So sorry it took me so long but here is chapter 2. I'm really hoping you guys are liking it so far.

Ch. 2 – Help Me Celebrate It

It hadn't been a very restful night for the 31-year-old Indian woman. All evening she tossed and turned with the worst feeling of guilt she had felt in a long time. When she closed her eyes, her mind was plagued with the image of Schmidt's face as he mentally processed the sentence she had uttered. His mind was stuck on that one word, 'friend'.

Cece remembered laying her head down to rest at around 10 that night. Time hadn't seemed to go by all too quickly, but the next time her head rolled over to glance at the clock, she was surprised to find that it was now 6:42 AM. Exhaustion, however, was the least of her worries. Try as she might she could not escape the remorse of crushing the one person who loved her endlessly.

She decided to give up on trying to doze off. It was a moot point. Besides, her mother and stepfather, Rajiv, had asked her to meet them downstairs for breakfast at 7:30. Cece pulled the comforters off her and made her way to the bathroom, turning on the shower to begin her morning ritual.

Cece was so distracted yesterday trying to understand how to move forward with Schmidt, that she hadn't even noticed how amazing the hotel was. She got off the elevator to the lobby and followed the signs for the restaurant, passing along the way, the spa, indoor pool & the fitness center. That's when it had dawned on her that the many times she had been to New York, she hadn't taken the time to stop and take in the sights and see the true exquisiteness the city had to offer.

The restaurant was fairly fancy, not that she was expecting anything less given that they were at 'The Roosevelt'. Before she could open her mouth to ask the maître-d where to find her table, her mother had caught sight of her and flagged her over to where she and her stepfather, Rajiv, were sitting. "Cecilia! Over here." Priya Parekh hoarsely shouted to her daughter.

"How did you sleep?" Her mother asked her sincerely as she took her seat.

Cece shrugged. "Not that great. I guess I'm still kind of Jet-lagged." Jet-lag was a better reason for a restless night than admitting to her mother that she was up all night thinking about her Jewish ex-boyfriend whom she had never met nor even heard of. She knew her mother wouldn't like the idea of her daughter dating anyone that wasn't Indian. Cece was still walking on eggshells around her mother after the failed wedding to Shivrang two years ago. All she wants is for her daughter to find a nice Indian man who has a good steady job so they can get married and start a family, but Cece just couldn't go through with it.

"Well I'm sure it will wear off soon."

"Yeah, I hope so."

Rajiv took note of his stepdaughter's sullen tone and made an attempt to lift her spirits. "Maybe if you're not too tired, you would like to join us today." He asked.

"Really? What are you guys up to?" Cece tried her best not to sound too bland, but she knew any plans that the two of them had made for the day could, in no way, be appealing to her.

"We're going to Bellerose to visit with some of your step father's family." Priya said encouragingly.

The last thing Rajiv wanted to do was bore her. "Afterwards, we were planning to visit Ellis Island. Make a day of it." He wasn't quite sure what Cece was into. They didn't talk all that much, but didn't have that cliché type of stepparent/stepchild relationship either. He married her mother well after she left home and didn't get many opportunities to bond, but all of their interactions displayed a mutually respectful aspect.

"Actually, you know, I was thinking about just staying in the city, close to the hotel in case I suddenly get hit with a wave of exhaustion." Rajiv was neither disappointed nor surprised at her answer. He was expecting her to opt out, but at the very least, he wanted to make sure she knew she was welcomed to join them.

The same could not be said for Priya, however. Spending time with family was something she took very seriously and was frustrated when either of her children neglected to honor the family's values. "Cecilia…I really think you should join us. It would be good for you to learn the history of your ancestors and their immigration to this country."

"Priya…" Rajiv interjected on Cece's behalf. "I'm sure she doesn't want to spend the day with people twice her age getting a history lesson. She's a grown woman, she'll be fine on her own."

"Well I don't like the idea of you wandering off all alone in this big city by herself."

"Mom, I'm not going to be walking down dark alleys. Besides, I've been here millions of times, I'll be fine." As reassuring as she tried to be, Cece knew it was completely lost on her mother. She was the kind of woman who worried constantly, even about matters that didn't warrant concern.

"I still don't like it."

"Look…"Cece began, "If it'll make you feel better, I have a friend in town visiting family for the holidays. I'll give them a call." She worded her sentence carefully as to not specify whether the friend was a man or woman. She was, of course, referring to Schmidt, but didn't want to lie to her mother, nor did she feel like getting sucked into a lecture about the type of men she was involved with in any capacity.

