Wonderful Lives

Avery had forgotten how much he loved the sound of a crowd waiting for a concert to begin. There was something about it that excited him whenever he attended the life performance of a beloved band. The conversations, the laughter, and the occasional shout from somewhere in the darkness. All of this made him feel younger than he was especially when he was seeing a band he’d been listening to for decades. He looked down at the two tickets in his hand and smiled.

“I still can't believe you got these.” He said to the woman standing beside him.

The lady was Sarah, his wife of twenty years. She smiled beside him and beamed with pride.

“I thought it was a great gift idea.” She replied. “It's your birthday and this might be our last chance to see them together.”

“You’re not a huge fan of this band.” Avery reminded her.

“You are.” Sarah replied, “And that is enough for me.”

“You could have bought me a sweater.” Avery countered.

“I considered it.” Sarah confessed, “And I still could get you one inside. Let’s find one with a killer picture on the front, and the tour dates on the back.”

“Oh, now we’re talking.” Avery said, as he liked that idea.

“Exactly.” Sarah agreed, “And that's why I didn't buy you one… yet.”

Avery laughed. They had been married long enough that Sarah knew exactly how to tease him without ever having to explain herself. She also knew exactly which memories mattered to him, even the ones he'd stopped talking about. The band taking the stage tonight had been one of those memories.

Avery had been thirteen when he'd first discovered them. Back then, he'd listened to their albums until his mother threatened to throw the stereo out the window. He'd bought every new release, memorized every song, and spent hours talking about the band with anyone who would listen.

Thirty years later, he'd almost forgotten about them. Almost. Sarah had remembered what he said about them and saved that data for a rainy day.

“I thought you said they were your favorite band,” she added.

“They were.” Avery admitted.

“Were?” Sarah repeated.

“I've matured.” Avery said, looking back at her. “Over time my taste in music has mellowed a little bit.”

Sarah raised an eyebrow.

“Are you sure about that?” she asked.

“Kind of,” Avery answered, noticing the look on her face. “Why?”

“I just happened to notice something.” His wife confessed.

“And what is that?” Avery asked.

“That look on your face,” Sarah answered. “You're wearing the same expression you had when you were fifteen.”

“That sounds like an insult.” Avery joked.

“It's an observation.” Sarah corrected him.

Before he could respond to that, the lights around them began to dim. The crowd responded with a roar as Avery looked toward the stage. For a moment he was thirteen again, confirming his wife’s observation as a wide smile crossed his face. Right then and there he was young again. At that moment he wasn’t worried about the mortgage, his career, and other family responsibilities. He felt young again and his mind was clear of all the complications that came with adulthood.

Sarah smiled as she slipped her hand into his.

“Happy birthday,” she said to him.

Avery squeezed her hand.

“Best present I could have asked for.” He replied. “Thank you.”

The opening notes rang through the theater, and everyone roared again. Standing there with his wife, he got to hear the band take him back in time to days that were easier, less stressful, and just a groovy place to be. He even sang along to a few tunes as he just couldn’t help himself. Sarah never said a word, despite how terrible he might have sounded.

About Halfway through the show, the house lights came up, and the crowd began moving in every direction at once. The intermission was only going to last about fifteen minutes so if something needed to be done, they had to move quickly.

“I need the bathroom,” Sarah informed her husband.

“Alright,” Avery nodded toward the lobby. “Let’s divide and conquer. I’ll get in line to get us something to drink. What would you like?”

“You know what I like,” Sarah reminded him. “Surprise me.”

“That is a dangerous thing to say,” Avery replied. “You’re speaking to the very man who once thought orange soda was a sophisticated beverage.”

Sarah didn’t say anything as she simply laughed and disappeared into the crowd in the direction of the lady’s room. Avery joined the line at the concession stand, hands in his pockets, listening to the conversations around him. He was looking toward the bar when someone bumped into his shoulder.

“Sorry.” The lady said behind him.

The voice stopped Avery in his tracks, and he slowly turned around. The woman standing in front of him stared for a second, and then her eyes widened.

“Avery?” she said to him.

Avery stared back for a moment as there was something familiar in the face, buried beneath three decades of life. Then it hit him with the subtly of a someone slapping him across his face. Her name was Louanne, but he always called her something else when they were younger.

“Lou?” Avery said, as he couldn’t believe it.

The lady broke into a grin.

“Oh, my God.” Lou replied, as she reached out and gave him a hug.

It was the kind of hug that somehow erased thirty years without pretending they hadn't happened. She released him a few seconds later and looked at him.

“Look at you!” Lou said, as they pulled apart. “I haven't seen you since…”

“Eighth grade?” Avery reminded her.

“Something like that.” She conceded.  

“Yeah, it’s been a minute.” Avery acknowledged.

“That's an understatement.” Lou agreed.

They stepped out of the line for a moment, allowing the people behind them to pass. Avery was surprised to see that Lou had hardly changed. There were more lines around her eyes, and her hair was different, but her energy was exactly the same. She still spoke too quickly, laughed too loud, and bounced from one subject to another w without finishing the first. She told him about a road trip she'd taken on a whim a few months earlier after she quit her job because she'd gotten bored. She was thinking about moving again, although she hadn't decided where.

