She looks perplexed but follows me out of the room. She joins the small group gathered in the living room as I head to the door. I slip on my jacket as I step out onto the porch and into the snow. Christmas lights flash from the house across the street and I can hear the thumping of music from somewhere down the street. I trot down the stairs and hurry into the garage, flipping the light on. I pull a box down from the top shelf and set it on the counter. As I’m sifting through the car parts, my phone rings from my pocket. When I take it out, my producer’s name, Mike Anderly, flashes across the glowing screen. I press talk and put the phone up to my ear.

“It’s a little late to be calling,” I tell him, balancing the phone against my ear as I rummage through the box.

“I know, but I couldn’t wait until morning to call you and tell you the news,” he says, sounding way happier than he normally does. Usually, he’s all business and kind of cranky.

“What news?” I pick up the metal ring from the box, smiling at my clever idea.

“That you got on the tour.”

I nearly drop the ring. “The Rocking Slam Tour?” I ask. It’s the tour I’ve been trying to get on for months, the one that has a ton of my favorite bands, musicians I idolize. The one where I’ll have to be on the road for three straight months.

“That would be the one,” he says cheerfully. “So get your ass over here so we can celebrate.”

My mouth turns downward. “I can’t. I’m in Wyoming, getting ready to get married. I told you this last night.”

“Oh yeah, I forgot.” He sighs. “Well, hurry and get that taken care of so you can get back here and celebrate. You leave in just a few weeks anyway and we have to finish recording.”

Shit. “Yeah… I’m not sure I can go.”

“What the hell do you mean, you’re not sure you can go!” he exclaims. “We’ve been trying to get you on this tour for months.”

“I know that,” I tell him. “But I didn’t really think it was going to happen, and now I’ve got stuff going on.”

“Well, it did and you’re going,” Mike says sternly.

“Look, I’m not saying I won’t. I’m just saying that I need to talk to Ella first. She needs to be okay with my being gone for that long.”

“And what if she says she’s not?” he asks, astounded. “Then what?”