Part Nine
“You’re coming home?!” Lance yelled and then ducked his head down and covered his mouth. He was in a public place when Nikki called, so he was trying to hide the attention that he obviously had just brought to himself. “When?”
“I want to come this week.”
“Wow, this is great. I can’t wait to see you. How is Courtney?”
“She’s great. She heard me say your name and went nuts! She is excited about seeing you.”
“Awe. Does she know that you are moving here?”
“She is only two, she probably wouldn’t understand anyway, but I am going to tell her.”
“Wow Nik, I am so happy. The guys are going to be so glad to see you. Joey has been asking about you a lot. Since he and Ann got back together he has been in a great mood.”
“So, does he know?”
“Yeah, he does.”
“Oh my God, did he...”
“No, he didn’t. I promise. Nik, you are going to have to tell soon though. You’re coming home. Don’t you think they are gonna be surprised to see you wandering around with a two year old child?”
“Lance, tell me something that I don’t know alright. This is killing me as it is. How the hell do I talk to him after THREE YEARS almost and just say, hey JC... you’re the father of my child.”
Lance was silent for a moment. “I don’t know Nikki, but I think you should start thinking about that pretty fast. There is NO doubt that she looks just like him. Someone around here that you know, and that knows you and JC were an item, they are gonna be able to tell. You realize that don’t you? Brook can tell, and she has only seen Courtney a couple of times. JC is out of the loop here. He has a beautiful baby girl who he knows nothing about.”
Nikki started to cry. “Lance do you think I have been a horrible mother.... and person?”
“Nikki don’t say things like that,” Lance was quick to say. “You are a great mother. You have done so much of this on your own. You aren’t a horrible person.”
“Did I make the wrong choice?”
“You made the choice that you thought was right at the time, but maybe it’s time you made a different choice.”
“How do I do that Lance?”
“Nikki, I can’t decide that for you, but eventually it has to be done. This isn’t fair for you, JC, or Courtney. She deserves to know who her father is.
“I’ll be home Thursday. I’ll call you okay?” she said. She had to change the subject because she just couldn’t continue thinking about it all. This was something that she would have to face when she got home. She didn’t want to have to deal with it before hand.
“Okay. Have a safe trip. I’ll see you soon. Kiss Court for me.”
“Well do,” she said and hung up the phone. “Make another choice,” she said aloud to herself. “Make the right choice,” she then said. “For Courtney’s sake,” she said and then walked into the kitchen to kiss Courtney for Lance and to talk to Lynn about her plans to go home.
“Mary,” JC started to say.
“JC I don’t want to hear it alright.”
“Look, it’s not my fault you did that.”
“You drove me to it.”
“I drove YOU to sleep with another guy? What kind of crap is that? I have been through all of this shit before and it is not about to happen again alright.”
“Whatever JC. I don’t need you.”
“Good cuz I don’t need you either. Take your stuff and get out.”
“Fine, I will!”
“We’ve been together for five months and I catch you with some guy, IN MY HOUSE!”
“Your bed is more comfortable than mine,” she said and ran her right hand up and over her chest.
“You slut! Get out!” he screamed.
Mary picked up her purse and stomped out of the house. Before she left she turned back to yell, “maybe there is a reason that every girl you date cheats on you. Check your ego at the door! You are NOT perfect!”
“Jesus,” he yelled and slammed the door. “What the hell is wrong with me. Shit! What was I thinking dating that psychotic bitch?” JC threw himself on his couch and propped his feet up on the coffee table. He tossed his head to the back of the couch and closed his eyes tight. He then picked up his head and looked over at the mantle. There stood a beautifully framed picture. “Dammit Nikki! Dammit!” he exclaimed and then threw his head back against the couch and close his eyes again until he drifted off to sleep.
All the guys sat around the recording studio and waited for their script and sheet music to come in. They were going to record some small promo thing as an advertisement for the second leg of their tour. It wouldn’t be aired for quite some time, but they decided to go ahead and get it over with. They were already touring and just happened to have a couple of days free, so they all came home.
