Take Me Dancing

Chapter 3

I woke up around nine am the next day thanks to Theodore and Zeno jumping on my bed. I let out a roar and yanked both my boys down underneath of me.
"Momma stop it!" Theo screeched as I began tickling both of their sides.
"Never!" I shouted, lifting their shirts and blowing on their stomachs.
Zeno's giggles erupted into the room and he squealed, "Naa Maammmyyyyy!" In between his laughter as his brother climbed onto my back.
I pulled on Theo's shirt until he went falling off of me and onto the bed beside me as his younger brother attempted to cover himself with the purple blanket.
"Tag! You're it!" Theodore shouted as he scrambled off of the bed and went flying out of the room. Zeno giggled quietly from underneath the blanket and I grinned ripping the blanket off of him, "Boo!" I shouted and he screeched, trying to slid off of the bed but falling on his butt in the process.
I jumped off and landed on the floor next to him, pushing him down onto his back and leaning over him with a playful smirk on his face.

"How did you get out of bed?" I questioned and he grinned at me sheepishly.
"Teddy," He murmured. Teddy was what he called Theodore because at such a young age Zeno found it difficult to say Theodore.
I leaned down and kissed his forehead, "Did he now?"
Zeno just nodded his head, his orban hair sweeping against the cool wooden floor.
"Well," I grinned, "Let's go find Teddy!"
He scrambled to his feet and raced out of the room as fast as he could, his feety pajamas sliding around. I followed him as he ran to his own room and ducked under his dark wooden crib peaking out at me and shaking his head.
"He's not under there?" I questioned with faux disappointment while he crawled out and shrugged, walking past me and out of the room. I followed him to Theo's room. The light red walls lit up when the sun, that was shining in through the windows, hit them. Theo's blood red bed sheets were messy on top of his twin bed. His toys laid all over the floor and my eyes automatically scanned across the picture that he had on his dresser of him and his father before Garrett left for tour.

I felt Zeno tug on my baggy pajama pants so I looked down to the little boy as he pointed to the bed. I nodded and Zeno laid down on the floor and began to army crawl to the bed. He rolled right under and I heard Theodore groan,
"Zeno!" He whined, "You're 'posed to be on my side!"

Both of my boys climbed out from under the bed and Zeno ran over to me with a huge grin on his face. The deep dimples showing on his face as well, as his older brother rolled his ice blue eyes and stuck his tongue out at me. Being childish, I stuck my tongue out at him too and we made faces at each other until Zeno pushed Theodore away and pulled me from Theo's room by my pinkie. I pushed my choppy blonde hair from my eyes and picked up my youngest son and placing him on my hip before decending down the stairs, his brother following behind us asking for pancakes.

"Why don't we have something healthier, baby?" I asked, placing Zeno in his high chair.
"I don't like healthy, Momma!" He shouted, crossing his arms with a pout on his face as he slid into one of the steel chairs next to our plexiglas kitchen table.
"How about fruit for breakfast?" I joked, chuckling at the glare he was sending me from where I stood behind the island in the middle of the kitchen.
"No want fruit." He muttered, scrunching up his face.
I grinned at him, knowing full well that he couldn't stay mad forever, "Okay, pancakes and fruit,"
His dimples appeared on his face and his brother smiled as well, knowing that food would be ready soon. I turned around and hit the 'on' button on the Ipod dock that was built into the dock, my Ipod already sitting there from when I cooked macaroni the night before. Garrett had speakers installed in almost every room when he found me carrying around my Ipod and lugging my dock to each room that I wanted to listen to music in.

"Head on down to 9th street gal,
Lets go kicking with the boys and the gals.
wear your dress and bring my ring,
Someone's gonna get it ain't gonna be me..."

I grinned at Theodore as he began to sing along to the lyrics he's memorized months before from all the time he spent with Garrett when he refused to go to day care while I worked. Zeno clapped his little hands as he smiled up at me before turning his attention back to his brother as Theodore precedded to belt out the lyrics to the chorus.
"LUCY, lucy my gal!" Threodore sang and I blew him a kiss as I poured the batter into a hot pan that sat on a burner.

