The Long Road Back

Nathaniel Jonas saw his mother by the stop sign. He held his shiny new quarter proudly although he was cold.

When he stepped off the bus his mother Elizabeth Jonas' facial expression transformed.
"Nathaniel Adam where is your shirt?" she asked crossing her arms and tapping her toe.
"I traded it for Jackson's shiny new quarter!" He yelled excitedly holding it out for her to see.
"Okay, come on." she rolled her eyes.
Nate counted the stones up their driveway as they walked to their wooden door.
"Are you hungry?" Lizzie asked the little boy, already knowing the answer.
"Yes ma'am" the boy said enchanted by his newly traded gift.

The mother looked down at him and smiled as she watched him toss the quarter in his hand. They both walked inside the two story Italian style house. Nathaniel or Nate rather threw his school bag into a corner near the doorway and ran to the kitchen, jumping onto a stool seated at the breakfast bar. The twenty-eight year old housewife began to make the six year old his favorite sandwich, grilled cheese. Nate sat at the edge of his chair as his mother flipped the sandwich into the air and caught it in the frying pan. He clapped his hands in his seat and quickly devoured the sandwich that was set before him on a glass plate. Lizzie took a seat next to him handing him a glass of milk.

"Mommy?" the boy said innocently.
"What sweetheart?" she replied curious of what he had to say.
"When does Daddy get home?" Nate asked looking up at her with sparkling eyes.
He mostly looked like his father with his brown curly hair, weird but cute shaped lips, and his button nose. The only things attributed by Lizzie were his blue eyes and his dimples.
"He should be home sometime today." She replied as her son's face lit up at the sound of her words.

"Mommy, where was Daddy?" Nate asked spinning around in his stool.
"He's been on tour." Lizzie replied giggling but quickly stopping the stool in fear of him falling.
"Was he on tour alone?" the boy asked knitting his eyebrows together in confusion.
"No, he went on tour with Uncle Joey and Uncle Kev Kev." she replied.
"Oh, what do they do on tour?" Nate asked.
"He sings and plays the guitar for people all over the world." she replied smiling at her own memories.
"Just like he used to do for me?" the little boy asked wiping his hands on his pants. The mother glared at her son but instantly softened as his words hit her like a brick.
"Yeah. Just like he used to do for you." she said softly.
"That's so cool!" the little boy screamed throwing his hands in the air.

"Go clean your room Nate." his mother said picking up his plate and laughing at his loud outburst.
"Okay Mommy I love you!" Nate yelled bounding up the stairs to his room.
"I love you too baby." she said more to herself than to the little boy.
As soon as she was seated at the bar again she was enveloped into her thoughts, and all of them revolved around her husband. Most of them were in the form of questions would be better that the last time he was home? Would he be worse? Does he love her? Or more importantly does he love their son?

Her thoughts roamed to memories. Such as the night when they were on the porch swing at her mom's house and he told her he loved her for the very first time. Or the night Nate was born. Nick held him with so much love that night you would have never thought they'd would be where they are. When Nate took his first steps everything was perfect.
The video camera was held by Papa Jonas and Nick had one tiny hand while Lizzie had the other. The smiles were bright, there was no yelling, no fighting. The change started when the planning for the tour started. He got busy, and stopped telling Lizzie that he loved her. Or at least that's what it started with. Gradually he stopped telling Nate, or forgot about him completely. Even when he wasn't busy he didn't care enough to take his wife or child out. No baseball games, dates, video games-nothing.

She didn't even know if she could forgive him if he tried, which she didn't think he would.
Then in came the devil himself, Mr.Nick Jonas. He threw his coat and bag into the exact corner Nate had thrown his stuff into and shuffled his way into the kitchen in silence. Patches of facial hair were printed all over his chin and a small mustache had formed on his upper lip. His hair stuck out in all directions and he hunched forward his eyes looking dead ahead. He quickly grabbed a water bottle not liking the feeling of his wife burning holes into his back.

"Well, hello to you too." she said sarcasm lacing her words. He just grunted in return not having the energy to want to start a conversation the more than likely would end up turning into a fight. He quickly left the kitchen and took a spot on the sofa where he kicked off his shoes, put his feet on the coffee table before him and turned on the television.

"Love you too, husband." he heard Lizzie say from the kitchen. He was getting sick of her sarcasm. Lizzie took a deep breath and pushed herself off the stool. She passed the living room and saw Nick just sitting there as if her and Nate didn't exist, it made her sick. Even if Nick acted as if Nate didn't exist, she knew that the little boy would be ecstatic at the news of his father being home. So, she made her way up the staircase passing all the pictures of their once beautiful and peaceful family. She wanted to punch those smiling faces taunting her as she physically had to drag herself upstairs. All she wanted to do was disappear, but she has responsibilities, to her son. She made her way to his room and opened the door to find the little boy's room actually clean. Nate was seated on the floor playing with his hot wheels, sound effects and all.

