I've Loved These Days: A Billy Joel Fanfic

Chapter 24 - This Is The Time

••••
This is the time to remember
'Cause it will not last forever
These are the days to hold on to
'Cause we won't although we'll want to
This is the time
But time is gonna change
You've given me the best of you
And now I need the rest of you
••••

Monday, March 15, 1978
Dear Diary,

It's been an absolute whirlwind the past few months. Bill's album, The Stranger, has gone through the roof! They've released 4 singles from it and they've all blasted up the charts. The song he wrote me for my birthday is one of them, and I honestly can't believe how many people are talking about it. Part of me is a little jealous because that was a personal song between us, but when he played it for some of his record people they immediately told him it was a hit and it needed to go on the album. I guess they knew what they were talking about.

We're supposed to be leaving soon for Australia. Bill has two weeks of shows lined up all over the country. I'm actually pretty nervous because the flights there are incredibly long, but it will be really nice to add Australia to the list of places I've been. That's definitely one I never thought I'd visit.

Personally, I'm finally feeling like I'm in a better headspace. I'm even beginning to think about trying for a baby again. I don't know if that's a bad idea right now with everything going crazy with Bill's record, but I'm going to bring it up so we can talk about it.

xoxo,
Kat

****

"Come on, let's go for a ride."

I looked up from my book. "Where to?"

"Let's just see where the road takes us."

Today was a rare day off for Billy. Even though it was still technically winter, it was sunny and unusually warm. He was never one to let the weather keep him from riding his motorcycle, but I couldn't bring myself to join him unless I knew I wouldn't freeze to death.

Along with my car, our large garage was currently filled with four Harleys - three were Billy's and the fourth was a smaller model he bought for me shortly after he'd arrived back home. I was still learning and was very tentative to ride on my own, so when Billy tossed me my helmet I hopped on the back of his bike with him. I wrapped my arms around his waist and held on as he drove us down our long driveway and out to the main road. We weaved through the tree lined neighborhood, and for the next hour we wandered the maze of residential streets around the bay. Before long we were pulling up to a place I hadn't been to in years.

It was still early enough in the season that no one was out fishing, and the docks by Cold Spring Harbor Park were empty. Billy steered our motorcycle through the gravel lot and stopped a few yards from our favorite spot.

"We haven't been here since..." I paused trying to remember the last time we had been here together.

"Since I asked you to come to L.A. with me," Billy replied.

"Has it really been that long?"

Billy nodded and we both climbed off of the bike. It seemed almost impossible that so much time had passed since our last visit to this dock. For the entirety of our first year together this had been our go-to spot when we needed to talk or just wanted to spend some quiet time together in nature. So much had happened to us since our last visit, and it made me a little sad that it took us this long to return here.

"Come on." Billy wrapped an arm around my shoulders and we walked the length of the dock together.

We sat down on the edge and silently watched the seagulls weave through the sky in front of us. The breeze coming off the water was quite chilly, but the sun's warm rays beat down from the cloudless sky above us.