mouth. She withdrew and a rosy blush complimented her beautiful face, but her curious mind prevailed.
“So, what’s changing our lives?” Keveney questioned with curiosity, bouncing slightly upon the balls of her feet with a childlike exuberance.
“Honestly?” he teased, gently shifting Jillian so he could reach to tuck a stray lock behind Keveney’s ear. He watched her mouth a simple ‘thank you,’ causing his entire body to flutter with excitement. He felt his mouth start to dry as his heart began to pound with anticipation, realizing he was moments away from crafting their binding destinies. He considered this the most important event in his entire life, besides finding Jillian, only because he was falling in love. Truly falling in love.
“I would hope so, Goofball,” Keveney giggled softly, unable to realize the potential.
“Okay,” Howie laughed softly, realizing it might be beneficial just to reach the direct point. “We developed a great friendship, Kevie. A friendship that I can’t imagine never finding. You’re very special to Jillie and me. Only, as important as you are to my life… My career is also a major priority. Music has always been my life and we’re going back on tour in two months. I can’t abandon the boys, but Jillie can’t live without you that long… And I can’t live without you for that long…”
“What—”
“I want you to go on tour with us. Just think of the possibilities before you say no, okay? You can have this great vacation on my expense. We’re going all across the states and you had said before that you were dying to see different places before you settled into a routine. I just need help with Jillian. And I can’t stand the thought of leaving my best friend behind. You mean so much to me, Kevie. Do you understand? The guys agree to compensate you since you’re going on hiatus from work. And we want you to bring a companion so you’re not forced to just commune with us for those months. Just don’t say no to me. Please?”
“No?” Keveney laughed, immediately moving to embrace both him and Jillian with a flurry of kiss. She felt Howie initially tense with surprise, obviously not expecting the reaction. But, it only seemed to make Keveney laugh harder, drawing the small family closer within her arms. “You honestly think I’d say no?! Well, okay, I’ll say no! I’ll say no freaking way would I miss this!”
