“I can’t believe I’m about to do this.” Michelle thought.

One of her friends had told her about this ridiculous contest that she was about to partake in about a week ago. When Sophia had told her what the prize was, she jumped at the chance to participate in the contest.

The prize was two front row tickets to a concert by her all-time favorite music group the Backstreet Boys.

“Sophia talked me into this and now she isn’t even here with me.” She mumbled to herself.

The station dj called her name and she climbed the stairs to the makeshift stage.

“Now Michelle,” Ryan, the dj, said. “All you have to do to win the contest is keep you face in the ice bucket for longer than twenty seconds. Can you do it?”

“I would do anything to win those tickets.” She replied, and the scary thing was that she was serious.

She stepped into place behind the ice bucket and mentally prepared herself for the plunge. She HAD better win those tickets.

“Three, two, one.” Ryan counted down and she promptly put her face into the bucket.

“One-one thousand, two-one thousand, three-one thousand…” her thoughts slipped to Nick. She begun to think of the face and voice that had gotten her through so much, the face and voice that she had fallen in love with so long ago.

“Ten-one thousand, eleven-one thousand, twelve-one thousand…” her thoughts slipped again.

This time she saw herself sitting in front of him and he was singing, “Open up your heart to me and say what’s on your mind…” I Need You Tonight was her favorite song.

“Eighteen-one thousand, nineteen-one thousand, twenty--she’s gonna beat Natalie—twenty-one thousand.”

Right after Ryan said, “Twenty-one thousand,” her head popped right out of the ice bucket.

The crowd still cheered and Ryan said, “It’s a tie. Unless Natalie and Michelle are willing to take the ice bucket plunge again, they will each receive one of the tickets.”

Ryan wasted no time asking Michelle, who had a bright red face, and Natalie if they were willing to take the plunge again and both girls were quick to decline the offer, each was willing to say it was a tie and accept ONE of the concert tickets.

The concert was scheduled for Nov. 18th. That day just also happened to be Michelle’s 21st birthday. Who knew, maybe her dreams were finally going to come true.

She got home about an hour later, after she had spent forty five minutes in Starbucks drinking hot chocolate with cinnamon.

Sophia was waiting outside for her. “So did we win?” she asked eagerly.

Michelle and Sophia had long ago made a pact that stated if either one of them bought or won concert tickets for BSB they’d take the other along.

“Well…..” Michelle started.

“Well what?” Sophia asked getting antsy.

“I won.”

“So we’re going?”

“I’m going.” Michelle replied quietly, not really wanting her friend to hear her answer.

‘What?”

“It was a tie. The other girl and I both got a ticket. I’m sorry. I couldn’t stand putting my face back into that ice bucket. I still have brain freeze.”

“Oh. I knew you were gonna do this to me. I knew I shouldn’t have told you about the contest. I knew it!” Sophia replied angrily and stalked off to her car.

Frankly Michelle didn’t care if Sophia was mad or not, she was the one who had participated in the contest; almost had her face frozen off, and it was she who deserved the reward, not Sophia. Michelle was going to see the BACKSTREET BOYS in concert!

The first thing that popped into Michelle’s head when she woke up was, “I’m going to the concert tonight!!!” She didn’t even think about the fact that it was her birthday, that she was finally old enough to drink.

As she stood under the shower head after eating breakfast she let herself dwell on the fact that it was now exactly three weeks ago that she had broken up with Tom. She still couldn’t believe that he had been cheating on her and with Sophia no less.

She had told her producer, Jaxon Mastriani that she wasn’t coming in today. Jaxon had just laughed. He had already known the reason because aside from participating in the contest Michelle and Jaxon had covered the contest for the radio station they worked for. He had told her, “That’s fine. I could use a day off and besides you deserve it.” He knew all about the whole Sophia/Tom thing.

She was pampering herself that day. She was going to get a massage first. Then she was going to get a manicure and her nails done. Finally she had an appointment with her hairstylist.

For the rest of the day Michelle sat around her house alternating between reading, writing, working on the questions for her Britney interview in two days, and thinking about what she was going to say in her review of the concert the next day on her show.

She left her house at 5 pm. It would take her about an hour to reach the venue. The concert didn’t start until 8 pm but she had managed to get a ticket to the sound check party.

She had elected to wear jeans, in which she felt the most relaxed and they were made for short people, they had worn knees and frayed cuffs, and she had embroidered the words ‘Nick Carter’ on the back pockets. Her t-shirt was one she had bought a few days ago that said, “Brunettes: Because somebody has to be smart.”

At the last minute, just moments before she left the house she changed her t-shirt into something more comfortable.

She was nervous beyond all reason even though she knew she had no reason to be. She knew the guys were all wonderful people, but she still couldn’t shake the feeling that something was about to change.

She had a BSB cd on at full blast when she pulled into the venue parking lot. She checked her hair and makeup, suppressed the urge to scream at the top of her lungs and got out of her car.

Michelle headed over to the area when sound check was being held. A security guard took her ticket, placed a wristband on her wrist and let her in.

When the guys came out on stage a few minutes later she began snapping pictures.

They played around a bit before becoming serious. Halfway through “Siberia” Baylee came running out on stage. He was quickly followed by Leighanne who tried to get him off stage. Brian stopped her and gave Baylee a microphone and the little boy began singing along with his daddy and the guys.

The sound check party ended at 7:15 pm. There was forty five minutes to kill before the concert started.

After everyone had left she sat back down with her back to the stage and began crying.

After a few minutes she heard, “Excuse me, are you all right?”

She wiped her eyes before turning to face the person who had spoken. “Yeah I’m fine.”

“Are you sure? You look don’t look like it, you were crying.”

“So I’m a little bit sad. You would be too if you were in my shoes.” She retorted.

The minute the words flew out of her mouth she knew she’d regret them.

“Why would I be sad?” He asked.

“Because.”

“Because why?” he pushed.

“Because….because…I don’t know.” She said before dissolving completely into tears again.

The guy sat down next to her and put his arm around her shoulders. “Come on. Tell me what’s got you crying. Please I hate seeing girls cry. I really do. I promise I won’t laugh or say anything stupid.”

She wiped her eyes again and said simply, “Sophia and Tom.”

He asked, “And they are?”

“My so-called “best” friend and my ex-boyfriend.”

“And how’ve they gotten you into such a state”

“For weeks Sophia had been going on and on and on about this guy she had started seeing. She also told me about how much she wanted to sleep with him and about how he didn’t want too. She said she thought he was seeing another person. It turns out he was…me. Tom is an ass. He cheated on me with my best friend.”

“I’m sorry.”

“You have no reason to be but thanks. I’m Michelle by the way. You can call me Elle, everyone does.”

“Well hello Elle, I’m Nick.”

She looked at him and it hit her. She was talking to Nick Carter.

Finally she said, “It’s nice to meet you.”

He opened his mouth to speak but someone interrupted him by yelling, “Carter!! There you are. Let’s go. You need to get to hair and makeup. NOW!”

“Calm down Tony. I forgot to take Helga back with me so I came to get her.” He said indicating the guitar he held in his right hand.

Tony walked off and Nick said, “I think I may have a way to cheer you up.”

