Chapter 71-76
Chapter 71
February 2016
Marla turned her body in the bed feeling her daughter’s body against her. ”Oh dang…” she said softly feeling only Rosie’s little body in the bed. She looked over to the other side of the room seeing Bruno’s back facing the closet trying to decide what to wear. She got out the bed quietly walking behind him. She put her arms around his waist laying her head on his back. ”You should probably just put on some clothes.” she laughed at him pulling his hair gently as he turned around to face her.
”Marla…you’re so beautiful. Even when you just wake up.” he told her kissing her lightly.
”When did you wake up?” she asked him.
”Like an hour ago.” he answered pulling a shirt from a hanger putting it on.
”How did I not hear you?” she asked him.
”I couldn’t tell you. I was too busy trying to get our daughter off of me.” he smiled taking her hand leading her to the kitchen.
”I know… it’s a bad habit. One day she’ll sleep in her own bed.” Marla told him.
”I don’t mind it…it’s when we have more than one that it will get a bit weird…” he told her.
”But we can’t find the time to have more than one if she’s always with us…” Marla winked at him.
”Oh….you are smart…” Bruno laughed at her.
”But I don’t think there’s really a rush for that.” Marla told him. ”I mean…you’re leaving in three days and everything…so there won’t be any babies.”
”Three days is a long time…Rosie didn’t take that long to make…” he smirked at her leaning down to kiss her again.
”Bruno! I haven’t even taken a shower! Or brushed my teeth.” she told him pulling away.
”Ugh. Fine. Whatever. You win.” Bruno said watching her walk into the bedroom taking off her shirt to take a shower. ”But you’re going to do that and not let me kiss you?” She turned around, shrugged her shoulders and closed the door. ”Damnit.” he said loudly. He heard her laugh at him through the running water.
”Daaaddd..I can’t sleep. You’re being too loud.” Rosie moaned.
”Oh shush.” he told his daughter laying on the bed kissing her on the head. ”Get up, birthday girl. We have brown pancakes to eat.”
”Pancakes?” she asked him.
”Of course. Let’s go, beautiful.” he told her picking her up carrying her into the kitchen.
”Daddd…my medicine..” she asked him.
”Oh..yeah…here, Rosalia…” he found her medicine handing it to her. ”Daddy…when will I be able to stop taking these? They taste bad.” she made a disgusted face making him laugh remembering that he would make the same face when he was a child.
”You’ll have to talk to your mom about that.” he told her watching her swallow the pill. ”Ready for pancakes?” he asked her. She nodded her head trying to get on the kitchen island. He picked her up sitting her on the island. He handed her the eggs letting her crack them. ”Don’t get the shells in there, mama…” Bruno said watching her crack the eggs perfectly. As he helped her stir the mixture Marla leaned against the wall watching them. She felt all the memories from her daughter’s last birthday flooding back. She felt herself start to cry turning around to make sure she didn’t interrupt the father daughter moment.
”Mamaaaa!” Rosie exclaimed. ”Come help!”
”Finish with your dad. I have to get us ready for your party…” Marla answered her daughter. Bruno looked up at her smiling at her as she turned around to carry a handful of things into the backyard. She sat down on the bench looking at their pool feeling lots of memories coming back to her. She felt the past year fly through her head, the good parts, the bad parts, the parts she still struggled to remember…all of it. She sat there for what seemed to be a few minutes. She felt a hand touch her shoulder shaking her out of her memories.
”Mar?” she heard Jamie behind her.
”Oh..yeah..sorry..I’ll be there in a sec…” Marla said standing up feeling her daughter run toward her.
”Mommmm….” Rosie handed her a plate of pancakes. ”I made them…”
”I know, mama..they’re delicious.” Marla said sitting down next to her sister in law and daughter.
”Rosie..you’re getting so big. You’re going to be bigger than the boys soon…” Jamie told her niece.
”I’m younger than them, silly.” Rosie answered.
”Oh my goodness. She is so you, Mar.” her sister in law said.
”Oh, I know.” they girls laughed watching Rosie run toward her toys flopping her long curls around over her pajamas. ”How did he not get her dressed?” Marla asked.
