From the Wreckage We All Rise.

“I’m tired of being your fiancée, I want to be your wife. Nathalie Ann Haner.” She said, looking at Brian with her puppy dog eyes; that’s when I noticed the huge diamond on her finger. How could I not notice it before?

My heart stopped in my chest, the world was spinning around me and my knees gave up. I grabbed Cha’s shoulder for support and thankfully no one noticed it.

“I’m gonna check on Billy.” I said, running a hand in my hair and hoping I was going to make it without tripping and humiliating myself more than I already was.

I was aware that it was stupid of me to react this way, but I just couldn’t help it. Brian was fiancé… I should have seen that coming right? I can be so stupid sometimes! What was I expecting? Did I really thought Brian would have waited for me? I lied to him, of course he moved on!

I mentally slapped myself for being so stupid and also for my reaction. He was happy with Nat, why couldn’t I be happy for him!

I stopped in the hallway and made my way upstairs, to go in the bathroom. I locked the door and starred at my reflection in the mirror.

I was stupid, it was written with bright neon colours on my forehead: STUPID! I mean like seriously, Brian was an awesome guy but for some weird reason I couldn’t imagine him in a tux getting married with Nathalie. Which was stupid because I used to dream about the day I would become Adeline Linda Haner and he was wearing a tux and I had no problem with that… Maybe the problem wasn’t coming from the tux…

I sighed, holding my head in my hands.

My problem was the fact that he had moved on so easily… Something I hadn’t been able to do in the past fifteen years. Sure I love Billy, there was no doubt about that, but I was couldn’t decide myself… In my mind, wedding was linked to Brian, and not with Billy. And the other reason why I wasn’t married with Billy was because I couldn’t marry him if Aiden hated him, for some reasons, it bothered me. I wanted to have a happy family, and the first step was for Aiden to finally respect Billy… As years passed it become more and more unlikely.

I ran a hand through my hair, took a deep breath and unlocked the door, making my way downstairs and to the backyard. I took a sit on my boyfriend's lap, trying to keep my composure. Billy wrapped his arms around my waist and rested his head on my shoulder.

“I love you” he whispered before he kissed my cheek. I smiled.

Sure Nathalie took my place in the band, she took my friends, and Brian, but I had Billy and I had my family.

“Mummy! Can we go swimming?” asked Celia, tugging at my arm.

“Hum...” I looked at Billy, biting my lip. He sighed, unwrapped his arms from around my waist and sat me on the deck chair. He took off his T-shirt and threw it on the deckchair.

“All right munchkin, let's go!” he said, taking Celia's hand in his. Celia was already in her swimming suit, ready to go.

I looked at Jimmy and Ash's swimming pool, and saw that all the guys where in the pool, watching after their kids. Except for Brian who was still talking with Cha, Nat and the twins.

Ash, Val, Jess, my parents and Brian's were standing near by, watching the kids and their fathers playing in the water. I decided to move from my sit and to go sit with them.

“So, Adeline, why aren't swimming?” asked Val as I sat between her and Jess.

“Why aren't you swimming?” I asked her, smiling. She laughed.

“Because someone needs to keep an eye on the BBQ and also on those morons...” she said, pointing at Jimmy and Johnny.

“Sometimes they tend to forget that they aren't kids anymore and that they should like adults...” said Jess.

“Last time I had to buy twice the same toy because Jimmy always stills Danger's...” explained Ash causing us to laugh.

“I don't have this problem with Matt,” said Val “but that's maybe because Jason is already seven years old... Just wait until the new one is born...” she said, rubbing her growing stomach. I smiled at my sister-in-law and focussed my gaze on Celia who was sitting on her father's shoulder, splashing water at my brother who had his son perched on his shoulders too.

“Mum!”

I blinked and looked at my left were Angelina was waving at me.

“Yes?”

“Can you come over here just a second?” she asked. I got up and made my way to where my daughter was standing, next to the sliding glass doors that lead in the living room.

