Journey

It was hot in my office and even though I turned the temperature down it didn’t help. I sat in that rolling chair, the one that’s supposed to be comfortable, and shifted endlessly. My fingers felt cramped because I had to shuffle papers all day; it was almost like I got demoted… by my own mother. This was supposed to be the job for Jess, maybe even Kara, but they were both out to lunch because “I couldn’t.” I could eat, but I was very picky now, and very hungry.

I was not in a good mood.

Groaning loudly, I stood. I grabbed the pile of papers, careful not to give myself anymore paper cuts, and heaved them toward the file. My legs didn’t hurt as bad with my Vans covering my feet, but my shirt kept riding up over my growing belly and it was just another thing to add to my stress. No one told me why I had so much paper work from Martin, and I was too lazy to read exactly what I was signing for the record company, but Cheryl would deal with my maybe screw-ups later.

I shut the cabinet quickly and pushed up my sleeves, blowing a strand of hair out of my face. I glanced at the clock and my eyes widened as I took in the time -- I was going to be late to pick Nathan up.

“Shoot,” I breathed in irritation, rushing over to grab my coat. I shoved it on quickly, not bothering to button all the buttons, and flung my bag over my shoulder. My fingers squeezed the cool keys while I darted for the door, slamming it behind me. I thought I heard one of the loose file boxes hit the floor and with my luck, it did, but I didn’t care.

Kara and Jess came through the door at that moment, milkshakes practically glued to their hands, and it only added to my irritability; a milkshake sounded good right now.

I felt like a fat pig.

“Whoa, Monroe,” Jess spoke. She sipped her shake, standing in my way like I had all the time in the world, and eyes me carefully. “What’s the rush?”

“I’m late!” I practically shouted, glancing around for a clock. Where was a freaking clock around here?

“Do you need me to drive you or anything?” Kara offered, trying to be a little more sympathetic. I sighed.

“No, no… I’ll make it. Just…” I trailed off, my eyes following the delivery man heading towards the door. I saw the package in his hands and groaned inwardly, knowing for a fact that they were demos. I was about ready to pull all my hair out. “Jess, take care of that damn stuff, would you? I don’t have time to hear every single demo. And Kara… just make sure that no one comes in here, okay? I don’t need all this work. I have to get Nathan and if Cheryl calls, be sure to tell her that I am not coming back in tonight, got it?” I realized that my voice was louder than it needed to be, and that my blood pressure was probably higher than healthy at the moment, but the whole week had been nothing but constant work and stress.

Jess eyed me in a mixture of shock and annoyance, but nodded dutifully and breezed over to take the package from the man. Kara, on the other hand, seemed completely at ease with my current state.

“Sure, Roe,” she answered easily, shifting her weight. “I’ll go over the demos with Jess and pick out the best ones for you, and I’ll tell your mom that you need some time to relax-”

“No!” I shouted quickly, my eyes widening in horror. “If you tell her that then she’ll be sure to call! She already threatened us by trying to move in with me and Nick; I don’t need her to glue the phone to my ear. Just tell her that I’m busy. I have to take Nathan to soccer, then Sophie to dance and I have to walk Tilly and pick up my groceries from Ms. Jenkins, and then I have to pick them up and start dinner before Nick gets home…” I rambled, all of this in one breath. I inhaled several times, rubbing my temples slowly, and watched Kara stay calm.

“Okay, just take it easy,” was all she said. And then she handed me her milkshake; I practically ate the cup.

I felt like a fat whale.

I rushed out the door and through the parking lot, jangling my keys nervously. Grabbing my cell phone out of my pocket to check the time, I whined loudly, almost gasping and choking at the same time. I was for sure going to be late now. Practically running -- and falling -- across the parking lot, I unlocked the car door and slid in within moments, speeding down the street that minute. For some reason, in my pregnant state, I kept thinking that cars would move for me; they never did, proving these people were just jerks. And before I knew it, I began to get overly emotional… again. I was always emotional, with Nathan and then with Sophie, but this one was so much worse. It was like I was becoming a monster, a big, fat, hideous monster. And then I found myself driving down the street, crying even harder while trying to suck the chocolate shake out of the straw. That was enough stress on its own.