”She wouldn’t let him.” Jamie answered.
”Rosalia Diane..let’s get you dressed for your party please. You have a very pretty dress to wear..” Marla ran over to her daughter picking her up making her laugh. They walked into the house to lots of noise and music playing as everyone started to arrive for her daughter’s birthday party. Marla looked around trying to identify all the people in the house. ”Come on..let’s get you dressed…” Marla put her hand on her head taking a deep breath to gather herself. She was still a bit overwhelmed by all the people they knew and had invited to the party.
”Mommy…are you okay? You look sick again…” Rosie said walking to her mother. ”Because I get sick sometimes too. I don’t want you to be sick too…momma…mommmmmm!” she screamed watching her mother’s eyes glaze over. Bruno and his sisters ran into the room hearing Rosie scream.
”I’ll be right back…” Marla said standing up. Bruno held on to her as she stood up walking her to their bedroom.
”Mar…is everything getting blue, baby?” Bruno asked her. She shook her head laying on the bed covering her head.
”It hurts…” she told him turning around starting to shake again. Bruno sat next to her laying his head near her ear.
”Marla…please…please…it will be okay…Marla….” he started to whisper to her looking at the clock making sure that she wasn’t gone for too long. Not two minutes later he heard her make a noise opening her eyes.
”Quit freaking out, Bru. I’m okay…” she smiled at him. ”A little sore..but I think I’ll be okay..”
”Mar..it’s too fast..there’s too many people…I knew it…it was too fast….” he told her.
”No..I’m fine. Let’s go…” she stood up rubbing her head steadying herself by holding his shoulder. ”I’ll be fine. I remember everything..I was helping Rosie get dressed..” she said walking out into the living room seeing all the younger children playing with a video game. Rosie dropped her controller seeing her parents coming into the room.
”Mamaaaaa….te quiero.” Rosie said hugging her mother.
”Happy birthday, baby girl.” she said hugging her tightly.
**
Mar,
Today was Rosie’s 4th birthday. 4 years ago today I was in a hospital with you screaming at me saying that you were going to leave me because of all the pain I put you through. Marla, you were so funny. I can’t even describe what your face looked like. I will never forget that day. It was one of the best days of my life. Most of the best days of my life involve you, though, Marla. I hope you remember that you light up my life as much, if not more, than anything in the world. I love you.
Bru
Chapter 72
The first bit is seriously sexy. Avoid it at all costs.
”Mar…where are….” Bruno started to yell through the house. He turned toward the laundry room seeing her holding what she was looking for. ”Those…” he smiled taking them from her hands.
”You’re welcome.” she laughed at him watching him turn around. He spun around looking at her with a flirty smile. ”What?” she asked him.
”You aren’t done with the laundry yet are you?” he asked her stepping closer to her and over a pile of his clothes she was washing for him. She shook her head not sure what he was thinking.
”Mar..I might regret this…but I think we need to do it…” he said pushing her against the washing machine holding onto her head so it didn’t hit it on the cabinets above.
”What are you doing?” she asked him as he started to kiss her neck. ”Bruno….what…..” he moved his lips onto her making her stop talking. ”But Rosie….”
”We’re terrible parents. Yeah. I know….” he said to her running his fingers along her sweater making her tingle. ”blah blah blah…she’s in the music room playing the drums…” he told her through his kisses pushing her against the washing machine placing her on the edge.
”You’re crazy, Bruno.” she said watching his eyes look over her semi naked body.
”You’ll thank me later.” he told her kissing her stomach reaching her chest ripping off her bra. He kissed her neck as she moved hands down to take off his pants.
Marla moved head toward his ear whispering in it. ”You’re right…oh my…” she moaned feeling him move his hips into her quickly but yet thoughtfully running his fingers through her hair never losing her closed eyes as he made her scream not being heard over the moving washing machine and the noise from the other side of the house from their daughter banging on the small drum set. ”Oh my god…Brunooooo.” she moaned as he continued to hold her tightly. He moved her legs to the exact right place feeling her tense up taking deep breathes. He knew she was close to her climax. He felt one of her hands grab his back. Oh my god. He thought to himself feeling her nails dig into his back.
