I said buckle up, and I meant it. This is going to be a very bumpy, and emotional ride for awhile. Happy reading!
Moving the spatula around, she frowned at the swift pull of her shirt and the loud whine into her ear. "You don't like eggs?" She asked the fussy baby, trying her best to jostle her with her free arm while she squirmed, shaking her head at the comment, "Wait, no. No, of course you don't, you can't eat them."
Shifting the utensil away from Emma's grabby hands, Nora placed it on a paper towel on the counter, cocking her head at a distant, but rather hard, knock at the door. "Who could that be?" She looked at the baby, who only started to whine more and kick her legs; grasping tightly onto her grandmother's shirt with her lip puckered out, ready to start crying at any moment.
Giving her a plastic spoon to chew on, she sprinted quickly to the door as the knocking got louder, "Hold on!"
Opening it, they stared at the other with wide eyes, "What are you doing here?" Talking in unison, followed by both pointing a finger at the other in confusion, "You first!"
Frowning at each other, he took a step inside the apartment, "I came by to invite everyone to dinner tonight - to celebrate Amy and Grace." He placed his guest on the ground, taking a quick look around the small livingroom and kitchen, "Did they go somewhere? Why are you here?"
"Wh-are J-on?" Robbie asked, clutching a green Tonka tractor in his hands
She furrowed her brow, a small chuckle passing her lips as she put her hand behind the baby's head when she started to throw it back, "You're kidding right?"
George raised his brow, unamused, "No! Why would I be?"
He shook the truck eager to find his friend, "J-on! J-on!"
Nora squinted at him, clicking her tongue against her teeth, "You haven't spoken to Anne?"
He shook his head, checking his watch, "Not since she dropped Robbie off after the ceremony, why? Is that who Amy is with? Where's Ricky?"
"You really don't know?"
"Know what? What the heck is going on? Where is my daughter?"
Her eyes fell, voice becoming small as she ran her fingers across Emma's back, "George... Anne and Amy left for New York this morning..." She swallowed roughly, seeing the shock in his face, "Ricky called me about an hour after she did to help him out."
His mouth fell open slightly, eyes becoming glassy in the seconds of silence before he asked, "John?"
She shook her head, patting the infants back soothingly, "Left them both here."
She took a step back, careful of the toddler standing by her legs as he paced in a circle, hand to his mouth, "I can't believe this."
"Believe it, George." A voice deadpanned from the apartment, as Ricky made his way into the kitchen quickly, taking out a carton of juice, "She did it." His eyes were heavy, their usual brown tint being dulled into red, puffy glass as he looked up at him.
George's hands were on his hips, striding over to Ricky, frustration his voice, "What the hell happened?"
Ricky opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted by the muffled cries of his son, with the blue blanket draped over his half clothed body as he sprinted for his father's comfort, and attached himself to his legs as he cried into them.
Nora leaned in, getting close enough to whisper into George's ear, "He's been like that since she left. He hasn't left his side." His eyes shifted from the boy to his granddaughter, also starting to whine.
Ricky sighed, "I'll explain later" and tried his best to take a step with John latched tightly against him, to gather the whimpering baby from his mother.
Nora shook her head, moving Emma from her right arm to her left, and snuggling against her, "We're okay."
Ricky nodded silently, giving his daughter a small smile before seeing his children's pint sized uncle holding a toy. "Look buddy, Robbie came over to play with you." He shook John gently, hoping that seeing his best friend would cheer him up enough to interact with someone.
John shook him away, whining in a high pitch into his jeans, "Nooooo!"
John's sharp rebuttal hurt Robbie's feelings, sulking against his toy sadly as he walked towards the sofa. Nora patted his shoulder, taking a seat with the infant pressed against her hip, "That's okay, Robbie - Emma and I will play with you."
"Hey Johnny," George spoke softly, taking small steps towards his grandson, and running his fingers through his dirty blonde locks. John shook him away too, grasping tighter onto Ricky's jeans, so hard he feared he would pull them down. He put his hand to the top of his head as he began to cry again.
George frowned, momentarily going back into the livingroom, "I have an idea!" Before turning on his heels again, "What if we all go to the park and get some ice cream?"
"Yeh!" Robbie cheered, bouncing on the balls of his feet excitedly as he was grasping Emma's small hands with his
Ricky put on a smile, trying to get the boy to look at him, "That sounds fun, doesn't it John?" John stayed still, sniffling quietly. Ricky sighed, removing his son's hands from his pants in order to bend down to his level to talk to him more clearly, "You wanna go to the park with grandpa, and grandma Nora, and Robbie?"
