"Michael!" Jenna shouts, her voice echoing down the hallway. "Michael Hardy!"

He shyly pokes his head out the door of the room he's currently in and smiles when he sees his girlfriend's face split into a grin. "Michael!"

He meets her in the hallway, laughing when she launches herself into his arms. "What's up, baby?"

"Jon Langston bought that song we wrote last week!"

"Hey! Congrats!" He kisses her as he spins her in a circle.

"Whatcha doin' tonight?"

"I'm as free as a bird." He responds, taking her hand as they walk to the room he left.

"Come over." She says, sitting on the leather couch of the lounge. "I got a lotta ideas to run through that brilliant head of yours."

"I'll pick up some pizza." He says, sitting next to her.

She leans into him as they listen to Sean, Michael's friend from the bar, sing a song he helped co-write.

+++

Michael hasn't really looked around her house yet. They spend most of their time at his place.

Jenna's got a small house, it's been just her for a while. It's one bedroom with one bathroom but it's just enough for her.

"You still workin' at the home?" He asks as he looks at a framed picture of her and Florence.

"Yeah, when I have time. I'm probably gonna have to quit though." She says sadly, handing him a beer as she stands next to him.

He sighs, wrapping his arm around her shoulders. "So, what're these ideas you got?"

"C'mon." She takes his hand and walks him to her bedroom where her upright piano is.

Michael sits on her bed while she sits at her piano, her back and her wrists straight. She starts playing a couple chords, her foot covering a pedal as she sings along.

He leans forward with his elbows on his knees as he listens to her. Her voice makes him melt and fall in love with her.

His brown eyes graze her visible tattoos peaking out from under her shorts and baggy t-shirt. He loves every splotch of art on her skin. He loves how some have stories and some are just for fun. His favorite one has to be the little smoking chili pepper she has on her hip- really it's more on her asscheek.

She had gotten it when she first moved to Nashville. Her and her roommate got drunk and got tattoos. She got a drunk bell pepper and Jenna got a smoking chili pepper.

He's pulled back to the present when she clears her throat. "Whatcha think?"

"Huh?" His face goes red. "S-sorry."

She chuckles and kisses him cutely before spinning back around to her piano.

"Me and Hannah did everything together, said we'd be best friends forever. Then her Mama got a job that was better, cross the parish line. And I was one summer shy of eleven when Granddaddy took a ride up to Heaven. It ain't ever been an easy lesson, on how to say goodbye. They say what don't kill ya makes ya stronger, and I believe that's right..."

Her sweet, honey like voice makes these lyrics hit harder.

"For every lowdown beatin this old hearts taken. A whisper in the dark says I won't make it, I know it's just the devil doin what he does tryin to make me suffer. No matter what the battle is keepin me prayin. I gotta be strong, I gotta keep sayin, I'm gonna make it through it one way or the other. Life is tough, but this girl's tougher..."

As she sings, tears swell in her eyes. This is an old one she wrote when she was still living in Kentucky. It was when she was going through a hard time- like the words say, her granddaddy passed in high school and she had to force herself to keep going.

That man was her best friend.

They did everything together.

She spent more time with him than she did with her own family.

When her voice gets shaky and airy, she stops.

"Hey, you okay?" Michael asks, reaching forward to put a hand on her shoulder. She pulls away to stand. "Jen..."

She kneels down to pull a box from under her bed. She lifts a book out of it then swipes her hand over it to clear the dust off.

Jenna sits on the bed and looks down at the photo album. Michael sits next to her.

She opens it and turns to a couple pages. "This is my granddaddy, Wyatt." She says, pointing at a picture of a little girl on an older man's lap as they sit on a tractor. "I's named after this man."

"Jenna is short for Wyatt?"

She snorts. "Jennifer Wyatt James."

"Your middle name is Wyatt?"

"Yep." She looks over at him with glossy eyes. "I loved that man with everythin' I had." He rubs her back. "Life is tough but this girl's tougher. He used to tell me that when I'd get knocked down or had a hard day."

"What happened to him?"

"Got too old, I guess." She clears her throat. "I think 'bout him every day. He was my best friend. That's probably why I'm so close to Florence."

She wipes away a tear drop that plips against the plastic cover of a page. "Sorry." She whispers, setting the album to the side.

Michael sighs and pulls her against him, hugging her close, silently telling her it's okay for her to let it all out. She grips his t-shirt tight in her clenched fists as she sobs, her face buried in his neck.

"Sorry, I know you was prolly hopin' to get laid." She mumbles, pulling away.

Michael cups her damp cheeks and uses his thumbs to brush away her tears. "Don't apologize."

She nods and looks down. "Thanks." He bumps his nose against hers making her laugh. He smiles then kisses her. "Let's get drunk." She says with a sigh then hops off his lap.

+++

"How's your pancakes?" Jenna asks, leaning back against the wall behind her bed.

"Perfect." Michael responds with a laugh. "This is nice."

"What, eatin' pancakes barehanded?"

"Yeah." He nods. "I've always wanted to sit in bed half naked eatin' pancakes with my bare hands."

She giggles, setting her plate on her nightstand. "C'mere." She opens her arms and he makes his way into them, laughing too. "I love you." She whispers, giggling again.

"I love you too." He replies, tracing a tattoo on her collarbone.

"Whatcha thinkin'?" She asks, running her hand over his hair.

"You. Me. We."

"Yeah?"

He laughs at his thoughts. "It's nothin'."

"Babe c'mon." She smiles. "It's me."

"What do you think about gettin' married?"

"Us? We've been datin' for eleven months."

"Okay? I mean is it really that crazy to think about?"

"I don't know." She says. "I love you and everything but-"

"Oh no."

"Why rush? Y'know?" He nods. "I'm not in a hurry. Are you?"

"No."

She sighs, her stomach sinking slightly. She feels bad for shitting on his idea but at the same time, she's in no hurry.

"Oh." He sits up and grabs his guitar, tuning down a half step. "Whatcha think 'bout this?" He coughs to clear his throat.

"Yeah, this ole boy's whole life looks different. This ole boy's got a permanent grin. This ole boy's saying words like commitment cause she's giving me some sugar with a lipper in..."

"That's fun." She nods. "That's got some potential."

"Like your song from last night."

"I dunno. I dunno if I wanna put that out there. It's kinda personal."

"But that shit sells, baby. People realizing someone else has gone through the same thing? It makes them have a connection with you and feel that safety or- or bond with you."

Jenna's quiet. "Y'know, Bryson told me to think about possibly morphing into an artist, not just a songwriter."

"You should do that."

"I don't want-"

"At least just put out that song. You'll regret not doin' it more than doin' it."

"Fine. I'll text Joey in a bit to set up a time but you owe me."

His face splits into an ornery smirk. "Oh yeah?" She nods with a quiet giggle as she watches him set his guitar to the side and scoot closer to her.

She squeaks under her breath, squealing out loud when he practically throws her back against the mattress to start kissing and poking her. She laughs hard, a genuine laugh.

She hasn't felt this loved in a long time and she wouldn't want to do anything to jeopardize it.

Maybe getting married this early is it?

Maybe it isn't.

+++