"Daddy's home." she said.
The little boy looked up at his mom and smiled like it was Christmas morning. He quickly picked himself up running put of the room and almost knocking Lizzie off her feet. The boy bounded down the stairs taking two at a time and almost falling as his feet hit the wooden floor at the bottom. He slowly peered into the living room where he saw the man that had left just five months ago to sing to the world. The boy smiled at his hero as he took his spot on the sofa next to him. He always thought of his dad to be like superman. He was dedicated to his work of sharing his music with the world, his daddy saved lives.
"Hey daddy" the little boy said turning towards the man. Nick just glanced down at the boy then averted his eyes back to the television screen.

"Daddy, what happened to your face?" Nate asked reaching up and touching the facial hair on Nick's chin. An annoyed expression sketched across Nick's face as he focused more on the screen before him.
"Daddy, why don't you answer me? Are you deaf?" Nate asks in his ear making sure he heard him. Nick just shrugged him off getting more irritated by the moment.
"Daddy, you gonna come to my baseball game today?" Nate said jumping off the couch and stepping in front of the television.
"No, sorry I'm going to be busy." Nick said finally giving in.
"Busy with what Daddy?" Nate asked his face dropping in disappointment.
"None of your business. Now get out of the way." Nick growled getting really frustrated with the mini look alike in front of him.
"O-oh. O-okay." the little boy says his bottom lip quivering. He moved out of the way of the television screen and plastered on a fake smile which failed because as soon as he smiled the tears began to pour down his rosy cheeks. Nick didn't notice the fragile boy that cried before him. In all honesty it annoyed Nick to no end that he was crying. The quick short intakes of air coming from the boy made him want to leave the house, but then again getting up was a hassle.

The little broken boy, crushed by his own hero ran from the room. Tears blurred his vision so bad he ran smack into his mother. She looked down at the boy to find his eyes red and puffy. A string of snot ran from his nose and he consequently wiped it on the sleeve of his long sleeve t-shirt. The mother's heart literally broke when she saw her little boy, fragile and broken stabbed before her. His whole body shook as each sob released from his throat. You could tell by the way that every time he let out a sob he took a sharp intake of air that he was trying to hold them back. She knew that the little boy didn't have enough strength to explain to her what happened, so her motherly instinct kicked in and she pulled him close into a tight embrace.

When the miniature Nick Jonas calmed down his broken mother was determined to find out what had happened to cause her boy this much pain.
"What's wrong, little man?" she asked holding him out at arms length.
"D-daddy, says he can't come to m-my baseball game." the little boy explain stuttering at the memory of his father's words.
"And whys that?" she questioned.
"He said he was gonna be busy." Nate said looking up at his mother with sad eyes.
"Doing what?" She asked suspiciously.
"He said it was none of my business." he squirmed.
"Okay, honey go to your room, I'll meet you in there in a little bit." She Instructed.
After she made sure that he was gone she stormed into the living room adorned by the terrible Nick Jonas.
"What the hell is your problem Nicholas Jerry Jonas?" she yelled furious.
"What the hell are you talking about Elizabeth Rose Knight?" Nicholas asked pretending to be oblivious. He then smirked.
"I can use your full name too." He said with a smug facial expression. Elizabeth was taken back by the fact that he used her maiden name and it showed on her broken face. No, she couldn't crumble, this was her little boy she was fighting for. He could say whatever he wanted to her, but he was not allowed to treat her baby boy like crap. You don't mess with her Nathaniel.
"Funny. You know you don't have a damn thing to do tonight." she replied holding up her guard.
"Yeah, i do and it's called not having to deal with you and Nate's bickering." Nick said not even looking at her but looking at television screen in front of him.
"Oh, so you actually know his name?" she said sarcasm lacing her words.
"Well duh! I mean he's been with us for how many years now? Four years I believe." he replied not realizing the mistake he made.
She rolled her eyes, trying to hide the surprise of his words.
"He's six you asshole." she paused.
"You don't even know your own son's age!" She screamed her face turning red in anger.
Nick knitted his eyebrows in confusion. "He's already six?" he replied astonished.
"Yeah he is." she said quietly.
"Wow. Well, how am i sure he's even mine?" he said picking himself off the couch.

In that moment the little boy who earlier in the argument snuck out of his room and planted himself on the staircase, was confused. What did daddy mean? Nate thought as he pondered on the question.

"We're sure because I loved you and people don't purposely hurt the ones they love. You wouldn't know anything about that though, would you?" she said calmly.
"I guess so, but if you don't love me anymore then why are you still here? I can tell you one thing, that's the reason why i am still here." he said calmly.
"Go to the game you're going to be late." Nick Said as he began to walk up the stairs.

To his surprise he found Nate sitting a the top of the stairs. This was his kid he knew that but, he wasn't sure how to be a dad anymore. It's as if the very thing slipped his mind, how could he forget to be a dad?

"Daddy, are you and Mommy getting a divorce?" Nate asked looking up at Nick with wide eyes.
"No, son." Nick said patting his head, and as Nate walked down the stairs in his baseball uniform his hero locked himself in his room.
After standing in shock for a moment she said,
"Come on my future road dog."