On and On

“Honey.”

He spoke softly and I felt him pushing the hair from my face. I felt my face furrow as I was pulled from sleep and the bright light of the room was burning my closed eyes. I turned my face away and nuzzled my head deeper into the pillow. After a few seconds, I felt his lips near my ear.

“Kayden baby…please get up.”

I stopped fighting to go back to sleep and rolled back over.

“No. It’s freezing.” I groaned, pulling the blankets tighter around myself and scooting closer to his warm body.

His breathy laugh grazed across my cheek. “We go to the doctor today.”

I felt a smile tug at my lips, “I know…What time is it?” I mumbled against his neck

“Eight.”

My eyes shot open and I glared at him, “Joooe.” I whined. “We don’t even have to be up for another to hours.”

His eyes went soft and a pout fell on his face. “I know, but I’m excited and I couldn’t sleep and I hate being awake by myself.”

I played with the hair behind his ear. “I guess I forgive you.” I said with a playful grin gracing my lips, knowing just how excited he was.

Something about Joe and babies and pregnancy…he was fascinated by it. He loved going to the doctor and seeing the baby and hearing about when the toes and fingers were growing and when it got fingernails. He was all about reading the books and magazines and watching me grow and knowing exactly what was going on throughout the pregnancy. He was so involved and interested and I absolutely loved him for it.

He leaned forward, the boyish grin plastered on his face, the one that got me every time, and pressed his perfect lips to mine. I smiled into the kiss and pulled back keeping my face close to his. I laughed when I actually had the time to look at his hair. I attempted to smooth out his bed head and laughed harder when it only got worse. He swatted my hands away and I kissed his chin.

“Who’s watching the kids while we go?” I craned my neck wondering where they were.

“Mom and Dad are coming to get them in a little while, they’re going to visit Kevin and Mack, and McKenna took the boys downstairs and is making them cereal.”

“What? You let her do that alone? Joe!”

I sat up, pushing the blankets off my legs and trying to get up.

“Babe. Chill. I think she can handle a little cereal. She’s not a baby, you know.”

I sighed, “I know.”

Realization all dawned on me at once, maybe it was an epiphany…maybe it was hormones…I don’t know. But I looked up at Joe, tears pooling in my eyes. He quickly propped himself up.

“What? What’s wrong?”

I shrugged, a sad smile pulled at the corners of my mouth.

“I don’t know.” I sniffled.

He furrowed his eyebrows and lifted his hand lightly wiping the tears that were now falling.

“I just feel old.” I laughed a little. “I mean she’s almost five—and before we know it, she’s going to be sixteen with an attitude and a boyfriend and—”

“Hey, now.” He warned, “Maybe an attitude—that I can deal with—I don’t know about that boyfriend thing—five or sixteen—that’ll always be my little girl.”

More tears streaked down my face. For the funny guy persona Joe kept up, between his corny jokes, sexual innuendo, and hardheaded comments, quite possibly the sweetest things I’ve ever heard slipped between those beautiful lips of his.

I smiled up at him, and poked out my bottom lip. “Do you know how incredibly sweet you are Joe Jonas?”

He smiled and leaned down to peck my bottom lip before pushing it back in place softly with his finger, his eyes locking on to mine, “Do you know how much I love you Kayden Jonas?”

I grinned and wrapped my arms around his neck, “Um…a lot?”

He nodded and pressed his lips to mine, “Uh huh. A whole whole lot.” He said on to my lips.

“Oh?” I asked.

“Mmhmm.” He mumbled finally pressing his lips onto mine. I arched my back into him, loving the feeling of his lips against mine.

My phone’s ringtone blared through the room and I groaned pulling away from him and reaching over, grabbing it off the nightstand seeing Nick’s picture staring back at me.

“Oh!” I sat up quickly sliding my finger across the screen to answer.

Joe looked at me questioningly.

“Hey Nick! How’d it go? What happened? Are you there? Is she there?”

“E! News Exclusive, 2 minutes…call you later bye.”

I heard the click of the dead line and stared at the phone.

“What?” Joe asked, “What happened?”

“Where’s the remote?” I asked flinging the covers around, searching under the sheets.

“Joe! Help me look!”

“Ugh.” He groaned, fishing under his pillow and holding it out to me.

I snatched it from his hand and turned on the big screen TV that was mounted on the wall across from our bed quickly finding E! sighing when there was a toothpaste commercial playing.

“Kay, what’d he—”

“Shh!”

“But, are him and Kam—”

I turned to him, “Shh!”

“Did Nick say—”

“Shh! Joe! Shh!!” I glared at him.

He huffed and crossed his arms over his chest and sinking back into the pillows while we both watched Ryan Seacrest walk into the frame. I turned up the volume and watched intently.

“Ryan Seacrest here with an E! News Exclusive. Last night fans of Kam Douglas in St. Louis and Kam, herself got quite the surprise when she was singing her new song, “Your Hold On My Heart” straight from the heart, rumored to be about her romance with musician Nick Jonas.”

The screen switched to a close up video of Kam at the center of the stage with her acoustic guitar softly strumming the chords, she began singing the first verse and although I knew no one else could, I saw the sadness in her eyes. I recognized it because I’d seen it in my own eyes before…when I wasn’t with Joe.

As she got to the chorus I gasped out loud when I saw Nick walk onto the stage behind her as she started on the chorus,

“You hold it in your hands,
Your love, it helps me stand,
You make it right.”

She opened her mouth to sing the next line but Nick who was now right behind her, beat her to it, finishing off the chorus,

“Don’t wanna fight,
I can’t escape it,
Don’t wanna make it,
Without you, I fall apart,
Please just keep your hold…on my heart.”

