Just Look at All That Pain

Frank was walking back to his car. The warm summer breeze brushed his hair in his face as he unlocked the door and got in. After the divorce with Jamia a few months ago, he only got to see the girls everyone few weeks. Apparently it was because she thought he was on drugs again but he knew it was because he had moved Gerard into his Manhattan apartment where he spent a lot of his time. Normally he uses it as a place to write songs but she obviously suspected something more was going on there. He turned the key and sat in his ex-wife’s driveway for a moment, thinking about whether he made the right decision or not. He loved Gerard but not seeing the twins often was killing him. He loosened the red tie around his neck before backing out of the Staten Island driveway and heading back to Manhattan.
Gerard had been through hell the last 12 months. Lyn-z and Bandit were killed by a drunk driver while Gerard was with the band recording. They never planned on May Death Never Stop You being their last album but when that happened Gerard lost it. He disappeared for about a month until Frank eventually found him, passed out in the backyard of his house. Frank sat with him until he can to and that’s when Gerard told him how he really felt about him. Frank didn’t completely believe his drunken slurs as he drove him back to his apartment. That was almost four months ago, just before Jamia kicked him out for good. They both needed each other and besides it was a good arrangement. Frank made sure Gerard was alive and safe and Gerard helped keep Frank’s mind off Jamia and the girls.
He switched on the radio to take his mind off it as he pulled up to a stop sign. “And now here’s Johnny Cash” the voice on the said. Walk the Line started playing as Frank pulled away from the stop sign.
The rest of the drive home was a blur to him. Only when he turned the corner to his apartment did he snap back into reality. He felt a warming sensation in his stomach as he remember Gerard would be home waiting for him. Normally he would be working most of the night in his studio drawing comics for his series but he had just finished the last one so he decided to take the day off. They had plans to go for dinner but Jamia called last minute and told Frank he could see the kids tonight. Frank had learned the hard way not to say no t these meetings. Last time he did, he didn’t see the girls for 2 months.
He pushed those thoughts out of his head as he walked across room and into the elevator. He checked the time on his watch as the elevator doors closed. 8:47. Maybe they could still go get dinner, he thought happily. He lent back on the railing as the elevator jerked to a stop at the second floor.

Notes