A/N: This was originally only meant to be a one-shot, but seeing as I actually forgot to mention that, and a lot of the wonderful reviews I got requested that I'd continue it; I thought I'd give it a shot. I'm a bit scared that I'll ruin it all now, and that it actually should just be a one-shot, but I guess we'll all know after this.
To explain the title of the story, "Not an Ordinary Shade of Grey". I can't remember where I got it from, maybe a blog? But I thought it went good with the whole 'purpose' of the story. Which is more to show the everyday events, rather than what you would usually call the 'important' ones, because it's the everyday events that make us who we are. And, the days and events can be grey, or, you can make the most out of it, which then won't give you an ordinary shade of grey.
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"We'll collect the moments one by one
I guess that's how the future's done.
-Feist
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"See, now I've got my cookies, tea and a comfy chair that makes both me and Rory happy, so..let the entertainment begin!"
Summer was sitting in a corner of the cream white room staring at her husband. He was standing in the middle of the room surrounded by boxes filled with paint and with a paint brush in his hand.
"Summer, you can't just demand me to be creative, and just paint. It needs some thought and careful planning before starting a project this big."
She shrugged and dove into her cookie plate, munching on her chocolate chip cookies. He looked around at his canvas, trying to think of the perfect creatures that could fill Rory's walls.
A few minutes later, Summer looked up at Seth and saw that he was slowly spinning around in circles. She grinned and held back a giggle. "Got anything yet, Cohen?"
Seth stopped spinning and gave her a glare, then in a mock serious voice he said, "Hush now, the creativeness is flowing in."
She uncrossed her feet so they dropped down and hit the cold wooden floor. "Well, if it's okay for the mighty, creative genius from OC, I think we," She gestured to her stomach. "will go to bed."
Seth made his way over to the white chair and helped her up. He pulled her into a hug and bent down to kiss the side of her eight and a half months pregnant tummy softly, and with a whisper he said, "Sleep tight, baby."
Summer waddled out of the door, leaving him with a smile.
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The bedroom was pitch-dark when Summer woke up later that night. She immediately noticed she hadn't been sleeping in Seth's warm embrace and untangled herself from the linen sheets. In her red night gown, she made her way down the hall when she could hear soft music sliding out from under the door.
"Dancing when the stars go blue."
She made it through the door just as the last few notes of the Ryan Adams song faded from the room. A new song started playing, and Summer's eyes filled with tears as memories washed over her. Seth turned around from the wall he'd been painting and met his wife with a huge grin, "You made it."
They met in the middle of the room where the moonlight was reflected on the floor. He held his arms open for her as she slipped into the arms she fit so perfectly in. He wrapped his arms around her, holding her as close as possible. With his chin on the top of her head, and her cheek on his chest, they moved to the music.
"I don't believe that anybody feels the way
I do about you, now.
This song meant so much for both, and their relationship. Not only was it the song they had danced to the night they had realized they're the same. The lyrics put words to their feelings for one another, and, just like it had nearly nine years ago, it described their relationship.
During the song, Seth moved his head so his cheek was connected with hers. His mouth was just inches away from her ear as he softly sang the words to his love. Summer left kisses on his cheek in between the words, tasting his soft skin.
The song ended and they continued dancing to an imaginary beat only the two of them could hear, enjoying each others company.
Summers eyes opened and over Seth's shoulder, she could see figures were already forming on the walls.
"Wow, Cohen. This is amazing!" She kissed his cheek one more time before they parted and she turned the light on to view the mural better. It was only partly done, but Summer was still in awe over what her husband had made. Sketches were on the walls opposite the window and the door, sketches from the fairytale "The Sleeping Beauty". She walked over to where she had explained the baby's crib would be placed and smiled when she recognized the two creatures that were already drawn and painted. Her left index finger touched the light lilac horse and her finger absorbed a little paint.
