"Sit down, I'll get that," AJ said walking Lori back over to the chair. Walking across the room, he grabbed her soda, the remote to the TV, and a couple of magazines.
"AJ, I'm not an invalid. I can help myself," Lori said shaking her head.
"I don't want you to overexert yourself. You have a condition," he said
"I realize I have a condition. But you don't have to baby me," she replied.
"Are you sure you're going to be able to handle Taelen for a week?" he asked looking around the front room nervously.
"AJ. Really. I'm fine. I'm pregnant, not dying," she said.
"Shhh. Don't say things like that," he said. "Why can't Nick take care of him?" he asked propping her feet up on a stool.
"AJ really. This is ridiculous. If I have to put up with this for seven months I'm afraid I'm going to have a nervous breakdown," Lori complained. "And nobody knows where Nick is half of the time. He keeps disappearing and stuff."
"Hmmm," AJ said thoughtfully. "What time is she bringing him here?"
Looking at the clock, Lori answered. "She'll prolly be here in about an hour or so."
"Are you ready Taelen?" Alesha asked sticking her head in his bedroom. "Taelen? Where re you?" she asked looking for him. She finally found him sitting outside on the porch staring off. "What's the matter baby?"
Taelen looked up at her, his blue eyes full of tears. "I don't want you to go, Lita," he said softly.
"Oh Munchkin," she whispered pulling him to her. "I'll be back in a week. I promise."
"I want to go with you."
"I want you to, also. But I only have one ticket. Besides, you'll getta torture AJ for a week," she grinned.
"Why can't I stay with Nick?" he asked sniffling.
Alesha sighed. "Because I haven't had a chance to talk to him, sweetie. He hasn't been home a lot."
"Will AJ and Lori let me watch cartoons?"
"I'm sure they will. You just have to ask," Alesha smiled at him.
"Do they have a basketball court?" Taelen asked.
Alesha nodded. "Almost as cool as Nick's," she replied.
"Groovy," he smiled. "I guess it'll be okay then."
"I'm okay Brian, really," Nick said looking out the window.
"I haven't heard from you in a couple of days. Just thought I'd see how you were doing."
"What? I can't hear you, too much static," Nick said pulling the antenna out on his phone.
"Where are you?" Brian asked.
"Don't worry about me Brian, I'm okay. I'm not going to do anything dumb," Nick said shaking his head. "Look, I have to go. I'll call you later tonite."
Brian sighed. "Okay. I guess I'll talk to you then. Bye," he said hanging up the phone.
Nick sighed and turned up the volume to the CD he had been listening to.
o~/So close no matter how far/couldn't be much more from the heart/forever trusting who we are/and nothing else matters/never opened myself this way/life is ours, we live it our way/all these words I don't just say/and nothing else matters/trust I seek and I find in you/every day for us something new/open mind for a different view/and nothing else matters/never cared for what they do/never cared for what they know/but I know/so close no matter how far/couldn't be much more from the heart/forever trusting who we are/and nothing else matters/never cared for what they do/never cared for what they know/but I know/
never opened myself this way/life is ours, we live it our way/all these words I don't just say/trust I seek and I find in you/every day for us something new/open mind for a different view/and nothing else matters/never cared for what they say/never cared for games they play/never cared for what they do/never cared for what they know/and I know/so close no matter how far/couldn't be much more from the heart/forever trusting who we are/no nothing else matters/~o
"Dammit," he mumbled. "Can't even listen to Metallica without thinking of her and finding weird romantic meanings to the song," he said changing CDs.