“Right now I doubt that. But you’re welcome to try.”

“Okay. What’s your favorite BSB song?”

“Number 5 from Millennium.” She said without a moment’s hesitation.

He stood helping her up as he went. “I’d better get back there or they’re gonna send Tony back. Number 5 huh?? I love that one too. I’ll see you soon.”

“I’ll see you soon.” She replied, knowing full well that it wasn’t likely they’d ever see one another again.

He walked off and she headed toward the venue doors to get inside and take her seat.

On the outside she was calm, on the inside however, she was screaming. She had just poured her heart out to Nick Carter!

When she got to her seat Natalie was already there. “Natalie, hi.”

“Michelle you’re here!”

“Yup. I wouldn’t miss this for the world. Did you go to the sound check party?”

“No, why?”

“It was awesome.”

They would have talked longer but the lights went down and The Click Five came onstage.

The first song they did was “Lies” then “Time Machine,” “Just the Girl” and finally Michelle’s personal favorite “I’ll Take My Chances.”

About 15 minutes after The Click 5 left the stage BSB came on.

They started with a classic (let’s take a moment to reflect. Sad isn’t it how in just a few years BSB will be considered ‘oldies?’ it makes me so sad I wanna cry) song which was ironically, ‘Backstreet’s Back.’

They continued with some of their earlier music but skipped the one every last girl was screaming for.

Half way through the concert Nick spotted her. He went to Tony and said something to him while pointing. Seconds later Tony came to her and told her to follow him.

Moments later she was seated at the top of a short staircase that leads to the stage and down into the pit.

Michelle sat there and watched the guys perform ‘Beautiful Woman’ and when the song was over Nick came and sat down next to her.

Brian began talking to the audience while Nick began talking to Michelle.

“What are you doing?” Michelle hissed. She looked out at the audience and saw hundreds of thousands of girls giving her evil looks.

“I told you earlier. I’m trying to cheer you up. You’ll find out how as soon as Brian shuts his giant mouth.”

“Hmmph.”

“What,” he began pulling a look of mock insult. “You don’t believe me? You should, I’m very believable.” And he smiled one of his irresistibly adorable smiles and got Michelle to laugh.

“We’ll see Carter, we’ll see.” She replied with a smile still playing at her lips.

“How’d you get your ticket?” Nick asked.

“To the concert you mean?”

“Yeah.”

“Contest.” Came her one word reply.

“What kind of contest?”

“Had to stick my head in an ice bucket.” She answered without the slightest hint of hesitation as another smile spread across her mouth.

“What?!” he half yelled earning himself looks from Kevin and Howie as well as Johnny.

“Yup. Head in an ice bucket.” She said proudly.

“Seriously? What was your time?”

“Twenty seconds. It was actually a tie. I couldn’t keep my head under any longer.” She answered proudly again.

“You beat me!” he whispered loudly so as not to get any more looks from those who were now watching them.

“Yuppers, I know. I saw that episode on Weird World.”

He opened his mouth to say more but just then Brian said, “Nick has a surprise for someone. He told me he’d kill me if I said what it was, so Frack take it away.”

Nick stood up and grabbed Michelle’s hand—if looks could kill she’d be dead—and helped her stand too. He walked her to center stage and sat her down on this white stool that Brian had placed there before leaving the stage.

He smiled down at her and seconds later the opening strains of “I Need You Tonight” filled her ears.



Open up your heart to me
And say what’s on your mind, oh yes
I know that we have been through so much pain
But I still need you in my life this time

And I need you tonight
I need you right now
I know deep within my heart
It doesn’t matter if it’s wrong or right
I really need you tonight

I figured out what to say to you
Sometimes the words they, they come out so wrong
Always they do
And I know in time that you will understand
That what we have is so right this time

And I need you tonight
I need you right now
I know deep within my heart
It doesn’t matter if it’s wrong or right

All those endless times we tried to make it last forever more
And baby I know
I need you
I know deep within my heart
It doesn’t matter if it’s wrong or right
I really need you, oh

I need you tonight
I need you, oh I need you baby
I need you right now
It’s gotta be this, it’s gotta be this
I know deep within my heart
No, it doesn’t matter if it’s wrong or it’s right
All I know is baby,
I really need you tonight


Michelle sat on the stool staring at Nick, not really believing what had transpired. It was just last night she had been woken from a dream that had now just become reality; well half of it was now reality.

When she looked him in the eyes, he was still smiling.

Nick stood smiling down at her and he couldn’t believe she was crying. He doubted that she knew she was doing so.

He took her by the hand again and led her into the pit as Kevin walked onstage to perform solo.

Nick asked, “Are you alright?” echoing his words from earlier that night.

Smiling, she answered, “Yeah I’m alright.”

He sat with her until he was needed back onstage.

Michelle sat in the pit while she waited for Nick to finish the show. He had told her to wait for him and hadn’t said anything else.

There were two songs left in the show.

The first of the last two songs was “Safest Place to Hide.” Ironically she had begun to think of Tom as her ‘safest place to hide’ and she started crying. She hated how he had broken her heart in two.

The last song of the night was “Weird World.”

Seconds after “Weird World” ended Nick was next to her.

“C’mon.” he said grabbing her hand.

When they got to a long corridor he began running and Michelle had no choice but to run with him.

They finally came to a room labeled ‘GAMES’ and he ushered her inside.

They came to a complete stop in front of an ice bucket.

Michelle looked over at Nick who had a devilishly cute smile on his face and immediately got his meaning.

“Oh no,” she started backing up waving her hands in front of her. “Oh no. There is no way I’m going through that again.”

“Ah come on. What are you—scared that you’ll lose?”

“I’m not sticking my head in that thing. I’m not gonna do it again.”

“Ah, c’mon.”

“No, I’m not gonna do it. No way.”

“Not gonna do what?” An all too familiar voice asked from the doorway.

Nick and Michelle both spun around and saw Aj standing just inside the doorway.

“He wants me to stick my head in that.” She pointed at the infamous ice bucket. “And I’m not gonna do it.” She stated matter-of-factly.

“Come on Michelle. You have to give me a chance to regain the title.”

‘What title?” Aj asked.

“Ice bucket champion. I beat his record from Nick’s Corner by keeping my head under for twenty seconds and he’s mad because he got beat by a girl.”

“Who got beat by a girl?” yet another voice asked from the doorway.

The three of them turned to see Howie standing in the doorway.

“Carter.” Aj supplied laughing.

Howie busted up, and Aj fell to the floor holding his sides.

Nick stood there glaring at Aj.

“How?” Howie asked.


“Michelle here,” Aj began putting his arm around her shoulders. “Kept her head in an ice bucket for twenty seconds. She beat Nick. And now he wants to have a rematch.”

“I’m not dong it.” Michelle said yet again as she pushed Aj’s arm off her shoulders.

“Why won’t you?” Howie asked.

“Because once is enough. I won’t do it.”

A few minutes later Brian entered the game room. When he saw everyone in front of the ice bucket he said, “Nick not the ice bucket again.”

“She,” Nick said pointing at Michelle. “won’t stick her head into the ice bucket.”

