The Good Life

Joe gave me the all around tour of the house, it was 4 bedrooms, 6 bathrooms, everything was there, our clothes, all my stuff, all of his stuff, it was amazing. "How'd you do all this?" I asked as we stood in our bedroom. "Well, I bought it a month ago and mom and Hutch have been helping me a lot with colors and decorating and stuff and when I left Denver I got mom, dad, Kevin, Nick, Frankie, Hutch, Rilo, and Kody to help move everything in and get it perfect for when you came back."

"Wow..." I breathed. "Yeah it was pretty intense." I laughed and looked over to him, "No, I mean all of you are liars, I feel so betrayed." I said overdramatically. Joe laughed a little, "Oh please, I haven't even shown you the best part." I raised my eyebrows, "Show away, Joseph." He placed his hands over my eyes and started walking me fowards, I heard him slip a door open and I felt a slow breeze.

I smiled and he moved his hands. I let a huge grin crack on my face, there, in the backyard was a large pool and past that a set of wooden stairs that led down to the beach and the beautiful ocean. "Joe..." I whispered, "This is amazing." The sun was setting into the horizon and the waves were gently lapping at the shore.

Joe slipped behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist and setting his chin on my shoulder, "So...is it a keeper?" I nodded vigorously, and turned in his arms, "You're a keeper." He chuckled and I smiled up at him, "I love you." I said before softly pressing my lips against his. I pulled away, "This is amazing, you're amazing." He smiled and kissed me again, "I'm glad you're happy babe, this is all for you."

The next morning I woke up to Joe’s phone ringing, he woke up and groaned and reached for it. “Yeah…oh really…okay…yeah I can do that, did you call Nick and Kevin?…two hours…got it…alright bye.” He set the phone down and rolled into me groaning, “Who was that?” He shut his eyes again, “Who do you think? They want us to come to the studio. Ugh why am I such a pushover? Can’t I ever say no?”

I laughed a little and shook my head, “Nope.” He grabbed me and pulled me on top of him, locking his arms tightly around my body, “Come with me?” I shook my head, “Nu-uh.” He frowned, “Why not?” I smiled and pecked his lips, “I have to go up there later to do interviews for someone to fill my spot, so I can start training her. I don’t want to be three hours early.” I said glancing at the clock. “Fine, then.” He pouted. I got up and pulled him with me, “I didn’t say that I wouldn’t get ready with you.” I said leaving him smiling and following me to the bathroom.

An hour and a half later, I was sitting Indian style in the middle of the granite topped island in the kitchen eating a bowl of Corn Pops and watching re-runs of Saved by the Bell on the TV mounted on the wall. I heard Joe walk in, “You know we do have a table, Kayden.” He laughed picking up a napkin and wiping up the small puddle of water that my dripping pony tail had created.

I smiled, watching him walk to the trash can, throwing it away, he was so good to me. “You’re so cute.” I said still smiling at him as he grinned set his elbows on the counter and placing his chin in his hands, “Gimme a bite.” I scooped up a spoonful and directed it towards his mouth, he leaned forward to eat it and I jerked it away and enclosed my lips around the spoon instead.

“Mmm yummy.” I prodded at him, he narrowed his eyes at me and grabbed my knees pulling me to him and resting his hands on my thighs, “Please?” I spooned a bite into his mouth, “Happy?” He displayed a closed lipped smile, “Mmhmm.” He swallowed the cereal, “I gotta go.”

I pressed my lips against his, “Okay, see you up there in a little bit, probably.” He gave me a quick hug and kissed my lips once more, “Bye. Your keys are on the table by the back door, make sure you shut the garage when you leave. I love you.” He called to me as he made his way to the back door. I directed my attention back to the TV, “Thanks hun, I love you too.” I yelled out before I heard the back door shut.

Once I got to the studio, I was immediately dragged into a conference room with my uncle, there were a stack of folders with potential employee’s information spilling off the pages. “It’s going to be a long day kid.” I groaned as the first girl came in and sat in front of us, we looked through her folder, asked her some questions, got a feel of her personality, blah, blah, blah. We did this fifty two more times before I looked at the clock, it was 6:43, I was ready to go, “Please, please PLEASE tell me there’s no more.” I begged Uncle Tripp, he laughed, “There’s only three more for today.” He said passing me the next folder. “Thank God.” I breathed out.

By the time those three were through it was going on 7:30 and Uncle Tripp informed me they were still in their little meeting so I texted Joe.

‘How much longer will you be?’

‘We’re trying to wrap everything up, 30 minutes?’

‘Ok, I’m going home, I’ll see you in a little bit, love you.’

‘I’ll bring home dinner, I love you too.’

