Previously on A Maddisun Tale...
Samantha sat at the piano on the Diner’s stage. Charlie had gone to pick up the clothes she’d shed earlier.
She started to play the chords that were filling her soul.
Penny comes over with an XL Erica Michelle shirt from Jenny’s Airstream.
“It’s not a phase, mom.”
Samantha just raised her arms. Penny pulled the shirt down over her and sat beside her on the piano bench.
“Thank you Penny.” -Samantha, who resumes playing the chords and swaying a little with Penny.
Charlie decided to stay in the background when Penny arrived, waiting his turn.
Penny noticed Charlie and waved him over.
“I’m gonna let Dad cut in, have a good night you two.” -Penny, who hugged Charlie and then stepped back, looked at her parents, saw the look on their faces, and said it.
“I know.”
Penny “Han Solo” Lane-Jones, with that undeniably mischievous Jones Family grin.
Then she spun on the heels of her boots and walked away.
Charlie walked over, set Samantha’s clothes on the piano, and sat beside her on the piano bench.
“She knew what song I was playing.” -Samantha
“Oh, it’s more than that.” -Charlie
“I know.” -Samantha, starting to learn to grin like a Jones-to-be.
She kept playing the chords for a little while leaning against Charlie, and then, when the tears came, sang to him.
While you try to find the lines to speak your mind
And pry it open, hoping for an encore
And if it gets too late for me to wait
For you to find you love me, and tell me so
It's okay
Don't need to say it
The two of them sat at the piano in silence, enjoying the warmth of each other in the cool night.
“I’m so fucking happy right now, Charlie. She approves of me. There’s no other explanation. I’m sorry it took a while for me to believe it.”
There was a small caesura, as Samantha is coming to love those like a Jones-to-be, too.
“Still, you gotta admit, it’s a little disappointing we didn’t break the timeline with a pair of panties.” -Samantha, wearing the underwear Abbey Lane tossed over a fence in Toronto on New Year’s Eve, 2006.