Tug of War 73.3 (Patreon)

"Hey, can I give you a hand, honey?" Martin asked, approaching his girlfriend.

"Huh?" Tiffany exclaimed, surprised. She was so distracted as she put her guitar in its case that she didn't notice the young man's presence. Looking around, she saw that her other bandmates also had already left the stage towards the tent used as backstage, and even the public had dispersed to other areas of the field, towards the bathrooms or to get a drink.

"Are you ready to tell me what's going on?" Martin questioned, looking concerned.

"Martin, I..."

"There's no reason to lie to me, Tiff" the guy stated, hugging her and kissing the girl's head. "I know something has been bothering you all day. But if you don't want to talk about it right now, that's okay. I won't insist."

"That's not it, honey. The thing is..." Tiffany hesitated, biting her lower lip. "Not even I know what's, going on. Yes, there's something bothering me, but I just can't grasp it."

"I see... but don't you have any clues? Something that has happened recently?"

"Not at all! I mean, everything has been so perfect. You and me... the band... our friends... the trip... Just perfect! Gosh, I don't know what's wrong with me!"

"Shhh... that's okay, Tiff!" Martin tried to calm her down. "That's okay."

They remained silent for some time, just hugging each other. Even in such a stressful moment, Tiffany felt safe in Martin's arms. For her, his arms were the coziest place in the world. "You know..." the guy suddenly started saying. "Maybe that's exactly the problem."

"What? I don't understand."

"Maybe you're feeling distressed because everything seems so perfect now."

"But why would that bother me?"

"Well, maybe you're afraid this will change."

And just like that, everything made sense to Tiffany. She hugged Martin even tighter and started to sob. "I don't want anything to change, Martin. I... I want this life forever!"

"Listen, honey" Martin whispered, lifting her chin with a finger. "Isn't that what a lot of the songs we play talk about? Things change, and this is inevitable. Pretty often, they change for the better, though. Just look at us. A year ago, would you have guessed that all of this would be happening now?"

"No" Tiffany admitted, amazed at how much Martin was maturing, too. That trip was doing them all very well. No doubt about that.

"See? On the other hand, there are things that never change."

"Like what?"

"Like our friendship with Kate and Lyss. Even if they stop traveling with us, which might happen at some point, we'll still be friends. We've all lived so many things together... I don't believe they'll just forget about us."

"I... I guess it makes sense."

"About our band, I bet this will last as long as The Liquid Shadows."

"The liquid what?"

"Oh, I thought you knew about them. It's an Albanian band... or is it Bulgarian?" he scratched his head. "Anyway, they've been together for a long time, like The Rolling Stones. You remember the Stones, right? They are almost as good as the Shadows."

"Yeah, I think I've heard about the Stones" Tiffany giggled. Maturing or not, the old Martin she loved so much was still there.

"And there's another thing that won't change..." the guy continued.

"What?"

Martin smiled before saying, "My love for you. I've always loved you, Tiff... and I always will... I promise you that. It didn't sound too cheesy, did it?"

"Just a little bit" Tiffany giggled again. "But it was cute. Yeah, I totally liked it. I love you too, Martin" she stated, and then the two of them kissed for a long time, oblivious to the world around them, as if they were in another dimension that belonged only to them.

"Are you feeling better?" Martin asked, when the kiss finally ended.

"Yes, totally. I see your point, dear. What's real will never change."

"That's right. So, let's join the others? I have a surprise to you."

"Surprise?"

"Yes... do you know what one of the specialties in this town is? Curry ice cream."

"Ha! No way!" Tiffany laughed, remembering another very happy afternoon, many months ago, when Martin promised her some curry ice cream. Being with him was always an adventure, even in the small details. "You're kidding me, right?"

"You'll see. Let's go then?"

"You go ahead, and I'll catch you in a minute. Don't worry, I swear I'm fine, babe. I'm always fine when you are around."