Chapter 29
29
GAVIN
“ Y ou’ve got to be joking,” Gavin said as Sophie led him inside her family’s Malibu home.
A clear view of the ocean was visible through the entry hallway. The large sliding glass doors were open and the sheer curtains fluttered softly in the breeze. The sound of the waves crashing filled both his ears and his chest.
“You like?” Sophie said, smiling.
“It’s amazing,” he replied.
He turned to admire the colorful modern abstract artwork on the walls. They were real pieces, not prints, and the first paintings he had ever seen in someone’s home. He had always known her parents were wealthy, but knowing and seeing was a different story. As he took in the warm, elegant front room with the plush living area to the right and pristine dining area to the left, he thought of how shocking Ireland must have been for Sophie. Not that his country had been in bad shape then. It had been on the cusp of the prosperous economic Celtic Tiger era, and none of the boys had come from impoverished or rough backgrounds. They’d grown up middle-class on the tame Southside of Dublin. But she had apparently come from a kind of wealth he hadn’t even come close to fathoming. And yet, she had never presented herself as “better than” despite his insecure jabs at her when they first met. Instead, he was the one to feel that he wasn’t worthy of her, always fearing in the back of his mind that he didn’t deserve someone so refined.
“Is that you, Sophie?” a female voice called.
“Yes, we’re here,” Sophie replied, and pulled Gavin deeper into the house.
The hardwood floors carried through to the kitchen where they found an older, if less striking, version of Sophie.
“Mom, this is Gavin,” Sophie said with a big smile. “Baby, this is my mom.”
“You can call me Maggie,” she said, and offered her hand.
Gavin took her hand into both of his and shook it with warmth. “I’m so pleased to meet you,” he said, keeping eye contact.
Her eyes were also hazel, but didn’t quite have the spark Sophie’s did. Tall, with blond hair and high cheekbones, she was a natural beauty, but it was clear that her appearance wasn’t a priority. She was dressed casually in shapeless khakis and a cotton top, her hair pulled into a hasty ponytail. She had been working on a laptop set in a nook in the kitchen and her reading glasses were now hanging from her neck on a beaded chain.
“Well, it is certainly nice to meet you! After all this time of hearing your name, and now here you are!” Maggie said with a smile.
“Yes, it seems the timing has worked in our favor. Didn’t you just get back from a trip to Namibia, was it?”
“We did! Well, by way of London for a few days upon our return. The jet lag is phenomenal. But we’re glad to be home now, and to have you over.”
“I appreciate it as well, but I have to apologize for it being a short visit. I’m due back with the band for a photo shoot soon.”
“Well, that sounds exciting.”
They all turned at the sound of this voice to see a man joining them. With dirty blond hair and wearing cargo shorts and a polo shirt, along with glasses perched over a hawkish nose, he had “dad” written all over him.
“Hey, Dad,” Sophie said, and gave him a hug.
“Good to see you, kid.” As he pulled away, he held Sophie’s hand and naturally looked down at the ring on her finger. It was a thin band of platinum with a round cut three-karat solitaire diamond. “And what is this?”
Gavin hoped his efforts at charming Maggie would allow for a favorable response from her now that their news was out.
“Surprise!” Sophie said with a smile. “We are engaged. And I’m so happy. We’re so happy.”
Her father looked at Maggie. “They’re so happy, Mags,” he said sardonically.
Gavin watched the concern color Sophie’s face as she strained to hear her parents’ conversation. They had retreated to the kitchen immediately after the engagement news with the excuse of getting them all something to drink. Their voices couldn’t be heard clearly but it was obvious they were trying to process how to respond.
“It’ll be okay,” Gavin whispered. “Parents tend to love me.”
She laughed nervously and he wished he had the chance to say something more to calm her, but Maggie and her father, Steve, returned with drinks.
The best he could do is squeeze her hand once they were seated and coupled off in the living room.
“So, em, I’m sure you’re very surprised by all that’s happened in such a short period,” Gavin started.
“Surprised is probably a bit of an understatement,” Steve replied.
“And you don’t need me to tell you how special your daughter is—you’ve had her a lot longer than me. But I really aim to prove to you both how much I love her. She is the most important thing in the world to me.”
Sophie leaned into him and smiled.
“That’s nice to hear,” Steve said. “In fact, I wouldn’t expect to hear you say anything else.”
It was hard for Gavin to read his future father-in-law. He wasn’t sure what lay beneath his incongruously casual, pleasant manner, and it put him on guard.
Before he had a chance to go on the offense, however, Maggie interrupted. “How much longer will you be in town, then?” she asked.
“I, em, I leave with the band tomorrow, actually.”