I felt my phone vibrate as I turned onto the next street, my eyes only slightly blurry, and I glanced down at my pocket. Maybe I was expecting to see the screen through my jeans, but when I realized I couldn’t it only made me that much more frustrated. The tears slid down my cheeks foolishly, my torso shaking with each sob between straw-sucking; the phone began to vibrate again. I contemplated pulling over for a second, but I pulled out my phone instead and drove onto the next street. I slid my phone onto the dash and glanced at the screen, sniffling when I read Cheryl’s name. But just as quickly as my mood swing came on, it vanished when I spotted Nick’s name on the screen. And within the next second my phone beeped, indicating I had two new voicemails.

I focused my half-blurred eyes on the street in front of me, easing up on the gas when I reached the school zone. The buses were starting to take off, only a few kids still hanging around. Before I even parked, though, I searched intently for Nathan. I pulled our new black SUV into the small parking lot, craning my neck to try and spot Nate. I couldn’t see him. And I felt like crying again. I was 25 years old but I was acting like a temperamental 5 year old. Nathan never even acted like this, neither had Sophie! It was just… me.

“Are you okay?” that familiar soft voice sounded, making me jump. My eyes focused on Nathan as he stood by the opened car door, his thick curls windblown and his chocolate eyes full of gentle concern. I licked my chapped lips and nodded, mustering a smile for Nathan. He watched me skeptical, his age of 10 making him more observant and less naïve, but decided to take my answer and smile back. “Okay, Mommy.” Mommy. I couldn’t help but smile now. “Daddy says that you should always have someone to talk to, so I just wanted to tell you that I’m here.”

I laughed silently, my eyes trailing over his delicate features, every inch of him looking just like Nick, and I smiled a little wider. He focused on his seatbelt though, unaware, or uncaring, of my stare.

“Well, thanks bud,” I breathed, clearing my throat. “I’m sorry I’m late. I lost track of time and I practically had a heart attack trying to get down here.”

“It’s cool,” he answered with a shrug of his small shoulders, plopping his soccer bag onto his lap. I started up the engine, my eyes still focused on him. “I know you and Dad always tell me to stay close to the school when you aren’t here, so I did…. Is he coming home early tonight?” I always noticed how excited Nathan got when it came to talking about Nick, his daddy.

“Well,” I breathed, scratching my head. I glanced behind me before backing up, carefully maneuvering out of the emptying lot. “Maybe. He won’t be late, if that’s what you’re asking.” I didn’t know that, of course. For all I knew he could have called, leaving me a message to say he would be late. It bothered Nate to no end when Nick was late though, and I somehow found it funny when Nate would give Nick “the cold shoulder.” That hardly ever happened, of course, but it was that much more entertaining. Nick was such a baby sometimes, an adorable baby.

“I told Soph that you and Dad’s anniversary is coming up. Isn’t it?” Nathan asked softly, his eyes locking on me as I drove down the street, towards the high school’s soccer field. I smiled. Nathan was right, our anniversary was coming up. Six years of being married… it seemed almost unreal.

“It is, bud. But how’d you know?”

“Gramma Denise told me,” he answered as if it were obvious, that adorable smile covering his lips. I chuckled. “She said that you guys get to have a party… do I get to come?”

“Yeah,” I nodded. I knew about this party, which was good considering I didn’t need any surprises, and I was actually looking forward to it. I didn’t have much alone time with Nick anymore, so this was a good opportunity, and it was on our anniversary. “And Sophie, too. You know Grace and Andy and Joey and everyone will be there. You’ll probably have more fun than me.”

“Nah,” Nate shook his head, his curls shaking. “You and Daddy will have a great time! I remember the wedding! Gramma Cheryl always tells me that you guys have all the love in the world for each other… is that true, Mommy?”

Nathan was growing up, he wasn’t four years old anymore, but one thing that would always stay the same was his innocence. He was so pure and beautiful, and I knew he got that from Nick. Nathan was special.

“I think so,” I whispered, biting my lip, “And we have all the love in the world for you and Sophie and this baby, too.” I stopped the car in front of the field, the coach just feet away, and stared down at him. He was focused on my belly, his wide eyes filled with wonder. He had witnessed this with Sophie, but now he was much more aware of everything, and I could tell already that he liked being a brother.

“Do I get another sister?” he asked suddenly, his gaze meeting mine through a fallen curl. I furrowed my eyebrows and set my hand on my stomach, chewing on my bottom lip. I hadn’t really thought about the gender much, what with everything going on, but that was something that I was excited for once again.

“Do you like having a sister?” Nate smiled at me, his head tilting to the side.

“Yeah.”