I watched her face morph while he sang, grabbing one of her hands, the crowd was going insane but their eyes never left the others, in their eyes, they were the only two in the room.

I scooted over and leaned into Joe, the sweetness of what I was watching made me want to be near him. He uncrossed his arms and settled them around me. I glanced up and smiled at him. He planted his lips on my forehead before we both quickly directed our eyes back to the TV.

I saw her eyes well up with tears and his whole face softened. He finished the chorus and pulled her up, slipping the guitar off her neck and setting it on the stool. He smiled at her and brushed his hand across her cheek, she tilted her head into his hand and I saw that Jonas grin spread on his lips. Within three seconds, he was on one knee. Kam’s hand clapped over her mouth and “Kam Douglas will you marry me?” echoed through the arena.

The crowd went eerily quiet, except for the random yell of a fan, everyone was waiting for her answer since she didn’t have a microphone. I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw her nodding her head ‘yes.’ He jumped up and hugged her swaying her body back and forth in his arms. He slipped the ring on her left hand and they shared a quick kiss.

The screen flashed back to Ryan,

“Yes ladies, it’s true, the last of the Jonas Brothers is tied down. Mack, Kayden, and now Kam, the three lucky ladies living out the dreams of millions of girls around the world. Congratulations to Nick and Kam, may nothing but happiness and love grace your lives.”

The screen flashed back to The Fabulous Life Of… and I muted the TV and turned and looked up at him, grinning.

“That was better than a movie.”

He smiled and leaned down to peck my lips.

“Yeah, I taught him well.”

I laughed and flicked his nose,

“Liar. He teaches himself. Nick’s like a little Casa Nova—minus the sex—” I laughed.

He squeezed my shoulders, “I wouldn’t be so sure—I’ve heard he and Kam—”

I covered my ears, “La la la I don’t wanna hear it.”

He flipped over and straddled my hips, resting his weight on his heels, pulling my hands from my ears.

“They have sex!” He yelled, “Oh my God, Kayden! Nick and Kam have sex!”

I laughed wiggling around trying to pull my hands from his grasp. He leaned down and pressed his lips to mine, rolling over and laying next to me, nuzzling his face into my neck.

“Daddy?”

I turned to see all three of the kids standing at the end of the bed. I smiled at them and patted the bed, watching all of the, climb up, laying down and curling up around us.

“Yeah Kenna?” He asked to her previous question.

She propped her head up on her hands, “What’s sex?” She asked her face twisting in confusion.

His jaw dropped and he looked at me, his eyes wide.

I laughed, “Nu uh, you said it.”

He flashed me a panicked fake angry expression and I smiled, nodding to our still confused daughter.

He sighed and turned back to her, “It’s uh—a game?”

He looked at me and my face dropped.

“That uh—only old people can play.”

He glanced at me and I nodded, “It’s really fun.” He smiled.

I scoffed and hit his shoulder.

“I can’t play?” She asked.

“No!” He yelled.

Her eyes went wide and I laughed and squeezed his bicep.

“No babe, you can’t.”

“Well, why do Uncle Nicky and Kam get to play?”

He sighed and clapped his hands over his face.

“That’s enough, Ken. No more talking about that. You understand?”

“Yes sirrr.”

“Who wants to get dressed to go with MawMaw and PawPaw?” I asked sitting up.

They all jumped up and ran to the hall to go to their rooms, they loved going with Joe’s parents, they both spoiled the hell out of them and gave them exactly what they wanted.

I rolled over to look at Joe, who was glaring at me,

“Thanks honey.” He said sarcastically.

“Hey, I wasn’t the one screaming sex.”

That mischievous grin lifted on his face, and he rolled over me, kissing my neck.

“I can make you scream.” He whispered huskily in my ear.

I softly moaned and he let his hands wander along my body.

“Joe.” I sighed.

“Hmm.”

“We can’t.” I reluctantly pulled back. “The kids are here.”

He groaned, “They’re always here.”

I smiled and planted a few kisses on his lips, before sliding out of bed and heading in the bathroom to get ready.

“I’m going to help the boys get ready.” He said sticking his head in the bathroom.

“Okay, it’s supposed to rain, so hoodies or something, please.”

He nodded and disappeared into the hall.

A little while later I heard the doorbell and tiny shoes running across the floor and down the steps. I followed them down the steps in time to see them whip open the door and attack their grandparents with hugs.

Joe stepped behind me, slipping his arms around my waist and setting his head on my shoulder.

Denise smiled up at us and came to give us a hug.

“Call us when you’re done and on your way home.” She grinned kissing Joe’s cheek. She rubbed a hand over my stomach and her glistening eyes locked onto mine, and understanding communication passing through us.

Braden came and wrapped his arms around my legs, “Bye mommy, I wuv you.”

I smiled and kneeled down, “I love you, Bray.”

Milo ran over not wanting his brother to get all the attention, “I wuv you mommy!” He yelled in my face. I winced at the loudness of his voice and hugged him, “Love you too, Milo.”

McKenna strolled over waiting for the boys to detach from me and softly wrapped her arms around me. “Bye mommy.” She smiled her toothy grin before kissing my check and jumping into Joe’s arms, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck. I averted my eyes for one second to see Denise picking up Braden and Milo setting on Mr. Paul’s hip. I smiled and turned back to Joe as he hugged her tight and kissed the side of her head, “Love you Ken.”

She grinned up at him, hugging his legs once more, “Love you daddy.” Yeah, she was a total daddy’s girl.

After they all piled into the car and left, Joe turned to me, “Ready?” He asked, a huge grin carved onto his lips.

“Ready.” I confirmed, taking his hand and walking out the door.