Be sure to visit my page on the DeGrassi Saviors website to vote for which story will replace Waiting on a Spark that hasn't Happened Yet when that ends. You have three choices and there are brief descriptions for each story in the poll. The poll will remain up until the last chapter of Waiting on a Spark that hasn't Happened Yet goes up which might be as few as four weeks or as many as ten it all depends on how much goes into these last few chapters. Love Me Back to Life and The Girls Next Door continue to stay within a few votes of the other so make sure to get your votes in.
It's going to be a pretty busy week so chapters will likely be on the shorter side this week. Including tonight's chapter which very short because today was just crazy and long.
Ch. 28 I Don't Believe That Nothing Lasts Forever
(RIKER)
"I will be very happy to sleep in my own bed again, assuming we actually get any sleep. I've had nurses here to come in and do feedings in the middle of the night," Clare comments as we gather her and Juliana's stuff in the hospital room. Clare is sitting on the bed holding Juliana because I told her she couldn't help.
"That's what you have me for, you guys take some of them and I'll take over at a certain point," Darcy reminds her.
"Plus we have your mom and my parents and all my siblings for at least another month to help with child care," I remind Clare. Clare's mom and her stepdad were staying through the weekend but Glen has to go home to work. Clare's mom will be staying for a couple of weeks. My whole family including Ell were staying for at least a month. We were going to record some here and had some photo shoots, interviews and were even going to shoot the video for our next single. My parents had rented a vacation house again and Clare's parents were staying there while they were in town.
"I know," Clare smiles.
Clare signs the papers for discharge and an orderly comes in with a wheelchair for Clare and Juliana. Adam, Darcy and I get all the bags of stuff and we go down where my dad is waiting in a rented van to take us all to our apartment. Everyone is there waiting to welcome Clare and Juliana home. I sit in the back with Clare and Juliana in a car seat between us. My beautiful baby daughter is four days old today and I gaze at her with a happy smile on my face. Dad stops in front of our building so we can unload since there's underground parking, we do have a spot with our apartment but none of us have a car so we don't generally need it. Clare gets Juliana and the rest of us get the bags and all the stuff and we head up to our apartment.
Everyone says hi to us but of course everyone wants to see Juliana more. My mom takes Juliana and lights up when she holds her granddaughter. Ell and Rocky help us get all the stuff into the nursery or mine and Clare's room. Clare sits down and I get her something to eat and drink so she doesn't have to get up. With so many people wanting to hold Juliana she gets passed around fed and changed and totally taken care of so that we don't have to do anything. Helen even puts Juliana to bed at which time it's fairly late and everyone who doesn't live here leaves.
"I've been thinking about our wedding," Clare says when we're in bed together and Julian is asleep in her bassinet near the foot of our bed.
"What were you thinking?" I ask her.
"Where and when I want our wedding to be but I don't know if it's possible," Clare replies rolling on her side and draping her arm over me.
"Tell me what you want Always Girl and I will make it happen," I tell her.
"I want to get married at Disneyworld where we met and I want to do it in December, specifically on the 22nd so we're married a year to the day."
"I think it's a great idea and we'll make it happen. Between my mom and sister and your sister and Adam I don't think we'll have any trouble planning a wedding in four months. Getting everyone to Orlando and there being a wedding space available at Disneyworld might be another story," I comment.
"We don't need a very big wedding. Darcy, Adam, my mom and Glen, Jake, my dad, Elaine and Caroline. Of course your parents, siblings and Ell. Your grandparents, cousins and aunt and uncles if they can make it. And Curt and Kim and I think those are the most important people to us, and of course Juliana will be there. I don't want one of those weddings that gets out of hand where we're inviting fourth cousins and our mom's hairdresser's daughters. I want the most important people in our lives to be there and see us get married. Then we can celebrate with everyone else later, we can have a reception of sorts in L.A. and Toronto and maybe eve Colorado if your extended family can come out to our wedding."
"I think the receptions after are a great idea and I'm sure we'll need them. We'll talk to our wedding planners in the morning and make sure that the wedding happens just as you want it to," I tell Clare giving her soft kiss.
Clare smiles and kisses my chest. We start to fall asleep but Juliana wakes up. I pick her up from her bassinet while Clare sits up to feed her. I watch as Clare feeds our daughter, it's a beautiful sight watching the woman I love nourishing the daughter we made together. When Juliana has been fed I take her and get her changed and burped, then I rock her in my arms until she's asleep again and I put her back in her bassinet.
"I love you Rock Star," Clare grins when I get back in bed.