John's lip puckered, shaking his head with force and not missing a beat as he wrapped his small arms around his dad's neck and started to slobber, "No! I wana st-ay wit daddy!" Ricky sighed again, deeper, as he embraced him.
They gave each other a look, both filled with heartache for their grandson, and frustration for Ricky.
"I tagged you!" She shouted, galloping away from the small tag team
They both laughed, swerving around each other to touch her, shrieking, "No, you it!"
"And she just left?" He squinted against the sunlight, watching his son and grandson run around in a circle aimlessly in hopes of grabbing onto Nora, giving them a small little wave from his place on the bench, "Did she give any timeline to when she'd be back?"
He shrugged, adjusting the visor before taking the baby out of the stroller, "She said she was unhappy - we needed time apart. My guess is a couple weeks." Adjusting the infant to rest in his lap, "Of course this was after I caught her in the lie about our marriage, and what she told the counselor..." and pulling a bottle out of the diaper bag, "that stupid letter was just the nail in our coffin."
George turned his head towards them, "What letter?"
"Amy didn't tell you?" He shook his head. Sighing, Ricky hung his head, "Clementine -"
"The coffee shop barista?"
"Yeah - her" He continued, shaking the bottle forcefully, "She kissed me, and then wrote me a letter professing her love for me... and Amy found it after I'd destroyed it."
Emma whined, reaching for the bottle as he shook it again, "We spent half the night fighting after she got back from that stupid party, just to have sex and she wake up to find that letter." Putting the nipple to his daughters lips, Ricky sighed again deeper as he watched her drink, "She pretty much made her decision in that moment. She wanted out."
"I just have a hard time believing that Anne would agree to this- let alone facilitate the whole thing." George's tone was sad, lightly brushing his granddaughters small hand with the tip of his index finger, tipping his lip when she flexed her fingers and grasped on.
Ricky pursed his lips, looking out onto the rest of the park - watching the way his son's face lit up in the sunlight - The sight sending a pain through him. "Yeah well, I do. Nothing Anne does surprises me. She's hated me since the day Amy told her she was pregnant with John."
"What are you going to do?" The question was loaded, both staying silent for a moment as the infant squirmed and pumped her legs against him. He smiled down at her tiredly before looking back out, squinting, "The only thing I can do... take care of them the best I can, and hope Amy comes back in a couple weeks."
George nodded silently, running his palm over the knee of his jeans as she started towards them
"How is it possible to have that much energy? They're trying to kill me!" Nora proclaimed, slightly winded as she held her side and moved to sit down.
Galloping closer, John waved his hand out towards them, "Daddy!"
Ricky chuckled, scooting over to give her space, causing the infant to whine at the disturbance, "I often wonder the same thing."
Their heads snapped to the side, both cocking a brow as they shouted, "You're young!"
"Daddy! C'mon, daddy!" John beckoned from his place on the small slide, ducking under the bar his hand grasped on to to get a better look at his dad
Robbie threw his head back, maneuvering his small legs up the steep red steps to join his nephew, "Wicky!"
"C'mere, pretty girl!" Nora smiled, sticking her hands out to take Emma, flailing her arms, from him.
Taking out a rag to wipe the drool and excess formula from her mouth, Ricky handed Emma over, beaming at the sight of his mother's interaction with his daughter - a sight he never imagined himself seeing given their history. He paused a second, blowing air from his cheeks before springing off the bench into a sprint and swooping John up, throwing him into the air and laughing at his high pitched shrieks that turned to giggles. "C'mere you!" Robbie put his arms out too, ready to he thrown next.
They watched them silently, small smiles plastered to their faces before his eyes shifted down, and he stared at his hands, his voice low, "Do you think this was Amy's plan all along?"
She ran her hand along the back of the infants head, bunching her curls between her fingers, "I knew they fought... but I never thought she'd actually leave. I'm just as stunned as you are."
"Amy saw an opportunity... it's no surprise that she took it..." George trailed off, smiling sadly at Ricky as he held John by the waist, guiding him as he held onto a bar and slid across, cackling with joy. "How do we break it to him?"
Nora followed his gaze, tuning into the way her son grinned from ear to ear as he pushed John back and forth, chuckling as he shouted with delight. "You do think she's coming back, don't you..."
