But I Do

Still though, what Piper, or no one else knew, was that I'd cut a deal with Dr. Phillips as far as my work was concerned. I mean, yes, I still had to attend class and all; but because I was doing what I had originally gone to college for, he was a little more lax with me as far as some of my work was concerned.

~~~~~~

The next morning, Monday, Piper and I had jazz band together. I can't begin to explain how I felt to be playing music with someone I loved so much. It was almost as if we anticipated one another's every single move. And the magic that occurred as a result of our bond set a new president that day, one which every member of the jazz band saw and recognized A beautiful idea came to mind as well, and that was one that would include Piper when it came time to record the music that I was about to write.

~~~~~~

I got home before Piper did on Mondays, and when she finally did come home that afternoon, I'd been sitting at my piano, writing for well over four hours.

"Hi, baby," she sweetly chirped, kissing my cheek, "How was your day?"

"It was good," I smiled, "How was yours?"

"Other than missing you?" she giggled, "I had a pretty good day."

"That's good," I said, "Oh, hey, would you mind doing me a favor?"

"No, not at all," she pleasantly replied, "What is it, baby?"

"I'm going to play this song I wrote," I told her, "And I want you to pick up your sax, and then when I nod my head, I want you to improvise, and let's see how it sounds. Would that be alright with you?"

"Are you kidding me?" she asked, her eyes dancing like the lights on a Christmas tree, "Ooh, my God, baby. I would love to play with you." "Besides," she teased, "I was wondering when you were going to ask me to play with you, or if you were going to ask me at all."

"Go get your sax," I chuckled, gently smacking her on the butt, "Then bring your pretty little ass in here and play with me."

~~~~~~

Less than thirty seconds later, Piper had her sax strapped on, and waited for her cue to play.

I began the song, singing the lyrics in the appropriate places, and then when I nodded my head to her, Piper began to play. The notes that flowed from within her were like nothing I'd ever heard before in my life. And it was then that I knew that God had placed her in my life to be more than just my soul mate. He'd given her to me to not only inspire me, but with her as my co-writer, we would create the most beautiful music ever known to anyone, anywhere. When we were finished playing together, the tears were flowing down both of our faces like two raging rivers, knowing no end.

"Oh, my God," Piper gasped, her hands shaking just like mine, "Did you feel that, Michael?"

"You bet your beautiful little ass I did," I sniffled, rising from behind my piano to pull her into my arms, "That wasn't just music, my love, that was a rapture."

"Oh, God," she began to softly cry, "I've never heard anything that beautiful in my life, baby."

"I know," I quietly replied into the crook of her neck, "And it was something we, you and I did together...together, baby."

"I know," she softly sniffled, and then neither of us could speak any further; only holding one another as closely as was humanly possible once Piper put down her sax. And it was in that moment that we truly became one, one who would never deny the other anything, ever.

~~~~~~

The week went by, non-eventfully until Thursday evening arrived. Piper was as giddy as a school girl, whose only regret was that I would not be able to attend her dance recital that evening. Still though, she kept up a brave face, one which I could see through, but that was only because I knew her so well.

As far as she knew, I wasn't coming that night; but that night would be the night that I planned to show not only her, but the rest of the world just exactly how much I loved my beautiful Piper. She was my heart, as far as I was concerned, and let's face it, how can a man live without his heart?

~~~~~~

I waited until Piper left the house, and then I set my pre-laid plan into motion. I called Tommy and Nikki to make sure that Nikki had picked up the two dozen roses that I'd already paid for. Then I made sure that they were going to be in the right place at the right time.

After that, I called Mom and Dad to make sure that they were also going to be in attendance as well. They were going to be there to distract Piper while I entered the dance studio undetected. If Piper saw me there after me telling her that I wasn't going to be there then she'd be suspicious.

After that, I called my friend and studio engineer, Jason Kenner, to make sure that he was going to do what I'd previously asked of him. You see, Jason also ran the music and sound for the dance troupe there at college, and, like I said before, when it came to sound; he was a genius in his own right.