"I love you Always Girl," I smile before taking her lips for a tender kiss.
(CLARE)
"She'll need to be fed in about an hour," I comment handing Juliana over to Darcy.
"I know Clare; will you get out of here. Juliana and I will be fine and you'll be back in a few hours now relax and go to class," Darcy insists.
I smile and kiss my daughter and hug Darcy before leaving for my first day at Columbia. Juliana is a month old today and I begin classes today. Having spent much time on the phone with my counselor this summer and knowing I was going to be a new mom we decided that it would be best for me to do two classes on campus. I'll be fulfilling my other credits with independent study. My two classes are an hour and half each and I have twenty minutes between them, with travel time I'll be away from Juliana for about four hours each Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Of course even when I'm home I have homework and at least four hours a day of independent study. I have certain criteria that must be met for the independent study and one of my professors is my advisor.
I arrive at Columbia and just take a deep breath. I've been on campus before of course but this is different, I'm going to be in a classroom and attending my first class. Evidence and Inference is my first class it's about a disciplined journalistic method of testing assumptions and hypothesis. In other words, doing what you can to keep the morality in journalism. I love every minute of the class; my professor is extremely engaging.
My second class, which is M.A. Essentials, is just two rooms down and I have fifteen minutes still before my class so I walk around a little. This part of campus will be where I spend most of time I decided to walk around and explore a bit. I'm looking at the bookshop and café in the journalism building when a girl approaches me.
"You look familiar do I know you?"
"I don't think so," I shake my head.
"I'm sure I do," she insists twisting her mouth and squinting her eyes as she tries to place me. "Wait you're Riker's Always Girl, you're engaged to Riker Lynch aren't you?"
I'm a little stymied, it's the first time I've been really recognized without being with Riker or one of the others. I'm used to be spotted with Riker or one of the others, they get recognized and then I sometimes get recognized as an afterthought. I've never been recognized on my own or if someone did recognize me they've never approached me.
"Uh yeah," I nod.
"I knew it! You are so lucky! Oh my gosh and you just had a baby right?"
"Yes we did."
"Is Riker a good dad I bet he's a good dad. Can you introduce me to Rocky I love Rocky he's so hot don't you think?"
"Yeah Rocky is hot; I'll ask him for a picture to give you but right now I have to get to class. It was nice talking to you," I reply as politely as I can and walk away to the classroom.
I didn't know what to do, it was just weird to be recognized and sort of ambushed in a way. I enjoy my second class and don't see that girl again before leaving campus, I hope I didn't offend her or anything but I was so surprised and frankly a little scared. When I get home Darcy is on the sofa feeding Juliana.
"It was great I love my classes. How was Juliana?"
"She was a perfect angel," Darcy smiles at her.
I grin and kiss Juliana's forehead, I get something to eat and spend some time with Juliana before I go back to our room to do homework. Darcy has Juliana and Adam will be home soon. I greet Adam when he gets home and they start making dinner. Riker is at an interview with the rest of the band but he should be home soon. When Riker does get home I'm still doing homework in the bedroom.
"Hey Always Girl how was your first day?" Riker asks sitting on the bed giving me a kiss.
"It was great, I love the campus and my professors but it was a little weird getting recognized," I respond.
"What do you mean?"
"This girl thought she knew me," I reply rolling to my back as I had been lying on my stomach doing homework. "After a moment she realized who I was, she called me your Always Girl and then asked if I could introduce her to Rocky. I've never been recognized on my own before it was a little weird and a little scary. I hope I wasn't rude I kind of told her I'd try to get her a picture of Rocky and then kind of ran to class but I didn't know what to do she kind of ambushed me."
"Should I get you a bodyguard?" Riker teases caressing my cheek.
"I don't think that's necessary it was only one girl it was just odd," I reply.
"Well people know you now, you've been to photo shoots and interviews and you were on national TV playing our song with me. This beautiful face is a recognizable one and I'm sure Rocky will be happy to give this girl a picture."
"I'm sure he will but I'll have to get her name if I see her again."
"Well don't worry about it now, right now let's go eat dinner with our family," Riker says capturing my lips for a kiss and then pulling me up.
We go out to the living room and Riker picks up Juliana. I feed her before we eat dinner and after dinner Riker and I take Juliana into our bedroom. We lie her on the bed with Juliana between us and we sing to her. In this moment, this wonderful little moment of serene happiness, I wish I could stay in it forever.
The update next Wednesday will jump ahead a little to Riker and Clare's wedding.