“Yeah?” I asked in surprise, smiling myself. “You don’t wish for a brother?” Nate shifted his eyes to my belly again, his mouth pouting out, and he thought. We sat in silence for a moment, the coach’s eyes hitting me every once in a while, wondering when Nathan would jump out and run over to play, but then he spoke.

“I have Daddy.” He leaned forward suddenly and, without a word, he pressed his lips to my stomach. I blinked in surprise, continuing to watch him as he shouted his “bye” and “love you” while carrying his soccer bag onto the field to get changed.

I sat there for a moment, just staring out the window, watching all the kids Nate’s age running around with bright smiles. I found myself smiling as Nathan walked towards the coach, his curls gently blowing in the cool breeze. I had forgotten why I was even crying.

Pulling the straw up to my lips, I sucked some of the chocolate milkshake out and grabbed my phone. Nick’s voice was something I needed to hear right now. As soon as the voice came on that said I had two new messages I focused on nothing more than that. My eyebrows furrowed in disappointment once I realized that the voice now talking wasn’t Nick’s, but Cheryl’s instead.

“Monroe, why don’t you ever answer my calls anymore? Am I going to have to come visit you just to make sure you know how to pick up the phone?” Yeah, right; I snorted. “And put down whatever junk you’re eating or drinking--” My eyes widened as my lips hovered over the straw. “--It’s unhealthy for the baby.” Slamming the milkshake back into the cup holder, I sighed heavily, pouting almost identically to Sophie (thanks to Nick teaching her) and switched the phone to my other ear, gnawing on my lip in anticipation for the second message. “Monroe, I swear,” Cheryl’s voice started again. I let myself slouch in the seat and wonder why Nick didn’t leave a message. He always left a message. “Why do you even have a damn cell phone?” I could hear a voice in the background; it belonged to Rodney. “Oh,” Cheryl spoke cheerfully, “You must be picking up Nathan. Alright, well call me back as soon as you get this message.

I shoved the phone into my purse and took one last glance over at Nathan before starting up the car. I pulled out of the lot and back onto the street, taking a glance at the dimly lit numbers. It was time to pick up Sophie. And it was time to call Cheryl back. Digging the phone back out of my purse, I stopped at a stoplight and attempted to set the phone on something so I could use the speakerphone. This simple little task only made me frustrated. When the light turned green I set the phone on my lap and moved forward, turning down the street that I had just come from. It was then that I felt the phone begin to vibrate and, glancing down, I saw the big letters flash across the screen: CHERYL.

“Come on!” I groaned to myself, turning the massive car onto the next street. I shifted in my seat and snatched up the phone just in time. “Hello?”

“Well, if it isn’t my daughter. I’m glad you finally decided to talk to your poor mother.”

Don’t yell, Monroe. Don’t. Yell.

“Sorry, I’ve just been really busy.” Because of all the paperwork you sent in for me to do.

“Jess told me you were about to have a break down. Jesus Monroe, would you take a minute to breath?” Cheryl said, her voice lighter this time. I inhaled deeply.

“I’m surprised that I even have time to breathe. I have the kids and work, and all of this stuff just keeps coming and coming-”

“So tell Nick that you need his help. You know for a fact that he’ll do whatever you ask of him,” Cheryl said.

I stared out the windshield with narrowed eyes, just waiting for a headache to come on. Steering into the parking lot of the school, I cut the ignition and pulled the phone up to my ear, waiting for her to speak again. She didn’t.

“He has a load of stuff to do, too,” I started. “It’s not just play music and be done; there are meetings and schedules and appearances-”

“You guys just need some down time,” she suggested. It’s not like I haven’t thought of this, because I definitely had, maybe almost dreamed of it, but there was no way I could just sit down and pass even more work onto Nick. “Rodney says that you’re starting to get like me,” she chuckled loudly; my eyes widened in horror.

I chewed on my bottom lip for a moment, my eyes shifting to the large building when the bell echoed through the lot. Kids came out almost immediately, the loud murmurs bouncing off the car windows. I immediately trained my eyes to find Sophie.

“Monroe, are you still there?” Cheryl’s voice sounded, making me jump.

“Yeah, sorry,” I cleared my throat, “I’m waiting for Sophie. I can call you la-”

“Oh, no, no. Keep me on the phone! I want to talk to the little angel.” Sometimes Cheryl made me sick, but in a good way.