”Oh….Marla…” he repeated her name over and over again as she continued to kiss his neck through their movements. Bruno felt her loosen her legs around him falling back onto the cabinets where he had kept her from hitting her head earlier.
”Holy shit.” she sighed looking at his face with small lines of sweat dripping down his cheek. She pulled her hand up from the still moving washing machine wiping it off his face. He grabbed her hand that began shaking kissing her fingers.
”Mar…I won’t forget that for a long time.” he said grabbing a pair of clean clothes for both of them.
”Thank you.” she said acting nonchalant about what they had just done. Bruno kissed her on the head holding the clothes he came to her for and walk out the room.
”God Bruno Mars. You turn me on.” she yelled at him as he faded away to the other part of the house.
**
”Dad…I’m ready to go…” Rosie told her parents sitting on top of his big black suite case.
”Rosie..you know we said that you get to come next time. But not this time…okay?” he said lifting her up placing her on the bed.
”But, dadddyyyy…please let me come. I’ll be quiet. I won’t do anything wrong..I promise…” she begged hanging on his leg. Marla came over to them grabbing her daughter who was crying uncontrollably.
”Mama..I know it’s hard. He’s been home for a long time. But remember fun stuff we did the last time he was gone? We went to Disney and we shopped and we bought all the cool stuff…” Marla tried to console her daughter.
”I’ll be home soon, Rosalia. I promise…” Bruno told her picking her up. ”You have to take care of your mom for me, okay?”
”But daddy…I’m the kid. She has to take care of me.” she told him.
Bruno hugged her tightly trying not to cry himself. Marla took his hand hugging his back. She whispered in his ear, ”It will be okay. Te prometo.”
**
Dear Marla,
I haven’t figured out how I’m going to write you letters when I’m gone…but I will figure it out on the way to wherever we’re going first. Thank you for showing me the strength it takes to go on tour again. Know that I’m counting down the days, the hours, the seconds, until I see you again. Right now it’s 1,814,400 seconds. Yes, I googled it. I love you.
Bruno Mars
ps- you turn me on too.
Chapter 73
”Mar…” Bruno hugged her from behind burying his head into her neck. She could feel his heart beating faster than it usually did. She let him hang onto her as she finished picking up a few things throwing them in his suit case knowing that it made him feel better.”I’m going to miss you.”
”Bruno…I know you are. And you’re going to be okay. And only gone for three weeks…” she turned around to hold onto his face. ”You have done this three times before. Nothing is different about it.”Yes there is. She continued to think. Rosie gets it this time. She hasn’t stopped crying…and I need him..but I told him to go…”There’s no reason for you not to want to go…” Rosie came running in the bedroom wearing one of his new tour t-shirts at least 10 sizes too big for her. She had on the hat he was going to wear to the airport and she twirled around in a circle singing one of the songs he had written for her.
”Daaadddd…don’t goooo…let me comeeee….” she cried. Marla picked her up and hugged her tightly.
”It will be okay, mama. It will be okay…he’ll be home soon.”
”It will go so fast you won’t even know it…” Bruno told her trying not to cry.
”Stop! Don’t do that!” Marla exclaimed feeling her eyes getting heavy.
They heard the front door open and lots of noise. His bodyguard walked in. ”Ready, bro?” he asked.
”Yeah..let’s go before these two end up in my stuff…” he said holding onto Rosalia. Marla took a hold of her when they got to the door. ”I’ll miss you…” he told both of them kissing Marla getting in the car.
”Mommaaa…we can’t cry. Daddy told me not to cry.” Rosie said walking back into the house with his hat on. Marla took the hat off her daughter’s head placing it on the table. She felt a sudden rush of memories coming back to her…all the way back to 2011 when she took his hat their first night out. She picked up the hat playing with the brim.
”I’m not going to cry…” she told herself.
**
Later that day Marla sat a big conference table next to her sister in law and across from several stakeholders to speak about upcoming events and programs.