"Princess Sparkle and Captain Oats." She said quietly. Hormones were taking over, and for the second time since she had entered the room, Summer could feel her eyes water. Seth was by her side within seconds. He used his thumb to wipe the tears that were now falling. "For me, you're so perfect" She told him between her sobs. He cupped her chin and kissed her nose. He repeated her sentence, but directed it to her. "Summer, for me, you're so perfect."
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The doorbell chimed through the house and Summer made her way out to the foyer. She opened the door and was greeted with two eyebrows, then a smile; all attached on Sandy's face.
"Summer, hi!" he said warmly before he kissed his daughter-in-laws cheek.
"You want to come in?" She asked him, glad to finally have some company. Seth was working and would be away most of the day. Summer longed for someone to talk to, as the days at home and pregnant could be long and boring. Summer was never bored in Sandy's company; he was too much like Seth. Both made her smile and laugh with their goofy comments.
"Actually," Sandy started and took her arm, leading her towards his car. "I have something for you. Well, actually, for the baby."
He opened his trunk, and Summer squeezed his arm when she saw what was inside. "Oh my God, Sandy! It's so beautiful!"
Inside was a crib for the baby, a dark mahogany crib. "It's been in my family for generations." Sandy explained for her. "My Great-granddad made it for my granddad and after that it's gone to the first born in the family." Sandy struggled a little, but managed to get the crib out of the car and onto the sidewalks.
"Look here," He said and pointed down to the side of the crib where initials were carved into the wood. "Here's my granddad, and my dad." He said as his fingers moved over some of his family history. "Here's me, and that's Seth's." He smiled as his finger moved over his son's initials, SEC.
"Sandy? But SSC? What's you middle name?" Sandy looked away for a second, before he met Summers eyes with an amused look written across his face.
"Shlomo. I've always hated it. Always. It means 'wise and peaceful'; The Nana had big hopes for me." He let out a laugh; the typical Sandy laugh that let her know it was okay to laugh with him.
"So, with a middle name like that, I thought it was only fair to give Seth a "unique" middle name aswell." He said, now with an evil grin. Summer couldn't help but giggle.
"Funny, because Seth was the one who absolutely didn't want Auroras middle name to be Borealis. Maybe the middle name scarred him more than you thought it would?"
They both laughed a little before Sandy turned his attention back to the crib. "Oh Summer, look here." He pointed down to some initials below Seth's.
"ABC" Summer mouthed, before she quickly looked up at Sandy, her eyes huge and filled with gratitude. He smiled at her reaction. "I carved them in myself yesterday after I found the crib in the basement. She'll be the first girl in the family to have the family crib." Summer attacked her father-in-law with a hug. "Thank you."
"No problem, kid. But, now we have a problem. We have a crib that are rather heavy, and you're not allowed to even try and carry it, and I can't carry it up the stairs by myself. Seth's working?" Summer nodded. "So are Kirsten and Ryan." He sighed.
"I could call Marissa?" Summer asked, but immediately regretted when she noticed Sandy's reaction. "Marissa?" He moaned. "I'm sorry. I love that girl, but her carrying heavy things? It would be like asking Seth to do the same thing in his teens. She would pull a muscle and the whining and crying from that wouldn't be bearable." They shared a knowing look, Sandy was right.
"You know what? Wait here a second." He ran across the street, and moments later he was back with Summer and Seth's sixteen year old neighbour Summer knew was named Jason.
"Hey Mrs. Cohen." He greeted her before him and Sandy took each side of the crib and carried it inside with Summer following closely behind.
"Up the stairs, down the hall and to the right." She yelled after them as they disappeared up the stairs. Summer struggled up the stairs with her own heavy load in her belly. When she'd made it to the top, Jason and Sandy came out from the nursery.
"We weren't sure where you wanted the crib, so we put it in the middle of the room, and then I can move it when you tell me where you want it." Sandy told her while he slipped Jason five dollars. The teenager muttered a thank and flashed Summer a smile before he ran down the stairs and out the door. He reminded her a lot of Luke, with brown floppy hair and with a polite attitude towards those older than himself.