He sighed, placing his eyes on his granddaughter, "As a parent I can only hope my daughter does right by her children - but I'm also not blind to the fact that she's 18... and wants the life she never got to have because she made some mistakes." She nodded in understanding, moving Emma into a standing position, Nora's hands cupped firmly under her arms as she bounced ferociously against the bench.
He smiled at her, nodding along to her gurgles and squeals before asking, "Are you really moving?"
She pursed her lips, "Horrible timing, huh? My son just watched the woman he loves walk out the door, and now his own mother is moving further away from him." Emma squealed again, grunting when he leaned in to tickle her stomach. "Excellent support, Nora!"
"The guesthouse is still an option - Kathleen won't mind."
"You and Kathleen don't need me around, interrupting your lives. I'm okay. Really, I am. I'm ready." She paused, taking in a deep breath through her mouth, "I'm ready to move on and be out on my own again - sober this time."
"You're not afraid to be by yourself? Scared you might start drinking again?" George's eyes were still, rising up to meet hers, genuine concern in them. She bit her lip and nodded slowly, half smiling at their grandchild blowing spit bubbles. He replaced her hands with his, bringing Emma to his lap, kissing her temple as she started to whine. "You've come a long way since showing up on his doorstep two years ago, I'm proud of you."
"Yeah well, I have a lot to be thankful for, and to stay sober for." Nora wrinkled her nose playfully at the baby, getting a one-toothed grin in return.
"Would now be a good time to show you this?" Bringing out a small box from his pocket, he flicked it open with his thumb.
Her eyes widened, "Really?" Putting her hands up to cover her mouth, "You're going to ask Kathleen to marry you again?"
His brow furrowed, "Why do you have to say it like that? Again - can't you just be happy for me?"
"I am!" She chuckled, shoving him lightly, "When?"
"I was planning for tonight at dinner, but..."
Teeth clenched, "Yeah... maybe not the best time" Nora chuckled again, glancing out on to the play yard again before whispering into the air, "What if Amy doesn't come back, George?"
George's jaw tensed, "Then... Ricky is going to need all the help we can give him" looking between the baby in his lap, giggling to herself as she played with her hands, and the toddler racing down the slide on his stomach, "They all are."
She jolted suddenly, blinking against the harsh overhead light, "Was I asleep? Why didn't you wake me?"
Her mother shrugged, flipping another page in the magazine she was reading, "You looked tired. And you needed the rest."
Flattening her palms on the seat, Amy pushed herself up further, pushing the hair out of her eyes, "Did Ricky call?"
Anne shook her head, pursing her lips, "No phones."
"I miss them..." She stated sadly, bring her phone out to check it - sighing at the no service across the screen, and the image of their family. She turned to her mother, "How am I going to cope with not seeing them for a few weeks?"
"You deserve a life, Amy." Anne put the magazine down, taking hold of her daughters arm with her hand, "After everything... you deserve to be able to live your dreams. John and Emma will understand when they are older. They will."
"You don't have to come with me - I just need to grab a few things" Nora quickly stated, unsure of how he was going to react if he entered the house. Her old house.
He shook his head, letting go of Johns hand, "I don't mind."
She gave him a half smile before bending down to her grandsons level, reaching out to him, "Okay. Hey John, wanna come help me?"
John was hesitant, glancing from her to his dad quickly. Ricky nodded slowly, making sure to assure his son he was still going to be there when he returned, "Go ahead, I'll be in here." John bit his bottom lip, but walked with her to the garage anyway.
Emma whined against his chest, grabbing at the zippers of his jacket. Ricky sighed, glancing around the room that once held pot and pans, and overflowing countertops along with what seemed like a hundred different other things. He walked slowly, each step around the structure that held so much laughter and love, also housing anger and tears. "There's a lot of memories in this place," he whispered in her ear, stroking the back of her head with his fingertips.
"He's so tiny - are we doing this right?" Amy was nervous, her voice was cracking with emotion and fatigue as she looked at him with apprehension.
He chuckled lightly, soaking the cloth in the water, "It's a bath, Amy - I don't think there's a wrong way to do it."
"He's just so little I - I don't want to hurt him..." She was getting emotional, her eyes betraying her by releasing a few tears. She was scared, and he understood why - she had just given birth to this tiny little person who she was now responsible for in every way.