”We would need a counselor….or several…” the older female stakeholder said. ”If you want to provide direct services….and it would make everything just so multifaceted…” she told them.
”Well..that shouldn’t be a problem. We can get them right away…” Marla responded.
”Marla..you don’t have your license do you?” another person asked.
”No..no..I don’t.” she said in a sad tone. ”It really wasn’t ever anything I wanted to do…” the female stakeholder handed her a piece of paper pointing to the bottom of the page.
Program will pay for supervision and licensing requirements.
”We know you know the organization and if we can get one person who is qualified to supervise..this would be a great opportunity for you…”
”Marla! Come on…you have to do it!” Jamie told her.
”It’s a lot of time..and with Bruno being gone…I want to be there for Rosie…I…”
”Marla…you can totally do it…” Jamie pleaded. ”You would be the best choice…even the people you know don’t know the organization like you…”
”Oh my god…can I think about it?” she asked.
”No..the deadline to submit the RFP is in two days….we have to do it now..” someone answered.
”Oh my god…..okay. Okay. I guess you can call me Marla Gonzales-Hernandez future LCSW.” she answered.
**
Marla glanced at the clock laying on the couch watching How I Met Your Mother reruns to see how late it was in New York, where Bruno was. She sighed heavily looking into her daughter’s bedroom where she was stretched out sideways on the low lying bed. Oh my god. You are your father’s daughter…she thought going into the bathroom. She went into the bottom cabinet to grab some toilet paper seeing a pregnancy test fall out. ”What the hell…let’s see if I’m pregnant…” she said to herself. She took a deep breath placing the test on the counter running out into the living room where her phone was suddenly ringing.
”Hiiii…” she said into the phone.
”Marlaaaaa..I miss you.” he told her.
”I miss you too, but suck it up, you baby. It hasn’t even been 24 hours.” she told him.
”Okay…I might have been a little dramatic.” he laughed at her.
”A little? How about a lot?” she asked him.
”Okay..a lot…” he answered.
”Bruno…I think I did something stupid today…” she started to tell him.
”That’s for me to do.” he answered.
”No…like really stupid..I told the board that I would get my license…” she told him standing up to go into the bathroom.
”Mar…that’s good. You’re an amazing therapist. You know that right?” he told her.
”Bruno…it takes like two years to get a license and so much other stuff..I just..it’s a huge commitment that I don’t know I can…..oh my god….” she picked up the pregnancy test staring at the results with her mouth open.
Chapter 74
Bruno heard a crash through the phone. ”Mar? Marla!” he screamed.
”I’m….I’m…okay…” she breathed.
”What’s wrong?” he asked her.
”I dropped the pregnancy test I took in the toilet.” she told him.
”You took a pregnancy test?” he asked her. ”Why?”
”Bru…I have eggs and you have sperm…you know when they come together…” she explained to him.
”Shut up!” he told her.
”Okay…it fell out of the cabinet and I just decided what the hell.” she replied.
”But you’re not…” he started.
”I don’t think so.” she told him. ”I was just shocked that it fell in…” she told him hoping for a relieved response.
”Oh…” he answered. She’ll tell me soon. He thought to himself. She can’t keep a secret.
”Yeah..so. That was it….and I’m going to get my license.” she told him.
”Marla..you should do it. You really should. You said opening a practice would be a good idea so you didn’t have to worry about schedules.” he told her remembering a conversation they had when Rosie was a newborn.
”I don’t remember that conversation.” she answered him.
”Oh…so it went a little like this..” he started to imitate her voice. ”I love my job, but loving my job means that I can’t be crazy and spontaneous with Bruno Mars…”
”I don’t talk like that!” she laughed at his Valley girl voice.
”And then you said….but if I can have my own practice then I can set my hours and go on vacation whenever I want…and then everything would be amaazzzzinnnnggg.” he sang to her.
”I don’t remember…still…” she responded.
”It’s okay, babe. I remember and I know it’s something you’ve wanted to do for a longtime. Sleep on it. It will come back to you….back to yooouuuuu….” he sang the end of one of his new songs to her making her melt.