I told Uncle Tripp bye and headed home. I walked in the door and threw my keys on the table, and hung my coat on the back of a chair and walked upstairs to the bathroom and started running water in our Jacuzzi bathtub, pouring in some bubble bath. I lit the candles around the bathtub and pulled out a few from under the sink and lighting them on the counter, giving off a hearty glow. I walked into our room grabbing my iPod off the charger and hooked it up to the iHome in the bathroom and selected the ‘Mellow’ playlist I had created. I turned off the water and peeled my clothes off and climbed in, this is exactly what I needed I thought as I settled against the back of the tub.

I had been in the bathtub for about thirty minutes when I heard the door shut and Joe’s voice faintly calling from downstairs, “Kayden.” He paused and I heard his keys hit the table. “I’m home.” I sat up, “Up here!” I yelled out. I soon heard his steps echoing up the stairs. I leaned back and hummed to the music softly escaping through the iHome’s speakers.

I could hear Joe in the hall, “Where are you?” I chuckled a little to myself, all the lights were off, he couldn’t find me. “In the bathtub, Joe.” I heard his feet shuffle into the bedroom and by the time he made it to the door of the bathroom he had already kicked off his shoes and taken his shirt off and was currently working on the button of his pants. I looked at him with my eyebrows raised clearly amused as he slid his pants off, along with his boxers. He walked towards the tub and I leaned forward allowing him to climb in behind me. I leaned my back against his chest and he rested his arms over mine that laid across my waist.

He kissed the spot where my neck met my shoulder, “How was your day?” I asked. He groaned in response, “That miserable, eh?” He nodded, “Yeah, we just had a lot of stuff to go over.” I scrunched my eyebrows, “For what?” He sighed, “Well, they want us to go on a Christmas tour.” I turned around quickly in the bubbles that came up to my chin but still causing water to slosh over the sides, “What?!” I asked. The smile that was plastered on his face was fading. “Why were you smiling? Joe, I thought that you guys were taking a break? When? How long?”

Confusion was settled on his face, “Kay, calm down, its charity concerts, we play and the money we raise by ticket s and merch and stuff gets spread to charities around the country. Isn’t that awesome? I nodded, it was a good cause, “It starts December 3, we’re only hitting the major cities so it should only be about a month. He grabbed my hand and interlaced our fingers, “I only said yes because now you can come with us.” He smiled brightly. My heart dropped, “Joe.” I said softly. “I can’t.” This time his face dropped and he asked the questions, “What? Kayden, why?” He sputtered out.

“I have to train the receptionist that will fill my spot, she’s going to be permanent, I have to make sure she knows what she’s doing, I can’t train her in less than a week, Joe.” Panic washed over his face, “Kayden, no. No no no. I can’t say no now, those kids, those charities, I can’t say no, I can’t. But I can’t leave you.” He brought a hand up and stroked my face, “I won’t leave you.” he finished.” Right then I remembered what I told Joe at my dad’s house, ‘We have to make sacrifices for each other.’ I knew what I had to do, I grabbed his hand and closed my small ones over his, “Yes you will.” I said with a small sigh. “What?” He asked whipping his head up to look at me. “You’re going to go with your brothers on this tour and I’m going to stay here and do what I have to do.” I told him trying to hide the fact that I really didn’t want to do this.

“Kayden, no, I—” I cut him off, “Joe. This is how it needs to be, you need to be there and I need to be here, if we accept it, it won’t be as hard, I’ll miss you, I know I will, but this is something that has to be done. I promise I can do it.” I let a small smile lift on my worried face, he looked somewhat relieved and pulled me to him, “I’m going to miss you.” He spoke onto my neck.

That night we laid in bed, my back was snuggled against his front, my mind was going 100 miles and hour thinking of the events of the next month, then something hit me and I wanted to cry. “Joe?” I asked turning in his arms to face him. “Yeah, babe?” He asked with his eyes still closed. “What about Christmas?” I asked, my voice cracking. Joe noticed I was upset and his eyes snapped open, looking into mine, “Don’t worry, I’ll be here, that was mom’s one request, she said there was no way we were missing Christmas. We’re coming back here.” I smiled and pulled myself closer to him, “Good.” He laughed a little and wrapped his arms around me. “Joe?” I asked him after a few minutes, “Hmm?” His throat vibrated against my face, “Can I make a request?” I could hear the smile in his voice, “Anything.” I moved back so I could see his face. “Be my New Year’s kiss?”

He averted his eyes from mine, “Uhm, we are actually doing Dick Clark’s New Years Bash again.” I tried to hide the disappointment in my voice, “Oh.” Was all I said before nuzzling back into his neck. “Kay.” He said moving around a little, trying to make me look at him. “No, it’s okay, I don’t want to talk about it.” I heard him let out a frustrated sigh, but he didn’t say anything else.

I don’t like sacrifices.