Michelle was now angry. She said she wasn’t going to do it and she meant it. She hated it when people tried to coerce her into doing things she didn’t want to do. She’d been that way since high school.

“FOR THE LAST DAMN TIME, I’M NOT STICKING MY HEAD INTO THE DAMN ICE BUCKET!” She screamed at the top of her lungs.

Everyone stood staring at her until another voice said, “What’s all the yelling about?”

Michelle spun to face the voice and when she saw that it was Kevin she said, “Not another one.”

Kevin saw what was going on and said, “Nicky not the ice bucket again.”

Michelle was now surrounded by five very tall people. Whenever she was around at least two tall people she began feeling claustrophobic because she was so short.

Nick noticed when she began to back up. He also noted that she looked a little bit sick.

When she saw him coming toward her she ran into the hallway. There, it was a little easier to breathe.

“What’s wrong?” He asked stepping out of the room.

Taking a deep breath she said, “I can’t stand being surrounded by too many tall people. I start to feel claustrophobic, like the walls are closing in on me.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. It’s genetic. My height I mean. My father and brothers are all tall but I’m short like my mother. I got it from her side of the family. I hate it.”

“Come back into the room, you’ll be okay, I promise.”

She really had no reason not to trust him so she let him lead her back into the room.

When the guys finally turned around and saw them Kevin asked, “What’s he trying to get you to do?”

“Stick my head in the ice bucket. He’s mad that I beat his record.”

“You did? How long?”

“Twenty seconds.”

“Damn girl, you beat me too.”

“I want a rematch.” Nick said.

“We’ve never competed against one another Nick.”

“So we can do it now Elle. I can beat you and go back to being the ice bucket champ and everyone will be happy.”

“No.”


“No what? You won’t do it or I wont’ be champ?”

“No you won’t be champ.” She answered pulling her long, artificially curly black/brown hair up into a ponytail. “Let’s get this over with so I can finally shut you up about it.”

Kevin said, “Who’s gonna keep time?”

“My phone.” Elle (Michelle) said. “It has a stop watch. I’ll set it and hand it to one of you guys.”

She took her phone out of her bag and set the stop watch. Before handing it over to Brian she showed him which button to press to stop the counter.

Elle and Nick stepped into place side by side in front of the ice bucket. “Three, Two, One.” Brian counted down. Elle and Nick placed their faces into the ice bucket.

She didn’t know how long it had been but she heard yelling after a while.

What seemed like forever later she pulled her head up.

The guys—minus Nick—began cheering.

“What did I win?”

“You beat him by ten seconds. You also beat yourself by ten seconds.” Brian replied.

Turning to Nick she said, “Are you gonna take it like a man and admit you got beat by a girl?”

“Fine. You win. You’re the champ. But I will beat you one of these days.” He said seconds before kissing her in front of everyone.

“Michelle get down here now!” Brandon yelled.

“Nick? I’m sorry I’ve gotta go. I have to see why my brother is yelling at me.”

“That’s fine. We’ll talk later okay?”

“Sure. Bye.”

They hung up and Michelle slowly walked descended the stairs, silently cursing her brother for interrupting her phone call.

“What Brandon?”

“Who’s this?” he asked shoving a picture cut from a magazine under her nose.

She took it from him and looked at it. It took her a minute or so to figure out what it was she was actually looking at. When she did, it hit her full force. “Oh my gosh.” She said as she sat down on her couch.

“I repeat, who is it?”

“Relax Brandon, its Nick.”

“And who is that?”

“Do you really have to ask that?”

“Yes, yes I do.”

“Brandon really.”

“When was this taken?” he asked indicating the picture in her hands.

Michelle looked at the picture once again. It was beautiful.

It had been taken when she and Nick had been standing in front of her car after the ice bucket thing. The background was the stadium, dark sky and the stars. They were kissing. It had been the best moment all night.


“A week ago after the concert.”

“Who is it? It isn’t Tom I know that much.”

“No it isn’t and it never will be again.” She hadn’t told Brandon or their mother what had happened with Tom and Sophia because they both loved him.
Brandon looked at the picture more closely and said, “That isn’t Nick Carter is it?”

“So what if it is?” she challenged.

Michelle sometimes hated having an overprotective older brother.

“So what?! So what?! He’s five years older than you!” He knew this because Michelle had hammered it into his head when she had done her on-air biography series of BSB.

“Brandon, hon, in case you forgot, I am twenty one years old now. I know how to take care of myself.”

“I know that but…”

“Brandon stop it!” she yelled. “So I kissed him. Big deal, so what. I’m a big girl now. I know what I’m doing. I know you’re worried, he’s not like Mason.”

As if sensing his sister’s agitation, Brandon slid into a seat next to her and asked, “What happened with Tom, I thought you liked him.”

I did. Unfortunately he didn’t see why I was waiting, why I wasn’t going to sleep with him.”

“So he broke up with you?” Sometimes she and Brandon could talk about anything—including the problems she was having with guys.

“You could call it that I guess.”

“What’d he do?” Brandon was the type who pushed until he got what he wanted; that was how he ended up with a wife and child at eighteen.

“He decided that since I wasn’t gonna sleep with him he was gonna find someone who would. He chose Sophia.” She said as tears threatened to fall.

“Sis, I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. It would have ended between us anyway. He was too impatient. He kept trying again and again and again to get me to sleep with him and I kept telling him no again and again and again.”

“You know, having our mother is actually good for us. Her “job” teaches us what’s right and wrong about sex in a sense. Like dad’s teaches us to be smart about money.” Their father worked on Wall Street as a stockbroker and their mother was, well to put it nicely, an ‘adult film star’.

“I know. Now I’d better go call him to see if he’s heard about this.” She said waving the picture through the air.

“Okay Elle, call me if you need me.” Brandon said as he shut the front door.

Not even a minute after Brandon left the phone rang.

“Hello?”

“Elle, its Nick.”

“Hello Nick, what’s wrong?” she asked him even thought she already knew the answer.

“Have you seen this week’s issue of People?”

“Not all of it but my brother so nicely shoved our picture in my face a few moments ago.”

“Management want’s to know what’s going on.”

“What did you tell them?” she asked curiously.

“I told them the truth--that I don’t know yet.”

“Yet? What do you mean?”

“What’s going on with us.” She and Nick had spent every available moment together in the last week. “You can’t deny that there’s something going on with us.”

“I know. By the way, why did you kiss me the first time?”

“I felt like it.” He stated matter-of-factly.

“Ok.” she said smiling at him even though he couldn’t see her through the phone. “So…when do we get to do it again?”

“That means?”

“What do you think it means?”

“That you wanna…..” he trailed off.

“Yuppers. It means I wanna…….so where are you guys now?”

“We’re in Minnesota.”

“Oh. Well I only mean that if you wanna see me again.”

“Why wouldn’t I.”

“Ummm….because you’re an international popstar and I’m a radio show host?”

“Please?” he pleaded.

“Nick, relax it was a joke. When?”

“When what?”

“When am I going to see you again?”

“The U.S. leg of the tour ends in two weeks. Then we have a full four weeks until the European tour starts. So let’s make it sixteen days from now. Okay?”

“Perfect.” She said again smiling at him even though he couldn’t see her through the phone.