“Okay,” I laughed, pausing again once I spotted her. She was practically skipping to the car, her long, wavy hair being held by little rubber bands to create braided pigtails. Her hazel eyes were bright, like they always were, and she smiled shyly at me, her pink backpack smacking against her back with each step. I switched the phone to my other ear again, leaning over the best I could to open the door for her. “Hey.”

“Hi Mommy,” she smiled, crawling up into the car. She closed the door carefully and slid her bag onto the floorboard, immediately beginning to swing her legs idly.

“How was your day?” I could hear Cheryl yelling to Rodney in the background, so I placed the phone to my shoulder instead.

“Okay,” she shrugged, her missing front tooth showing.

“Make any friends yet?” I never expected Sophie to have trouble making friends, but she hadn’t spoken of anyone since school started. She was shy, just like Nathan.

She shook her head in response, her pale cheeks holding a light rosy color. She buckled her seatbelt after a few tries, her eyes focusing on me again. “But there’s a girl and she said she’s in my dance class, but I never saw her yet.”

“I’m sure you will today. What’s her name?” I was aware that Cheryl was now calling my name.

“I don’t know. “

“Well, did you tell her your name?” I asked, getting another headshake. I stared at her for a moment longer, wondering if I should be concerned. I wasn’t a perfect mother, I was still learning, but I hoped I was still doing a good job. “Okay,” I sighed. “Ready for dance?”

“Yep!” she smiled again, turning in her seat when I started the car back up.

“Wait a minute, why aren’t you in the backseat?” I laughed, watching her innocent face light up. I shook my head and pulled out of the lot carefully, pulling the phone back up to my ear. I was lucky that her dance class was only a street away.

“Let me talk to Sophie!” Cheryl suddenly yelled, obviously thinking I still wasn’t listening to her. I winced.

“Wanna’ talk to Gramma Cheryl, Soph?” I asked, holding the phone towards her. She took it out of my hand and placed it to her ear carefully, with both hands, speaking a careful “hello.” She, too, reminded me so much of Nick.

I drove down the street as she spoke to my mom, carefully turning to get to the little dance studio. It had never occurred to me that Sophie would want to do something like ballet. Maybe that was because I had never really experienced any great, girly childhood activities. I always just… wrote. And, even though I didn’t do it much anymore, it was still who I was. I was glad that I was on my high school newspaper at one point, though. Sophie was one of those little girls that would grow up to be an amazing person. And, just like Nathan, I loved her with everything I had.

[J O U R N E Y]

I was glad that I cleaned up the house before I left this morning. There was room to walk and I could set all the bags onto the kitchen counter without a problem; at this moment, life was good.

I could hear Tilly barking, her nails clicking against the kitchen floor as she skidded towards me. I smiled down at her, groaning as I set the bags onto the counter. She barked at me again, her tail wagging furiously while she jumped at my feet. She was still a small dog even at 5 years old, and Nathan played with her almost more often than his videogames. Sophie was, very openly, jealous.

“Hey, Tilly,” I cooed, bending down slowly. I had a baby bump, but it was getting bigger almost every day. Nick said it was just in my head, but I felt like I was as big as a cow. “You didn’t make a mess upstairs, did you?” She barked at me, almost like she was saying no. I smiled. “I got you a doggie treat.” She barked in response again, moving her head around with excitement. I stood up with a laugh and pulled the box out of one of the grocery bags, opening it quickly. Pulling a small bone out and turning to show her, I received another loud bark and her trying to stand on her tiny hind legs. “Here you go.” I dropped the bone down and before I could even blink she was already taking it out of the room.

I noticed that the phone was flashing, the beep sounding periodically to announce a new message. Even though Nick and I had cell phones the house phone was frequently ringing. Nathan was old enough to answer the phone and Nick usually had him do it, especially if it was Joe. I didn’t know why I found that so funny. Reaching over the pile of bags, I pressed the button, the robotic voice telling me I had a new message sounding.

“Either no one’s home or Minnie’s alone,” Joe’s voice sounded with a chuckle. I rolled my eyes and shook my head, knowing for a fact that I wasn’t terrible about answering a phone call. “I’m pretty much calling for no reason, other than I miss you guys. Tell Nick to stop ignoring me, by the way!” he chuckled yet again and then line turned silent, the red light stopping its flash. I smiled to myself and continued to put the items away, shuffling through the ones I would need for dinner.