~~~~~~

That night, after stopping by Nikki and Tommy's place to put on the tux that I'd had them rent for me, I took off to the dance studio where Piper was going to perform. I was very excited that I was finally going to be able to watch her dance, as I'd never really seen her dance before, except for when she and I had gone out dancing that one night when we were accosted by her asshole cousin, Marcus. And even then, the few times we'd danced together were only slow dances, because when it came to fast dancing, I was born with two left feet.

~~~~~~

When I pulled up to the dance studio, I could see Mom and Dad's car, as well as Tommy's car. As soon as I was parked and got out of my vehicle, Nikki was right there to greet me.

"Wow, little brother," she smiled, handing me the roses she'd picked up for me, "You look good in that tux."

"Thanks Nikki," I grinned, "I only hope that Piper likes what I'm about to do."

"Are you kidding me?" she giggled, "I know that Piper loves you very much already; and this will only make her love you that much more."

"Holy shit," Tommy grinned, suddenly appearing behind my sister, "I like the monkey suit, Mikey. It makes you look like a long-haired politician."

"Leave him alone," Nikki scolded Tommy, "I think he looks very handsome."

"She's right," Tommy smiled, "You look real good, Mikey. Piper is going to have a shit fit when she sees you."

"I hope so," I nervously replied, "Or all this will have been for nothing."

"Will you relax, Michael?" Nikki said, "She's going to love it, just like I told you."

"Are Mom ad Dad in place?" I asked.

"They've been here for about thirty minutes now," Tommy said, "And Piper was tickled to death to see them, and she also doesn't know a thing."

"Good," I said, making my way to the back door of the dance studio, "Well, here goes nothing."

Little did I know that I was being watched by evil eyes; eyes with intent on taking my life from me that night? However, there would be a salvation close by, but I knew nothing of any of it yet. Time would only tell how things unfolded.

~~~~~~

The moment I walked into the studio, I was behind where the dancers were going to appear on stage, and no one could see me. No one but an evil monster, who, like I already said, was intent on taking my life...

~~~~~~

Chapter Ten

The dance studio was a three story building that housed not only the rooms on the second and third floors where the students were taught, but it also had its own auditorium. I say that it was an auditorium, but it only seated maybe a hundred people at the very most.

Something that I didn't know was that Piper was going to dance the final performance, and it was going to be a solo performance at that. I watched and waited until all of the dancers had done their routines. I hadn't yet seen Piper on the stage so; you can only imagine my surprise when she appeared, looking quite radiant I might add, on the stage all alone.

Suddenly, a bright spot light shone down upon her, making her look like something out of a dream. She was wearing a solid white leotard with a beautiful white, silk cape flowing from behind her. The way her makeup had been applied gave her the look of a fairy princess, and I couldn't remember her ever looking more beautiful than she did that night.

~~~~~~

"Hey, Mike," Jason whispered, suddenly appearing behind me in the dark, scaring the shit out of me. "Here, you're gonna need this," he laughed, as he handed me a wireless microphone, "I had to bribe the guy working the follow spotlight so, you owe me twenty bucks." Then he smiled, and said, "Good luck, bro," and then disappeared back into the darkness.

~~~~~~

I watched as Piper gracefully glided back and forth, forwards and backwards, all over the stage. She was more graceful than anything I'd ever witnessed before. And the more I watched her, the deeper in love I fell with her. Her routine lasted no more than five minutes, or so. However, the moment she finished, the crowd came to their feet, loudly applauding her, cheering and whistling.

I waited for about ninety seconds before I made my move. And right before she began to exit the stage, I loudly yelled her name into the microphone, making not only the audience go dead silent, but also making Piper stand dead still, placing her hand above her brow, so that she could shield her eyes from the stage lights as she looked out into the audience.

Then the bright follow spot lit me up in the darkness like a beacon in a storm. And as I made my way to the stage, I saw a smile spread across Piper's face, as she saw me, dressed in my tux, the microphone in one hand, and two dozen roses in the other.

"I'm here to tell the whole world how I feel about you, my love," I said, into the microphone so that there was no mistaking that everyone in the audience could hear me.

"I'm terrified right now, but I love you, Piper Henderson," I said, as her eyes began to fill with tears, "I know that some people have said that we haven't been together long enough for you to love me, or for me to love you; but I do."

"I don't know how else to tell you how much I love you," I said, my voice beginning to falter, because of the tears that were beginning to fill my own eyes, "But I do."

"And there might be some people who don't understand why you love me," I continued, "But I do."

"And I know that there are people in this world who could never understand how much you love me," I said, my face completely wet by this time, "But I do."

And then when I reached the very edge of the stage, Piper knelt down to take the roses I had for her, as I handed them to her, I said, "Sometimes I, myself don't have the slightest idea how you could possibly love a guy like me."

Before I could say any anything further, she suddenly took the microphone out of my hand, and then speaking into it, she smiled and said, "But I do."

Suddenly the audience roared so loud that the whole auditorium seemed to vibrate and shake on its own foundation, and then the curtain went down as Piper drug me onto the stage, exiting it with me by her side.

~~~~~~

She took me straight out the back door, and after setting the roses I gave her onto the ground beside us, she took me into her arms and kissed me so deeply that I felt it all the way down to my very soul.