They talked for a while longer and then wished each other a goodnight and hung up.

It had been sixteen days since she had last seen Nick.

It was funny to her how you could miss someone you hardly knew so much. She thought herself stupid for putting her heart on the line so soon after getting it broken for a second time.

He had called the day before and they had talked for hours deciding in the end to spend the next day out on the ocean in his boat with his brother Aaron and his girlfriend.

Over her bathing suit she had chosen to wear a pink tank top that showed off her belly ring and the tattoo on her lower back. She chose a white jean skirt that was four inches above her knees to go with the top. She was wearing flip flops that made her two inches taller. Half of her hair was pulled back and held into place by a diamond studded butterfly barrette that her father had given her (among other things) the day of her high school graduation. If anyone knew the extent of gifts he had given her that day they’d have more of a reason to call her a spoiled Daddy’s Girl.

He arrived on time at 10:00am.

“Hello.” She said with a smile when she answered the door. She looked calm on the outside but the prospect of spending an entire day with him and his brother was causing her insides to turn.

“Cute.” He said when he saw her.

“You’re not so bad yourself Carter.”

“Shall we go?”

“Why not?” she answered as she picked up her bag and keys from the table beside the inside of the door.

She could feel him playing with the strings from her bathing suit that stuck out of the neck of her tank top as she locked her front door.

“Stop that!” she said as she playfully slapped his hand away.

“You asked for it.” He warned as he began to chase her.

“Hey!” she said as she tried to get away, but failed miserably.

He began too tickle her sides until she begged him to stop, “Okay, okay. I give up let me go.”

He let her go and they got into his Bronco and he asked, “Why do you enjoy your job?”

“Because I love music. I have since I was a little girl. And I get to tell people what to listen to, so if they don’t like my music or my show then too bad for them.”

He laughed.

“Why do you enjoy your job?” she countered.

“Music is my life.”

They rode in silence until Nick asked, “Are you an only child or do you have brothers and sisters?”

“I have four siblings. Three brothers and one sister. Unfortunately Shanna, my older sister was killed by her husband about a year and a half ago...”

He cut her off, “I’m sorry, that’s horrible.”

“It was. But our family’s just happy that I had Kayla with me that day or she’d be gone too.”

“Kayla?”

“My niece.”

“Cute name.”

“Thanks.”

“What about your brothers?” he asked clearly to change the subject.

“Brandon’s older. He’s thirty. He was married when he was eighteen and his oldest child was born four months later. He’s actually got Kayla now. In total he has four kids. He works for a bank. My younger brothers are identical twins. Jake is the oldest by five minutes. Anthony is the baby but he’s not the most spoiled. They’re still in high school. And my sister-in-law, Madison, is a kindergarten teacher.”

“Wow. A teacher and a banker, But you chose music? Nice.”

“How’re your siblings these days?”

“Angels’ in school and modeling when she has the time, She’s dating someone we’ve known for years. Aaron’s in school and working on his new album. Leslie’s working on her music. Bj’s modeling and Kanden doesn’t really know what’s going on most of the time since he’s only a baby.”

“Cool.”

Ten minutes later they arrived at Nick’s.

They drove up to the house (which was smaller than Michelle had expected it to be) and got out and went into the house.

They walked through the house, and Nick told her to wait downstairs while he went up to change. She was walking around the living room looking at all the pictures he had up when he came back downstairs. They left the house and began the walk out to the marina.

They had barely set foot on the boat when they heard a particularly nasty, “You!” from behind them.

They both spun around and saw Aaron and his girlfriend, Amy whom Michelle knew all too well.

“Amy.” She said.

“You!” Amy repeated.

“Do you two know each other?” Nick asked.

“You could say that.” Michelle replied before Amy could open her mouth.

“What,” Amy began. “You haven’t told him your little secret?”

“Amy shut up.” Michelle said quietly.

Aaron and Nick stood there watching the exchange between the girls.

“Awww. You don’t want him to know. Why not everyone else does.”

“Amy shut up!” Michelle said again, this time near tears.

“What you don’t want him to know what you did? Oh well cause I’m gonna tell him.” Amy turned to Nick and said, “You’re lucky she hasn’t put you in prison yet.”

“Amy, shut the HELL up!!!” Michelle screamed. “Or I’ll shut you up!”

Nick and Aaron exchanged looks and Aaron dragged Amy away before the two very angry women got a hold of one another.

Nick watched his brother and his retreating girlfriend for a few seconds then turned back to Michelle who was now sitting on the nearest chair crying into her hands.

He sat next to her and put his arm around her shoulders. “Elle, what’s wrong? Why did Amy upset you? And what did she mean that I’m lucky I’m not in prison?”

She jumped up and started pacing back and forth in front of him. “If I tell you you’re going to end up taking Mason’s side just like everyone else did.”

“I don’t even know who Mason is so why would I take his side?” Nick asked standing up.

“Because everyone else did. Everyone I thought was my friend turned against me. Even my own mother took his side.”

“Elle, just tell me. It can’t be that bad.”

“Oh but it is. It really is.”

“What is?”

“Okay fine. But you’re not allowed to say a word until I’m finished talking.”


“Okay.”

She started slowly. “My family lived next door to Mason’s since before I was born. Amy and I used to be best friends despite a four year age difference. Mason and I didn’t start dating until I was fifteen and a half. He’s a few months older than me. Everyone thought we were the perfect couple. And in many ways we were. Our junior year we were both prom and homecoming king and queen. We both played sports fairly well, we were in clubs, and we were on senior prom committee or were supposed to be. We were even in student council. I was in choir and was captain of the varsity cheer squad. Lots of people thought we were going to get married after we graduated. About six or seven months into our two and a half year relationship, he tried to get me to sleep with him, and I refused. He wanted to know why so I told him. I had made a promise to myself and my grandmother that before I slept with someone I’d make sure that I loved the person and he loved me. I also had to make sure he wasn’t going anywhere. So my promise was that I’d be a virgin until I got married. Mason said he understood. But every few months he’d try again and I’d keep refusing. He tried telling me that if people in our school found out about my promise they’d ridicule me but I didn’t care what other people thought of me. If they didn’t like me then screw them. I intended then to keep the promise and I still do. Everything changed two days before our senior year started. We went to a party. It was the typical end-of-summer-beginning-of-school party—no parents, tons of alcohol, loud music and lots and lots of people. The soda the Mason handed me tasted a little flat but I didn’t drink alcohol then. I drank it despite the taste because I was thirsty and thought that it might help me feel better than I had been feeling lately. About an hour after we got to the party I started to feel a little well-weird. I decided to find Mason and make him take me home. When I found him he said he wanted to talk to me. The only place you can get any privacy at these parties is upstairs in a bedroom so that’s where we went. When we got into the bedroom he shut the door and I believe he locked it. I tried to ask him what he wanted but before I could he kissed me and I kissed him back….”

At this point Nick made a face that said he’d kill anyone who tried to kiss her unless it was him.