I didn’t know why Nick was beginning to ignore Joe’s calls. In fact, he was ignoring almost everyone except for his work and Denise. It didn’t really make sense, but neither did Nick most of the time. He was his own man.

I pulled my hair up into a ponytail and took off my jacket. The whole house felt warm despite the cool of the outside air. I ran my hands underneath the hot water from the sink, quickly adding soap, more water, and then drying with a towel. Sometimes I thought way too much about everything I did. I even over analyzed taking a nap, according to Nick. But I really wasn’t that bad.

I think.

I started dinner, one that would be quick and easy because I was having another off day, and shifted my increasing weight to my left foot. I heard the sound of Tilly’s paws clicking against the floor again and I turned my head in her direction, taking in the comical sight. She was trying to get through the sliding door, her eyes set on the bone and ball that Nathan had left out the night before. And then I remembered that I had to walk her. She wasn’t a pain, in fact her small size made almost everything about her easy. I was just too tired to even move at this point.

I heaved a sigh and let my shoulders fall in disappointment, knowing that I couldn’t start slacking. Becoming a parent at seventeen made whatever responsibility I had been known for having before increase, and now it was almost too much to take on. Two kids, one on the way, a make-you-want-to-pull-your-hair-out job, a dog, a Cheryl and a Rodney, and a husband who looks like some type of god that also doubles as a musician who I have to worry about constantly because of all the girls and the jealousy and his diabetes and just everything about everything on a daily basis…

I was outwardly gasping for breath just thinking such a long thought.

I pushed myself away from the counter and grabbed Tilly’s leash out of the drawer, quickly bending down to hook it to her collar. I scooped her up and smiled down at her tiny face, her pink tongue shooting out to immediately lick my cheek. I shut my eyes tight and laughed a little while I walked to the door, turning her away so she could nuzzle my face rather than try to eat it. She was a precious little monster, took after Nick.

I made my way out the door, quickly grabbing my keys at last minute before the door locked. It wasn’t until Tilly was down and leading me down the sidewalk that I remembered that I had forgotten my jacket. The cool air nipping at my skin was a good reminder, too. I groaned heavily but decided not to turn back, letting my hair down and pulling my long sleeves from my elbows to my wrists instead. Taking Tilly for walks whenever I could always gave me time to clear my head, just like sitting on the couch cuddled up with Nick did. Nathan didn’t talk much still, and even if Sophie was going through her whining stage the two were still not much of a stress issue. It was work. It was Cheryl. It was me.

I think that, even though things were pretty hectic at the moment, they would slow down really soon. Hopefully.

Maybe it was weird, but walking down our street and the few in our more secluded area gave me some inspiration to write, something I still wasn’t doing much of anymore. I guess seeing all these people and trying to figure out what exactly it was that made them as happy as I was made things interesting. Maybe they had their own personal Nick’s and Nathan’s and Sophie’s, and even Joe’s and Clarissa’s, just in different forms. Sometimes I stopped to wonder why exactly I was so blessed, and I had never really even been a “religious” type of person. I had always believed in God though, and I knew that he dropped Nick in my life for a reason. He was my soul mate, even if I didn’t really believe in that type of thing before; now I knew it was true. And on the occasions, much like this one, where I got a little cliché and cheesy, I embraced it.

Monroe Stone -- ahem -- Monroe Jonas is a softie. And I wouldn’t have it any other way.

It didn’t take long to get back to the house, something I was glad of since my feet were killing me, and as soon as I let Tilly off her leash and watched her run up the stairs, probably to jump on Nathan’s bed, I went straight for the cooking food in the kitchen. I saw there was another new message and I quickly pushed play on the way to the sink, giving my hands another wash.

“Monroe, I did not raise you to have a disability or a phobia, or whatever the hell it is that you have against answering the phone--” Thanks, ever-so-dramatic mother. “-- but call me back.” I loved how her voice could change in an instant: the devil’s spawn to a somewhat sweet and caring mother. It almost made me smile. “Oh!” her voice suddenly sounded, making me jump and almost fling the noodles in the pot into the air with my spoon. “Denise tells me there’s going to be some kind of anniversary party. I know for a fact that she talked you into it… remind me to thank her. And also remind me to call Nicholas instead of you. I feel like he actually likes me.” The weird thing was that… he actually did. “Love you.”