Lance had totally forgot about them leaving that Thursday afternoon to go back on tour. He was planning on meeting up with Nikki and all, but now he knew that it would have to wait. After he thought about it some, he figured that maybe it would be a good thing that none of them would be around much at all. At most, one or two of them might come home a couple times when there is a day break between shows, but even that is a up for toss.
Thursday afternoon rolled around pretty fast and Nikki smiled as she sat in the taxi while it drove her from the airport to her house. Courtney glared out the window and giggled at the sites that she saw. The taxi slowed down and then stopped in front of the house that Nikki hadn’t seen in so long. She had an immediate flash back of the last time she was in that house. Her and JC were yelling at each other and Nikki’s face was covered in tears. She shook the thought from her head and reached over to unbuckle Courtney.
“We’re here m’love,” she said.
“Where?” Courtney mumbled.
“At home. This is yours and mommy’s new home.”
“Where Ahnt Lynny?”
“Aunt Lynn is at her home. This is ours,” she said as she picked her up and climbed out of the car when the taxi driver opened the door. She set the child down and said, “you stay RIGHT here. Don’t move. Mommy is gonna help the nice man get our bags.”
“Otay,” she said as she plopped herself on the ground and stuck two fingers in her mouth.
“Come on,” Nikki said and reached for Courtney’s small hand. Courtney stood and wrapped her hand around one of her mother’s fingers and made her way up the path. When they got to the door Nikki let her hand go and unlocked it and put her bags by the door and then took the rest from the taxi driver. She paid him and thanked him for his help, and then her and Courtney went inside and shut the door.
“Wow mommy,” she said.
“What baby?”
“Mommy have a big house,” she said as she let her eyes wander all over the living room.
Nikki laughed and scooped up her child. “It’s not just mommy’s house!”
Courtney smiled and said, “mine too mommy.”
“That’s right,” she said with a smile from ear to ear.
“Lance?” Nikki said as someone answered his cell phone.
“No,” Justin said. “Who is this?”
“Who is this?”
“Does it matter?”
“Justin is this you?”
Justin brought his eye brows in and said, “Nikki?”
“Yeah, Justin?”
A smile swept over his face and he said, “Yeah! Wow girl how are you?! I haven’t talked to you in forever!”
“Yeah and it seemed like you didn’t want to there for a second.”
“Oh sorry girl. You know how it is... just being a little over protective. Somehow them fans of ours find us!” he laughed.
Nikki let out a small laugh as well and then said, “Yeah I bet! Anywho, I am doing well. How are you?”
“I am good actually. I am over at Lance’s. We have to hit the road in a couple minutes.”
“Wow are y’all starting the tour already!?”
“Yeah we are! It’s in the middle actually.”
“Wow! I didn’t know! I am so behind on you guys.”
“No kidding. Girl what have you been up to? You been in hiding or something? Running from the Mafia?” he chuckled.
“No you goofball. I’ve just had a lot on my mind and had to clear it all up. That’s all.”
“You been up north?”
“No,” she said and then paused. “I actually have been in Cali.”
“No kidding! We have been there all too many times!”
“Really?” she said as if she didn’t know. She totally did go into hiding when she knew they were around because she was always afraid that she would bump into JC. She then flashed back to when Lance told her that JC had sworn he saw her that day. That day she was shopping and thankfully had her overly pregnant belly covered.
“Yup, really!” he said back. “Let me get Lance right fast for you. We gotta jet soon and I am sure you didn’t call his cell to talk to me!” he joked.
“Haha, it’s alright Justy. You know I’ve missed ya right?”
“Who wouldn’t?” he said arrogantly but with a joking tone to his voice. He slightly covered the phone and yelled, “LANCE! PHONE!”
“Jeeze Justin!” Nikki yelled as she pulled the phone away from her ear.
“What?!? Did you actually think that I was gonna walk through the house to find him?”
“Well I guess that I should have known better eh?”
“No kidding,” he laughed. “Anyhow girl. I will talk to you later okay. Quit being a stranger! By the way, are you still in Cali?”
“Nope, I’m home right now.”
“Wow I will totally stop by and see you then before we go!” he blurted out and then threw the phone to Lance and grabbed his keys.
“Justin wait!” she yelled.
“Nikki?!” Lance said.
“Lance yeah it’s me. Did Justin really just leave?”