He lowered his tone, brushing the tips of her knuckles with his thumb, "Hey, you won't. I promise. Here -" giving her the damp cloth, "just like glide that over his body, he's only a week old so there's not that much to clean" She took the cloth and went painstakingly slow, but her shoulders started to relax, and he could hear her release the breath she was holding in, even giving him a tiny smile - a silent thank you without actually having to say it.
Blink
"Bunny ears? Really?" He cocked a brow at his son's attire.
John was pressed against Amy's chest, dressed up for the occasion in a light blue button up shirt with matching pants - the small fabric ears she had placed on his head were slightly lopsided, "Doesn't he look adorable?"
He shoved his hands in his pockets, unsure if he should nod to please her, or ask why she felt the need to dress a 3 month old up. "He looks uncomfortable..."
The smile on her face turned to a frown, as she patted John's back and turned hers away from him. "Here. Just dye an egg or something"
Blink
"Where did John go?" He felt ridiculous, spinning in a circle with his eyes closed and his palms over them, talking to the air in the squeaky voice the boy loved so much, "Where did he go?"
"Dada!" John squealed, crawling out from behind the couch, his little four tooth grin spanning the entire width of his small face.
Blink
"Nice steaks - don't you think they're nice, Amy?" George asked them, twirling his fork into the mound of mashed potatoes on the plate.
They ate in silence, the two of them at opposite ends of the table being separated by a plate of overdone meat.
"Alright you two, one of you needs to start talking because the silence is starting to annoy me - we're not a silent family." He pounded his fist lightly against the wood, careful to not scare his grandson who ate beside him, "Fine, I'll talk then."
They both shrugged, Ricky taking a bite of his steak without even glancing up, while Amy twisted her fork into the Mac and cheese with annoyance.
George sighed, putting his utensils down, raising his hand and pointing his finger between both of them, "You're an idiot, and you are over reacting - there, happy."
"Hey!" They raised their heads and shouted in unison, eyes catching when they did so. Ricky sighed and dropped back against the chair, feeling the weight of her hurt starting to close in on him. Amy lowered her head and sucked in her bottom lip, distracting herself by helping John with his food.
George nodded, a small smile tipping onto his lip, as he wiped his lips with the napkin and pushed his chair away from the table to stand. "There we go. My work here is done."
Blink
"I fwou-nd youuu!" John hollered from the hallway, sprinting into her legs as she struggled to regain balance from getting out from under the coffee table.
"You did!" Amy's enthusiasm back made Ricky chuckle under his breath, as he too hid awkwardly behind a curtain, the tips of his boots clearly visible during their impromptu game of hide and seek. "Did you peek?" John shook his head, bouncing on the balls of his feet. She giggled again, running her nails across the base of his scalp, "Let's go find daddy!"
The memories started flashing through like a film reel, each room having some sort of intricate detail that he couldn't escape from. Each room having a memory that made him fall more in love with her - With Amy.
"Look - it's mommy's old room..." Ricky paused in the doorway, pointing to the white wood, now without the annoying butterfly that always seemed to fall when Amy shut the door too hard. Emma squealed, pointing with wide eyes at the clean walls; no longer housing the corkboard that held their son's baby photos within it.
He nodded along with her excitement, directing her attention to the chair left behind and the indentions on the carpet from the bassinet-turned-playpen, and sighing sadly, "Yeah - right here is where John used to sleep when he was a baby..."
She perked up and snorted at the mention of her brother, following his finger as it moved to the right, "and right here... this is where mommy and I made you -" Ricky chuckled softly, pressing his lips to Emma's forehead as she smiled at him - the little gesture reminding him of Amy, and all the moments they shared that led to this tiny human being in his arms.
"Don't you wanna go to sleep for daddy?" He asked, jostling the restless baby, "Just for a little bit, huh?" John swiped at his eyes with his chubby fists, fussing and squirming in protest.
Ricky shifted his weight into his other arm, pressing his palm to John's head as he laid it on his shoulder. "You're such a mommy's boy - you know that?" John twitched at the statement, snorting against his shirt. Ricky smiled at it, starting to sway his hips slowly in the way he often did.
"That's not a bad thing though... I'd much rather have you be like your mommy because you have a really great one."
His head shot off his shoulder, squinting his eyes at him before pressing his fingers to his mouth. Ricky chuckled, pushing his lips out to kiss them, "Yeah - your mommy loves you so much, John." He kissed his forehead, running his hand across his dark brown baby curls, "And so do I."
