Dahven watched as Isaac put Angel to sleep. She smiled proudly at him. He was too busy singing to Angel to see her, she was glad about that. After a few seconds she started to pay attention to his words.
“Don’t cry Angel. Don’t cry. Everything is going to be all right. Don’t worry about your pain and your sorrow. See there’s always tomorrow. Don’t cry, Angel. Don’t cry. Don’t think about what the things you’ve lost. Cherish, always, what you’ve got. Don’t cry, Angel. Don’t cry. Don’t worry about the door that closes. Look for the one that opens. Don’t cry, Angel. Don’t cry. Everything is going to be all right. Don’t cry, Angel. Don’t cry. Everything---is going to be----all right.” He sang softly.
Dahven felt her eyes well up with tears. ‘He might as well have been singing to me.’ She thought sadly to herself. She was saddened by the fact that she did worry about what pain she felt, worried if there was a tomorrow, thought of all that she had lost, but never really thought about what she had, and she always stood before and watched the closed door. Sometimes never realizing that there was a door opened just for her.
I’m selfish. She thought bitterly as she walked out of her bedroom and into the hallway. She stood there for a second before she went into the library across the hall. She went straight to the bookshelf and took off the thick dictionary. “Ok, I’m looking for the ‘S’s.” She said out loud as she flipped hastily through the pages. “S-A, S-A-S, S-C, S-C-U, S-E, S-E-A, S-E-C, S-E-E, S-E-L!” She shouted gleefully.
Soon her finger was stopped at the word that she had been looking for. “Selfish.” She whispered to herself. She was afraid that if she read the definition that she might as well have had her picture next to it.
Taking a deep breath she started to read. “Selfish, adjective, concerned unduly over personal profit or pleasure: lack of consideration for others: mercenary: greedy.” Closing the heavy book Dahven placed it back in its spot.
“At least I’m not completely selfish.” She said quietly to herself frowning.
Some one in the doorway cleared their throat.
Snapping her head up she saw Zac staring at her.
Giving him a small smile Dahven waved. “Hey.” She said as she started to walk towards him.
“Hey.” He repeated. “I could have told you what selfish meant.” He said softly.
Dahven’s cheeks burned, and she knew they were red. She shrugged after few seconds. “I knew what it meant. I just wanted to make sure though.”
Zac nodded. “You’re not selfish, Charm. If you were then you wouldn’t have helped out Randy. With her getting signed, or,” He said as he strained the word ‘or.’ “Let her, Amanda, Kim, Linz, Tay, Ike, and I use that priceless equipment you keep hidden downstairs. Nor would you have kept Angel or given Arie that job in Washington.”
Slowly, Dahven took in what Zac was saying. She knew that she wasn’t selfish. But she was her worst enemy and she wouldn’t believe herself. But she would believe others. Especially ones that she knew most of her life. Carefully she hugged Zac and kissed his cheek. “Thanks Zac. You’re doing wonders for my ego.”
Zac chuckled. “Just don’t go getting a big head. You won’t be able to stand upright or fit into any doors.”
Dahven laughed. It felt good laughing after all that had passed lately. She smiled warmly at what had taken place last night in this library.
Zac noticed her smile. “Ike woke up Tay last night just to tell him the news of you and him being back together.”
Dahven blushed again and gave her shoes a brief glance. “Did he wake you too?” She asked gently.
“Nah.” Zac said shaking his head. “I was already up.”
Dahven laughed again and gave him another hug. “C’mon. Let’s go get everyone.” She said as they started for her room first for Isaac.
Downstairs, Randy watched Taylor with concern. “Tay, why are you so tired? You’ve nearly fallen asleep three times already?" She asked as his eyes dropped closed again for a second before being forced open again.
Quickly Taylor rubbed his eyes. “Ike was thrilled with being back with Charm that he couldn’t sleep. Which means that I couldn’t sleep either. He’s a rather noisy person when he’s awake.” He answered as he stifled a yawn.
