When I Look At You

“Babe, you almost ready? The car will be here soon to get us to the airport.” Nick shouted from the bathroom where he was packing up the toiletries.

“Yes, Nick… I’m just making sure everything is here.” Faith said as she zipped up the last suitcase. Nick shut the bathroom light off and leaned against the doorframe, closing the bag he held in his hand. Faith looked up to see him smiling at her. “What?”

“Nothing,” he said, walking over to place the bag in the front zipper of the suitcase. “You just look really sexy when you’re pressed for time.”

“Nick!” she exclaimed as he attacked her neck with his lips. He pulled away only when he heard the ringing of the room’s phone.

“Hello?” he asked, turning to look at Faith as he talked. “Alright, thank you very much. We’ll be right down.”

“The car’s here?” Faith guessed.

“Yes. We got everything?” he asked, standing a suitcase up, rolling it towards the door.

“I think so.” She said, taking one last look at the room. “Nick…”

“What’s wrong?” he asked, noticing her mood change.

“I don’t want to go home.” She said with a pout.

“But don’t you want to see our new house?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Oh! I almost forgot!” she exclaimed, causing Nick to laugh.

“Come on, let’s go home.” He said, ushering her forward.

****

“Okay… we’ve got the bags. Where do we go now?” Faith asked, dragging the bags she had to a bench where Nick joined her.

“Mom told me Kevin would wait here near baggage claim to get us.” He said, scanning the crowded area for his brother.

“Um… Nick?” Faith said, tugging on her husband’s sleeve.

“What is it, babe?” he asked, still searching.

“If Kevin is supposed to pick us up… why is Joe here?”

“What?”

“Joe’s standing over by the vending machines and I assume he’s looking for us.” She said, pointing to her let, her heart rate accelerating as she saw strands of Joe’s hair fall into his eyes.

“Oh… Mom must have sent him instead of Kevin.” Nick said, grabbing a few bags. He started walking towards his brother and Faith soon after followed.

“There you are.” Joe said once he saw his brother and sister-in-law. His eyes locked on Faith’s for a moment before Nick captured his attention with a quick hug.

“Hey, I thought Kevin was coming.” Nick said, picking the bags back up.

“He had a few things to do and I live closer to the airport anyway.” Joe said, shrugging his shoulders. “Hey… sis.”

“Hi Joe,” Faith said, stepping forward to hug Joe. She felt her ears burning as she inhaled his scent. She hated to admit it but he smelled almost a thousand times better than Nick did. However, she didn’t seem to realize they wore the exact same cologne.

“So… can I take any bags?” he asked, pointing to the pile on the floor.

“Sure, take Faith’s.” Nick said, nodding to the bags.

“You don’t have to take them all.” Faith said, reaching her hands out.

“I got it,” Joe said with a grunt, lifting all the bags. “My car’s this way.”

Nick followed his brother to the doors of the airport. Faith stood there for a moment watching them walk. Her eyes traveled down their backs as they walked side by side. Her eyes came to rest on someone’s butt. She wasn’t sure who as they had switched sides as they weaved their ways through the crowd. Slowly her eyes traveled up. Her head was telling her to hope it was Nick. Her heart was telling her to hope it was Joe. As her eyes found their way to the back of the bodies head her stomach fell.

“Joe…” she whispered frightfully. Nick stopped walking and turned to her, waving his arm.

“You coming Faith?” he called. She blinked her eyes a few times before grabbing the one bag Joe had left and rushing to catch up with them.

Outside the brisk summer air whipped Faith’s face causing strands of hair to fly into her vision. She pulled them back and slipped her sunglasses on. Once she reached the car Joe and Nick had already finished packing everything in so she slid into the backseat with Nick following. Joe climbed into the driver’s seat and pulled out of the parking spot.

"So… how was the honeymoon?” he asked.

“Amazing,” Nick said, lacing his fingers with Faith’s.

“What about you Faith?” Joe asked. She looked up and saw him looking at her through the rearview mirror. She averted her gaze to the window, watching the other cars and scenery blur by.

“It was very… romantic.” She said and she felt Nick squeeze her hand.

“That’s… nice.” Joe said, turning his eyes back to the road.

It was silent the rest of the car ride except for a few moments of chatter between Nick and Joe. Things like how work was going and how the family was while they were gone.

“Here we are.” Joe said, pulling into the driveway of Nick and Faith’s new house.

“Did it get bigger?” Faith asked, looking up at the house through the window.

“Babe, I’m pretty sure houses don’t grow.” Nick said as he climbed out of the car.

“But…” Faith said, getting out as well, “It looks bigger.”

“Faith, I promise you our house is no bigger.” Nick said, pecking her on the cheek and heading to the front door.

“You know…” Joe said, coming up next to Faith and looking up at the house. He was so close that their shoulders were touching but neither pulled away. “I wanted to say that’s what she said that entire conversation.”

“Joe!” Faith cried with a laugh. “A. you’re 26 years old. B. we’re not in 2009 anymore!”

“I know. It’s still funny though.” He said, turning his face towards her. He had a glint in his eye and was giving a lopsided smile that made her heart melt.

“Faith! Come here!” Nick said, returning to the door and waving his arm for her to enter the house. He had a huge smile on his face and seemed completely thrilled.

“Brace yourself,” Joe whispered as they walked closer to the house.

“Should I be scared?” she whispered back, her eyes widening.

“No… it’s all meant out of love they’re all just very… enthusiastic.” He said.