”Bruno…” she started to talk to him about the day and random things that made them perfect for each other. He told her about the flight and how Eric was snoring and the radio interviews he had already done. She laid down in the bed listening to him talk and talk and talk. She started to remember the past tour and how she fell asleep to his voice almost every single night. ”Bruno?” she asked in the middle of their conversation. ”Oh…you fell asleep. Good night, boo.” she said hanging up the phone going back into the bathroom. ”Well…it’s me and you baby…” she said to the pregnancy test on the counter.
**
The next morning Marla woke up stretched out on his side of the bed. ”Well..that feels weird.” she said out loud walking toward the kitchen stopping to look down at the printer. She saw a sheet of paper laying on the floor with text on it. ”Ghost printer? What the hell?” she bent down picking up the paper.
Dear Marla,
Don’t ask me how this got on the floor. I wouldn’t be able to explain it. Today I said good bye to you and Rosie. I know I won’t be gone long, but I already miss you. I miss the way you smell and the way you smile at me. I also miss how you forget things, like the things that you love the most- like helping others. Marla, you have to do that. You just have to. You’re already a rock star. Rock stars do everything. That means you can do everything. I love you.
Brunz
Chapter 75
A few days later Marla sat at the big conference room table with papers stretched all over. She stood up picking them up and organizing them in piles while humming a song. She saw her sister in law come in the room sitting in the chair. ”Mar…you look stressed out…what’s going on?” she asked.
”I have a doctor’s appointment tomorrow. I think I’m just stressing out about it.” she admitted.
”But you went last week?” she questioned.
”No…not that doctor.” she answered.
”Oh…Mar…isn’t it just your annual?” she responded.
”Welll…no….that’s in July…” Marla answered trying to hold back her concern.
”Marla! Are you serious?” Jamie asked.
”I took a test on Sunday….it was positive…but I haven’t taken any others…” she told her.
”You haven’t talked to Bruno have you?” she replied.
”No…I just remember how he was with Rosie..it took him a long time to warm up to the idea. I just want to make sure that it really is positive…” she told Jamie.
”I can go with you if you want, Mar.” she reassured Marla.
”Would you?” she asked.
”Of course. We’ll go together.” she smiled.
**
Marla sat in the chair almost shaking watching Jamie look at the posters. ”I am so glad I’m done with this baby stuff…” she told Marla looking up at Marla who was white with nerves. ”Mar…it’ll be okay…you don’t have to worry.” she told Marla.
”I know..I’m not worried. This is just the first appointment I’ve been to without him in so long. It’s just weird.”
”Oh, honey. It will be okay. You’ve done this three times before.” she said squeezing Marla’s hand watching the doctor come in.
”So…we need to see if you’re pregnant, huh?” she asked after going over the basic information to make sure Marla was healthy. ”Give me a minute and we’ll get this blood test all put together…”
”It never gets easier…all the blood and stuff..” Marla said watching the needle go in her arm. ”Ewwww.” she cringed.
”Ewwww….” Jamie turned her head watching Marla’s blood being drawn. ”None of us can handle it…well except for Tiara…shit..you should of brought her…”
”She was in Hawaii.” Marla laughed. ”But I’ll bring her next time.”
”Net time? Like a third one? Oh god…you….”
”Crazy.” Marla answered watching the nurse walk out of the room. ”I mean…I don’t know..I like your family and how there are so many of you. I love Travis..I do…but sometimes I wish I had more….and being pregnant wasn’t that bad.” she told Jamie.
”I don’t blame you for it….” she told Marla. ”It is nice. It’s hard during Christmas…but I know I wouldn’t change it for anything….” They continued to talk about having a big family waiting for the doctor to come back in. ”…and then Eric hit him in the head…” Jamie was caught in the middle of a story when they heard a knock on the door.
”Well, well…” the doctor said sitting down in a chair. She handed Marla a small piece of paper. ”You’re 9 weeks pregnant.”
”Oh..oh….oh my god…” Marla gasped. ”What am I going to do?”
