Just One Kiss

Nick woke to his cell phone ringing. He jumped and quickly silenced the ringer, not wanting to wake up Stacy. He looked down and realized it was his mother calling him, and that it was four in the morning. He quietly left the room and dialed her back, rubbing his hand over his tired, irritated eyes as he stared at the early morning sky.

“Nickolas, why didn’t you answer?” His mother asked as she answered her own phone.

“Hello to you too mother,” Nick grumbled. “In case you forgot, it’s four in the morning here. I was asleep.”

“Oh, well, I need your help son.” Nick sighed, knowing exactly what she was asking for. The same thing she always wanted.

“Mom, can this wait?” Nick asked turning away from the window. “I’m kind of in the middle of an emergency with Stacy. She’s in the hospital and is getting ready for heart surgery.”

“This is an emergency Nickolas; I was just in the hospital.”

“For what and why didn’t you tell anybody?” Nick asked, his heart leaping into his throat. First Stacy, now his mother.

“I was having trouble breathing, and was about to pass out. They said I had an anxiety attack. And Leslie knew about it. I can’t control that she didn’t tell you.”

“Yeah okay,” Nick said. “I’ll let you know what’s going on.”

“Thank you honey, I knew I could count on you.” Nick didn’t reply. He just hung up the phone and shook his head. Why did he think his mother might actually be unselfish enough to be concerned over his girlfriend?

Thinking, he realized it was two in the morning in California, where Leslie and their mother was living. He knew his sister wouldn’t be asleep. She was as big a night owl as he was. He called her phone and waited for her to answer.

“Hey Nick, you’re up late.” Leslie answered. “It’s what, 5 where you are?”

“4,” Nick corrected her. “Les, I just got a call from Mom. Was she in the hospital recently?”

“No, not since her scare two years ago,” Leslie replied. “Why?”

“She’s up to her old tricks again,” Nick grumbled. “Can you talk to her, I can’t handle this right now. Stacy is in the hospital and I’m worried enough over her as it is.”

“What happened to her?” Leslie asked. Nick realized he never called his sisters. Mainly because they only met Stacy a few times. Aaron, of course, knew from Nikki. He explained about her heart condition and how they were preparing for her to have open heart surgery.

“Goodness Nick, I’m so sorry,” Leslie mumbled. “I’ll talk to her.”

“Thank you Leslie, and sorry I didn’t tell you. I’ve had a lot on my mind.”

“I can imagine,” Leslie replied. “Though, isn’t Aaron dating her best friend? I would think he would have told us.”

“You would think so, but you know Aaron,” Nick chuckled affectionately, shaking his head. “I better get back in there before Stacy realizes I’m gone. She is freaking out and doesn’t need to anything else added to her.”

“Okay, I love you bro.” Leslie said before they hung up. Nick walked back into the room, smiling to see Stacy still fast asleep. He sat back down on the cot the nurses had brought in for him, and stared out the large window. Now he had to decide what to do about his mother. He hoped Leslie would talk her out of asking him for help. He knew he couldn’t’ refuse her, but he also knew now that she just wanted the money to play with, and he was done giving in just so she could blow his hard earned money.

The sheets rustling brought his attention back to Stacy. She was still asleep, but it seemed like she was waking up. Sure enough, her eyes opened and she looked around.

“What are you doing over there?” She asked, reaching out her hand for his.

“Doctor’s orders,” he replied, sliding his warm hand into her cold one. He moved himself to where he was sitting on the edge of the cot so he could let their arms rest on the bed. “We both fell asleep. They tried to get me to leave, I refused.”

“Naturally,” Stacy giggled gently. They fell into a silence where they just stared at each other.

“I’m sorry,” Stacy whispered suddenly.

“Stace, don’t,” Nick said. “It’s done so there is no reason for you to torment yourself anymore.”

“I still feel bad about not telling you.”

“Well, don’t. Sure I wish you would have said something sooner, but I know now, and it is in the process of getting fixed.”

“I wish you could be there Nick, at least for the surgery part.” Stacy admitted. “But you need to get back on tour.”