"Ma-ma-ma!" John babbled, grabbing at his dad's face and his shirt aggressively, sensing her presence nearby.
"There's my baby!" Amy squealed, rushing into the room with a wide smile and her hands open
His face lit up, pumping his small legs excitedly upon seeing her, "Ma-ma!" She lifted him into her arms with ease, kissing his cheek softly as he pressed his slobber covered fingers to her nose.
"I'll get going - he's been fussy all night so it might take awhile to get him down." Ricky rubbed some tension away from the back of his neck, "How was the dance?" Amy shrugged sheepishly. "He still hasn't called you, has he?" She shook her head, focusing on their 10-month-old patting her cheek with his hand. Pursing his lips, he shrugged too, "Well he's an idiot. You don't need him." He must have struck a nerve because her eyes shot up, anger starting to make its way onto her face.
He put a hand up in surrender, "Sorry, I just don't want to see you hurt. You've been through enough of it from me." He twisted his shoe into the carpet, eyes on the being that put them in that very moment. "Goodnight."
"Wait -" Amy called after him, taking a few steps towards the door where he stood, "Thank you... and thanks for watching him... I appreciate it."
His lip tipped up, "Anytime, you know that" giving them both a small little wave as he turned to leave, "night, little guy. Night, Amy"
Blink
"This feels...awkward..." He paused from kissing her, stilling her hands from moving any further down his body, "us having sex in your childhood bed - that doesn't make you cringe even a little bit?"
Amy's brow creased, unsure if he was joking or not, before she started to giggle, "Isn't that what beds are made for?" Ricky rolled his eyes, pecking her lips again. "Besides..." her hands moving down to his belt, as she fought the urge to bite his bottom lip, and her lustful eyes became soft, "I don't care where we do it - I just want to be with you."
Blink
"You don't date?" Amy questioned with a sigh, as she draped her arms around his neck.
"I don't date." His head was cocked, shifting to give her fingers better access to the hair on the nape of his neck.
"You wouldn't date me even if dating me eventually led to having sex with me?"
"No, I wouldn't. I don't get it... dating - it's just a waste of time." Ricky reached up and brushed an invisible crumb from the side of her lip with the pad of his thumb
She smiled shyly, "Thanks"
"No problem" His smirk appeared as he leaned in and kissed her softly, eyes shifting to her mouth when she pulled away.
Her lip tipped up, a small smirk and a playful rub of his arm with her palm as she quietly whispered, "Spend the night with me - please"
Spend the night? Did she just ask him to sleep with her without actually sleeping with her?
His stomach was in knots for some reason, the way her eyes shifted to his in a gentle but pleading way - inviting him to an intimate moment, without being physically intimate.
He parted his lips to speak, but couldn't find the words and just tipped his lip up at her, stroking her cheek with the pad of the his thumb and nodding.
The smile that came to her face was genuine, and soft, the same innocent way it was at band camp: one of the many reasons he became attracted to her. She leaned in to kiss him again, apply more pressure with her hand lightly grasping the hair at the nape of his neck.
They were enamored with each other, and how easy it would be for both of them to just give in to their attraction, but he was trying to change. He was trying to change for her because she was worth it.
Is sleeping in the same bed a weird next step to their getting closer? Or is it just a ruse; a waste of time because they really weren't meant to be? He shook the thoughts from his mind as she started to pull back: no doubt nervous because she was about to slip her tongue into his mouth, a small little blush appearing on her checks.
Biting his bottom lip, Ricky helped her off the counter and slipped his hand into hers, enjoying the way Amy's soft skin felt against his, and how her eyes lit up with each small glance he snuck.
Blink
"I don't get it" Ricky paused, pulling the striped blue short sleeved polo over his son's tiny frame, "I mean we had a baby together for crying out loud - why can't I ask her out?" His legs were starting to shake at the thought again, chest getting tighter each time. He sighed, swiping the hair away from the baby's forehead, "What do you think?"
John stared up at him with those wide brown eyes: his eyes, but the way they crinkled on the side when he squinted, were hers. That boy was the perfect combination of the two of them.
So why was this so hard? Why was it so difficult to allow himself to get closer to her? John squealed, drawing him out of his thoughts, "Tell me little guy... why can't I get closer to mommy, huh?"