The former Parekh woman was still uneasy. Looking back and forth between her daughter and husband, she decided to drop the matter for now. "Fine." Cece tried to hide her smile knowing that if she let her cheek muscles run rampant, she would have flashed a full, teeth-showing beam, but didn't want to impair the illusion that she was exhausted.

Unlike his ex-girlfriend, Schmidt was enjoying a slumber so deep, it was borderline hibernation. He found it was easier to get a good night's rest when he wasn't encumbered with work or being woken up by his loud and mischievous roommates. His cousins' couch was surprisingly comfortable given that he lived there alone and his home was in serious need of a woman's touch.

Schmidt had every intention of sleeping until the last possible second his body would allow him to, but whatever god he believed in seemed to have other plans. As if there was some higher power delivering a personal 'screw you' to the self-absorbed Jewish man, he was abruptly startled awake by the overpowering and thunderous sound of his mother and his aunt bellowing at the top of their lungs. His eyes snapped open and he was immediately plagued with the feeling of dread that always accompanied his visits home. As hard as he tried, he couldn't will himself to go back to sleep and knew it was only a matter of time before someone tried to wake him anyway. Rolling his eyes, Schmidt threw the blanket off himself and sat up. He took a minute get his bearings before standing up and heading towards the origin of his growing headache.

The smell of coffee wafting throughout the house was beckoning him. If only he could develop powers of invisibility at this very moment that would allow him to slip into the kitchen and grab a cup without anyone noticing. But of course, that was wishful thinking. The second his bare foot hit the cold kitchen tile, all eyes were on him. He pretended not to notice, making a beeline for the coffee machine knowing full well that he couldn't face either of the two women without a caffeine boost.

"Well looked who finally decided to join the land of the living." It was all Schmidt could do to keep his skin from crawling at the shrill sound of his Aunt Sharon's voice.

"Honestly, honey. It's almost noon. How can you sleep all day?" Louise Schmidt was the Queen of overbearing, controlling, nagging mothers everywhere.

"I guess I'm just jet-lagged."

Louise scoffed at her son. "Jet-lagged. How are you jet-lagged? You were born and raised here. Everything should all be second nature to you every time you come back." The fact that that ridiculous statement made sense to Schmidt made him shudder as he joined the two women at the table.

He felt what little energy he had at the moment drastically drain from his body, and needed another hit of caffeine. He brought the mug up, ready to take a sip, when suddenly his cousin barreled into the kitchen, grabbing each of Schmidt's shoulders and shook him violently, spilling slightly hot coffee all over him and the table in the process.

"Schmiggle!" He screamed. Schmidt wanted to shoot himself right then and there and accept sweet death. "What's up little buddy?"

"Sweetheart," Aunt Sharon chimed in, "You're making a mess."

"Sorry Ma." Big Schmidt said. He walked over to his kitchen sink, grabbed a towel and tossed it to his little cousin. "So, Schmiggle. What are you trying to do today?"

"Actually, I think I'm just going to relax around here today. I'm exhausted."

"What are you exhausted from? You slept for almost eighteen hours last night! Is it more of that jet-lagged nonsense?"

"Jet-lag is not nonsense, it's a real thing. I'm still on California time. I just need a day to readjust."

"You want to know how to readjust? You get up, you go out and do something. Leave the house, interact with people. And let me tell you something, you will find yourself among a higher class of people in this city than you would had you stayed in Hollywood with all those hipsters walking around."

"I like Los Angeles just fine." Schmidt didn't know why he even bothered saying anything at all. He already knew she wasn't going to listen to a word he said. It was easier to just let her talk.

"You've been out there too long. It's time you moved back. Get a better job out here and a nice apartment to have to yourself. You're thirty, you shouldn't live in house that has a urinal. And I don't know how you don't go crazy living with five roommates. How do you get any privacy?"

"Oy vey! Five roommates?" Sharon asked dumbfounded.

Schmidt felt the need to correct them. "I only have four roommates."

"Since when?"

"Since always." He replied. "It's only ever been Me, Nick, Winston, Coach, & Jess."

"What about that chick you used to date? Cece. I thought she lived with you guys too." His cousin chimed in. Schmidt's eyes grew wider than he knew they could get. He stared daggers at his older cousin from across the room and tried to subtly shake his head to get him to stop talking, but it went lost on the behemoth.

Louise set down her coffee and stared at her only son. "Chick? What chick? You dated one of your roommates? Who is this Cece? Is she Jewish?"