“Yeah, he just took off why?”
“He said he was coming here! He can’t come here!”
“Why? Why is he coming there?”
“He said he wanted to stop by before y’all headed out!”
“No shit? Well dang let me go catch up with him!”
“Lance! Hello? Courtney!!!”
“Oh wow!” he yelled as he ran out the door and barely caught up to Justin. “Nikki you know as well as I do that this isn’t something that you can hide for forever now that you are here.”
“What is she hiding? Come on, Lance if you are coming get in the car. We gotta be back in less that an hour!”
“But Lance I was hoping for some time to prepare!”
“You’ve had almost three years sweetie. I’ll see you in a minute,” she said and then shut off his phone.
“What’s the deal Lance?” Justin asked as he pulled out of Lance’s drive way.
“You’ll see soon dude,” he answered back and then stared off into the distance as they drove down the road.
“Shit, shit, shit!” she cursed as she hung up her phone. Courtney looked at her and Nikki said, “no baby mommy didn’t say that.”
“Yes huh!” Nikki put her hand to her face and let out a sigh. “What’s matter mommy?” Courtney asked.
“Nothing baby. Uncle Lance is coming over. Go get the picture you colored for him.”
“YEA!” she screamed. “I see Uhnkle Wance soon!”
“Yes m’love... and Uncle Justin too.”
“I have Uhnkle Uztin too?”
“You do now sweetie. You do now.”
Nikki heard a car pull up in her driveway a couple minutes and her heart almost stopped. “Court, baby, come here,” she said as scooped the child up and carried her in the room off to the left.
“Mommy where we going?”
“Sweetie stay in here for a few minutes okay. Mommy needs to talk to Uncle Lance for a minute. Here,” she said as she handed her a few markers and another piece of paper. “Color a pic for Uncle Justin too. We don’t want to leave anyone out right?”
“Courtney share mommy.”
“That’s right baby. Here,” she said once again as she opened the markers and turned the TV on some cartoons for the kid to watch. She shut the door partially and then walked back down the hall only to hear the doorbell ring as she approached it. She opened the door and was welcomed by a set of arms. “Justin,” she said as she gave him a warm hug.
“Wow, you haven’t changed a bit,” he said. “Except for the fact that you are even more beautiful now.”
“You always were a charmer,” she said. “Lance,” she then said.
“Nikki,” he said back as he pulled her in for a hug. He gave her a look and she knew exactly what he meant by it. He obviously wanted to know where Courtney was. She just shook her head and he continued to say, “So how are you? I am sorry that we can’t stay very long and help you get settled back in.”
“I’m good, and it is alright. I’m havimg most of the other stuff shipped back here. I just brought clothes and little things that are needed.”
“So girl. Sit, talk,” Justin said as he made his way to the couch and then patted the empty space beside him. “Tell me what you have been up to! I haven’t seen you since... well in almost three years I guess.”
“Almost, yes,” she said as she sat next to Justin and Lance took the chair diagonal to the couch. “I’ve just been trying to get my thoughts collected and figure out what it is that I want.”
“Well I sure hope that with all this time you have had that you figured out some yummy gone juicy stuff,” he joked.
Nikki couldn’t help but giggle. She definitely missed hanging out with the guys. They were the sweetest bunch of guys that she knew and she missed them all dearly. “I’m still stepping on stones, but I am getting there.”
“Well I hope that you get there safely m’dear,” he said.
Lance sat there in silence and watch Nikki fidget and totally avoid bringing up anything that he felt was important to talk about. Then out of no where a little girl came part running, part waddling down the hall. “Uhnkle Wance!” she yelled and dove into his arms. Justin looked at the two of them with a complete state of confusion swept over his face. “Here,” she said as she handed Lance the paper with bright colors of marker scribbled all over the page. “It’s for you!” she said and gave him a huge hug. Nikki wanted to cry when she saw how happy her little girl was to be near Lance again. Courtney looked over at Justin and then made her way to him. She looked up at him and said, “are you my Uhnkle Uztin?”
