When I’m happy—more like fucking thrilled—with what I’ve come up with, I start to poke and prod at the recording equipment. I’ve worked with something like this before back when I used to mess around and record with a few of my band buddies, but damn, this shit really is state of the art. I finally get a handle on what does what and sit down with my Martin to record what I’m calling Back to You.
I kiss her neck, squeezing my arm underneath her warm, sleeping body. “Wake up, baby,” I whisper in her ear.
“Mmmm,” she groans groggily. “Why? Are the kids up?”
“No and shhhh, don’t wake them either. I have something I want to show you.”
She curls back onto her side, hugging her pillow. “A few more minutes. Please, what’s the rush?”
I hate waking her up, but I can’t wait a second longer to let her hear the song. “Fine. Stay in bed. I’ll bring it to you.”
“Good,” she yawns, pulling the covers up over her shoulders.
I tip toe down to the studio to grab the disc I recorded the song on last night. Shit, I hope I did this right. I’d hate to have woken her up for no reason.
When I return to the bedroom, I quietly shut the door behind me and head over to the tiny boom box by Mia’s little reading nook at the window.
Mia rustles in the bed and starts to stretch. “Okay, what’s this urgent business that requires me to be awake before my kids?”
I place the disc in the stereo and bring the remote with me over to the bed. “Just listen. You’ll be happy I woke you for this.”
She eyes me suspiciously, making herself comfortable against the headboard.
I hit play and watch Mia’s eyes light up as she listens to the first few chords of her song. “This is you, babe?”
“Shhhh, just listen…”
It’s easy to take for granted, let it all slip away
When you said, “Here’s my heart, it’s all up to you.”
It’s easy to be so tempted and forgetting all the things you said
When I think I won’t be caught or hurt you
Dreams remain, but we resent
Forevers change, with one regret
I’ll do what I have to do
To find my way back to you
Fleeting moments, promises broken
Can’t imagine how I made you feel
Shattering a soul, can turn an eye blind
Faded sparks, broken hearts, together we can make them heal
Without you I’m just a man, waiting to die
Pain remains, and we resent
Mistakes I made, I own regret
I’ll do what I have to do
To find my way back to you
Dreams remain, but we resent
We struggle just to keep it real
Forevers change with one regret
Hoping these wounds would heal
I’ll do what I have to do
To find my way back to you…
I’ll do all I have to do
To find my way back to you…
And I’ll do all I have to do
To find my way back to you.
(Purchase Link)
When the music ends, I get up to take the disc out of the player, but Mia’s hand on my shoulder stops me in place.
“Declan,” she says, tears streaming down her bright-morning face, “that was incredible. I—I have no words. I can’t believe that’s you.”
“You like it?”
“Baby, I love it! It’s the most amazing song I’ve ever heard. You need to do something with this.”
“I just did. I gave it to you,” I say, cupping her face.
“You know what I mean,” she sniffles, “people need to hear this, Dec. It’s simply beautiful.”
“And so are you.”
“Why are you so good to me?” she asks, nuzzling closer to me.
“I wasn’t always good to you, Mi.”
She pulls back and tilts her head. “‘Cause I was?”
I inch closer to her, stealing a kiss, and letting it take us away. “No more talk about mistakes, and hurts and things we should regret. There’s no reason to harp on the past when my future’s right here in my arms.”
“God, I love you,” she says as she dives in for another kiss. “And I love our song. I want to hear it again.”
I straddle my wife and pin her beneath me, kissing her plump pink lips, her soft delicious skin, admiring everything that’s mine for the keeping. As I let it sink in how lucky I am to have gotten this second chance, I hit the play button again, letting the song repeat.
We make love to our new favorite tune until we hear the pitter patter of our children’s feet. Something tells me this disc is going to be worn out pretty quick. Not a problem…
Just means I’ll have to spend more time in the studio creating a lifetime of music for my beautiful family.