Together Burning Bright

Odessa sat in her chair, Andy at her side and the both of them were smiling brightly as everyone moved around them. The night was a special night-filled with family coming together and celebrating the couple that started it all. Dess looked beside her towards Andy-his white hair was slicked back and his blue eyes, the wrinkles in the corners giving him a happy look, were looking around them silently. They were holding hands and as she looked down, Dess could see their wedding rings shining in the dim lighting of the hotel banquet hall that Aria had rented for this night. Dess smiled-this night had been a long time coming and yet after having been through everything it was finally here.

Their Fiftieth Wedding Anniversary.

Everyone was here-well everyone who was still around, which was mostly the kids. It was sad to think that they were the only two remaining adults left. CC had gone first-heart attack and Dess still wondered to this day if all that Monster in his youth had something to do with it. Next was Jinxx-his demons getting the best of him and his liver just decided it had had enough. Jake followed only two years ago-pneumonia and it had left Henry and Margaret alone since their mother had died over ten years ago. Last was Ashley and that had been the hardest-cancer had taken him and Dess could tell, even now, that Andy was still dealing with his loss. The wives, Ella, Christy, Melissa and Kit, of course, had all gone before their husbands and now it was just Dess and Andy.

Odessa looked out and smiled as she watched her children Arabella, Oliver and Camellia handle their own children and in Aria’s case her grandchildren. Dess had gotten something that Kit never had-she got to watch her children grow, have children of their own and now their children were having families. Dess could remember her first grandchild-Katrina-being born and that day had been such a bitter sweet one. Aria had been in labor for hours and finally this tiny little thing with red hair came screaming in to the world and Dess cried as Arabella told she and Andy the name they had picked out. Life had been hard without her best friend, but Dess had Andy-they had one another.

They were getting tired though-Andy had arthritis so bad that most of his days were spent in his recliner, watching Batman reruns or playing the guitar. Dess had been able to keep with her art, but her hands were always sore afterwards and so she didn’t draw as much as she used to. Oliver drew enough for the both of them-head of the East Coast DC Comics division and Dess couldn’t be more proud. She had all but retired from comics and her clothing line, while still successful, was now being run by Trish’s daughter Amelia and her husband. Andy and Dess were happy though and now that they were watching their families run around and come together-it made them even happier.


“What do you say we blow this place and head out to a bar…” Andy said in her ear, his low voice gravelly and Dess only smirked and swatted him on his arm. Andy was dressed very nicely-white button up shirt with a black tie-but of course his sleeves were rolled up and his tattoos were out for all to see. The grandkids always loved his tattoos, they would ‘ooo’ and ‘ahhh’ over them for hours.

“Oh stop it! Aria spent a lot of time putting this together for us. Now sit still you old grouch and smile.” Dess said, turning to face him and Andy only smirked-that smirk that still to this day made her heart pound just a little faster. Dess was beautiful in her dark blue dress with her white hair hanging down by her shoulders and her own tattoos were on display.

“Yeah, yeah. It is nice seeing all of the kids together again. I remember when they were all just coming up. Little Henry…Edmund…they look just like their fathers.” Andy mused as he looked towards the two men who were standing in one corner. They did look just like Jake and Jinxx and it made Andy heart sore to think about his fallen bandmates. He was the only one left…for now.

“What about Molly and Elizabeth-those two girls are still getting in to trouble…always have and always will.” Dess mused as she spotted the two girls. Their fire red hair made them stand out and it made Dess happy to see the sisters together-it made her think of Kit.

“Pierce and Cam seem to be living it up. When are they going over to France again?” Andy asked as he looked at his youngest daughter. She and her husband were standing beside the food table, laughing and drinking as they spoke to Potter and his wife. Andy noticed that Cam laughed just like her mother-throwing her head back and opening her mouth as wide as it would go.

“Tomorrow-they wanted to be here for this. See…our kids do love us.” Dess laughed as she moved her head to rest against his shoulder and Andy only smirked. Sure, if threatening to send their parents to a home showed love then yeah-Aria loved them a whole hell of a lot.

“I’m not going to a home Odessa-I like living in our house and I’m not leaving it.” Andy grumbled again, crossing his arms over his chest and Dess only laughed. Aria had been trying for the past year to get the couple to leave their beloved home and go live somewhere that they could be taken care of.

“I’m not saying we leave the house Andy…you know how much I love that place.” She said, her voice light but there was so much emotion behind her words. Dess could still remember Andy surprising her that fall, so long ago. He had bought that house from her mother after Moira had passed and he proposed to her right there in the middle of their driveway.

“Good. Now how long is this thing supposed to be? I want to get home and sit in my recliner…this chair is making my back hurt.” He was getting grouchy and Dess only smiled as she linked one of her arms with his and smiled up at her husband. At seventy-three years old, Andy had become a grouch and completely set in his ways, but Dess knew he still had a soft heart.

“Only another hour…we just got here…” Dess laughed and Andy finally cracked a smile. Suddenly the room had grown quiet and Andy noticed that Oliver, Camellia and Arabella were walking towards them and Aria had a mic in her hands.


