Jodie's Aria

All afternoon she had worried over what to wear, he told her to dress up but if she were going to break up with him maybe she shouldn't dress too well. Being dumped by someone who looked beautiful would only add to the heartbreak. But the only clothes she currently owned were fancy dresses, sexy bordering on slutty outfits, and pajamas and even those could she considered sexy. She had finally decided to just wear a soft red blouse with a high waist flared knee length pleated skirt, which was now the longest skirt she owned. It had been over a month since the last time she had just worn jeans that weren't cut off into daisy dukes.

Shortly after nightfall a message appeared on her phone that her Uber was ready and waiting downstairs. Jodie played nervously with the silver and gold bangle bracelets on her left arm. It was strange to be picked up and delivered to an unknown location, part of her felt like a sack of groceries, while another part felt like a princess off to meet her prince. She wished her prince could be Eric. But he deserved so much better.

A little after seven, she arrived on west 74th street and felt immediately under dressed for what she considered an upscale neighborhood especially when she saw Eric waiting on the sidewalk in a new suit. 'Where'd he get that?' she wondered, she had only known him to own one suit since his growth spurt at sixteen.

She swallowed hard and stepped out of the car. "Eric we n-"

"Jodie, do you trust me?"

"More than anyone."

"Then turn around. Please." Jodie began to protest but decided against it and instead did as Eric told her. Jodie was confused as Eric slipped a blindfold over her eyes. He gently pulled

Eric guided Jodie through the street and into a building, the rush of warm air comforting her like a welcoming blanket right out of the dryer. "Jodie?"

"Yes?"

"I-" he cleared his throat nervously, "We've been friends so long and I can't really remember a time you weren't my best friend. And then this job happened and we...started dating, which I'll be honest I didn't see coming."

"I know I wanted to-"

"Step." She felt herself climbing three steps, "Life, doesn't really go the way we expect it huh?" He laughed awkwardly and Jodie joined him with a genuine smile. "But," Eric sat her down in a seat finally. She felt her heart leap into her throat when she felt him take her hand in his and for a moment she thought he might be proposing. "I don't know, my dad always said my mom was his best friend," he slowly untied the blindfold, "Jodie, you will always be my best friend first and foremost but…" she felt her chest tighten, her mind prepared itself for the worst, "I'm sorry I'm terrible at this. What I want to say is I love you Jodie."

Jodie's eyes began to tear up, "Why would you say that? You can't say that! Don't say that! Please!" Jodie stood and tried to run away but Eric followed, grabbing her wrist and pulling her close.

"Jodie, I love you."

"You don't know me!"

"You know that's not true. We've been friends since grade school!"

"Then you know why this won't work!"

"Why not? Because I want nothing from you. I have never!...I have never felt this way about anyone. I thought I knew what being in love felt like but what I've felt before….it just doesn't compare. And...I don't even want you to say it back." Eric swallowed hard, forcing back tears into the pit of his stomach. He was in such pain that he thought he could collapse any moment but it wasn't for him. What little Jodie had told him over the years about her parents, all the signs he must have missed, how he failed her, he could understand if she felt like he failed her. But she would at least understand he loved her.

"What?"

"If you don't feel it for me too...then don't say it back. All I want...I could not, I would not want to take another breath in this world if I did not at least tell you the truth. I have always loved you, when we were kids I loved you as a friend. In junior high as my best friend and now as my girlfriend I am truly, deeply, and madly in love with you. And all I want in this life is to see you smile because-because you are actually happy. And I will do whatever I can to make you smile."

Jodie finally broke down, she could not hold back anymore. She closed the gap between them with a deeply passionate kiss that took them both by surprise. The deep dark of her mind reeled in the quiet of the building why none of this could possibly be real and any second the other shoe would drop but the pounding of her heart drowned out the toxic voice. "What about…. What about when this ends? And you find a real girl. And she won't be so broken like I am. And you'll….Jodie will just be gone And I'll just get to watch you be with someone else. No, we can't do this."

"Jod-"

"No! We can't. I can't do that! We h-have to break up!" Her shout died in her throat as the words escaped her lips.

"Break up?" The pain bled from his eyes and Jodie watched in horror as she could see his heart breaking.

"We have too." She had to be strong. "You deserve someone so much better. Someone just, not selfish, like me. I'm sorry but if we….I'm not worth a damn. You'll realize that."

Eric shook his head, falling to the seat he so hopefully sat Jodie in. "How the hell can you say that?!"

"I'm not!" Her voice was strangled by her sorrow. "I'm not perfect."

