From the Wreckage We All Rise.

I was sitting on a deck chair, a can of Coke in my hand as everyone else around me was drinking beer and chatting. We were still waiting for Brian, his father, Suzy and the twins.

Celia was running around with Lily, Jason (Matt and Val’s son), Danger (Jimmy and Ash’s son) and Max (Johnny and Jess’ son). It was the two girls against the boys. It was a funny thing to see, they didn’t stop running around, bumping into the adults and laughing. I had to smile as Matt caught Celia as she was trying towalk ran past him. He took her in his arms and headed towards the pool; holding her above the water, threatening to let her fall.

She squealed, squirming around and begging her father to come to her rescue. As soon as Billy was standing next to Matt, she managed to jump in her father’s arms and stuck her tongue out at her uncle.

“Celia!” I reprimanded, but Matt just waved it off, laughing as his niece tried to push him in the water.

“Let’s get the party started!”

I snapped my head in direction of the back door to see Brian, Nathalie, Papa Gates, Suzy, Angie and Aiden had just arrived. I got up from my sit and head towards them.

“Oh my God, look at what we have here!” said Papa Gates as soon as he saw me.

“How’s my favourite girl?” he asked, crushing me in a hug. I laughed and hugged him back, careful not to spill my beer.

“I’m fine Papa Gates, how about you?”

“I’m good, I’m a happy grandfather!” he said smiling brightly as Angelina came to hug me.

“Adeline!” I smiled as Angelina let go of me, just as Suzy wrapped her arms around me. It has been a while since I last saw them.

“Suzy!” I mimicked her. She laughed but then held me by the shoulders, looking at me up and down, shaking her head.

“What?” I asked.

“You should eat more!” she said on a reprimanding tone.

“Mum…” whined Brian, “Leave her alone!” he said, draping his arm over her shoulder.

“I’m just saying!” she said, before she went to see my parents.

“Sorry about that…” apologized Brian, rubbing is neck. I laughed.

“There’s nothing to apologize for.” I said, smiling as I saw my parents talking with Suzy and Papa Gates. “So, did you have fun today with the twins?” I asked, feeling the need to say something.

“Yeah, they met Nathalie this morning, and then we went to my parents for lunch.” He explained, still uneasy.

“Cool. I hope Aiden behaved…” I said, eyeing Aiden sceptically as he was talking with Johnny.

“Yeah, actually I don’t have anything to reproach him.” He said.

“That’s cool then.” I said nodding to myself. That was one of my biggest worry: Aiden not being able to behave.

“AIDEN!”

I turned around just as Celia tackled her older brother to the ground, hugging him tight. I chuckled as Aiden looked taken aback.

“I missed you!” she said to justify her action and wrapped her small arms around her brother’s neck.

“Guess it wasn’t that easy with Celia?” asked Brian, standing next to me as I kept watching Aiden and his sister.

“No, not really. Celia isn’t use to spend time without her brother and sister.” I explained after I took a sip of Coke.

“It’s understandable.” He said nodding.

“So, where are you going to take them tomorrow?” I asked. I was trying to make conversation if you hadn’t notice yet…

“I don’t know yet… At what time can I pick them up?”

“As you want, between 8 and 9am maybe? I don’t know how late this ‘gathering’ is going to last…” I said, as I brought my attention back to Brian. He hadn’t change much… He looked the same as when I last saw him 6 years ago, with the bar fight and all…

“All right, that’s fine with me.” He said, nodding to himself.

I couldn’t even tell you how hard it was for me to stay there, talking to him. It felt so weird…

“So, how is it going with Nathalie, I mean is she okay with the whole thing?” I asked.

“Yeah, I think she is but haven’t talked about it much… She’s too busy with the planning and stuff…”

I wanted to ask ‘what planning?’ but that’s the moment Ash chose to call me.

“Oh sorry…” I quickly apologized and I made my way over to the BBQ.

“Lyn, can you help me with the drinks. The guys are raiding the cooler!” she said, throwing her arms up in the air, dramatising the situation. I laughed but followed her inside and to the kitchen.

“I’m going to check in the garage, can you check in the fridge?” she asked. I nodded and she made her way to the garage, leaving me in the kitchen.

“Who’s that?” asked Aiden from the living room. I guess he was pointing at one of the numerous pictures that were hanging on the wall in Ash and Jimmy’s living room.

