Two in a Million | Auslly

Seventeen: Thanksgivings & Turmoil

On the other end, Trish listened intently. She sighed, thinking for a moment about what to say. "Well, maybe start by easing her out of bed and back into, quote unquote, 'normal life.' Like, ask for advice with some song lyrics and maybe she'll open up. Or bring her some of her favorite foods. Ally's never said no to pickles before."

"I tried the songwriting thing already...and the pickles," Austin said, running his fingers through his hair, "I know it'll take some time for her to heal, but...I just want my wife back."

Trish sighed. She shook her head, imagining Ally that miserable. "I don't know what to tell you, Austin. If you want, I can come over later and try to help, but I don't know if that will do anything."

"That'd be great," Austin replied, "I've tried everything. I even brought her Dougie the Dolphin. She took it, but I don't think it helped that much. You can come over any time."

"Sounds good. I'll be there at seven."

Austin hung up and decided to go check on her again and was caught off guard when he found her out of bed and in the bathroom, brushing her hair. He grinned a little, because even something as simple as brushing her hair was a big step forward.

"Hey, you." Ally jumped a little, then relaxed when she saw him.

"Hey," she croaked. There was little to no emotion in her voice. It broke his heart, but at the same time Austin felt a weight lift off his shoulders.

"How are you feeling?" he asked gently, coming behind her and placing a hand on each of her shoulders. She shrugged, and this was the first time he noticed her tearstained cheeks.

"I don't know, just...blah." Austin nodded knowingly.

"So, um, I was thinking we could maybe work on the EP a little today? I mean, if you're up for it. No pressure. But it's gonna be really hard to do it without you."

Then, for the first time in days, Ally smiled. That little grin that must have been so difficult to muster made Austin feel like he could fly. She bit her lip as if in deep thought, and finally said, "Okay."

"Really?" Austin's smile grew. "Are you sure? Cause, y'know, if you need more time..."

"Austin, I'm sure. Let me get dressed and shower, and I'll meet you in the studio."

Austin gratefully pecked her on the cheek and bounded down the stairs, turned the corner and went down to the basement and into the studio, which was almost completely empty except for some unpacked boxes. He went into the other room to grab their keyboard and retrieve a couple of folding chairs, then back upstairs to get his guitar. When he finished setting it all up, he stood at the front of the room, hands on his hips, and sighed. If writing music can't make Ally feel better, he thought, nothing will.

Ten minutes later Ally came down to the basement in baggy t-shirt and sweatpants, carrying her songbook. Austin stood up when he saw her, pulling her into a side hug.

"You smell nice," he said into her hair.

She mustered a smile. "Thanks. Now, are we doing this or what?"

Austin nodded. "Let's do this."

/

The rest of that day was spent working on new songs for their EP. They were a lot more productive than Austin thought they would be. He was impressed by how strong Ally seemed on the outside, even though he knew she was miserable on the inside. By the time seven o'clock rolled around, they had finished two of their songs and started to browse the internet, looking for equipment they could put in their studio. Austin had texted Trish a few hours prior to let her know that she didn't need to come over. Trish grinned when she saw the message, feeling extremely proud of Ally for persevering, even though she was hurting inside. While she knew that Ally couldn't go long without making music, everything seemed like a chore after you lose someone you love. Ally was stronger than they gave her credit for.