"Who the hell is?!"

"You."

He laughed angrily, "Me?! I've never been perfect, never will be. Don't care to be. And whoever told you you need to be before someone can love you was a damn fool!"

".... I'm sorry. We just can't."

"No." He grabbed her arm once more, "Talk to me. We've always told each other everything. So why, why can't I love you?"

"Because…."

"Because why?"

"We're just….we can't! We're not supposed to!"

"Supposed to?"

"No. I don't know. You know why you can't."

"Tell me-"

"Because of what your parents said?"

"N-no!"

"Then why?"

"Because we, because I-I'm…."

"What?"

"Because you want to be a dad one day!" Eric held his breath, as his heart caught in his throat. "Your dad was an amazing man, and you want to be like him so much and he's a great man to want to be but….he was a dad, and you want to be one too and….with me you can't have that. I'm sorry."

"Tell me I'm wrong then. Look me in the eye and tell me you don't love me and we'll go home. If you don't love me, you don't and I won't question you further about it, but you'll always be my best friend. Kids, that's an entirely different conversation. What matters now is I will always love you, and do you love me?"

Jodie stared into the deep gulfs and swallowed the stone in her throat, all she had to do was tell him. Tell him she didn't love him and she would save him and herself a world of hurt in the future. She could finally do something good and selfless. And all she had to do was lie.

"Eric...I…. Eric," she's told hundreds of lies this month alone, what was one more to the pile? "I d-" She had said 'i love you' to so many people she felt little to nothing for, so surely she could say she didn't love him. But his eyes, that confident smile that he wore even now, he knew the truth, that scary truth she had been trying to deny more and more, "I can't." She lay her head on his chest, "I can't… say... I don't love you, because I do!"

"You do?!"

Jodie smiled wider than she ever had as tears streamed down her face. "I do. I love you so much he hurts!" She had said I love you so many times but tonight was the first time she ever truly meant them. Everything else simply fell away as Eric exploded with joy and he picked her up, spinning her around as though she were light as a feather, her skirt flying through the air like supergirl's cape.

"I love you!" He laughed before kissing her, "I love you so much!" He laughed again, and again declared his love until Jodie's tears faded away and turned into fits of laughter.

"I heard you the first time fuzzy bear!" She laughed. "I love you too." She slowly sank into Eric's arms until their lips met once again. It was not their first kiss and she was damn sure it wouldn't be their last but this kiss would be forever special to them both. After the anxiety, and excitement had all faded all that was left was true love's kiss.

Eric had lowered Jodie but she still felt like her feet had yet to touch the ground. "I have one more surprise for you."

"What?" Maybe he really was about to propose?

"Wait here." Eric hurried off into the dark leaving Jodie to take in the surroundings for the first time. Three brass pedals glinted in the small light as Jodie approached. Before her stood a large Steinway concert grand piano. Suddenly the house lights were raised and she realized she was standing center stage of the beacon city theater. She felt all the more like a princess standing in the glittering golden castle.

"What do you think?" Eric asked as he walked out onto the stage with her.

"It's…. amazing. But what are we doing here?" She looked around the empty hall cautiously. "Are we going to get in trouble being here?"

Eric chuckled and wrapped his arms around Jodie's shoulder, "We're good. We got the bid on the renovations a few years back. Aaron apparently goes to the same gym as one of their security guys. I thought we might have a sofar concert of sorts. If you don't mind that it's just me that is."

Jodie smiled, feeling the tears welling inside her once more, "Not at all." She kissed her best friend, her boyfriend, her love, and managed to compose herself while he sat front row center.

Jodie approached the grand piano once more, amazed she was about to play such a beautiful instrument. Sitting in front of that piano and playing that first note, she felt the power flowing through her once again. The same power in every note she felt the first time she heard Eric's mother playing. One note fell softly into the other, and another, until it became a miracle all its own as she retold the story of her life in song after song.

Fur Elise became the scales, became twinkle twinkle little star, became Chopin's nocturn number 9, became the spring waltz, became So what by miles Davis before becoming great balls of fire, became boogie woogie melody, until its abrupt end and interruption by a world upon sadness, And just when it felt like the melancholy music would never end it turned into Vivaldi's spring finally ending with 'Your song' by Elton John which she could not help but sing along.

When it was over she was exhausted both physically and emotionally but hearing her number one fan applauding for her brought a smile to her face. She had poured out her heart and soul in front of the man she loved and not only did he hear her, he loved her all the more. As he swept her up into a kiss only one thought remained, This was what it meant to be loved fully and unconditionally.