Avery stood there and simply listened and smiled. This was the same Lou he had always remembered. The same girl who had once climbed out of a classroom window because she didn't want to wait for the teacher to unlock the door. The very same troublemaker that also convinced half the eighth grade that sneaking onto the football field after dark was a good idea. The girl that Avery had a ridiculous crush on all those years, and a few decades ago.

“I can't believe you're still like this,” Avery observed.

“Like what?” Lou asked, grinning.

“Liked yourself.” Avery replied, “You haven’t changed a bit.”

“Fair enough.” Louanne said, as she laughed.

Avery smiled, but something inside him had shifted. Right after realizing how little she had changed, he had begun to immediately discover how much he had. He had a wife waiting for him in the theater. The same woman who he shared a house with, and the little army of kids that resided in there with him. At this moment, he imagined that they were all watching a movie with the babysitter who was being paid a small fortune to keep them safe.

Avery had spent many years becoming the person he'd never imagined he would become when he was thirteen years old. He was a responsible, reliable husband. He was also a devoted father that paid the bills, stayed up late many nights giving crying babies their late-night bottles, and attended school concerts. He had also had oodles of experience tending to scraped knees, running themed birthday parties, and helping frustrated teens with their math homework. There had been some difficult years and many more wonderful ones. He had a good life, and it was a large contrast to the life he had when he knew Louanne.

Lou nudged his arm.

“Are you okay?” she asked him.

“Yeah.” Avery responded. “I Just thinking.”

“That could be dangerous.” Lou reminded him.

Avery laughed, because those words felt strangely familiar. For a brief moment, Avery remembered the boy he'd been. That awkward thirteen-year-old who had thought Louanne was the most fascinating girl in the world. Yet he didn't feel embarrassed by that memory, nor did he wish to have been someone else. He simply understood that the boy he'd been had grown into someone he was proud of, and maybe that was the strangest birthday gift of all.

Lou glanced toward the theater.

“I should get back.” she told him. “My friends are probably wondering where I disappeared to.”

“Same.” Avery said, as he gave her another quick hug.

“It was really good seeing you, Avery.” Lou said, and she meant it.

“You too, Lou.” Avery said, “Enjoy the show.”

As Lou disappeared back into the crowd, Avery stood there for a few seconds before getting back in line. For the first time that evening, he wasn't thinking about the past and was only learning to appreciate what he had.

Avery finally reached the front of the line and ordered two drinks. By the time he purchased the drinks and started to walk back, Sarah was already waiting for him near the entrance to the theater.

“You took your time.” She called out.

“I ran into someone.” Avery replied.

“You did?” Sarah said as her interest was peaked. “Who?”

“An old friend.” Avery informed her. “Louanne.”

“Louanne?” Sarah repeated.

“Lou.” Avery reminded her.

“Lou?” Sarah repeated again, and then her face changed. “The Lou?”

“The very same.” Avery confirmed.

 “And?” Sarah asked, still quite curious.

Avery handed her a drink.

“And nothing.” He answered, “We talked for a few minutes. She's still Lou.”

“That sounds about right.” Sarah said, even laughing about it.

They made their way back to their seats as the lights began to dim. Sarah settled beside him and took a sip of her drink.

“You look happy.” She observed.

“I am.” Avery said, and he really meant it.

Sarah smiled, apparently satisfied with that answer, as she turned toward the stage as the band came back out. The second half of the show began, and Avery enjoyed this half even more than the first. His thoughts kept drifting back to the conversation he'd had during intermission. He thought about Lou, and about himself at thirteen. He remembered the awkward kid he'd been. The boy who had thought Lou was beautiful, exciting, and would probably have said yes to almost any adventure she suggested. It was a memory that made him smile as there was nothing wrong with that boy… he had simply grown up. Somewhere along the way, he'd found Sarah.

He looked at his wife. She was watching the stage, quietly singing along with the songs she knew. Avery reached over and took her hand, and she glanced at him.

“What?” Sarah asked.

“Nothing.” Avery replied.

She smiled and squeezed his hand. A few songs later, the opening notes of his favorite song filled the theater. Avery recognized it immediately as he had always loved this one. Sarah knew that as she leaned closer as he began to sing along. Then came the chorus:

“Now the days go by… and we laugh and cry.

While the dark cloud hovers nearby.

We won't give in yet… we shall not forget.

We still have our wonderful lives.”

Avery held his wife tightly as a song he had loved for decades now hit him differently than it ever had before. This amazing song no longer represented his past. Instead, it had become an anthem for everything he had now, and everything still waiting for him. He thought about the boy he'd been, the crush he'd once carried, and the life he had imagined for himself before he knew what life would actually become.

Then he looked at Sarah… the very woman who had shared many years with him. All the laughter and tears as they experience difficult days and the great ones. He thought about the children waiting for them at home, which were the foundation of the life they had built together.

Avery smiled, as he had spent so much of his youth wondering what he might have had. Tonight, on his birthday, he finally understood what a gift it was to be grateful and truly appreciate what he already had. He held Sarah a little tighter as the music continued. He didn't need to wonder anymore, as his life was wonderful and he wouldn't trade it for anything.