”Well, you tell your husband, silly.” Jamie answered.
”Well…yeah…” she started seeing the doctor write down something on her paper.
”I will see you in 3 weeks, okay? ” the doctor said.
They followed the doctor out the door. ”But I swear…if you tell anyone before I tell him tonight I’m gonna hunt you down and strangle your pretty little neck, okay?” Marla told Jamie.
”I promise.” Jamie answered.
”Let me see your fingers, dude.” Marla answered.
”Damn.” she sighed holding up her crossed fingers.
”How old are you?” Marla asked. ”No, wait…you’re related to my husband. I know how old you are.”
**
”Rosalia!” Marla yelled later that evening. ”Hurry up…we’re gonna call your dad.”
”I’m coming, I’m coming!” she shouted running into the living room sitting on the couch. ”Okay…I’m ready.” she said holding up her frog. ” Where is he?”
”Hang on…let me press the button…” she said pressing a button on the TV to get the skype to pop up.
”Rosie!” Bruno exclaimed seeing his daughter sitting on the couch next to Marla.
”Dadddyyyy! I miss you. I can still get in a suitcase and come with you!” she told him.
”Rosie…by the time you get here we’ll be somewhere else. You stay right there and I’ll come and get you, okay?” he told her.
:Okay…but first I have to finish my song.” she told him.
”Bru…she wrote you a song.” Marla told him.
”I want to hear it, baby doll. Sing it for me.” he replied. Marla watchedher daughter clear her throat singing a song only a 4 year old would come up with. Bruno’s eyes lit up through his laugh. ”Rosalia…you’re gonna have to be my opening act next tour, okay?”
”Okay…okay…miss opening act…go to your room for a bit. I gotta talk to your dad.” Bruno blew his daughter a kiss. ”I’ll be right back. Don’t go anywhere, Bruno…” Marla told him heading to the back of the house with Rosie who was already laying in the bed. ”Good night, Rosalia…” she said kissing her daughter on the head.
”5 more days momma. You can do it.” Rosie told her mother. ”I love you mama.”
”I love you too. Go to sleep.” Marla said walking back to the living room. She picked up the pregnancy test holding it in her hand walking back to the couch.
”Hey…Mar…you should take off your shirt.” Bruno yelled at her seeing her walking back toward the living room. She smiled at him shaking her head. ”Come on! Don’t tell me you forgot you did that last tour! Don’t play with me!” he pleaded. She laughed at him again pulling the test out of her hand waving it near the camera.
”Ha! I knew it!” he yelled at her. ”I knew it, I knew it, I knew it….I knew ittttt…..” he started singing getting up from his chair dancing. ”I knew you couldn’t keep a secret!”
”But I’m only nine weeks pregnant. So don’t get too excited. And don’t tell anyone. Bruno..I want to make sure that the baby and I are healthy before everyone knows. You have to promise me.”
”Promise.” he smiled at her. ”I wanna kiss you, so freakin’ bad, Mar.”
”Let me see your hands, Bruno Hernandez.” she demanded knowing that his fingers were crossed.
”Damnit.” he answered defeated. ”Okay. You win. No one has to know…but Marla..I’m so excited!”
”But Bruno…that means the baby is due in September. And you’re just finishing your tour…” Marla said coming to her senses. ”And you won’t be able to come to my appointments. And, Bruno…” she paused trying not to cry. That’s silly. She thought to herself. ”That was my favorite part…that you were always there…”
”Mar..quit being like that. Like really. Come on. My schedule isn’t nearly as bad as it was then. It will be okay.” he told her. ”Just stop being so damn practical.”
”If I stop being practical than you have to stop singing, Bruno Mars.” she told him.
”Okay. I can agree to the first part, but the second I can’t agree with. You’ll have to talk to my lawyer. Or Ryan…”
”Ryaaannnnnn!” Marla called out knowing he was in the room with him.
”I’m coming!” Ryan called out. ”What’s up sexy?” he asked her sitting next to Bruno in a cushy chair.
”He has to stop singing after I stop being practical. He said to talk to you about it.” Marla explained.