He clapped happily, his four teeth showing as he grinned, "Mama!"
Ricky smiled, picking him up, "Do you think Mama and Dada could be happy together?" John squinted again, his nose scrunching as he made a face at the question. Taking a deep breath before pausing a few feet from her open door, "come on, buddy... let's go make mama smile."
Blink
Their formal goodbye seemed too stoic: both pushing off asking the other what they wanted to say.
Amy stepped closer, her lips pursing and eyes becoming curious as she searched his. "Is there something else? Something you wanted to ask me?"
This was it.
Her eyes were gentle, their brown glow reflecting off the light. "Would you and John like to go out with me tonight?" The weight lifted, but the anxiety of her answer still made his breath hitch, but when her smile spanned her beautiful face, "We would love to!" it too lifted, and he was able to breathe.
Ricky loved that smile.
It was perfect. She was perfect. Perfect in all the ways that he was not - and thought he couldn't be.
Amy Juergens was the one.
The girl he was going to get to know.
The girl he was going to love.
She was it... he just didn't know it in that moment yet.
That that one ask, the simplicity of that one date would turn his world upside down.
They would continue to go out and get to know each other - truly get into every detail of each other's lives - and fall more and more in love with each smile, each hand hold, and each kiss.
In that singular moment he cemented the spot she would make in his heart.
The thought of their happy moments brought both a smile, and tears, as they stood there together in the empty room. The wound in his chest becoming more raw as the tears fell from his eyes, onto the small little baby they made together.
The overwhelming love Ricky carried for Amy, consuming him as he tried to stuff down the anger and betrayal he felt by her unwanted departure, as Emma stared up at him, her green eyes watery as she blinked back sleep. A tear rolled down the side of his cheek, stopping on his jaw, as a pain shot through him, and the images left his head.
"Sorry... I'll just go wait in the car" Nora trailed off, not realizing that she had inadvertently stepped into a tender moment until she saw his tear stained cheeks.
His head snapped up, now aware of other people in the room, as he adjusted the infant against him. Turning his head, Ricky quickly wiped the moisture from his face, and eyes, before turning back to them. "No, that's okay -" his voice wavered, a tiny crack threatening to come though, as he took his son's hand - taking one last glance at the empty walls before whispering, "there's nothing left to see here anyway..."
"Wow buddy that sounds so fun!" She giggled through the receiver, trying to navigate her way around the building as her mother walked ahead and kept pointing in the air, "Uh huh, yeah - I'm so happy you had a fun day! Uh huh - okay, okay buddy mommy's got to go, but I'll call you before you go to bed, okay? Okay - bye bud." Hanging up, Amy sighed, but plastered a fake smile when she came rushing back over, tapping her nails against the hard-shell phone case, "All I got out of that was he played on something with Robbie and ate some ice cream."
Anne nodded reassuringly, half listening to her as they rounded a corner, "See, you were worried for nothing - they're fine", oblivious to anything else that wasn't in the building before she found what she was looking for, "this is you -"
The door was cracked, an odd amber glowing light coming through. Anne frowned, pushing it open with one shove, slightly taken aback by three individuals standing in a circle.
"You must be the new girl..." A girl walked forward, her fire engine red hair making Anne's look blonde by comparison, as the skirt she was wearing stopped just below her crotch, and the lip ring coming from the middle of her bottom lip caused her to raise an eyebrow.
Amy nodded hesitantly, glancing around the room to avoid her mothers judgmental eyes. She swallowed before speaking, "Um yeah - I uh -" giving her mother pursed lips and a brow raise, hoping she would take the hint. She did, sighing under her breath and walking out of the room.
Waiting until Anne closed the door, Amy smiled at them, "I'm Amy -"
"Emery." She cut her off, waving her hand lazily between the group: "This is Alexi -", a petite girl with purple hair and a sleeve of tattoos. "Zack -" a taller guy who resembled an athlete with jet black hair that spiked at his forehead. "And Adam -" and another, more quieter guy of average height, had dirty blonde hair that swept one side of his face, with two small pieces of silver in his bottom lip, and a tattoo on his right hand of what looked like a bleeding flower on it.
He bit the space between the rings on his lip with his teeth, his electric blue eyes resting on her as he threw his head back and expanded his arms, twirling his hands, "Welcome to Hudson Hell, Amy"
"We'll be friends forever, won't we Pooh? asked Piglet. Even longer, Pooh answered-" John breathed deeply against his legs, his small hand falling off the cushion, as Emma squirmed and fussed, grabbing at the pages of the book in his lap. Ricky checked his watch, closing his eyes and expelling a breath through his nose at the fact that it was almost 9, and Amy hadn't called yet.