I shook my head and let out a short, breathy laugh, pushing a strand of hair behind my ear. I was too caught up in my thoughts to fully comprehend the door open and close, a guitar case thump against the floor, and then footsteps entering the kitchen. And then I turned around. I glanced at Nick, his windblown curls looking silky and chocolate eyes looking tired as they settled on me, and I offered a smile.

“Hey, you’re home…” I didn’t have to look at a clock to know it was early for him. He smiled faintly at me and nodded, his fingers running through his hair. If I didn’t think he had nothing to be nervous about, well… then I’d think he was nervous. I furrowed my eyebrows and shook my head. “Everything okay?”

“Yeah,” he answered, clearing his throat. “Just tired. Lots of meetings and discussions… long day.” He moved closer as he spoke, his hands digging into the pockets of his leather jacket. I glanced down at his shoulders -- they looked tense -- and then back up to his eyes. “How was your day?”

The good thing was that I never rambled about work like I did with other things.

“Stupid,” I muttered. At least that earned a musical chuckle from him.

“Stupid?” he repeated in a questioning tone, loosening his shoulders a bit. I nodded. “Did something happen?”

“No, it’s just a lot of paper work and a lot of useless stuff. And then Jess and Kara go out to eat and, because of Cheryl and her new obsession for health food, they have orders not to get me anything. So I’m watching them drink this milkshake, feeling like a cow because I want one--” His laughter cut my voice off and I smiled sheepishly, letting the spoon rest on the plate beside the stove. He pulled his hands out of his pockets and curled his fingers around my wrists, slowly sliding them up my arms to pull me forward; I shivered.

“You, Minnie Mouse, are not a cow,” he said smoothly, his eyes lighting up a little. His full lips twisted into one of his many signature smirks, this one light and soft. I sighed.

“But I drank one anyway, so I feel like a pig.”

“You’re not a pig, either,” he laughed, his eyes locking with mine. “You know not to eat foods that are unhealthy, but I don’t think a milkshake is going to do much damage.”

I sighed again and gave him a short nod, leaning towards him involuntarily. He noticed and leaned himself forward too, resting his forehead against mine. I could smother myself in his scent, that’s how bad I missed him in a day. He tilted his head a little, his eyes still locked with mine, but he didn’t kiss me. He just… looked at me, a certain intensity that I sometimes noticed now there. I blushed.

“I don’t tell you you’re beautiful enough,” he whispered, his breath tickling my lips.

“You don’t need to. You make me feel that way.”

His lips twitched up a little more, his smile getting warmer, and he slid his arms around my waist. His chest pushed against mine and he proceeded to trap me against the counter, one hand burning into my back while the other held onto the counter. My heart still fluttered. He opened his mouth a little, proceeding to close it when no words came out. But then, without another word, his lips pressed soundly against mine, our eyes closing simultaneously. There was some type of whirlwind going on in my stomach whenever this happened, even worse than the butterflies, and I found that I always got weak whenever he kissed me this way. It was silly and almost embarrassing to think, but I couldn’t help it. Nick was sort of hypnotizing.

He pulled away just enough to look at me after a moment, all his warmth still radiating through me. I could still feel the fire in my cheeks and the knotting in my gut, and the smile that took over his lips made me a little dizzy. I cleared my throat.

“You, umm, you called… earlier.” I tried to speak somewhat coherently; I almost failed.

I watched the light in his eyes dim and, though it looked like he tried to keep it, the smile almost disappeared. It confused me.

“Yeah, I just had some down time. I was going to tell you I’d be home early.”

“You usually leave a message,” I breathed.

“I figured you’d be busy,” he said, still holding onto me.

“I was just picking up Nathan.” He didn’t speak, his eyes darting over me thoughtfully instead. There was still a level of intensity to them, more though than usual, and I could almost see his brows creasing like they sometimes did when he was contemplating something.

“I didn’t get to wind down. Colin just… gets to me sometimes.” I knew what Nick meant and now his behavior made a little more sense. Nick had shared with me the fact that he liked to go into the booth to be alone and play; it helped him relax. And he also informed me that Colin sometimes followed him around like a lost puppy, trying to talk business when all he wanted was to think music. I felt a little more relaxed knowing this.

“Well, I love you,” I muttered lowly, my cheeks heating up again… like they always did. I glanced up at him, happy to see the spark flicker in his eyes, that adorable smile coming back. He pulled me as close as he could, careful not to squeeze my growing belly, and pressed a soft, lingering kiss to my lips.

“Well, I love you too.”

Somehow days like these always turned out okay.