“That’s me and Zacky.” Explained Cha as I walked over to the fridge and opened it, searching for more alcohol.

“And here?” asked Angelina.

“That’s Jess, Ash, me and your mother right before our first tour.”

“Tour? You girls went on tour?” asked Aiden.

“Yeap, as the support band for Good Charlotte and then Avenged Sevenfold joined us.” She explained.

“Mum was in a band?” asked Angie, I bit my lip, my head still in the fridge. I never told them about Perfect Nightmare…

“Yeap, she was the lead guitarist and singer.” Cha explained and I could hear the smile in her voice, if that’s even possible…

“Mum? With a guitar? No way!” said Aiden as I rolled my eyes.

“And who’s that? And where it is?” asked Angelina.

“That’s me, Jess, Ash and Nathalie in the studio about to record our 5th album.” She explained.

I grabbed the beer bottles.

“Because Nat is in the band?” asked Aiden.

I closed the fridge with my hip.

“She’s the singer and guitarist.”

I had just managed to put three beers on the counter but the last one slip from my grip and crashed on the floor. I cursed under my breath and grabbed a sponge from the sink to wipe the beer from the kitchen tiles. I rinsed the sponge and wipe some more liquid off the floor before I gathered the piece of broken glass. I was still under the shock.

Nathalie was in Perfect Nightmare…

I wasn’t paying attention to what I was doing and a piece of glass slipped from my hand, cutting my palm.

“Shit…” I muttered as I dumped the pieces in the trashcan and grabbed a dish-clothe, wrapping it around my hand, trying to stop the blood.

I grabbed the last three beers and made my way back in the backyard. I put the beers in the cooler and went to sit next to Billy on a deckchair as he was talking with Matt.

“What happened to you?” asked Matt, concerned as soon as I sat next to Billy.

“Nothing, it’s just a little cut. I dropped a beer in the kitchen and I had to clean the mess and I cut. It’s nothing.” I said as I snuggled close to Billy, wrapping my arms around his middle and resting my head on his chest.

“You sure you are alright?” Billy asked. I nodded and closed my eyes.

“Did you know that Nathalie was the singer and lead guitarist for Perfect Nightmare?” I asked, opening my eyes and looking at my brother.

He rubbed his neck, “Yeah… I’m sorry Adeline.”

I shrugged, trying to act like I didn’t care… But it was a lie, I cared. That fake blonde had taken my place! I had never asked for any of these to happen, I wasn’t supposed to be a mother at 22 years old…

I sighed and wrapped my arms tighter around Billy. I had no idea how much I could take before breaking down… I had no idea where my limits stand. I looked at my surroundings.

Aiden and Angelina were still inside with Cha and I decided to join them.

“I’ll be right back.” I said as I got up and made my way past the ‘crowd’ and wrapped my arm around Cha’s shoulder.

“Find anything interesting yet?” I asked, looking at the dozens of pictures hanging on the wall.

“I had no idea you were in a band!” said Aiden. I shrugged,

“That was a long time ago.” I said, hoping he would drop the subject.

“What’s up?”

I looked over my shoulder to see that Brian had joined us.

“Brian! Look at that!” said Aiden, pointing at a picture of him and Jimmy. Brian was almost sitting on Jimmy’s lap and was hugging him, a cute smile on his face. They were both trashed but it was a nice picture.

“Oh god, that’s so old!” said Brian with a laugh.

“And that!” said Angie, pointing at a picture in a park.

“That’s Jimmy and I in the park.”

As soon as these words left Brian’s mouth we looked at each others, trying our best not to smile. I guess we both remembered when his mother was still living in Huntington, near the park. The way she was calling him when he was late was craved in my mind forever.

“BRRIIIIAAANNN!”

We both turned our head, expecting to see his mother but it was Nathalie who was calling him. I had to prevent myself from laughing at the way Nathalie had screamed Brian’s name. It was exactly like his mother back in the old days. I guess Brian’s remembered too because he was trying his best not to laugh.

“I was looking for you!” said Nathalie as she joined us, clutching at Brian’s arm.

“I was talking with your stepmother about the wedding, we really need to fix a date” she said. I felt my heart beating slower. “I’m tired of being your fiancée, I want to be your wife. Nathalie Ann Haner.”