Minutes later the three of us had a couple of pancakes in front of us as we sat at the kitchen table, the Ryan Adams album playing from the speakers. Just as I was about to take my second bite the phone started to ring from it's charger on the counter. I popped the pancake in my mouth and hopped over to the Ipod, shutting it off.
"Hello?" I answered, swallowing afterwards.
"Hey Jenni," Kennedy's voice said on the phone and I smiled, walking back over to my steaming plate of syrup covered pancakes.
"Hey Ken. What's up? How's Garrett?" I took another bite as Kennedy responded in a dejected tone,
"Not any different then yesterday. It's heartbreaking really, He's so... different. Like he's 16 years old again. He doesn't even remember any of the fame or what's happened in the band in the last few years,"
I sighed and even though my heart was shattering I sent a reassuring smile to the boys as they listened intently to every word I had said and was about to say,
"He'll come around. He has to," I murmured.
"Mhm," Kennedy replied, "How are the boys?"
I swallowed another bite and sighed, "They're doing okay, I guess. They don't really understand what is going on,"
Kennedy muttered, "Yeah."
It was silent for a moment before Kennedy spoke again, his voice lighter with a hint of excitement laced in it, "Oh! The reason I called was because we are having a barbie-que at my place around one. I want you to come of course."
"Mommy," Zeno's impatient voice caught my attention, "Daddy?"
"Yeah Momma! How is Daddy?" Theodore asked, smiling at his younger brother.
"Daddy is doing okay, guys," I whispered to them and turned my attention back to Kennedy on the phone.
"Sorry, Ken. The boys asked me a question," I apologized and he chuckled.
"No problem. They're curious, I know," I could hear him grinning on the other line, "So, what do you say? Are you coming?
"I don't know," I confessed, "I can't leave the boys home alone,"
"I already asked Garrett's parents. They want to watch the boys," He said smugly.
I grinned and nodded to myself, "Sure I guess. Michael and Kim haven't seen the boys in awhile. Just let me ask them,"
Ken laughed as said "okay".
I set the phone down onto the table and looked at both of my boys seriously, "Guys, do you want to go to Grandma and Grandpa's today?"
"You Mommy?" Zeno murmured, pointing at me questionably.
"No, baby. I'm not coming. I'm going to take care of Daddy," I admitted and Theodore's eyes lit up.
"Can I come with, Momma?" He leaned onto the table, excitement written all over his face.
"No, baby," I ordered and he glared, "It's dangerous for Daddy if you come with,"
"I go to Moma," Zeno said from his high chair. I smiled at him and told Theodore that he'd be going with as well.

I picked up the phone. "I'll be there, Ken,"
He chuckled from the other line, "I know. See you at one. Love you,"
I grinned to myself, "Love you too, Kennedy. See you," I hung up the phone and turned to the boys.
"Come on, sticky fingers," I pulled Zeno from his chair and Theo hopped down from his following me into the master bathroom so they could both take a bath.

"Thanks so much guys," I voiced as she held Zeno in her arms and Michael stood behind Theodore with his hands on his shoulders as he pouted.
"No problem. We love spending time with the boys," Kim grinned and kissed Zeno's forehead as he waved goodbye to me.
"Alright then, I'm off," I kissed both of the boys and made my way to Kennedy's and John's house. They had came and picked Garrett up earlier in the day so that he wouldn't be here when I dropped his sons' off.
The ride to Kennedy's and John's only took about 15 minutes and every mile closer my stomach swirled with anticipation and nervousness. When I pulled out up front I grinned at the familiar car and hopped out, shoving my cell phone into my back pocket in case one of the boys were to call. I banged on the door and John whipped it open, wrapping his arm over my shoulder as we walked to backyard making small talk.
"I'm sorry," John noted as he walked back over the where the grill stood. I shot him a confused look and turned to where Kennedy stood. My breath caught in my throat and it was then that I knew what John was sorry for. Garrett sat on a pool chair near the edge but on his lap sat Rachel, his arms wrapped around her waist as he conversed with Kennedy and Pat.

I closer my eyes and took a deep breath in through my nose and let it out through my mouth. Jared called my name from where he stood waist deep in the pool.
"Jared!" I shouted back with a smirk, "What's happening?"
He grinned at me, "Not much, girl! Come join the party!"
I shook my head at the soaking wet man and made my way over to Kennedy. He pulled me into a hug, "How are you doing?" He whispered into my hair and I shrugged,
"I've been better, Ken,"
"Hang in there," He mumbled as he pulled away and Pat hugged me as well only he kissed my cheek instead of talking. I turned to Garrett and Rachel and waved, "Hey," I stammered, mentally kicking myself for the thoughts of killing Rachel.
"Hey," Garrett greeted and Rachel shifted, uncomfortable, in his lap as I looked at her.
"Um," Rachel said, "Can I talk to you for a minute, Jenni?" She stood up and motioned towards the house. I looked to Kennedy and he nodded.
I sighed and motioned to the house as well, silently telling her to go on.

"Jen..." She started, "What are you doing here?"
I laughed with humor, "What am I doing here? I'm here to check up on my husband,"
"No, no," She stressed, "I mean. What if something bad happens to him because of you being here?"
I shook my head slightly, "Nothing will. That's why I didn't bring our boys,"
Rachel nodded, "I'm not trying to sound like a frigid bitch, Jen. I just care about Garrett. I always have," I could see the tears swelling in her eyes and I pulled her into a awkward hug.
"So have I. But it's hard Rachel. He doesn't even remember our boys,"
She sniffed and wiped the running mascara from her eyes, "He'll come around. But until then I think you three should stay away," She stated and my jaw fell open at her bluntness.
"No," I declared, "I'm not. Eventually the boys are going to have to see their father,"
Rachel sighed angrily, "Even if it's bad for his health?" She questioned loudly, her anger flaring as she looked past me out of the sliding glass door at the smiling man sitting there, laughing with three of his best friends.
"It won't come to that, Rachel. You can't tell me to stay away from my husband. He may not know he has his own family right now, but he will. I know you care, but I have two other boys to look out for. His children and they need him!" I pointed to the man that I had fallen in love with many years ago when we were both so young.
Rachel stayed quiet as tears threatened to fall down my cheeks. I took a seat onto Kennedy's couch and folded myself up into a ball, my head between my knees as I realized just how bad this is.
"...Jenni?" Rachel called quietly, taking a seat next to me.
"Yeah?" I asked, pulling myself up to sit straight.
"Just give him some more time. He'll remember, I know he will. He's Garrett fucking Nickelsen, he's punk" She joked and I chuckled lightly knowing she was probably right. I'd have to wait.