Tupelo Honey

                                    

                                          
     I unloaded the last box from the trailer and handed it to Sammy. "That's the last of them!" I said, excited, yet exhausted. Sammy quietly cheered as he slumped away with the last box in his arms. Jake wandered out of the big house that looked more like an oversized cabin, glistening with sweat, shirtless, of course. I stood back with my hands on my hips, taking it all in. College seemed like so long ago, so did the tour with the boys and honestly even my solo trip around the world felt like ages ago as well. I was so glad I had the experiences I had, but it was really nice to feel like I finally had roots again. Coming back to Michigan really made sense to me. Jake slung his sweaty arm around my shoulders and I made a disgusted face to tease him. "Well Kaz, this is your house, thank me later for starting our wildly successful band, mkay?" I laughed and shoved Jake in his ribs. "Yeahyeahyeah, got it, Jakey!" I rolled my eyes at my fiancé's twin. Our house was nestled in the woods and only a couple of miles from the house Jake and Jita moved into. Danny stayed in LA with Makenzie, but this truly made sense for him even though we would miss him while the band took a break. Sammy couldn't settle, not even for a minute, he planned to stay in our spare room for a couple of nights and then he was off to travel with his new girlfriend and his one true love, the VW bus. 
     Jake and I walked back to the house and stepped inside to find his brothers unpacking one small box that held a bottle of tequila and shot glasses. "So glad we're unpacking the most important things first." I said sarcastically. "Oh me too, gorgeous, I've kept track of it all day." Josh responded with such sincerity that it made me laugh. Josh poured shots for all of us and Sammy raised his glass for a toast. "To my brothers, my best friend and to this house that I am sure we will have many wild nights in." Sammy announced. "HERE HERE!" We shouted back and downed our shots. I opened the box I was keeping track of and laid one of our small record players on the floor and took out an album. I blasted Van Morrison's Tupelo Honey from the small speakers and started dancing around the room full of boxes. Jake hopped off the counter and joined me, taking my hands in his. We spun around, laughing, singing along with Van. Josh and Sammy stood in the kitchen and watched us as they sipped from their shot glasses like tiny cups. Josh set his glass down and came over and held out his hand, "May I cut in?" He asked Jake. Jake pretended to think about it for a moment and stepped aside for his brother. I laid my head on Josh's shoulder as the title track played throughout the open room and we swayed to the music. "She's as sweet as tupelo honey..." Josh sang quietly in my ear, as if we were the only two in the room, Sammy and Jake chatted quietly in the kitchen, ignoring the moment between Josh and I.
     Hours later the four of us were wasted, laying on the bare wooden floor, talking about our years together. Sam flopped onto his stomach "Lil Kaz, ya memember when we skippedt classs nd smoked Josh's hidden stash in our lil casa inthe woods?" He slurred at me. I was thrown into a fit of hysterics as Josh shoved his brother in retaliation. "I blamed the raccoons for stealing that! SORRY RACCOONS!" Josh shouted into the echoing room at no one in particular, except maybe the raccoons. I flipped over onto my stomach to face my best friend. "I'm sad that the days of stealing Joshua's weed are over... I don't want to grow up..." I lost my train of thought and started laughing again. We continued talking late into the night and into the early morning. Eventually Jake and Sammy fell asleep in random spots in the partially unpacked living room. As the sun began to rise, Josh and I made our way outside to take advantage of the first sunrise in our new home. I hung over the rail of the balcony and watched the sun rise over the trees. Josh held onto me from behind and watched over my shoulder. I closed my eyes, just for a moment, to take it all in, there was literally no where else I'd rather be.