It was strange seeing his kids so grown up-Aria was almost fifty and yet Andy could remember the day she was born. He had been out in LA when Dess had gone in to labor with the little thing and Andy had rushed home to try and make it in time. He did, of course, and as she came in to the world and looked at him for the first time, Andy knew that he had fallen in love. He had loved that little girl even before she was born and he had always known that he was going to have a daughter. Then Oliver had come along and Andy finally had a son-who took after his mother in every single way. That was okay though-Aria was just like him, in every way, and then there was Camellia. His youngest was just like her Aunt Moira, which meant that she was a good mixture of both Andy and Dess. His passion, her kindness and Moira’s love of music-that was Cam.

Now they were all walking up to the small stage that their table was sitting on and Andy noticed that everyone was looking at them. Oh Lord-this is not something he had wanted. He actually didn’t even want to have a big celebration-not that he wasn’t proud of his marriage to Dess, fifty years was a hell of a long time-but he had just wanted to stay home, sit in his recliner while his grand kids and great grand kids ran around him. Aria met his eyes and Andy could see in her identical blue ones that she was up to something. The mic in her hands gave out a little bit of feedback as she tapped her finger against the top and then cleared her throat.


“Excuse me everyone! Hey!” Aria said in to the mic and finally everyone, even the littlest children, had grown silent and were now looking at the five people standing before them.

“I first want to thank everyone for coming out tonight for this occasion. I know some of you traveled for a few days to get here and myself, my brother and sister are all grateful that you managed to make it here.” Aria said as she trained her blue eyes on Henry and Margaret.

“We are here to celebrate a marriage that has lasted through the years and was the first cementing block in our extended family. We have all lost someone in the past few years-mothers, fathers…aunts and uncles, but today we are here to celebrate the long lasting love that has shaped our very lives.” Their daughter had turned around and smiled at the two of them and Dess felt the tears come to her eyes. They were it-they were the last remaining people from the past and these kids were all looking at them with tears in their eyes.

“Now, usually the Maid of Honor and Best Man would speak at the fiftieth anniversary, but sadly we lost Aunt Kit and Uncle Ashley and so my brother and I are going to step in.” Aria explained and Dess noticed that Molly, Elizabeth and Pierce had come up to the small stage and they all had tears in their eyes. Losing their mother had been hard-on everyone-but when Ashley had passed a year ago it had been absolutely devastating to the three kids.

“Mom. Dad. I remember asking you one time how the two of you met and it always stuck with me when you said it was a complete accident. A mistake almost…it wasn’t intentional and yet somehow you knew-especially you dad-that it had been fate. I know now-we all know-that this marriage was always meant to be. We have all watched you guys love one another as we grew up-seeing our own parents look to you as an example of pure and unconditional love. I met my husband when I was nineteen and I knew then that I wanted a love like yours.” Aria stopped, wiping at her eyes and Dess noticed that Andy was doing the same.

“I think we can all say that even though everyone besides myself, Oliver and Cam have lost their parents-we all look towards you for comfort and advice. Mom you have always been there-with a hug, a kiss, a piece of advice or even just a smile. I think we can all remember being on tour with the band during the summers and you, Aunt Ella, Aunt Christy, Aunt Kit and Aunt Melissa were running after us, smothering us with sunblock and making sure we had enough water and food to last through the day. For that we are all grateful-those were the best summers of our lives.” Aria said and Dess noticed that all of the kids-the ones she had seen grow into adults-were nodding their heads and smiling at the couple.

“Dad-you are my hero. You always have been and even though I chose a different path than the one you wanted for me, you never supported me any less. I have watched you take care of mom over the years-nursing her back to health when she’s been sick and holding her as she watched some of her best friends leave this world. You’ve been there for her…you’ve been there for us all and while the rock world has placed you on a pedestal and held you up-you have remained the loving and giving person that I have always known you to be.” Andy smiled, his tears spilling down his cheeks as he listened to his son speak.


These kids-all of them-they had been there for one another in times of need and sorrow and yet here they all were…celebrating the one couple that had given them hope. Andy and Dess had made it through the years together and all of these kids had watched it happen. There were periods where the couple were less than pleasant to one another and there were times where it seemed like maybe they’d reached their end, but Oli, Aria and Cam could remember seeing their father walking down the steps to the studio where their mother was, fuming and angry. Then they would wait for the yelling to start-the screaming and crying-but it never came. Instead they would hear their mother laugh and the couple would come up, holding hands or kissing and all seemed to be forgiven.

They had achieved the one thing in life that they had always wanted-they had grown old together. They would sit out on the porch in their matching rockers, sipping coffee or tea as they watched the kids play in the yard or watched the sun set behind the trees. Dess had grown older and so had Andy, but it was clear to everyone in that room that were watching them now that they never loved one another any less. They loved one another just as much now, in this moment after fifty years, as they did that very first summer and everyone knew that the two people in their lives that had always been there, would love one another until their dying days.


“We can all admit that we have searched our entire lives for a love like yours, but I don’t think we’ll ever be able to find it. We love, in our own ways, but it will never…ever…be a love like the one that the two of you share for one another. We raise our glasses now and help you celebrate a love that has lasted fifty years and may it last even longer! To Andy and Dess!” Aria said and the older couple watched as the entire room raised their glasses and toasted them.


They were together after all these years and hopefully they would remain so for a little while longer.

Notes

One. More. Chapter. I will give you guys a piece of advice-have a box of tissues handy.

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