"She doesn't sound Jewish." Sharon piped in between sips.

Big Schmidt, oblivious to the fact that he was digging his cousin into a deeper and deeper hole, felt the need to add to the conversation. "I think she's Mexican or something. But she was smoking hot. Of course Schmiggle here wasn't man enough to handle a woman like that."

Louise's lips pursed sternly. "You dated some Mexican woman?"

Schmidt was exasperated. He threw his body and head back on the chair and ran his face over his hands and through his hair. "Here we go." He muttered to himself.

Unlocking the hotel door, Cece swiftly entered her hotel room and threw her shopping bags and purse on the bed. She didn't buy much for herself. The few bags she had contained Christmas gifts for Jess, Nick & the other guys that made up the makeshift loft family she happened to find herself a part of. Winston, Coach & Nick were simple enough to gift shop for. She bought Coach a new stopwatch since he was always timing things, a kitten calendar for Winston where every month featured a picture of that grumpy cat that resembled Ferguson, and for Nick, a bottle opener with a handle that read 'Save Water, Drink Beer'. She figured they'd all get a kick out of those. Shopping for Jess was hard because she always had high expectations. Cece figured a new pair of winter boots were a safe bet to give her best friend of nearly 20 years.

Now she just had one more gift to get. 'How do you shop for a gift to give your ex-boyfriend who is now just your friend?' Cece thought to herself. But thinking about, the term 'ex-boyfriend' didn't seem appropriate to call Schmidt. It seemed like they were more than merely exes. And since they were venturing on to the just friends territory, finding a suitable gift was all the more crucial. Part of her wanted to just buy him another Tungsten Carbide bracelet like she did two years ago when she first asked him to be just friends, but a repeat gift was tacky. Besides, he still had that bracelet and wore it practically every day. Cece pretended not to notice as he tried to hide it under his sleeves, but there were times where she caught him slipping and it would slide out from under his cuffs.

She tried not to read anything into it as it was just a bracelet given to one friend from another, but every time she saw that metallic glare shine just above his hand, she couldn't help the feeling of warmth that would course through her body from his thoughtfulness. What she needed to do was find a gift that held equal quality and meaning as that bracelet. That was going to take a few days to figure out.

Before she knew it, all Cece could think about was Schmidt. Not only about a fitting gift for him, but everything. She wondered whether he was able to sleep last night or if he was tortured with restlessness as she had been. She hoped he wasn't too miserable having to be around his mother, who, from his recounting of his childhood, seemed a bit overbearing. Now she found herself wondering what he was doing at that very moment.

Schmidt sat at the kitchen table with his head in his hands as he was forced to endure a full blown lecture from his mother about dating a Jewish girl. Only a small part of him was paying attention while the rest of his mind was focusing on two other matters. The first being the method of torture he was going to inflict on his cousin for inciting this reprimand before leaving him there, and the second was him praying to God and anyone who would listen to bring an end this by any means necessary. Schmidt was so desperate, he was even hoping for another hurricane to strike.

Cece had been sitting in the same spot on her hotel room bed for the last twenty minutes trying to work up the nerve to call Schmidt and ask him to lunch. She found herself missing him and desiring his company. Her problem was, she didn't want to intrude on his vacation. After all, he was with his family.

Over and over again, Cece kept hearing his voice echo through her mind like a broken cassette tape…'if you ever need anything, I'm just a phone call away.' Surely he meant if she were ever in a bind, but she was willing to believe that it also extended to the two of them hanging out if they were ever bored or in need of companionship.

Cece knew she was overthinking this and then some. Her subconscious was just trying to stall herself out of fear of rejection. So what if he says he can't, she thought to herself, you can always just order room service and watch TV. She tried to make that seem less pathetic than it felt, but no such luck. Just call him Cece…You guys are friends now…friends call each other and ask each other to lunch without feeling like seventh graders.

It took a bit more of an internal struggle with herself before Cece finally said 'to hell with it' and pressed the call button next to Schmidt's name on her phone. With each ring, she got more and more nervous and she could not figure out why.

Hell, was the only word befitting this precise moment. Schmidt was currently in Hell. Before him stood his mother going on and on. What started as a speech about the cultural and familial obligation of dating a woman from a Jewish family, had somehow taken a turn to the pros and cons of moving back to Long Island.