“The next thing I know, he’s on top of me. I screamed, yelled, and pleaded with him to stop. And of course nobody except for him heard me over the music and noise downstairs. When it was over he told me to get dressed and after I did he drove me home and left me there. The first thing I did was call my dad. I’m a daddy’s girl and always have been. Then I drove myself to the hospital. I was admitted right away after I told a nurse what had happened. I was put in a private room and a doctor cane and examined me. I was told later that in addition to being rapped I had been drugged. The police came and I pressed charges after telling them the story. About three hours later my father showed up with Brandon and my grandfather in tow. They wanted to know what happened, so I had to repeat my story again. I have never seen the three of them so angry. I went home the next morning. My father wanted me to go to New York with him but I said no. I wasn’t going to let Mason chase me away. The police couldn’t find him the night it happened or the entirety of the next day. I went to school the first day too. At my high school the first day is extremely short. All you do is get your class list and go to an insane three hour-long assembly and then you can leave. Mason acted like nothing was wrong, as if it had never happened. People thought it was strange that I was avoiding him that day. After my squad preformed Mason got up to give his speech. I was still in my uniform because I had to sit onstage behind the podium behind Mason because that’s what was required of student council, if it wasn’t I would have been in the "Vocal Arts" room practicing because I was performing at the first football game the next day. I sat there trying to act normal and not attack Mason, because if I had been able to, I would have put him in the hospital I was so angry at him. Half way through his speech, the auditorium doors opened and I saw the officers that had been working on the case walk in. They marched onstage and looked at me. I nodded at the podium; at Mason. They went to him and asked if he was Mason James. He said he was and asked what they wanted. They proceeded to place him under arrest; in front of the entire school. What’s worse is that Officer MacDonald was standing in front of a working microphone when he read Mason his rights and told him the charges against him. So the entire school, including staff, faculty, and the district superintendent, heard what had happened. I had to leave with the police which was good because if looks could kill I’d of been dead in the spot. I tried to go to school the next day, I really did. But I didn’t even make it into the school building. The entire school turned on me. None of them wanted to believe Mason was capable of doing what I accused him of. The only friends I had left were those who truly knew me; the people I was in choir with. I quit going to the clubs. I quit playing sports, and dropped out of everything else. I withdrew into myself and then only thing that kept me sane was choir. Let the music heal you soul, right? I had a private tutor once I got out of the hospital. I only went into the school building for choir. My dad tried again to get me to go to New York but I refused again. Why should I have to uproot my life because of what Mason did to me? He admitted to having sex with me but claimed it was consensual. And he claimed to know nothing about how I was drugged. He pleaded not guilty, so we went to trial. He had turned eighteen about two months before it happened so he was tried as an adult. He got ten years and I lost tons of friends and the already fragile relationship I had with my mother. Honestly though I don’t care. I’m proud of what I did.”

“You should be.” Nick said grimly.

They sat in silence for a few minutes, staring out at the ocean before them until Aaron came back—sans Amy.

“What’s wrong Aaron?” Nick asked his little brother.

“Amy.” He started. “It’s over, she’s gone.”

Michelle looked out across the ocean again and said quietly near tears again, “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to cause any trouble for you.”

“Nah, you didn’t. She was more trouble than she was worth sometimes. I’m Aaron by the way.” He said introducing himself.

“Michelle.” She replied shaking the hand he held out.

“What was that all about if you don’t mind my asking?”

“Long story short, I used to date her brother Mason. We were together for two and a half years and then her drugged and rapped me. I pressed charges and it went to trial. He got ten years in prison. I lost most of my friends, and my mother. One of those friends I lost was Amy.”

“Wow.”

“Yeah I guess. It doesn’t bother me as much as it used to.” She said, smiling for the first time since seeing Amy a while ago.

A few minutes later they set off and spent the day on the water.

One Year Later........

“Good morning sunshine.” A smiling Nick said at five am.

Michelle rolled over and looked at the alarm clock. When she saw that it was only five am she threw a pillow at Nick. “Why’d you wake me up so damn early Carter?”

“I have a surprise for you and if you don’t hurry we’ll miss it.”

“Fine.” She said as she reluctantly got out of her nice, warm bed.

“Dress warm.” He said as he left to wait for her in the hall.

Ten minutes later Michelle was blind-folded and Nick was leading her into the unknown.

After a few minutes she smelled the salt air and wondered why on earth Nick was taking her out on the boat at five-twenty in the morning.

He helped her aboard and into her seat. He then went to the wheel and started the boat and pulled away from the dock.

They were moving for about twenty or so minutes before he turned the engine off.

She felt him taking the blind-fold off and turned to ask him what was going on but he silenced her with a finger to his lips.

He took her hand and led her to a bench seat at the back of the boat; he sat her down, sat down next to her and then wrapped a blanket around the both of them.

It was still mostly pitch black, but the sky was beginning to lighten at the edges. He had his arms around her, keeping her warmer than the blanket ever could.

They sat there watching the sun rise over the Atlantic Ocean. It was actually quite beautiful; it was like nothing she had ever seen before.

As the sun became fully visible in the sky, Nick leaned in and kissed her. When he pulled away he whispered, “Happy Birthday, sweetheart.”

“Thank you Kristin.” Michelle said happily.

“You’re welcome hun. I’m glad you like it.” Kristin answered.

The guys had left minutes before to go pick up the food and Michelle had decided not to wait for them to open the gifts her friends had brought with them. Nick and the guys had planned this little surprise party for her a few weeks ago and he had pulled it off with out spilling the secret like he usually did when he tried to surprise her. And to top it all off, she was having a lot of fun.

“So,” Aj’s fiancée, Ana, asked. “What did Nick give you?”

“This.” She said, showing them the leather-bound book he’d given her after they’d warmed up when they’d gotten back that morning.

Kayla, a friend of Michelle’s from their childhood, took the book and flipped through it quickly. “But it’s empty.”

“Yeah I know. I haven’t written the story yet. He bought it the last time he was in France because he wants to get me to write a story I’ll allow him to read.(she was picky about who read what she wrote,) Although I have to say the present he gave me when he woke me up this morning was better.”

“What?” all the girls asked.

“Well….”she began recounting their morning trip.

By the time she was finished she could tell that her friends would be in seventh heaven if any of their guys had done that for them.

A short time later, the guys were back with dinner and everyone stayed silent as they ate.

After they cleaned up the mess from the food fight Aj had started by throwing a spoonful of mashed potatoes at Michelle and then promptly giving himself away by falling over from laughing so hard, they went into the theater (they were at Nick’s because Michelle’s house was too small for as many people were at the party) to watch a “surprise” movie Nick had picked up while they were out.

When the opening scene came on Michelle groaned. “Where’d you get this?”

“Your brother.”

“Brandon’s dead.” She said as the video progressed to show her in a tutu onstage performing in her ballet class’s production of The Nutcracker when she was four.

Kevin remarked on how cute she was and Michelle threw a pillow at his head. “Please. I hated ballet. I preferred my piano lessons.”

“Ha! No kid loves piano.” Kevin retorted.

“I guess that makes me special then because I did.”

The next scene was of Michelle, Brandon, and the twins, putting on a play for their parents. Her sister was away at a friend’s house. “That was just before their divorce was final.” She said more to herself than those around her.

Nobody said anything; they didn’t know what to say.