Justin looked at the child with wide eyes and then glanced over at Nikki. Nikki chewed on her bottom lip and gave Justin a look that he would surely never forget. It was a look of hope, and a look of fear all at the same time. He smile down at Courtney and picked her up under the arms and said, “You bet I am.” Courtney giggled and smiled all at once and then handed Justin a paper of his own with many different bright coloring on it as well. Justin licked his lips and said, “it’s beautiful...”
“Courtney,” Nikki said.
“It’s beautiful Courtney. I’m gonna hang it on my wall okay?”
“Okay!” she said excitedly.
Justin turned to Nikki and whispered, “travel babysitter?”
Nikki shook her head and said, “she’s mine Justin.”
Justin was pretty sure that she would say that, but he had to ask first. He held the young child close and looked right into her deep blue eyes. He’d know those eyes anywhere. “She’s beautiful,” he said and then ran his fingers through Courtney’s hair and looked over to Lance for the answers to the questions he dared not ask.
Lance walked over to Justin and took Courtney out of his arms. “Come on baby. I wanna show you the big back yard. Maybe I can come over again soon and play horsy with you back there.”
“Tay!” she exclaimed. She really did love Lance.
“Nik, maybe you wanna talk to Justin?” Lance said as he stalked towards the back door with Courtney.
Nikki looked at him and then gulped. She turned towards Justin and pulled her leg up on the couch. “Justin,” she started to say.
“She’s JC’s isn’t she?” he blurted out.
“You can tell?” she said with a big gulp.
“The eyes give it away off the bat. She looks just like the both of you.”
“I’m sorry Justin. Yes, she’s his.”
“He doesn’t even know about her does he?” She shook her head and didn’t say a word. “You were pregnant when you left weren’t you Nikki?”
She took a deep breath and then mumbled, “yes.”
“Nikki why did you leave?!”
“Justin, you guys were about to be huge! I couldn’t do that to him. To any of you.”
“So, you were afraid of it affecting us? Of it bringing us down? Nikki she is beautiful and you and JC were in love. Why would it bring us down?”
“Because then girls wouldn’t see him the same way. He would have a child and it just wouldn’t be the same. I thought I was doing the right thing at the time, but I came back because Lance has helped me realize that this is unfair for him as much as it is to Courtney. She needs to know that she has a father and not just a bunch of uncles. I just don’t know how to tell him. He’s going to hate me.”
“Nik,” he started to say.
“I kept his daughter from him for two years Justin. How could he not hate me?”
“Nikki there is no doubt that he is going to be upset, but come on. He would never turn away from the two of you.”
“How do I tell him J?” she asked.
Justin chewed on the inside of his lip. “I dunno Nikki, but you need to do it soon. Look, we have to head out. Lance is supposed to be the responsible one of all of us, so if he is late too, that’s a bad thing,” he said with a small laugh.
Nikki sighed and said, “thanks for not hating me for this Justin. You don’t know how hard this has been for me to hide from everyone.”
“Anytime girl. You know we all love you. I’ll talk with Lance and find out when we all are gonna be back here. It should be in about a month. We will have some time off before we start the second leg of the tour. We’re gonna work this out so that you can see JC and tell him what’s up.”
Nikki reached over and gave Justin a hug. “I love you Justin. Thanks so much.”
“I love you too girl. We’ll keep in touch and make sure all is good here with you and Courtney.”
Lance had just walked in and heard what Justin said last. “That’s right. We’ll check up on ya. And we aren’t gonna tell C that you are around. We’re gonna leave that to you.”
Nikki reached over and took Courtney from Lance and said, “thanks. Good luck you two.”
Justin leaned in and kissed Courtney on the forehead and said, “you behave munchkin!” Courtney giggled and Justin smiled at her cute laugh. Lance did the same and then they both walked out the door and headed down the drive to their car. “I’ve got a plan,” Justin said. “Get in and I’ll tell ya about it,” he said and then the two of them got in the car.
Nikki closed the front door and looked at Courtney and said, “my angel, those are some of mommy’s best friends.”
“I like them mommy,” she said and then smiled and laid her head on Nikki’s shoulder and shut her eyes. Nikki knew that she had well outdone herself for the day, so she carried her to her room and laid her in the middle of the big bed and then laid down next to her and also closed her eyes.