“Are you gonna tell me where we are going?” she asked, obviously both excited and curious as we pulled out of her apartment complex.
“Nope,” I teased her. “You’ll know when we get there.”
“Well, how long of a drive is it?”
“Just a couple of hours. Settle down Nervous Nellie, it will be fun, I promise.
She gave me that signature Scarlett smile and melted my heart. “Ok, I trust you. I just like being prepared for where I’m going and who I’m going to be around.”
I grabbed her hand and brought it to my mouth, kissing the top of her knuckles. “Other than the hotel staff, I’m the only person you need to worry about being around.”
True to my word, about three hours later we pulled up to Lake Austin Spa Resort. After a quick check in with the front desk, I retrieved the keys to our premier hot tub cabin and I drove the car around to our home for the next two nights. When we entered cabin, she was like a little kid on Christmas morning, looking around at everything, taking it all in. She was beaming from ear to ear, and I knew that I had made the right decision. When she made her way to the French doors in the back of the cabin, she opened them and found the back porch decked out with a hot tub and posh sitting area that had breathtaking views of the lake.
“It’s absolutely gorgeous, Ash,” she whispered in her sweet little voice. She turned around and launched herself into my arms. “Thank you so much for bringing me here. It’s perfect.”
I enveloped her tightly in my arms, burying my face in her hair, savoring her heavenly smell. “You’re welcome, butterfly; anything for you.”
Sunday afternoon came before either of us wanted it to. We had spent forty eight hours being completely pampered at the spa and divulging into the delicious meals prepared by the chefs. My mom and sister had always gone to get massages and pedicures when I was growing up, and I had never quite understood the draw to it, but after that weekend, I had a newfound respect for the relaxation and rejuvenation those things did for one’s well-being. Spending that time alone away with Scarlett was therapeutic not only on an individual level, but for us as a couple as well. We spent hours upon hours in the hot tub under the stars talking about our hopes and dreams for the future. I told her all about CERN and my obsession with the research that was going on there. She expressed to me her love for music, which was much deeper than I had ever realized. She hadn’t done much with it scholastically because she was afraid of what her parents and others would think of her wasting away a Rice education just to major in music theory. I encouraged her to follow her heart with it. She would only be miserable if she ended up working in the business world if her true calling was in music. I hoped that I had gotten through to her, even if it was just a little, and I was going to continue to push her to follow her dream. On several occasions I had the opportunity to tell her about California, but I didn’t want to ruin the moment with a possible argument, plus I still didn’t know for sure where she could enroll once we got there. I knew everything would work out. Like I had always told her, I had faith that fate would find a way.
SCARLETT
When Ash and I came back from our weekend at the lake, I was completely revitalized and felt as if I had a direction for my future. I had been struggling with the whole “what do you want to be when you grow up” topic for some time now. Other than my music, I really had nothing else that I felt connected to. All of my classes came pretty easy to me for the most part, but I didn’t love any of them. Even though they had always pushed my music lessons on me, my parents had always made me feel like there was no future in it, that it wasn’t an acceptable career choice. However after talking to Ash about it, I began to realize that there was nothing disgraceful at all in following your calling. Even if I was an elementary school music teacher forever, I would be doing something that I absolutely loved; it didn’t matter how much money I did or didn’t make nor what my parents thought about it.
After he dropped me off at my apartment that evening, I unpacked my things and changed into my pajamas. I had been hoping Max would be there so I could tell him all about the weekend, but he was nowhere to be found. I also couldn’t wait to tell Mason about my decision. I thought about texting him, but decided I would wait to tell him in person on Tuesday when I went to see him. I knew he would be proud of me for going after something I really wanted. I was accepting who I was and what I wanted, and I was finally learning to embrace it. I felt as if things were finally starting to make sense for me.
All of the talk and thinking about music also made me realize that other than when I was bored at work, I hardly ever played anymore. It had been a long time since I had learned to play anything new as well. I pulled my keyboard out of my closet and pulled up the sheet music to Ellie Goulding’s Burn, which I was totally in love with. For the next couple of hours I completely lost myself in the song; I allowed the music to take over, my fingers moving fluidly over the keys as I belted out the lyrics. Not even aware that Max had come home, he nearly scared the life out of me when his voice joined me mid chorus during my concert for one. I looked over my shoulder at him and smiled as he climbed onto my bed next to me, neither of us missing a note.
When we finished the song, he began clapping and whistling. “Bravo! Bravo! My dear Scarlett, when did you learn how to play the piano?”
“Umm, when I was about six,” I teased as I nudged his shoulder with mine.
“I knew you played the guitar, but I had no idea about this… and your voice! Why don’t you do anything with this talent? You’re amazing sweetheart.”
Slightly blushing, I told him my news. “Well, actually I decided over this weekend that I am going to do something with it. I’ve always felt like it was just something to do as a hobby, but after talking with Ash this weekend he helped me realize that if I really love it, which I do, that I should pursue it. So when I got home, I pulled this old thing out,” I explained as I nodded to the keyboard.