Next was a video of her when she was ten. There was a little boy the very same age with her.

She hadn’t seen this particular video in years. “Turn it off. Turn it off now.” She said hurriedly. “Please.” She was near tears. She didn’t want reminders of that little boy ever again.

Nick looked at her and when he saw that she had tears in her eyes he stopped the video. “Elle, (which he only called her when he could tell she was distressed) what’s wrong?”

“Nothing.” She replied, wiping away the few tears that had escaped. “I just didn’t expect to see that video. I forgot Brandon had it. I forgot to destroy it.”

“Why would you want to destroy it? It’s cute.” Leigh asked.

“Because,” she stated. “That was Mason James.”

“Who’s Mason James?” Leighanne asked.

“”My gosh, I’m sorry Michelle.” Kevin said.

Ana asked, “But who’s Mason James?”

“Let’s not talk about him.” Nick said.

Michelle had only ever told Nick and Aaron (who had stayed until the food fight was over) about Mason and Kevin had told her after realizing that she was the one who put him away, had told her that he and Kristin had followed the case in the news. She hadn’t intended to tell the others, the less people who knew about it the better. “I’ll explain about him later.”

She sat back and Nick started the video once more.

The video progressed through her life before Nick rather slowly. The last thing in the video was a twenty minute video her friend, Breeanya, had shot two years previously while they’d been in New York for Michelle’s father’s wedding to Sarah Alberts and on their Spring Break..

“OH NO!” she groaned ever louder. “They’re both dead.”

“What??” Nick asked with a sly smile. “Don’t like this part?”

Her response was a well aimed pillow thrown at his head.

The video had been shot in two different places. The first location was Central Park.

It showed Michelle in the Maid-Of-Honor dress she’d worn in the wedding ceremony. She was dancing around (basically goofing off and happy because she had her dad’s brownstone to herself and Breeanya for an entire week) singing “If You Want It To Be Good Girl” at the top of her lungs.

“Impressive.” Howie said.

Embarrassed, Michelle said, “Bree’s dead.” as she felt the color rise.

The last few minutes had been shot in her dad’s brownstone that he’d given to her after returning from his honeymoon in Fiji. It was Michelle agonizing over what to wear for the date she had that night.

“What was wrong with you?” Aj asked.

“You’d be that nervous too if you had a date with Jonathan Taylor Thomas.” The guys groaned, a few girls went “Awwwwwww.” Most said nothing.

Michelle sat in though for a minute or two after the video ended remembering how much fun she’d had on that date.

“How’d you meet Jonathan Taylor Thomas?” Brian asked.

“He was at my father’s wedding. My stepmother knows him."

A short while later everyone left, leaving Michelle alone with Nick once more.

“Thank you baby.” She said to Nick as she kissed him. “That was the best birthday I’ve had in a while.”

“Ana, it’s beautiful.” Michelle told her friend. Kristin, Leigh, Tara, Ivana, and Leighanne all nodded their heads in agreement.

Ana tossed her head back and laughed; then she twirled around and the skirt of her wedding gown flew up.

Her gown was beautiful. It was made entirely of white silk and the skirt fell gracefully to the floor. There was a ‘v’ cut into the front that showed just enough cleavage to be classy.

Her designer, Liza Hampton, walked out with the veil. She helped Ana place it in her hair and it fell to the back of her knees.

As she twirled around to show everyone her dress, Michelle snapped a picture of her. In the picture, Ana was surrounded by light because she was standing in front of Liza’s shop and the sun was shining brilliantly. She also had a smile on her face.

Nick’s phone buzzed. He picked it up and got a text from Michelle. It read:

DO NOT show Aj the
Picture I’m gonna send.
DO NOT SHOW HIM!

He sent her a message back that said: “I won’t,” and sure enough four and a half minute later his phone buzzed again.

Since Aj was in the fitting room with the stylist who was making last minute alterations to his black Armani tux, Nick called Kevin, Brian, Howie, Scott, and Trevor over to him and showed them the picture.

Everyone’s mouths literally dropped opened. Howie said, “Man if she looks that drop-dead-gorgeous just trying on the dress, she’s gonna knock him dead when he sees her in it in two days.”

“That’s for sure.” Trevor agreed.

“What’s for sure?” Aj asked walking back into the main room of the shop.

“Nothing.” Nick answered.

He sent Michelle another text and told her what everyone had said.

Michelle opened her phone just after it buzzed and laughed when she read the message.

“Okay Michelle, go put your dress on and we’ll see if we need to change anything.” Liza said.

Michelle walked back into the changing room where her maid-of-honor gown was waiting.

She undressed and put the strapless, floor-length light purple gown on.

It was beautiful as far as dresses went, but Ana’s was by far more gorgeous.

She had the designer’s assistant zip the dress and walked back into the main room.

Liza had her turn every which way and after a half an hour, she finally deemed Michelle’s dress perfect for the wedding taking place in two days.

While Ivana was changing into her spaghetti-strapped, light yellow, floor length bridesmaid’s gown, Nick sent a picture of Aj in his tux.

Ana was talking to Liza so Michelle called the rest of the girls over and showed them the picture.

When they all saw how different Aj looked, they started giggling. He didn’t look like himself, he looked more adult.

Tara said, “I love that pink tie, I think I have one.”


Ana walked over and asked, “What’s all the giggling about?”

Michelle quickly hid her phone and answered, “Nothing.”

About three hours later, they were finished with the final fittings and left Liza’s with their dresses in hand.

They went out to lunch at Black Bear Diner (a real restaurant with good food!). And then they headed home, well back to Ivana’s where they were staying ‘til the wedding, to get ready for the rehearsal dinner.

The guys left the Armani shop and headed to lunch too. Scott tried to talk them into going to Hooters but the rest of them knew if they did their girlfriends/wives/fiancées would find out and they’d be in heaps of trouble so they nixed the idea much to Scott’s disappointment. Instead they went to the Vintage Press, the very same place the rehearsal dinner and reception would be taking place.

The guys were lined up inside the front door of the Vintage Press waiting for the ladies to arrive. They were all wearing identical black suits with pink ties.

The girls, who were all wearing either light purple or light yellow spaghetti strapped dresses walked in and were escorted to their seats by who they’d be walking with in the ceremony the next day.

Michelle, as maid-of-honor, was escorted to her seat by Howie, who was best man. Ivana, was as the rest of the girls a bridesmaid, and she was escorted by Kevin, who like the rest of the guys was a groomsman. Leigh was escorted by Brian. Kristin was escorted by Nick. Leighanne was escorted by Scott and Tara was escorted by Trevor.

Aj’s mother Denise, and stepfather, Tony was there as well as the rest of his family-minus Robert. Ana’s entire family was there as well.

As everyone else took their seats, Aj lead Ana to the dance floor (the Vintage Press is a restaurant in Visalia, CA and it does not have a dance floor but for the purpose of this story it does). The dj began playing a song and as the lyrics started, Shania Twain stepped into the banquet hall and began singing.

