Play With You (Loneliness) (15 page)

I come out of a large, stone house surrounded by tall, old trees. Its spring, so the leaves on the trees are that tender, transparent green color. I'm carrying a tray with glasses and lemonade and I laugh as I see my husband lying on a blanket and playing with our daughter. She looks at me and her round face expresses happiness and excitement. Her curly, light-brown hair lifts in the slight breeze and I see her leaf-green eyes sparkling. Sitting next to them on the blanket, I give Marcus his lemonade and pull our daughter into my lap so I can give her my breast. She snuggles deep into my lap and wraps her little arms around me. One tiny hand pats and massages my full breast as she drinks deeply.

"She's having so much fun enjoying this sun and warmth," Marcus tells me. "I don't think she cares so much for winter. Look at her!"

I do. She is truly a summer-weather child. Her cheeks are a delicate rose-pink and her eyes are sparkling. I sit her up after detaching her from my breast and bubble her. She lets out a loud belch and laughs at the sound. I give her a teething biscuit and she gums it, swallowing the mess she makes. Thankfully, I thought to put a bib around her neck so she wouldn't mess up her outfit...

I stretch and wake up from my dream as I feel Marcus lifting me. It was so surreal.

"No! I'll walk. I'm getting too heavy for you!" I tell him.

"You're as light as a thistle, so don't worry. You worked yourself hard today and you need to get your sleep. You're going to bed now. I'll finish my article upstairs then join you," says Marcus.

I have to give in - he's right. I am absolutely exhausted and I cannot keep my eyes open. After I brush my teeth, I slip into a long nightshirt and Marcus tucks me into bed. I'm back asleep in seconds. I vaguely hear him setting up in our room as he prepares to finish the last of his article.

The next morning, I'm up early and ready to go to the studio when Tim calls me on my new phone.

"Practice is canceled." Tim sounds upset.

"Why? Is someone ill?"

"No. Someone saw Gemma trying to break into our studio - with a stolen car."

"What? Are you having me on?"

"No! Tell Marcus to take you to the studio, but don't get out of the car. Gemma bashed in the outside wall pretty good. It's structurally unsound, so we need to find new practice digs and fast. I'm going to spend the day looking around town. We should have moved after we fired her. Damn!"

After I hang up, I tell Marcus what Tim told me. We hastily eat breakfast then drive to the studio. Tim was not exaggerating. Gemma smashed a huge hole in the front wall. The front door is hanging by one hinge and the window to the side is shattered.

"Oh, my God, she really did a number. Johanna, d'you see those posts and that rebar up there?" Marcus points to a spot above the door.

"Yes."

"She smashed her car into a supporting wall. That post and rebar help to hold the roof in place. This building will have to either be condemned or completely rebuilt."

Looking in, I could see the instruments inside. I also saw music stands and sheet music scattered in amongst the rubble. My heart fell. So much damage! What would this mean for our band?

A city engineer walked up to me.

"And you are?"

"Johanna Will - Hadley," I corrected myself. I'm a member of the band that used this studio. How bad is it? My husband says it'll either be condemned or rebuilt."

"Condemned. Your bandmates are waiting for their instruments. Is there another entrance away from this side?"

I shook my head. "No."

"Okay, then, we'll be sending in firefighters to retrieve what we can your music and instruments. Nobody else can go in! Under no circumstances," said the engineer.

At my side, I felt Marcus nodding gravely.

"Too risky?"

"By half. Only experienced personnel can go inside. I'm waiting for a crew of firefighters to get here so we can get this equipment out."

I collapse on the floor and cry. All our hard work was gone. Years of work. Gone. Forever.

Johanna and Marcus Hadley are newly married with a baby on the way. With bringing a new life into the world, Johanna and Marcus must balance work and family life, something they've never had to do before.

However, unlike your average newlyweds, the Hadleys are also met with the difficult challenges that come with Johanna's rising fame in the music world. A relentless stalker begins to tear apart their world and the difficult task of being parents soon pales in comparison to the pressure of dealing with a crazed fan.

Will Johanna and Marcus be able to navigate the stormy waters of parenthood? Or will the waves of challenges tear them apart forever?