“How come you never told us you were in band?” she asked, looking up at me and playing with the hem of her T-shirt. I knew Aiden was behind all of this, but he couldn't be bothered to ask me since I had already dropped the subject.

“Do you really think it's that interesting?” I asked, trying to act cool about it, trying to forget that Nat had taken my place.

“Yeah, actually I do. My mother is a rock star and I didn't even know it!”

“Was, Angelina, I was in band, I never was a rock star. Who ever told you that is severely mistaking.” I said, looking over her shoulder only to see Brian and Cha looking at me.

“Why did you quit?” she asked, not paying attention to my previous answer. I sighed, trying to keep my cool. It wasn't her fault...

“Because I got pregnant and your father and I split up and I went to stay with Billy on the other side of the country. It was easier for everyone else.”

“How come I've never seen you with a guit...” Angelina didn't have the time to finish, she was cut off by her brother who went to stand next to her, glaring daggers at me.

“It was easier! Are you fucking kidding me? Easier for who! Whatever happened between you and Dad, I'm sure it's your fucking fault! He's just too great to have let you down when you were pregnant with his kids! You're the coward here! Of course you went to stay with an asshole, I wasn't expecting anything else from you!” he screamed.

“Aiden!” screamed someone from behind me.

“No no no! I'm not done yet!” he yelled. “Why did you have to leave Synyster Gates for Billy fucking Martin?! I'm sure you were on drugs or something, because if you were sane, you would have never done that!”

I stayed silent.

“I can't fucking believe it! I hate you!” he spat and then stormed in the house.

I kept silent as everyone stayed silence. It was nothing new for me, I was used to his tantrum, after a while, it become nothing. I ran a hand through my hair, ignoring everyone's sympathetic looks, and disbelieving looks. I headed towards the table and grabbed a can of coke before I went to sit back between Val and Ash and then after a few seconds, they started moving and talking again.

“Are you okay?” asked Ash, biting her lip.

“I'm fantastic, why?”

“Well, because of Aiden...” I cut her off.

“It's nothing new to me Ash, he has always bee like this. I'm used to it by now, and yelling back at him only makes things harder. Just wait a couple of hours and he will come and apologize.” I explained, trying to look relaxed. Trying to forget that he basically told me he hated me in front of my family, friends and his own father... It wasn't the first time he told me he hated me, just the first time he did it in front of someone else. I blinked, trying to ignore that weird feeling in my chest, the same one I have every single time Aiden blows off like that...

“But...”

I shook my head, before taking a sip from my can. The difference between Aiden and I was that I was able to control my temper, he should be thankful for that because God knows how many time I had wanted to slap him. I never did though. I never raised a hand on my children, even though Aiden deserved it sometimes.

I closed my eyes as I could hear Angelina yelling at her brother. I got up, put the empty can next to the numerous empty beer bottles and was making my way towards the backdoor until I felt a hand on my shoulder, stopping me in my tracks.

“Adeline, I need to talk to you.”

I sighed as I turned around, facing Brian.

“About?”

“Aiden.”

“I'm listening, but be quick please, I need the bathroom.”

He kept a straight face, eyeing me suspiciously.

“What? Are you waiting for me to burst in tears? That won't happen, so just let it go.”

“Why didn't you reply, telling him the whole story?” he asked, his hand still on my shoulder.

“Do you want him to hate you too? Just let him believe what he wants.” I said.

“But that's not the truth!”

“Right, go ahead! Call me a fucking liar when you are at it!” I said, loosing patience.

“I never said you were a liar!”

“You implied it! You don't know shit about me, Aiden, Angelina, Celia or our family, so don't try to act like a superhero and fix everything! You might be a hero in Aiden's eyes but you sure aren't in mine.” I spat, shrugging my shoulder so Brian's hand would drop and stormed into the house, heading for the bathroom