Schmidt didn't know how much more of this he could take. There were many reasons he never visited his mother or asked her to visit him, and this was number one. His eyes scanned the kitchen, hoping to find something that would allow him to make a getaway. His best option was to somehow 'accidentally' cut himself so badly he would require stitches. The idea of spending the rest of the day in the Emergency room was strangely relaxing to him, which he found sad.

Just then, his daydream was suddenly cut off by the beautiful sound of his ringing phone in the next room. He hastily excused himself, not even bothering to hide the joy in his voice. He grabbed his cellphone off the coffee table and read the caller id, surprised to see Cece's name. Whatever the reason for her call, Schmidt knew that he owed her…Big Time.

He answered casually, not wanting her to misinterpret his cheery tone for anything other than relief from escaping his mother. Cece apologized if she was bothering him and decided to be straight forward and not beat around the bush. She told him that she had just gotten back from shopping all morning and extended to him an invitation to lunch in the city. Schmidt more than graciously accepted. He told her of a restaurant she might like and they both agreed to meet there in an hour before hanging up.

Cece entered the restaurant at the address that Schmidt had texted her earlier. It was a cozy little café that was busy, but not too packed. She looked around, scanning the faces of the occupants until she found him. He was so fixated on his phone, that he hadn't even noticed she arrived. No doubt he was shopping online for a new cardigan or a pair of driving moccasins. Cece made her way over to his table by the window. He looked up just in time to see her approach and the instant their eyes met, his face was beaming. Schmidt got up to greet her. They shared a short but sincere hug and when it ended, Schmidt turned around to pull her chair out for her.

"Thank you." As she sat down, Cece felt butterflies erupt into her stomach. It felt like first date jitters, which confused the hell out of her since this was nowhere near the idea of a date. They were just two friends, out to enjoy a friendly lunch and the pleasure of each other's company. They were starting over.

Before they could exchange any other words, the waitress walked up to their table and placed a menu in front of each of them. "Can I start you guy's off with a drink?" She seemed friendly enough. Schmidt motioned to Cece silently telling her to order first.

"I'll have an iced tea, please."

"Make that two." Schmidt said from his side of the table. The waitress, whose name-tag read Quinn, smiled at both of them before heading back behind the counter to make their drinks.

Schmidt, making good on his promise to give their friendship a real shot, switched his phone to vibrate and set it face down at the end of the table. Out of sight, out of mind. "How're your parents?" He asked. Cece smiled at him. He was always really considerate.

"They're good. I'll bet they're nowhere near as crazy as your cousin though." Cece gave a sly smile.

"Oh god. Don't remind me. Ever since that year he spent Thanksgiving with us, every time we see each other, he tries to drag me into a competition to see 'who's the Manliest'."

"No way!"

"Yes way. It's ridiculous."

"Who usually wins?"

"That's the most embarrassing part…It's always a tie."

Cece threw her head back and let out a short laugh trying to envision the man before her in a series of ridiculous tests and trials to prove his masculinity. Not long after, the waitress came to deliver their drinks and took their lunch order. They both ordered a turkey club sandwich with a side of fries and continued their friendly conversation. Cece once again tried to get Schmidt to admit to her the truth about what happened in the first class lounge back at LAX that led to his outburst, but he wouldn't budge. As the waitress delivered to them their meals, she swore to him that she would get him to tell her before the trip was done. Schmidt waved her off and the two went back to talking and eating their meals.

Over the next twenty minutes the two ate and exchanged friendly banter. With each funny comment and interesting discussion topic, they found themselves growing more and more comfortable in their zone of friendship. It was nice being in each other's company in this capacity. Whenever they were with the rest of the group, it hard for them to get to know the other, but when it was just the two of them, they realized that they had a lot in common.

"So," Schmidt began, "With your parents doing their own thing, what do you got planned for the day?"

Cece shrugged thinking about it. "Um…I don't know. I was kind of thinking about maybe going to Central Park. I've never been there. It might be fun." She tried to skate over the fact that she hadn't been to one of New York's biggest attractions by lowering her voice, knowing that he would make a big deal about it and possibly open herself up to ridicule, but he caught it.

Schmidt dropped the French fry he was getting ready to eat in a grand exaggeration to go along with the look of shock that took hold of his face. "Hold on. Back up. You've never been to Central Park?"

"No, I haven't." Cece said rolling her eyes at his amplified display of surprise.

"How have you never been there? You've been to New York like 80 times."

"I know! It's just that every time I came to New York it was for a modeling job, and after the shoot me and the other models would go to a party or club and just get drunk. It has always bothered me though, I have to admit. There are so many amazing things around this city, I would just love to see it all."