Randy smiled evilly before she moved over to him. “Want to see if I can wake you up?” She asked as she coyly twirled a strand of his hair in her fingers.
Taylor smiled gratefully at her. “As long as you aren’t going to dump cold water on me or scream in my ears go ahead.”
Nodding Randy kissed him hard on his mouth. He responded immediately to her kiss, getting a great wake up call.
“How was that?” Randy asked grinning.
Taylor grinned too. “Can I trade my alarm clock in for you?”
Randy laughed. “Anytime.” She answered before he kissed her.
“You know you two must really be joined together there cause every time we see you you’re like that.” Lindsay said from the doorway of the parlor.
Breaking apart Randy and Taylor blushed deep shades of red.
“Look what you did.” Amanda hissed at Lindsay.
“Use tact fathead.” Kim said to Lindsay as she started pushing them out of the room.
Lindsay protested all the way out but didn’t come back.
“There’s too many people in this house.” Randy groaned.
Taylor laughed. “There’s Charm, Ike, Zac, Linz, Amanda, Kim, you, and me. That’s seven. There’s seven kids in my family.” He reminded her.
Randy nodded. “Yeah, I know. But then there’s Herb and Rosie. That’s nine. But we don’t know how many more servants are here that we don’t see. Cause we don’t always see Herb or Rosie around all the time now do we?” She asked.
“No, we don’t.” Taylor agreed. Then he shook his head. “Let’s stop thinking about how many people are in this house.” He said before he kissed her again.
“Isaac, when do you think that you’ll finish in the studio?” Dahven asked as she stretched out on the blanket she and Isaac were sharing.
They had just had a picnic together and they were lying down staring at the sky.
Isaac rolled over and looked down at her. He smiled as he traced her cheekbone softly with his index finger. “Two days.” He answered after a few seconds.
Dahven smiled and wrapped her arms around his neck. “Ok.” She said frowning slightly.
“Why the sad look? I thought you’d be happy when we finished.” Isaac asked concernedly.
“Nothing.” Dahven said unconvincingly.
“D.” Isaac said sternly, knowing that she wasn’t telling him what was bothering her.
Dahven looked up and into his eyes. “When you guys are done recording, Randy and I have to go back to L.A. to finish the rest of the album.” She said quietly.
Isaac was silent for a few moments. “Tay, Zac, and I are starting back up in a few weeks. How long will you be in L.A.?” He asked quietly.
Looking away, Dahven answered, “We have about one month left. Unless we can get Randy to fix one song a different way. Then only three weeks. And then she starts her promotional tour and goes on shows.”
Isaac looked away also. “We’re leaving in three weeks. We’d probably leave the day you come back. She is starting off here, isn’t she?” He asked, knowing that Dahven would have started her off here in Tulsa.
Dahven nodded slowly. “Of course.” She answered meekly.
Finally after a few crucial moments Isaac looked back down at her. She was staring up at him with a strained and doubting face. He smiled and kissed her sweetly.
Dahven accepted his kiss and returned it.
Inside the house Zac and Taylor watched them through the backdoor. “So when do you think they’ll break up again?” Zac asked softly.
Taylor looked at him strangely. “What do you mean?” He asked carefully.
He shrugged. “Think about it. How many times have they broken up and gotten back together and then broke up again?” He asked raising an eyebrow to him.
Taylor shrugged this time.
“Too many times.” Zac said answering his own question. “And every time it gets worse and they both hurt each other than the last time. Without meaning to of course." He defended as Taylor started to comment.
“Yeah.” Taylor said shaking his head slowly. Then he looked up at watched as Isaac and Dahven were kissing each other deeply. He sighed happily as he watched. “But I think this time they will last.”
Zac thought a moment and smiled. “You know what?” He asked as he started to grin.
“What?” Taylor asked as he smiled back at Zac.
“I think they will too.”