(I do swear that I'll always be there.
I'd give anything and everything and I will always care.
Through weakness and strength, happiness and sorrow,
for better or worse, I will love you with
every beat of my heart)

From this moment life has begun
From this moment you are the one
Right beside you is where I belong
From this moment on

From this moment I have been blessed
I live only for your happiness
And for your love I'd give my last breath
From this moment on

I give my hand to you with all my heart
Can't wait to live my life with you, can't wait to start
You and I will never be apart
My dreams came true because of you

From this moment as long as I live
I will love you, I promise you this
There is nothing I wouldn't give
From this moment on

You're the reason I believe in love
And you're the answer to my prayers from up above
All we need is just the two of us
My dreams came true because of you

From this moment as long as I live
I will love you, I promise you this
From this moment
I will love you as long as I live
From this moment on

When she was done singing, she waved to everyone and left.
Everyone sat watching Aj and Ana dance. They applauded as the two finished dancing and joined them at the tables.

A few moments later the waitpersons began taking their orders.
Everyone was talking, laughing and joking around as they began to get their dinners and eat.

After everyone was done and the dishes had bee cleared from the tables, Ana stood and faced Aj. “I just want to say how much I love you. I can’t imagine my life without you in it.” She paused, turning to Nick and told him, “Thanks for letting me borrow these lyrics.” She turned back to Aj and continued, “Like Nick once sang, ‘I want to thank you for what you’ve done, but most for choosin’ me to be the one.’ I love you.”
Aj stood and turned to her and said, “When I feel lost I look at you and I’m found. You….you….” he couldn’t finish what he had started to say because he was too choked up.

He sat back down and Ana hugged him.

A half an hour later everyone began to leave the Vintage Press. Ana and Aj shared one last kiss before becoming husband and wife.

Both Michelle and Ana awoke very early on the morning of the wedding.

Since Ivana’s house had only three bathrooms with showers, and there were seven of them, Michelle and Ana took showers before waking everyone else up at five-thirty.

Ivana, Kristin, and Leighanne took showers as soon as they got out of bed while everyone else headed down to have breakfast.

As soon as the second three were done showering, the last two headed up. Ivana, Kristin, and Leighanne ate breakfast while Michelle and Ana began going over the check lists they had made for the day.

At exactly five am, Aj awoke with a start. He’d been having a horrible dream in which Ana had left him at the altar.

No longer able to sleep, he got up and went downstairs to the kitchen. His stepfather was already awake.

“Good morning Alex,” Tony said.

“Good morning Tony,” Aj replied.

“Something’s bothering you, what is it?”

“A dream I had.”

“What happened?”

“It was today. Everyone was at the church waiting. We had been waiting all day and Ana never showed up. She left me at the altar.” One of the things Aj loved about Tony was that he was so much more of a father to him than his own father had ever been.

“Scary huh? I had the same kind of dream before you mother and I got married. I think it means that because you’re getting ready to make such a HUGE change in your life that you’re afraid of what could happen.”

“That makes sense,” Aj said nodding his head. “Because I am afraid that things’ll get messed up and I’ll lose Ana. I don’t want that to happen.”

“You have to stay positive and remember that she loves you and you love her and that’s all you need.”

“True.”

By this point in their conversation, Brian and Trevor had joined them so Aj shut up because he didn’t want to repeat his dream again.

As soon as everyone else joined them, they began getting ready for what was the single most important day of Aj’s life.

The hair stylists arrived at eight-thirty and set to work at once. They would be coming with the girls to the church as well to make sure that not one strand of hair got out of place.

At noon, everyone piled into the waiting cars with their dresses and flowers in hand and headed to the church.

They arrived seconds behind the guys so they waited until every one of them was inside the church before getting out of the cars themselves.

They went to the “Brides Room” and began changing at once.

Ana had to have help buttoning her dress because instead of having a zipper, she had a hundred little buttons down the back of her dress. She also had to have help putting the veil on.

The flower girl, Chastity Claire, was running around the room like she’d been given an energy drink and the effects were just beginning to show up. It was hard to get her to sit still for the makeup artist.

Ivana’s make up (she was the last to have her’s done) was finished ten minutes before the ceremony was set to begin.

The makeup artists and hair stylists walked out just as Ana’s father walked in.

Everyone got into place as the music started to play.

First, Chastity Claire and Jordan Cooper (the ring bearer) walked down the isle. Tara and Trevor followed them. Leighanne and Scott went next. They were followed by Nick and Kristin. Brian and Leigh went next and then Kevin and Ivana. Michelle and Howie came last.

The Wedding March began and everyone stood. Ana and her father began their walk down the isle.

Aj turned away from Rev. Camden (yes I know that’s the name of the father on 7th heaven, I borrowed his name for this chapter. And I love that show and am so sad that it’s ending in two weeks.) and looked down the isle at his bride.

When her father handed her to Aj, she noticed that all three of them had tears in their eyes.

Once she and Aj were in place in front of the reverend, he began the ceremony.

“Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to join this man and this woman in holy matrimony. If anyone knows a reason why these two should not be wed, speak now or forever hold your peace,” after pausing for a moment he continued. “Let us begin. I was told that Aj and Ana wrote their own vows. Ana, would you like to go first?”

“Yes,” she took a deep breath before turning to Aj and beginning her vows. “ I didn’t know how I was going to do this Alex. I didn’t know how I was going to put everything I feel, all my love for you into a couple of words. And then I realized I don’t have to…this day shows it all.
Alex, you’re everything I ever dreamed of, everything I ever needed. I didn’t know the meaning of life until I met you. I never thought it was possible to love someone more than life, to dream of years to become someone’s wife. But baby, I do love you more than life and today I’m becoming your wife.
So you see, you made all my dreams come true, and in return I could promise you forever, but forever goes away. So instead I’m just saying I LOVE YOU and I know it’s true….me and you.
I’ve been through so much in my life and I felt like giving up so many times. But now when I have you beside me, everything I went through was worth it. Every tear that went down my face, every sleepless night, it all makes sense to me now. Because of you I’ve forgotten all the things I cried over, because of you I can finally say I’m happy, because of you I smile, because of you I live….because of you I love.”

When she finished, she and Aj had tears in their eyes again.

“And now you Alex.” Rev. Camden said.

He turned and looked deep into Ana’s beautiful eyes before beginning, “From the very first moment I saw you, I somehow knew that someday I would call you my wife. It was hard to choose a few words to describe my love for you and I realized that there are no words. Words wouldn’t do it justice.
You came into my world like a hurricane and taught me so much about life and love. Things I thought I knew. For years I dreamed of finding someone like you and when I finally did, I couldn’t believe how lucky I was.
All my life when I dreamed of my future, I dreamed of you. I didn’t know who you were or where I’d find you, but I’m thankful of who you are, that I found you, and that you love me.
Because of you my dreams are coming true today. Like you, I’ve been through so much in my life and there were many times that I felt like giving it all up. But now that I get to wake up beside you everyday for the rest of my life, it was all worth it. You’ve helped replace many of my bad memories with good ones. I don’t know how I’m ever going to repay you for all you’ve done, but I’m going to try. Ana, I love you.”

Rev. Camden was smiling when the two of them turned back to face him, “Do you Ana take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband for as long as you both shall live?”

“I do,” she answered smiling.

“And do you Alex, take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife for as long as you both shall live?”