Sandy took her arm as they walked into Rory's nursery. It had taken him two days, but Seth had completed the mural on the walls. Summer, as an interior designer, had firmly decided that this had to be the best baby room she had ever seen. She had seen a lot of great ones, and helped creating many aswell, but this was all so personal and every coat of painting was painted with so much love and every furniture was thought out with careful planning. Marissa and Ryan had come by with their two year old, Thomas, a week ago and helped Seth paint the cream white colour on the walls. Kirsten and Summer had shared a lot of phone calls discussing the design of the nursery and then trips to various shops buying things. Seth had painted the murals and Sandy brought the crib. This way, in her nursery, Rory would be surrounded by the people who already loved her.
Summer and Kirsten had been to a boutique outside of Newport the other day where they had found some beautiful antique wooden furniture for the nursery. Summer had gone for the homey, classic look for the nursery, where the cream colour on the wall and the all-wooden furniture set a nice contrast to the colourful mural and Rory's clothes and toys. The boutique had assured her the furniture would be delivered tomorrow, and Summer made a mental note to cancel the crib she had ordered.
"Where do you want it?" Sandy asked and Summer pointed over to a corner across from the window.
"Aah, Captain Oats!" Sandy said, as he tried to push the crib closer to the wall. "And Princess Sparkle." He added as the crib was set right under the mural of the two horses.
Summer nodded and walked over to inspect the furniture and its position. "It's like you and Seth." Sandy concluded with a serious voice. Summer nodded again and smiled.
Sandy looked around the rest of the room. "He's got the artistic talent from Kirsten. I can't even hold a pencil correct, let alone draw or paint anything.
Sandy nudged Summer carefully. "The ceiling! Seth's idea?" Summer grinned again and nodded. "Wow." Was all Sandy could say. Seth had made the murals as personal as possible. He had added Princess Sparkle and Captain Oats as what could be described as guardian angels above Rory's bed. The paintings on the wall was of "The Sleeping Beauty", Aurora, and at last, he had painted the ceiling in dark, dark blue and added colours of green, red, yellow and purple, re-creating the Northern Light Summer and Seth had seen in Canada. A sky complete with glow-in-the-dark stars and a beautiful Aurora Borealis.
Sandy glanced down at Summer's watch, the ever-free Sandy Cohen was without a watch on his wrist on his day off. "Oh, I better get going. Kirsten should be home now, and I promised I'd bring the Chinese for dinner. Anything I could help you with before I go?" He asked her as they made their way out of the nursery and down the bright hallway.
"Actually, do you think you could give me a ride to Seth's office?"
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Seth worked at a big publishing company in Newport, where he got to be among the first people to read unpublished books, and got to help people release their dreams, or shatter them. Normally he loved his job. It was interesting, fun and, until now, he'd never gotten bored of it. But, when the job was keeping him away from Summer, it was a job from hell.
He was just about to finish up for the day when he heard a knock on the door. Before he had the chance to reply, a beautiful raven head peeked through the door.
His smile, which had been non-existent until that second, grew wide. "Hi." He greeted her verbally, before kissing her deeply, showing her how happy he really was to see her. A thing words couldn't express.
"What do you say about going to a restaurant and celebrate?" He asked her as their fingers intertwined.
"Celebrate? Celebrate what?" She asked him, wondering a little if she'd forgotten one of their anniversaries.
"We don't have to celebrate anything in particular. We can celebrate life, we can celebrate life together. We can celebrate that you're my wife and that in just two weeks we're having a baby. Or we can celebrate your smile." He said as she beamed at him.
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A/N: I'm not sure about this. It's very random, but then again, I like random things, but all of you might not. Hopefully have the next chapter up soon; I just need the inspiration-lightning to hit me. Please review!