Falling Together Again

“Aunt Ally!” Was shouted and I shot an eye open as the bedroom door was slammed open. “Morning Kelsey” I said stretching out and making sure to miss kicking Max in the head, he’s getting older now. “Maxie!” She said as she climbed up into the big bed with me. I laughed and watched as she played with his ears and Max’s tail started to wag. “How old is he?” Kelsey asked and I leaned over pet the big dog. “Nine” I said and she smiled, “Uncle Nicky gave him to you right?” “Yep, for Christmas when we were seventeen.” I said and she giggled as he started to lick her nose. “Where are your mommy and daddy?” I asked her after a few minutes of listening to her go on about something. “Down stairs with Jordan and the boys.” She said and sat up straight and stretched my arms above my head and let out a loud yawn. I looked over and saw it was close to eleven. I sighed and threw my legs over the bed.

“Why don’t you take Max and head down stairs, I’m going to get ready.” I said and she smiled and hopped of the tall bed. “Come on Max!” She said happily and then they both ran out of the room. I smiled as I past the picture of Nick and I in Time Square smiling at the camera in a hug. It used to be tapped up on the wall of my bunk, now it resides in a thick black frame on my wall. After I showered and put on my make up and finished curling my hair I walked into the bedroom. “What to wear to the circus…” I said as I walked to the closet. I decided on a pair of dark denim shorts and a button up a red plaid shirt with a white tank top underneath. I rolled the sleeves up to my elbows and left half the shirt unbuttoned. I slipped on some plain Old Navy back flip-flops and then went over to my jewelry stand. I slid on the ring Jordan gave me three years ago, then hooked the dog tag necklace with the ring attached to the same chain that I’ve worn everyday for the past five years.

“I wanna see a lion!” Connor shouted. “An elephant!!!” Andrew shouted louder. The two went back and forth for a minute until Lindsey got them to quiet down. We were in the car on the way to the circus, well we had to take two cars. This one was me, Lindsey, Connor, Andrew, Kelsey, Kevin, Nick and Nicole. Joe, Jordan, Mr. and Mrs. Jonas, Frankie, Erin and Kara were all in the other car. “Reminds me of Joe.” I mumbled. I heard laughing beside me and I turned to see Nick laughing. “What’s so funny?” Nicole asked. “Did you?” I asked him not even bothering to finish my thought and he just nodded his head while smiling. “Okay I’m not going to be happy if the two of you do this freaky mind reading thing every time you’re together.” Nicole said pointing a finger at us. “You two can read minds!?” Kelsey asked excitedly. Nick and I were just laughing. “Only each others.” Nick finally said to the little girl. “Whoa! What is Aunt Ally thinking now!?” She asked with huge eyes. I laughed “Hm let me see…” Nick said putting his palm to my forehead with a loud smack. “OW!” I shouted and everyone just laughed. Nick closed his eyes and made some humming noise. “She is thinking about…tacos.” He stated then opened his eyes and smirked at the red mark on my forehead, “Is he right!?” Kelsey asked bouncing up and down. “Close, I was thinking about fish tacos.” “Same thing!” Nick said and everyone laughed. “My turn.” I stated. “Uh no, it’s okay I think she gets it.” Nick said quickly. I took both my hands and smacked them hard against each cheek and smushed his face so his lips were sticking far out. I laughed slightly along with everyone else. “Hm, Uncle Nick is thinking….he wants you to tell him all about summer camp last week.” I said and opened my eyes with an evil smile. Everyone laughed as Kelsey smiled. “Really!?” She asked and Nick laughed awkwardly while rubbing his sore cheeks. “um maybe later Kels.” He said and she sat back down with a sad look on her face. I punched him in the arm. “Okay how about now?” He asked the pouting five year old. She shot up with a smile. “Okay so when we first got there we were taught how to say the pledge. Which goes like this—“ We all tuned her out but Nick. Now we all love Kelsey, but once she starts talking about something, she’ll never stop and if she even has the slightest thought you aren’t paying attention to the story she’ll start freaking out. Oh Nicholas Jonas seems to have forgotten just how well I can play this game of his.

“Want anything from the snack stand?” Nick asked in the middle of the fire-breathing act. “Oh I’ll come with you.” I said and he walked ahead quickly trying to stay out of everyone’s way. I followed him and we ran up the stairs quickly until we were out of the tent. “I’m coming home, I’m coming home.” I sang softly as we walk threw some of the crowd. Nick grabbed my hand and I looked down at our intertwined hands. “So I don’t loose you it’s pretty crowded up here.” He said back to me. “Alright” I said embarrassed he had seen me starring at our hands. His hand is still just as rough as it felt four years ago at the wedding. “Guitar player’s hands” is what he used to say. I smiled at the memory as he pulled me threw the dense crowd.

We made it out and he dropped my hand. “I have no idea why that was so crowded.” Nick said to me looking for an answer. “I don’t know either, do I look like I would know?” I said and he laughed throwing an arm around me. “Still the same Jersey girl.” I smiled and got this overwhelming feeling. He hasn’t said that since we were what fifteen? “Al?” He asked. Oh shit he was talking. “Um what?” I asked. “What do you want?” He asked laughing. “Oh um, a water please.” I said grabbing for the twenty in my pocket. “Don’t, I got it.” Nick said taking out his own wallet. “No, it’s fine.” I said putting my twenty on the counter. “Nope.” Nick said taking my twenty and putting his credit card down in its place. “Nick why are you so annoying?” I asked taking my twenty back and shoving it in my pocket. “Because, it’s my job.” He said with a smug smile and I just shook my head. I took the bottle of water. And I felt something drop from my neck. I threw my hand to my chest and noticed my necklace wasn’t there.

“Oh my god!” I said looking down my shirt and then frantically feeling my neck. “What? What’s wrong?” Nick asked confused. “My necklace. It just fell off, I felt it.” I said bending down to the ground. “What does it look like?” He asked next to me. His curls tickled my face. “It’s the dog tag you gave me, with our ring on it.” I said and he sat back for a moment but I just kept looking on the ground. “You still wear that?” He asked slightly smiling. “Everyday.” I said looking up at him. We went back to searching, “Found it.” Nick said a few feet away. We probably looked absolutely ridiculous, crawling around on the pavement. “Thank god!” I said standing up and walking over to him. He looked it over in his hands, “Until the end of time, please be mine.” He read and smiled. That was on the ring. I smiled remembering when he had given it to me. It was our promise ring to each other. This was mine, his was his purity ring but he had gotten the same line in scripted on the inside of his ring. “It’s kind of scratched.” He said looking over the dog tag. “Let me see it” I said and he handed it over, “Oh no that scratch has always been there, remember when I threw this at you on stage in Colorado? After we had had that fight about college?” I asked while I clipped it back around my neck. “Oh, yea.” He said. “Yea, it’s from that.” I said simply and grabbed my water bottle from in between my legs.

“Sorry about that by the way.” He said once we were on our way back. “Oh don’t worry about it.” I said smiling. “Okay good.” He said and then threw his arm back around my shoulders as we made our way back to our seats. It’s strange, back then that was the hardest thing for me….leaving him and him not even being there to say goodbye….and here I am six years later saying it was no big deal. RIGHT.

I gues the boys were right back then, people do change and promises are broken.