Favorite Record | Luke

𝟑. 𝐖𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐔𝐩, 𝐉𝐮𝐥𝐞𝐬

      "Dad burned the toast and Carlos forgot to take a bath last night so you guys might be a bit late."

Tessa decided to not give herself a sense of false hope as she watched Julie sit at her desk, debating on if she should wear her glasses or not. Something seemed to have shifted in Julie seeing as she was wearing Tessa's long-sleeved lilac shirt.

During the night, Tessa had gone back into the studio but the boys were gone. She hung around for a few hours, folding up the sheet and placing it away in the loft. She was even nice enough to dust off the drum set and place the guitars on stands rather than them being left on the sofa. 

Shaking her head, Tessa watched as Julie settled on contacts before fixing her hair, into braided pigtails but left half of her hair in tamed kinks at the base of her skull.

"I had a dream about you and mom," Julie spoke, turning from her desk and peering at her messy bed. "I told you about what happened and you believed me but mom laughed and said it was my soul's way of saying I needed to get off my butt and play again."

Taking a deep breath, Julie stood. "I know, I know you aren't here but I'd really like it if you went with me, I-I want to take another look at your piano and maybe see if the guys are there and it wasn't a dream."

Tessa grinned. "This is a huge step, Jules, I'm so proud of you. And even if the guys aren't there, you're glowing from your dream and, that's enough for me." She nodded, her smile faltering as her sister picked up her backpack and left her room just as Carlos shouted he was finished with his bath.

"Mama, please, please," Tessa stole a moment to pray, clasping her hands tightly around her rosary and squeezing her eyes tightly shut. "Let her sing, let her start to be okay. Even if she can't see me, even if she never will, please, don't let her keep falling."

Opening her eyes slowly, Tessa was met with silence. Shaking her head she chose to just teleport into the studio. 

Standing in the center she watched Julie's hands gliding over the piano, determination, and grief-filled her eyes. Her hands trembled but her feet carried her forward and toward the bench. She took a deep breath before sitting down and picking up the songs and let out a soft laugh.

Tessa joined her on the bench and smiled. "You've got to sing this one, it'll help carry you forward." The song was the one Rose had written after Tessa's death and if any song could reach Julie and put her on the right path; it was their mother's song.

Julie spread the pages for the song in front of her and pushed the case open, revealing the keys. "You're here with me, right Tessa?" 

She breathed, her heart beating quickly to the point she felt dizzy. Her hands trembled and she let her hands hover above the keys, her determination fading. She hadn't really lied, the piano was Tessa's, Julie never could match how soulfully her sister could play and sing.

"Always little sister," Tessa breathed as the rays of daylight threatened to shine onto their backs. "I'll always be with you." Be it Julie finding her courage or Tessa's words somehow reaching her, Julie took a deep breath and played the wrong note.

"Don't be angry, you were always better!" Julie was quick to shout; as if Tessa was there and would scold her for pressing the keys too harshly. She never cared if Julie played the wrong note, it was how hard she pressed.

Tessa laughed. "Try again, not so hard this time." She coaxed, watching Julie smile sadly, her eyes were glossy as she rolled her shoulders before playing again, this time hitting the right notes and using a lighter touch.