“I see. So you must be planning a long engagement, so that you two can get to know each other again. That is, in between all this traveling.”
“We actually have five more gigs, then an awards show. After that we’ll be back in Dublin to work on our new album. We talked about Sophie spending the next few weeks sorting out how to transfer her university studies there and get her things ready in order to move. Because, though we have indeed agreed to a long engagement, we want to be together,” Gavin said.
Steve and Maggie shared a silent glance before refocusing.
“So, this big move,” Steve said. “You think this will happen, what, in time to start the new school year?”
“Yes,” Sophie said with forced confidence. “I’ll have USC help me with transferring to a university there. I could attend Trinity, Dad. It’s an amazing school. And being in Europe, in the heart of so much art history, it’ll be an even better education.”
“Well, Gavin,” Steve said, “you’ve certainly convinced our daughter this is plausible. But why don’t we cross this bridge when we come to it? We’ll see how it all hashes out, won’t we?”
It dawned on Gavin that Sophie’s parents were counting on this being some sort of passing phase, something that would fade away when they were separated. This belief seemed to free them up to simply enjoy a nice visit with their daughter’s guest.
Deciding it was most prudent to let her parents accept all this in their own fashion, Gavin nodded slowly. “Sure, you’re right. We’ll take it a step at a time.”
A brief silence ensued.
“So, what’s this whole rock star thing like?” Maggie asked, surprising Gavin so that he laughed quietly.
“It’s amazing, actually. It’s all I ever wanted to do with my life. And now I’m getting paid for it. The places I’ve seen, the people I’ve met along the way, though, that’s more than anything I ever imagined. I love it,” he told her. “But, please, tell me about your trip. It must have been fascinating.”
“It is the land of dust and wind. I think I’m still cleaning remnants of red dirt out of my ears,” Steve said with a laugh. “But it was truly beautiful. Out in the desert, it’s absolutely devoid of people. Just animals and silence. The silence was the most intense thing I’ve ever experienced.”
“Really?” Gavin edged forward in his seat.
Sophie’s parents proceeded to tag-team in detailing their experiences and Gavin was fully engaged, peppering them with questions. Their rapport was smooth and comfortable. Except for the fact that they held no stock in him being a part of their family, it was a very pleasant first meeting.
When Sophie and her mother went to the kitchen to piece together a simple lunch, Steve took the opportunity to show Gavin some of his photographs. Conversation over sandwiches continued to flow in an easy manner, and afterward Sophie pulled Gavin away for a quick walk on the beach before they had to head back to Los Angeles.
They took off their shoes and held hands as they walked toward the water.
“Does it bother you that they think this is a joke?” Gavin asked.
Sophie looked at him, silent for a moment. “No. I guess I can’t blame them. When we were getting lunch my mom asked me some questions that made sense. I can see where they’re coming from.”
“And where’s that?”
“She asked me if I had enough trust in you to basically live alone while you’re out on the road, living it up. If I’ve had enough experience with relationships to know that this is the one I want for the rest of my life. If I’ve even lived my own life long enough to know who I am and what I really want before I attach myself to you. If I was okay with all the media attention you get, and always being known as the girl who happens to be your girlfriend or wife. Oh, and if we’ve agreed on having children and when.”
He took a deep breath. “Shite. All that, aye?” he said with a laugh.
She gave him a small smile.
“Well, look, some of that I can help you with right now. Kids, I vote yes. Down the line, of course, but definitely yes. I think you’ll be an amazing mother.”
He knew telling her this would resonate deeply. Because she, of all people, knew how hard it was for him to have gone without a mother, so his confidence that she would make a good one wasn’t something he came to lightly.
“As for the other stuff, all I can say is that I will give you whatever you need to explore those questions. But I think if we commit to it, we can figure it all out together.”
Sophie watched him for a long moment, then smiled. “Wow,” she said softly.
“What?”
“You made everything okay. Just like that.”
Gavin smiled. “I do my best, darlin’. Now,” he said, looking up and down the spotless coast, “it’s a lovely day. Where is everyone?”
“Um, well, this is sort of unofficially a private beach for the homeowners. Public access isn’t actually very accessible.”
He shook his head in disgust. “What a waste. That’s really a horrible show of elitist bullshit.”
“Hey, it’s not my doing, you know?” she said with a laugh.
“Yeah, sorry. But capitalism at its finest is not always pretty, is it?”
Taking his hand, she led him closer to the water. “No, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take advantage of your access. Come, feel how nice the water is.” With a firm shove, she sent him knee-deep into the water, soaking his jeans.
“You are in so much trouble,” he growled playfully, and ran after her as she screamed.