“I’m only going because I promised you I wouldn’t let the fans down,” Nick stated. “I’m probably not going to be much of anything and will be running through shows on autopilot, but as soon as the last concert is over and the last interview or signing is over, I’m flying out to Massachusetts to be with you the rest of your recovery time.” Stacy knew he would do just that.

The next thing they both knew, the sun was waking the both of them up, along with a knock on the hospital room door.

“We have the okay to fly you to Boston now,” the nurse said, looking at the paperwork in her hands. “That will happen as soon as we can get it arranged.” Stacy nodded, and looked up at Nick. He saw the small unease in her eyes.

“You’re strong,” he said gently. “You’ll make it. I mean, Brian did and medicine is more advanced than it was back in the mid-nineties. It’s probably a textbook procedure by now.”

“You’re right,” Stacy said, though Nick could sense he didn’t ease her nerves at all.

“Hey, I might not be able to be there, but you’re not going to be alone. Your parents and your brothers are going to be there. Hell, John, Nikki, and London might take the time out to be there. If you want me there, say the word and I’m out of the tour, but otherwise, you’re not alone.”

“Go, you’re driving me nuts anyway,” Stacy replied with a laugh, causing Nick to smile.

“You think I’m bad, wait until you get home with your family. Especially when John gets there.”

“The horror!” Stacy cried. Nick full out laughed then, and cleared his throat.

“I’ll be there as soon as I can Stacy, I promise you I will be.”

“I know,” Stacy sighed.

“And I will take, you in my arms, and hold you right where you, belong.”

“That’s Nsync,” Stacy pointed out.

“Hey, they’re friends, even if we were battling for top boy band back in the day,” Nick shrugged. “They have good music too.”

“Not one to hold a grudge.”

“Yeah, I guess,” Nick mumbled, automatically thinking of the conversation he had with his mother last night. He still hadn’t decided what to do. If he gave her the money, she would shut up and leave him alone until she was broke again. If he didn’t he wouldn’t hear the end of it, and he would grow to resent her even more than he did now.

“Earth to Nicky,” Stacy said, cutting into his thoughts. “Where did you go?”

“It’s nothing,” Nick shook his head.

“Not going to happen, tell me.” Stacy commanded.

“My mother called last night,” Nick said, knowing it was pointless to fight with Stacy about her not needing to hear it. “She’s asking for money, stating she had to go to the hospital and needs help with the bills. I called Leslie after I hung up with her, and she told me Mom hadn’t been to a hospital since the last time she called me, which was about two years ago. She really was there then, but this time was a flat out lie. I’m trying to decide if I want to give it to her and be done with it, or not give it to her and hear her wig out on me for the next, oh, 50 years.”

“She’s not that bad about it, is she?” Stacy asked.

“You never met her yet, and right now I’m not too sure if I want you to meet her.” He mumbled, his eyes going distant. It was something Stacy noticed happened to him when he went back into a memory.

“All I can tell you, since it’s probably all you let me tell you, is to think about this. You give in to her now, she’ll come back and expect it again, which means she won’t work on helping herself. If you refuse, she’ll have to choice but to figure things out on her own.” Nick’s eyes went even duller, meaning he was thinking even harder now.

“You’re right,” he whispered suddenly. “I keep giving in just to keep her off my back; she’ll just keep coming back to me. The problem now is, I don’t give in, she’ll go to Aaron, and I try to keep that from him as much as I can.”

“You both helped her, thinking she might get back on her feet,” Stacy pointed out. “She chooses not to. It’s not your job to take care of her anymore Nick. You’re not sixteen anymore. Aaron isn’t a kid anymore either. You’re both grown men who need to get their own lives started. You mom needs to see that.”

“You know, I think I might have you meet her so you can tell her that yourself,” Nick said with a smile. “No, seriously, as always, you’re right. I’ll talk to Aaron, Leslie, BJ, and Angel before I give her my answer though, to warn them that a volcano is going to be erupting in the family soon.”

“Good idea,” Stacy nodded as the door opened.

“Ms. Cena, it’s time to get you ready to transfer,” the doctor said.