"You can't seriously be getting ready for bed, can you?" Emery questioned, hands on her hips
Unzipping the case, and removing a pair of blue jeans, "No, just unpacking a bit is all - why?"
"Why? Uh the gang will be here in like 10 minutes"
"For what?"
"For what?" She mocked, rolling her eyes, "The party! So get up and throw something decent on"
Amy shook her head, taking out a wrinkled white top and laying it on the bed to smooth it out, "I'm good - a bit partied out. I'm okay staying here."
Emery rolled her eyes again, flipping the top of the suitcase down, "No offense... but you've been a giant buzz kill since you got here - what do you do for fun?"
Lips pursed, Amy shrugged, folding a purple t-shirt, "I don't really have much time for fun. I have ki-" catching herself, she inhaled quickly, "a part time job back home. Doesn't really leave me with much downtime."
"Well lucky for you, you got a kickass roommate who just so happens to be amazing at parties." Raising a brow at her unchanging demeanor, she shifted further onto the mattress, and put her hand on the stack of neatly folded shirts, "Sweetie, if my red hair is any indication to you that I know how to have a good time, it should also be an indication to you that I'm quite feisty and won't stop bugging you until you give in"
Slightly caught off by her aggressive persistence, Amy raised a brow back but after a 2 minute staring match, blew air from her cheeks dramatically, and nodded along.
Standing there, watching with a held breath, hoping that Emma's eyes would stay closed and she would drift off into a deep, longer than two hour, sleep, he pulled out his phone, closing his eyes and closing the door behind him as her annoying voicemail sang out, "It's me. It's Amy. Leave a message"
Pursing his lips, Ricky started to ramble, "Hey, just wanted to check in, see how everything went. You never texted me back so I was a little worried, but figured you were busy..." His eyes widened, forgetting that she couldn't see him, "The kids are asleep - took them to the park with your dad so they've had a busy day... anyway I guess I'll call you in the morning then - I love y-" The tone changed, cutting him off, "If you are satisfied with your message- press 1"
Hanging up, he walked over to the sofa, gently putting John's arm back on the cushion, and gathering his small frame into his arms.
"We made it through day one together..." Ricky whispered, brushing the hair away from his son's eyes, as they made their way into the bedroom, laying him down on the mattress and pulling the covers over him. John snuggled into them, his head lolling to the side tiredly. Ricky's lip tipped up, bending down as he lingered over him a few seconds before kissing his temple softly, "We'll make it through the rest..."
"I'll be out in a minute" She squeaked at the knocking, trying not to smear the mascara dripping down her face even more than it already was. The knocking continued, causing her to swipe at her cheeks and sigh, opening it with a rough tug - surprised to see him standing there.
"You okay?" He asked, stuffing a hand into his pocket
She shrugged, struggling to nod, "Yeah, this -" she took a shaky breath, "this whole thing is just a bit overwhelming for me"
Adam nodded, "New girl in the big city. I get it."
"Something like that." Amy took a few steps toward the staircase, "Hey have you seen Emery? I'd really like to just go back to the dorm and go to bed. I'm so tired."
He shook his head, swinging the hair away from his eyes with a single shot of his head, "I can take you..."
"No, no that's okay, I'm sure she's here somewhere - this place isn't that big."
"I don't want to scare you but waiting might not be wise. These parties can get out of control if you're not used to them and I'd hate to see you get hurt by some jackass if you stayed waiting for Emery." He moved closer - too close. Her breath hitched, as his fingertips touched her arm, "I see your ring - I'm not trying to do anything... I just want to get you home safe." The genuine concern in his voice made her brow rise, but release a sigh of relief.
She glanced between the sea of out of control party goers, and him, before tearfully nodding, "Okay..."
Letting her go ahead of him, Adam kept a steady hand on the base of her spine, knowing how one misstep down the winding staircase could go. "He must be a really great guy to let you come to New York to be with a bunch of strangers." He stated loudly, trying to be heard over the chorus of loud chanting from some guys doing keg stands.
"He is." Amy nodded, smiling wide for a split second before it turned to a sad frown as they reached the door and stepped outside, "He's a really great guy."