"Oh, my God, I love you so much" she widely smiled, tears pouring down her face, "I'm so glad to see you, but I thought you said you wouldn't be able to make it."

"Are you kidding? I wouldn't have missed this for the world," I grinned, "Besides, I wanted to surprise you."

All of a sudden, I heard a familiar male voice emanating from behind me saying, "I've already warned you once to stay away from her, and now you're gonna pay, motherfucker," and before I had the chance to turn around and defend myself, I heard a gunshot, and then after receiving a hard crack to the back of my head; as well as a loud ringing in my ears, everything began to fade into black...

However, right before I slipped into the darkness, I heard Piper scream, "MARCUS, YOU BASTARD, NOOOO," followed by the sound of another gunshot, right before I faded completely out.

~~~~~~

I felt as if I were drifting in and out of a different dimension, on another plane of existence. However, the one common factor that I identified was the voice of my darling Piper. I could hear her somewhere in the darkness weeping and calling my name.

"Michael, she cried, "Please hang on, baby, I'm right here. Don't you leave me, please, Michael...I love you so much, please come back to me...."

All at once I felt as if I were in a deep pit, surrounded by cold darkness so black that I couldn't even see my hand as I waved it in front of my face.

And then suddenly I heard the most beautiful music I'd ever heard, and the odd thing about it was that I couldn't hear it with my ears, but with my heart. And then off in the distance I saw a beautiful light coming toward me. It made me think I was in some kind of tunnel or something, and the light was coming toward me like a railroad locomotive racing toward me in the dark distance.

However, the nearer the light drew, the more I felt like I wanted to be there. Somehow I knew that within that light were the answers to every question I'd ever had; and I tried with everything I had to get to the light.

Then I heard a gentle, calming voice, telling me, "Not yet, my son. I love you, and you still have much to do. I will see you again some day, but not right now. Go now, go to the one who loves you so, the one who is your destiny...go."

~~~~~~

When I opened my eyes again, I was lying in a bed in University Hospital on the University of Houston campus. Piper, my parents, and Nikki and Tommy were all standing around my bed with their eyes closed and tears pouring down their faces.

"Why is everybody crying?" I hoarsely asked, "And what am I doing here?"

"MICHAEL," Piper suddenly cried, lying down beside me and placing her arms around me, "OH, MY GOD, YOU'RE ALIVE...YOU'RE ALIVE. OH, GOD..."

"Of course I am," I chuckled, my head beginning to hurt, "Why wouldn't I be?"

It took a moment for my father to regain control of his faculties before he could speak; but when he finally did, he wiped his eyes, smiling, and told me, "Son, we all thought you'd died from a gunshot wound to the back of the head."

"No wonder my head hurts," I laughed, then groaned from the headache I was beginning to experience, "Who the hell shot me?"

"My asshole cousin," Piper cried, "But Tommy got the son-of-a-bitch; and he'll never bother anyone else again, baby, not ever."

"I still don't understand what you're talking about," I said, looking at my family, "Would somebody please tell me what the hell is going on? The last thing I remember was talking to Piper behind the auditorium of the dance studio. After that it gets a little hazy."

"Marcus Cole had been lying in wait for you from the time you went in until you came out," Tommy told me, "As soon as I saw the bastard expose himself, I went to my car and got my Colt .45. Then right after you and Piper appeared outside the back door, the little bastard made his move. He got off one shot before I dropped the son-of-a-bitch in his tracks. He's in the morgue now, dead."

"Your sister called an ambulance, and they brought you here," Piper cried, "You were still alive when the ambulance got you to the hospital..." she couldn't continue for crying.

"After they put you here in the intensive care unit, your heart stopped beating, baby," Mom told me as she, too, cried.

"The doctor had pronounced you dead, son," Dad cried, "But then all of a sudden you woke up...you just woke up."

"But what in the hell happened?" I asked.

"I don't know, and right now, I don't care," said a man dressed in a white lab coat, standing in the doorway of my hospital room, "I'm Doctor David Mills, and I'd like you to relax and take it easy so that I can take a look at you, okay?"

"Sure," I smiled, "But other then having a splitting headache, I feel about half-assed decent."

"You crazy son-of-a-bitch," Piper smiled, tears in her eyes, "I don't why I love you so much...but I do."

~~~~~~

Piper and I were married a month before she gave me a beautiful daughter, who we named Paige. She and I continued to write music together for the next eight years, netting five Grammys and two Oscars. Two years after we were married, Nikki gave birth to a beautiful boy, who she and Tommy named Thomas Michael. Mom and Dad lived for another forty five years before Dad died of natural causes, with Mom following him to heaven three years later, she, too, dying of natural causes.

THE END