Chapter 16

The Key to Happiness

Every year since the beginning of time or so it seemed, there's this huge New Year's bash at Zanzibar.

The invite is a QR code and it drops on the 31st at the doors at noon the theme this year is Naughty or Nice, holiday-themed. The place gets decked out as do the partygoers to ring in the new year, and there is a capacity so not everyone gets to go so it's kind of exclusive. Of course, Emma and Manny were so excited when they RSVP'd to the event and secured their spot alongside Sean and Craig. Your prompt for a costume is either naughty or nice, and Emma and Manny thought they could dress like a more provocative Santa for their nice costumes. Fortunately, the new year is already shaping up to be a good one for the newly rekindled Craig and Manny who are happily not only engaged but very secure since their talk the night before.

Emma is still considering her life as a permanent fixture although there are a lot of odds and ends to iron out on her end so it's hush-hush for now. Emma spent the afternoon with Manny tangled with hot glue guns, pom poms, felt, and other things as they crafted their costumes. Emma took a break from the holiday commotion and felt she had escaped, only to be driven headfirst back to it. She never made her costumes on stage but it didn't look bad.

Newly made up Craig and Manny arrived alongside Emma and Sean and saw the packed house with blaring loud music and knew this was going to be fun. This was Emma's first trip to this place and she realized that this was only the beginning of many years of fun in the future. They danced, and she'd never seen this side of Sean having fun and not all broody. Aside from glimmers of sneaking glances and smiles for the past few weeks it was a nice change of pace. It was a departure from the typical and that made the difference. It wasn't until Sean's smile turned from grimace to a furrowed brow that he saw Ellie dressed scantily clad in black with arms linked with none other than Emma's ex-MC Dice and unfortunately they were heading in this direction. She was drunk, but to be fair everyone was but Sean hated the sight of them. After she moved out, she ransacked their home that he so generously shared with her for years hoping and praying she gets her act together and now she's rubbing his nose with thoughtfulness. She muttered a smug, "Hi Sean." Sean knows it would be a major flex to be rubbing elbows with the famous rapper, but he somewhat took it personally. He was there for Ellie for years, and hoped she'd grow up and get better not fall into some trap she'd never get out of or a slump she'd have to climb hurdles to escape if it didn't work out. Emma herself was stunned by the revelation that MC Dice didn't split town, just simply met someone else after begging for her back and being rejected.

MC loved a good scheme and this was no exception, he hid his hurt and jealousy addressing Emma beside him, "Oh? So this is the famous Sean Cameron, although he can't be that famous. C'mon, Ellie let's go find the bar."

Sean conflicted with thoughts of jealousy also has a bad feeling about MC Dice for obvious and not-so-obvious reasons, he knew he had trashed Emma's reputation after their split, clearly has issues, and writes terrible music that somehow is praised by critics, but he wasn't going to let him ruin his evening.

Although he was concerned about Ellie because he was using her to get to Emma, it was affecting him more than the latter. As Ellie staggered away she subtly kept watch on Sean, she was using MC Dice as a way to get to Sean too unbeknownst to him. Sean walked over and surprisingly took Ellie by the hand, "Can we talk?"

"I think we did enough talking." She whispered loudly in his ear before turning her head away from him.

"C'mon, that guy is no good for you."

Emma watched him and did not interrupt instead she decided to take her mind off it because she didn't want to have a bad evening, she took a shot with Manny and hoped he'd return. She jumped to the conclusion that Sean didn't know what he wanted and she left the room unable to bear to watch him talk to Ellie. Sean pulled out a cigarette and led Ellie outside for a smoke break.

"Why do you even bother?" Ellie asked outside not making eye contact with Sean, "It wasn't ever about us, now that I moved on."

"El, you're a smart girl and you make awful decisions. I don't understand you and I don't pretend to."

"So then why are we even here? You got your precious Emma back in your life. You must think I'm stupid all things considered." Ellie blew out a cloud of smoke from a heavy drag.

"If you're looking for sympathy you're not gonna find it, it's just you need to realize he's got his agenda. I don't want you getting hurt." She didn't say anything and continued with her back to him leaning against an iron rail. "Just because me and Emma are a thing, doesn't mean I don't care about you. We were together for years, you and I. Sometimes I didn't want to be there to be honest, but I really could've used the heads up when you just bolted without any words." Sean stammered out as he talked about her departure from the house they both shared. "It was your home too."

"I was tired of the echoes of my voice, the sound of nothingness. I figured after we talked we said all the things that had been on your mind. You wanted her, you have her, why are you backtracking and talking to me?" Ellie told him honestly, avoiding his eyes, "I loved you and I was there! I didn't leave or abandon you all that time but I knew I was no longer the one you wanted to spend time with. Are we done?" She asked.

"Yeah." She dropped her cigarette and Ellie reentered the establishment and left him alone. He re-entered a short time later and noticed that he couldn't find Emma. Manny saw him and judging by her expression she looked miffed.