”I don’t think I can support that, Mar.” Ryan told her. ”And what is that on your right? Is that a vibrator? You two disgust me.”
”No!” Marla yelled. ”No!”
”Yeah it is…” Bruno smiled at her. ”He can keep a secret. I pay him to keep secrets, babe/”
”What is it? Bruno?” Ryan wondered out loud. Marla held up the pregnancy test showing him.
”Ha! I knew it!” he told her.
”Okay. I’m a horrible liar.” Marla laughed starting to yawn. ”You can go now, Ry.”
”Ugh..okay.” he said dragging his body away from them. Bruno and Marla laughed at him as he walked away.
”Okay..take your shirt off now…” he told her.
”No!” Marla said.
”Fine. Whatever. I’ll just wait for when I get home. The real thing is better anyway. And oh..I forgot..you’re pregnant so it’ll be even better.” he winked at her.
”Oh god, Bruno. I’m going to bed. I’ll talk to you later.” she told him.
”I love you, Marla.” Bruno told her as she started to get up from the couch.
”I love you too. I can’t wait until you’re home.” she smiled blowing a kiss as she ended the call.
**
Dear Marla,
The first day I was gone on this trip you told me that you took a pregnancy test. Then you told me it said you weren’t pregnant. I knew you were lying. Don’t forget we’ve known each other for 5 years, baby. Today you told me you were lying. I knew you’d tell me eventually. I wish there was a word to describe how happy I am for us. Mar, I love you and I love our family.
Bruno
Chapter 76
Bruno adjusted his hat, rubbed his eyes and took a sip of the orange juice sitting next to him looking up at Nick Cannon. He smiled not sure what he was going to ask. These are always the hard ones. The ones that everyone is going to listen to. Take some deep breathes. You can do it. It’s not hard. He thought to himself replaying things Marla had always said to him, particularly during his previous albums.
”You ready bro?” Nick asked putting on the headset.
”Yeah. Let’s do this thing.” Bruno said hearing Nick start to introduce him.
”Bruno fucking Mars! Bro, it’s been ages….” Nick started.
”I know, I know. You can’t rush gold like this.” Bruno laughed.
”Well, that’s what we’ve been hearing, anyway. I mean, seriously, Brunz. Like everyone and their unborn child is waiting for this thing to drop. When does it officially come out?”
”You can pick it up on April 9th. Y’all just gotta hang in there a bit longer. Be patient!” he told Nick.
”So, this album..it’s called Come back to me. I’ve heard a few of the tracks..and we’ll play a few of them…but Bruno..this is a deep album. Like the girls are going to drop their panties the second they hear Back to me and the guys are going to want to dedicate Love this way to their girls and everyone is gonna jam out to Drop it. It’s got everything. And I mean everything.” Nick told him.
”Well…I think that’s what we were going for. There are some tracks that we’ve been sitting on for some time that just have been burning up the studio…and then there are some newer ones….like the single..that just hit deep. I think everyone is going to like it.”
”Now Bruno…this first one..Back to me…I don’t think there was a dry eye in the studio after hearing it the first time…was that on purpose?” Nick asked. ”I think even the twins were crying…”
”I think every song I write has some type of special meaning. This album is full of meaning. From likeDrop it…it has a beat that was created for running. I was having a hard time finding a good beat when I was training for the marathon….and I was like hey let me just make one..and Love this way…man…that one is just about everything love can do to you. From the highest of highs to the lowest of lows. But like Back to me….that one…I was in the middle of writing about a year and a half ago when some pretty rough stuff happened. I wrote it in maybe like 10 minutes. It was just all right there.” Bruno explained.
”Well..let’s take a listen to that 10 minute moment of musical bliss…” Nick said starting the song for the listeners.
”Let’s do it!” Bruno answered in a happy excited tone. Nick turned off the mics looking at Bruno.
”How is she?” he asked her.
”She’s a lot better. A lot better. When was the last time we got together? I don’t even remember…” Bruno asked.
”Ummm…I think it was like Thanksgiving or something.” he said.
