Octavius adjusted his tie in the mirror, then straightened out his jacket. His cello case lay on the bed behind him, sealed and ready to be taken anywhere. He turned his back to the mirror and walked over to the bed, sitting down as he pulled on his socks, and then his shoes, tying the laces tight before standing again and grabbing his instrument. He walked to the door and flicked off the light, stepping out into the hall and closing the door with a quiet click.
He descended the stairs, catching the tail end of a conversation between Vinyl and Flutters.
“… And then the little dork kissed me,” Vinyl was saying, a hand resting on her baby bump, the other holding a glass of water. Flutters sat beside her, facing the pregnant woman with rapt attention.
“That’s so sweet!” Flutters clasped her hands together, her face breaking into a huge smile.
“Yeah, well, it left me flustered like no ones business,” Vinyl said with a laugh. “My face was redder than my eyes are!”
Octavius rolled his eyes as he made his presence known by clearing his throat. Vinyl turned to him with a smile. “Speak of the devil,” she said, beaming at the dressed up cellist. “Look, at you, all dressed up fancy-like.”
“Performance tonight, love, remember?” Octavius walked over to the two women, leaning his case against the wall before approaching Vinyl. “I should be home by eight.” He placed his hand on Vinyl’s growing stomach, smiling warmly as she placed her hand on his. Octavius’ smile grew wider as he felt a tiny foot kick his hand. “I’ll see you soon, little girl.”
Vinyl smiled at Octavius as stood up again. He grabbed his cello, gave Vinyl a quick kiss on the cheek, and headed out the door. He headed down the porch, pulling out his keys and unlocking his car as he walked. He opened the back door and carefully laid his cello inside, then got into the front seat. He put the keys in the ignition, and in a matter of seconds was on his way to the concert hall.
***
Octavius bowed once more, then picked up his cello and walked offstage. He packed up his beloved instrument, then headed out into the lobby with a grimace.
He still hated large crowds.
He smiled, said his thank yous, and finally managed to escape the mass of people trying to swarm him. He placed his cello in the backseat once more, then got in himself and sat for a moment. He gave a slow exhale, then patted his coat pocked where his most recent check was. He reached into his other pocket and pulled out his phone, powering on the device. He watched patiently as the device came to life, lighting up and showing he had five missed calls. He cocked a curious eyebrow, seeing that it had been Vinyl who called him. They both had a mutual agreement to not call each other unless it was an emergency, so Octavius felt his heart skip a beat. He dialed her back, put the phone to his ear, and waited.
He didn’t have to wait long.
“Octavius!” Vinyl’s panicked voice got Octavius’ full attention, especially since she used his full name. “We need to go to the hospital! NOW!”
“Is it the child?” Octavius was already on the road, going as fast as he safely could to try to get to Vinyl.
“No, no, not that,” Vinyl said, her voice starting to choke up. “It’s Ditzy!”
Octavius felt his blood run cold. “I’m five minutes out from home. Be ready in the driveway. Ask Flutters to help you.”
Octavius ended the call focused entirely on driving. A normally five minute drive was done in two. He pulled into the driveway to find Vinyl and Flutters already waiting on him. Flutters helped Vinyl into the passenger seat, then the pink haired woman got into the seat beside Octavius’ cello. In a flash, the trio was off.