"Well, you're here for nine more days. That's plenty of time to see everything. I say you should go all out and do it."

Cece agreed with him, but was reluctant to tour the city during the holidays by herself. The thought of doing that as a solo mission was already making her feel lonely. "You think so?"

"Hell yeah…In fact…How about I be your tour guide?"

Cece thought he had read her mind. "Really?"

"Absolutely." Schmidt said excitedly. It was a win-win the way he looked at it. He would get to spend more time with Cece, which would help him show her his serious effort in being a good friend, and he had an excuse to avoid his family.

Cece loved the idea, but refused to let herself show it. She also felt guilty about taking up Schmidt's time during his vacation. "Wait…Are you sure? I don't want to keep you from your family."

"Are you kidding? This would be saving me from my family. Besides, this is where I grew up. Who better to show you around?"

Cece allowed a huge, dimple-showing grin cross her lips. "Well then. I would love for you to be my tour guide." She said sweetly while, internally, she was doing backflips.

"Alright. First, we're going to need a game plan." Schmidt looked around the table until he found a clean napkin. With perfect timing, their waitress was walking by. He asked her for a pen, which she had tucked away in the pocket of her apron and was happy to loan him. Taking the cap off of the pen, Schmidt scribbled across the top of the napkin 'NYC Tour' and directly underneath it, wrote 'Central Park'. "Okay," he said looking back up at her, "where else did you want to go?"

Cece was filled with so much excitement that she was drawing a blank. "Umm…Times Square!" she quietly shouted.

Schmidt wrote that down as well, thinking of another special place to add to their growing list. "Okay….Empire State Building?" he asked her.

"Definitely! And…The Statue of Liberty."

"Perfect. Anywhere else?" Cece had another place in mind, but refrained from saying it, wondering to herself if it was a good idea. Schmidt looked up at her and could tell she was holding something back "What?"

She felt silly. "I have another place in mind, but I don't know if it's too much."

"C'mon, out with it." Schmidt insisted.

Cece met his eyes. "Coney Island?" She asked him nervously.

With much eagerness and not an ounce of hesitation he said "Done!" and added it to the list. Just then, the waitress came by once again to check on the couple.

"Anything else I can get you?" She asked looking back and forth between the two. Cece and Schmidt looked at each other and shook their heads. They were so focused planning their excursion, they momentarily forgot where they were.

"No we're okay." Cece said to her nicely.

The waitress nodded her head and smiled back, reaching into the pocket of her apron once more. "Okay, well here's your check. You can pay at the counter when you're ready. Have a good day." She placed the bill at the edge of the table equidistant from both Cece and Schmidt, then walked away.

Before Cece could reach around her water glass to grab the check, Schmidt quickly snatched it off the table.

"Oh no Schmidt, let me get that." Cece pleaded to him. He was already giving up his day to show her around the city, the least she could do was pay for the meal she had invited him to.

Schmidt got up to head to the front counter. "Not a chance." He said smiling slyly at her. "Look over that bucket list and make sure there's nowhere else you want to go."

As he walked away, Cece couldn't believe how contended she was in her ex's presence. She bit the corner of her lower lip trying to suppress the childlike grin her body was desperate to release. For the first time in the longest time she felt like she was at the place she wanted to be with him. They could spend actual time with each other without worrying about any of the issues that normally accompany a romantic relationship.

She was happy that they had this time together. There were sides to Schmidt that only manifested when they were alone, sides she had missed. This trip could be a chance for her to see them again. With any luck, this could be the start to them rebuilding everything that was lost when they last broke up and grant them the opportunity to explore the idea of starting anew. Cece would never admit this to anyone, not even herself, but on the rare occasions that she imagined the way she wanted her life to turn out, Schmidt had always played a substantial role. He was the only one she ever saw herself ending up with and that scared her. Even more so after their latest breakup, when all trust with him was tarnished. As hard as she tried, she couldn't get rid of the residual feelings that were still there, so she pushed them down. She was good at that.

Cece was so lost in thought, staring off into space, that she was startled when Schmidt came up behind her. "You ready to go?" he asked her, not having noticed her jump at the sound of his voice.

She took a second to let her mind readjust then answered. "Yeah" she said standing up. As she gathered her phone and purse off the table, Schmidt grabbed her coat and scarf from across the back of her chair. He helped her put them on and led them out of the restaurant, holding the door open for her as they left.

And there you have it. Again sorry it took so long. Hope you enjoyed. I will have chapter three out as soon as possible. But please, please review!