”Yeah..oh..I remember. Yeah dude. She’s way better than then. She even said she’s gonna get her license to be a therapist.” Bruno gushed over his wife’s accomplishments. ”And Rosie is just…out of control.” he laughed.
”Kids will do it to you.” Nick said mentioning his two children very briefly. ”Annnnnddd…we’ve got Bruno Mars in the studio talking about his new baby…his new album..his new tracks…but first..we’ve got a few questions for you from our fans online…you ready?”
”Yeah..let’s do it…” he said. ”I’m totally game. ”
”Okay dude…first one is from Lizzy…What turns you on?”
”Oh…you do, Lizzy!” He answered. ”Well…seriously though….my wife does this thing when she dances. She flips her hair like crazy. It’s the hottest thing in the world. Like..it’s my porn.” he laughed.
”Porn bro?” Nick asked.
”Straight up. All she’s gotta do is flip her hair.” he answered.
”Okay..next question…” Nick paused flipping through his notes. ”This is from Derek…The fiancé and I are deciding on a wedding song. She insist it be one of yours. Which one should we pick?”
”Grenade. End of story. Next question.” he answered.
”Well, there you have it Derek…play Grenade at your wedding and you’ll have a wife forever.” Nick answered. ”Okay…next one…this is from Fiona…Bruno…when are we going to see that beautiful hair of yours?”
”Ummm…well…I got my first grey hair the other day. So…never!” he replied.
”Oh…ouch….” Nick said running his fingers through his hair. ”I don’t got that problem yet bro.”
”You can borrow mine.” Bruno responded. They went back and forth with silly questions.
”Last one….” Nick said. ”Most romantic thing you have ever done?”
”Oh..dang..ummm…well…since I’m being honest today….I don’t want to put my host on blast or anything….I write my wife a love letter every night before I go to bed….” Bruno said.
”Oh my god. Bruno Mars…marry me.” Nick swooned.
**
Marla watched her daughter finish eating her dinner at the kitchen table while flipping through paperwork for a grant proposal. ”Mama…are you almost done?” she asked her daughter.
”No…” Rosalia answered getting up from her seat to the refrigerator. ”I want more…” she said pulling out the bowl of green beans her mother had made.
”Rosie?” she asked seeing her daughter’s eyes wander to the other side of the house. She grabbed the food before it fell catching her daughter in the other hand. She ran to the living room with her daughter placing her on the floor pushing the dog away from them. She rubbed her daughter’s arm seeing her start to wake up. Rosie let out a huge ear piercing scream making Marla cringe. ”Rosalia….” she held onto her daughter tightly reassuring her she was okay. She felt her daughter’s tense body against her. Oh…poor baby…”Rosie..let’s get you to bed. It will be okay.”
”Mommmaaaa….” she whined. ”I want to sleep with you.”
”Okay. You can.” she answered still holding onto her daughter. She grabbed a shirt from Rosie’s room putting it on her. ”Go to sleep….” she said watching her daughter close her eyes. She rubbed her daughter’s back for at least an hour feeling her eyes start to close at the same time. She looked at the clock to see that it was only 8 o clock at night. Screw it. I’ll clean it up tomorrow. She thought to herself changing into her own pajamas getting in the bed with her daughter after taking her own medication.
*
”Tippie! What are you doing?” Bruno asked looking at the dog who had her nose buried in green beans. ”Oh my goodness…” he sighed picking up the food seeing the mess in the kitchen. ”Mar? Marla?” he called out looking into the bedroom seeing the two of them laying in the bed together. ”Shit.” he said to himself going back into the kitchen. She had to have had a seizure. He thought to himself seeing his daughter’s medicine sitting on the counter. He cleaned up the kitchen throwing pieces of food away placing the leftovers in containers in the fridge. ”Damn..what a way to be welcomed home….” he said watching the dog lick up the still wet floor. He grabbed the pen that was stuck to the counter that they used to write each other notes before everything changed. He took a piece of paper from the desk starting to write.
Mar,
I didn’t get to talk to you today, but I’m going to wake up next to you tomorrow. I love you.
Bru