"Where were you? While you did whatever Emma won't leave the girls room. She's convinced you're still into Ellie. Go talk to her."

Uncomfortably, he found himself at the door of the lady's room and he realized it was hard to hear until he entered and saw Emma crying on the floor.

Sean opened his mouth once she acknowledged, he hesitated but then told her, "I don't know if I should even say anything. It doesn't matter what I say, huh? No matter how much I talk, no matter what I say, you're just gonna think I'm destined to hurt you again, right?" Sean asked weakly. "I'm not gonna pretend to not still be the guy who broke your heart, who always wanted to see you again after all of those years. I'll apologize 'till I'm blue in the face, just plain didn't want to see Ellie hurt by that toolbag like he hurt you."

She looked up at him, "And that's all it was?"

Sean nodded, he started to speak but then stopped and answered, "I'm also not going to pretend that I didn't love her because I did. I may of taken her for granted, but she doesn't deserve to be with someone like him. I know, I know I didn't want to see someone I loved, or once loved be hurt by somebody capable of hurting her. She's newly sober but fell off the wagon and I know us splitting up is a big reason. I know I'm not perfect or maybe I said the wrong thing because she's still hurt by me. It's just this useless cycle of hurt and I think it's my fault so I wanna fix the damage but maybe or what if I'm just too late? Em," he took his hands into hers, "please, could you say something, understand, or something?"

"You know how I feel." Emma told him, brushing it off, "You know it all, maybe you were right, maybe we are too late to change things. He had good things about him too, Dice, he didn't make me feel like this, alone. Maybe it's just me, maybe I'm the issue. I thought if you and I reunited, that was the key to happiness. I know it sounds stupid, but you were always that beacon of hope that someday."

"That someday." He echoed the sentiment.

"The day we'd reunite the second the tears would stop. Now look at me, I'm a blubbering mess, an idealistic pile of mush." She sniffled as tears rapidly fell down her cheeks. He adjusted himself to set himself beside her as she leaned her head on his shoulder and he put his arm around her as they sat. "Are we gonna be okay?"

"I guess, I guess we're going to be okay, I can't promise but like you said, hope. You and I can hope as if to say there is hope." Sean replied. "I feel it right here." He put his hand over her heart, not in a cheesy way but to lighten the mood, "A relationship is what I want, and at the same time, I don't want to take away what you built for yourself. It wouldn't be fair. I can open a garage anywhere. You thrive on that stage, in that world. I don't mind, but it has to be what you want."

"I want us to be something, today or tonight rather feels like it's that someday I'd been hoping for."

"Then it's settled."

They stayed there for a time just in each other's presence, Manny came in and motioned them to come out because it was about to be the countdown to midnight. Some say that the way you feel during the countdown or when the clock strikes twelve determines how the rest of the year is going to go. If you're anticipating something positive that is, it's a good feeling, but if you're feeling dread and fear it might exasperate those feelings. At this moment Emma hadn't felt happier it brought her to remember the past but to also feel less apprehensive about the future knowing her feelings echo Sean's and they are meant to be together and are finally on the same page. It only took twenty years but things are finally looking up and that's when the minute hand is increasing closer to the new year, and then it happened the music swells to the tune of each year with the aud lang sine and 2024 has never felt so good as he kissed her softly. When he released the kiss she saw everyone around celebrating and slowly each couple and person shuffled out and eventually they left the venue behind and made their way home.

Sean passed Emma his spare helmet from the trunk part of his motorcycle, "Safety first."

She nervously put it on and he assisted her before she plopped onto the back and he instructed her, "Put your arms around me, I didn't see you this nervous the last time."

"Intoxated, remember?" Her murmured voice replied, "I've sobered up and it's scary."

"Don't worry, it's not far and I'll go as slow as I can, promise you'll get to Manny's in one piece."

She chuckled and he revved up the engine and they drove home.

She closed her eyes initially as he rode, her long light-colored hair blew in the cold air trailing behind her she opened her eyes and observed the emptiness on the late-night ride through the main streets of the town. She still can't believe how much had changed but the important things never did. When she arrived at Casa Jeremiah she saw a most interesting sight on the lit front porch, Joey and Caitlin were seen Sean quickly stopped a few streets over. From what they saw from the distance is their silhouettes fairly close together her hands on his shoulders kissing and she turned to Sean, "Oh my God," she whispered, "I didn't think it'd work." She didn't mean to say it aloud.

"What work? Looks like Joey's scorin' tonight."

"Caitlin and Joey are ringing in the new year together." Emma beamed, "all I did was let her know I was in town and I guess she reached out, damn."

Sean removed his helmet, "Who is Caitlin exactly?"

"Pretty much the love of Joey's life." Emma whispered motioning to Sean as he quietly parked his bike on the other side of the house closer to the garage, "If we go through the garage they won't see us or hear us." He followed her lead and they quietly darted into Emma's room unseen.