Nick held the door open for Faith. As soon as she was in the door Denise engulfed her in a hug. Over Denise’s shoulder Faith was able to take in just some of the decorating that had taken place while she and Nick were in Spain. It seemed like it fit her style perfectly. Once Denise pulled away Faith was welcomed by the rest of her new family members who were all excited to see her and Nick.

“Welcome home,” Danielle said giving the newest Jonas addition a hug.

“Thanks, it’s so nice to be home.” Faith said with a smile. “How have you been?”

“Busy.” She said with a laugh. “We wanted to make this perfect for you.”

“I would have been happy with anything.” Faith said.

“Oh, I know that, and Kevin knew that but… Joe insisted.” Danielle said; her voice low and her eyes soft as she glanced over at their brother-in-law.

“Really?” Faith asked, looking that way as well.

She studied his motions as he talked with Kevin. He stood with his hands stuffed in his pockets and continually shifted his weight from one foot to the other. His shoulders hunched forward and he looked directly at Kevin as they talked. She quickly averted her gaze when she saw his eyes turn to her.

“Hey, you should go check out the rest of the house.” Danielle said, nudging Faith’s side.

“I don’t want to be rude; I can look at it later.” Faith said, shrugging her shoulders. “I am thirsty though.”

“Alright, you remember where it is, right?”

“I think I’ve got it Dani,” Faith said with a laugh.

She turned away and walked past Kevin Sr. and Nick as they talked and made her way to the kitchen. Upon truly looking at her surrounds she stopped in her tracks looking around. Her mouth dropped open in amazement as the fading sunlight cast its glow upon the granite countertops in the kitchen. Slowly she stepped forward and ran her fingers over the smooth surface.

It was exactly how she imagined it would look. From the stainless steel refrigerator to the round island in the middle, the chrome double sink, and the tiled floor, everything was perfect to the T. She stood on the spot and slowly revolved taking everything in stopping only when her eyes met someone else’s.

“Like it?” Joe asked, stepping forward so he was opposite her across the island.

“I love it,” she whispered.

“You’re welcome.”

“Wait… you?”

“Yeah, the kitchen was all me.” He said, nodding as he walked around the island. She turned her body, watching his every step. He reached into one of the cabinets and pulled out two glasses before crouching down and opening a door on the bottom, pulling out a bottle of red wine… her favorite.

“It’s… perfect.”

“I hoped it would be. I know the kitchen is your favorite part of a house and you told me once that when you owned a house you would be in it all the time so… here we are.” He said, pouring some wine into both glasses and handing her one. He took a sip of his and leaned against the counter.

“Here we are,” she said, taking a sip.

“So… how was the honeymoon really?”

“Like I said… it was romantic. Nick did a fantastic job picking Madrid.” She answered, watching as Joe nodded his head. “Can I ask you a question?”

“Shoot,” he said, his voice sounded muffled as he had brought the glass close to his lips to take another sip.

“Will you ever get married?” she asked, biting her lip as he scrunched his eyebrows. It definitely was not what he was expecting.

“Sure. Whenever the right person comes around I could definitely see it.”

“So, the right girl hasn’t showed up yet?” Faith asked, resting back against the island, crossing her ankles.

“I thought she had but… she’s taken now.” he said, his gaze dropping to the floor. Faith’s stomach dropped and her heart started to flutter.

“Oh,” she said, processing his answer. “Can I ask you another question?”

“I’m not stopping you,” he said with a slight laugh.

“Where would you take her for the honeymoon?”

“That’s easy. Paris. We’d stay in a smaller, more intimate hotel. Nothing extremely upscale but overlooking the Seine river. I’d be completely cliché and make reservations at that restaurant inside the Eiffel Tower but we’d have the entire place to ourselves. Afterwards we’d walk along the riverside and talk about what we’d hope for the future. The next few days would be filled with adventures. We’d find these tiny places that not many people have ever heard of… bistros and what-not. And then of course there’d be a considerable amount of time spent in the bedroom. I mean… it is a honeymoon after all." He said, painting a picture in Faith’s mind.

“That sounds incredible,” Faith said in amazement at a loss for words.

“It’s just… something I’ve always wanted to do with someone I love,” he said, looking down, a blush rising to his cheeks.

“Well… whoever you marry… she’ll be one lucky girl.”

“Hey. What are you two talking about?” Nick asked with a smile on his face, walking in and wrapping an arm around Faith’s waist, placing a kiss on her cheek.

“Joe was just telling me about all the hard work the family put into the house.” Faith said, the lie coming automatically to her tongue. Joe glanced at her but nodded his head.

“Yeah, we were working on it day and night. When I wasn’t at work I was here working.” He said with a laugh.

“Thanks so much. It looks great.” Nick said. “Is there more wine?”

“Sure,” Joe said, reaching in the cabinet behind him for another glass for Nick.

“Honey, what do you think of the kitchen?” Faith asked, resting a hand on Nick’s chest. “Joe came up with the design for it.”

“Oh yeah? It’s really cool.” He said, giving it the once over. Faith frowned slightly. She knew he didn’t really care so much for it, he didn’t truly see it like she did. Like Joe did. “Come on, let’s get back out there. Mom wants to hear about the trip.”

“Yeah, we’d all like to hear about the honeymoon,” Joe said, putting emphasis on the word.

Faith glanced over at him and he smiled at her. She was surprised that he had noticed Nick’s use of the word trip when talking about their honeymoon. It was such a simple word for such a meaningful time spent between the two of them. Trip. She didn’t like that. It made her nervous. It made her wonder… wonder if she made the right choice.