“I do,” he replied, his lips quavering.

“Then by the power vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife, you may kiss the bride.”

As Aj and Ana kissed their guests began to cheer.

The Reception:


Forty five minutes later Aj and Ana pulled into the parking lot at the Vintage Press.

When they walked into the banquet hall Nick, who was at the turn tables, said, “Ladies and gentle men, I’m proud to present to you Mr. and Mrs. McLean!”

Everyone cheered as Aj led his bride to the middle of the dance floor. When the two of them were in the exact center of the floor, a single spotlight was placed on them. Nick began playing the music to the first of the two songs they’d be dancing to together.

First, first time I looked into your eyes
I saw heaven, of heaven in your eyes
Everything I did before you wasn’t worth my while
It should’ve been you all the time
I do anything and everything to please you
You know how much I need you
You’re always, always on my mind

You’re more than wonderful
More than amazing
The irreplaceable love, love of my life
You’re so incredible here in my arms tonight
The irreplaceable love, love of my life

Always seems like reality
Forever don’t seem so far away
All I wanna do, all I wanna feel, all I wanna be is close to you
Every day is my lucky day
All I wanna do is love you
I place no one above you
I’ll tell you why

You’re more than wonderful
More than amazing
The irreplaceable love, love of my life
You’re so incredible here in my arms tonight
The irreplaceable love, love of my life

Baby you know, you know you’re my one and only
(All I wanna do is be together)
Sugar you know I’ll never leave you lonely
In your eyes, in your eyes I see forever
Ahhhh, ohhhh, ohhh, ohhhhh
Ahhhhh, ohhhhhh, ohhhh
You’re more than wonderful
More than amazing
The irreplaceable love, love of my life
You’re so incredible here in my arms tonight
The irreplaceable love, love of my life
Everyone was silent as they watched Aj and Ana dance.

When the newlyweds finished their dance, everyone began to clap.

Michelle was sitting on Ana’s right side and was wiping tears from her eyes as Ana sat down. There had been a time when Michelle had believed she’d one day find the happiness that Ana now had. What she had with Nick came close, but it was still so far from what she wanted.

A few minutes later Andre, the photographer, called the wedding party to do pictures. When they were finished, Nick played a song called ‘Ready to Fall’ as the food was served.

Soon everyone was talking and joking as they ate.

As everyone finished eating the real dj said, “I believe two people have something to say.”

Howie stood up and cleared his throat before beginning, “Alex is my little brother. I’ve watched him grow up for many years now. I’ve seen him go through various relationships and deal with the problems he’s had and I have never seen him happier than he has been since he’s been with Ana. I wish them all the happiness in the world, they deserve it. I love you both.”

Everyone clapped as he sat down and Michelle stood, “I’ve known Ana for almost as long as Howie’s known Aj if not longer. Like she said, she’s been through a lot and she deserves the happiness Aj’s brought into her life. They couldn’t have found better people to spend the rest of their lives with if they had tried. I love you guys,” she finished raising her glass to the couple.

Everyone raised their glasses and toasted, “Aj and Ana.”

Everyone began dancing after that and having much more fun than they thought they would given the fact that they were at the wedding of a Backstreet Boy who wouldn’t allow alcohol to be served.

Around 11:00pm the dj said, “It’s time for the bride and groom’s last dance before they leave.”

Aj once again led his bride to the middle of the dance floor and a single spotlight was once again placed on the two of them. Soon the first strains of Anastasia’s “I Dreamed You” came through the speakers.


You walked in the room
And time was standin’ still
Knew you were my destiny
By the way you made me feel
Only you in my life
Forever and today
You’re everything I ever imagined
My love could be
You for me

Like the stars need the sky
And the river needs its rain
Like an eagle needs its wings
And the fire needs its flame
Like the sun needs the day
And the night needs the moon
Like the air that I breathe
That’s how I…
Dreamed you
I dreamed you

It’s hard to explain
But when you know you know
I was so amazed by you
You had me at ‘hello’
I need you in my heart
My body, mind and soul
It only took a moment to take my breath away
Will you stay?

Like the stars need the sky
And the river needs its rain
Like an eagle needs its wings
And the fire needs its flame
Like the sun needs the day
And the night needs the moon
Like the air that I breathe
That’s how I…
I dreamed of you (and I)

Our love can’t be denied no, no
There’s nothing I can do, nothing I can say
My heart it always knew
That’s how I dreamed of you


Stars need sky
River needs rain
Like an eagle needs its wings
And the fire needs its flame
Like the sun needs the day, yeah
And the night needs the moon
Like the air that I breathe
That’s how I need you

Like the stars, sky
River and rain
Like an eagle needs its wings
And the fire needs its flame
Like the sun it needs the day
And the night needs the moon
Like the air that I breathe
That’s how I need you
Like the air that I breathe
That how I…
Dreamed of you
I dreamed of you
Yeah
Yes I did
Oh baby

Couples were invited to join the newlyweds on the dance floor and Nick pulled Michelle out and they began to twirl around the dance floor as if they were on a cloud.

All too soon, the song ended. Michelle sighed happily and leaned her head against Nick’s chest listening to his heart beat. “I love you,” she said quietly.

Nick looked stunned; Michelle had never told him that she loved him before. “I love you too,” he said wrapping her in his arms.

Michelle and Nick were that last of the wedding party/guests to say goodbye to Aj and Ana before they left on their honeymoon.

They were going to be spending two weeks in Tahiti and two weeks in the Caribbean.

Michelle and Nick were also leaving that night too. They were going on a two week trip to the island of St. Croix.

“Good morning beautiful,How was your night….” Nick sang. Michelle had gotten him into country music and ever since they had seen Steve Holy perform “Good morning beautiful” every morning that Nick had been home he sang the song to wake her up.

“Mmmmmmm.” Michelle said as she rolled to face him. “It’s good to see you.” He wasn’t supposed to be home for another two weeks.

“I’m only back for the day. I’ve got to fly out at seven thirty tomorrow morning.”

Michelle’s spirits fell a little.

He handed her a box that was about a foot and a half tall. It was neatly wrapped in a brownish purple colored wrapping paper.

She tore the paper away and opened the box to find a smaller box. She unwrapped and opened that box to find yet another box. She continued unwrapping and opening boxes until she finally came to the last box.

It was ten inches long. She opened it to reveal the most beautiful bracelet she h ad ever seen. It was solid silver and every link in it was either shaped like a heart or a butterfly. She looked up at Nick who was smiling down at her and he said, “Happy Birthday.”

“Ooooooh! Thank you. As embarrassing as it is, I forgot it was my birthday.”

Nick chuckled as he stuffed the smaller boxes and wrapping paper into the largest box and said, “Scoot over.” Michelle complied and they fell asleep in one another’s arms.

They woke several hours later around noon, and after taking a shower they went out to lunch for her birthday.

Later that night at exactly seven fifteen pm just as the sun was setting Nick wrapped his arms around her waist from behind as she was standing on the deck outside their library/office.

She laced her fingers in his, wrapped his arms around her and leaned back to rest her head on his chest.

Her favorite song to listen to was the beating of Nick’s very heart. It calmed her down when she was nervous, scared, afraid, or if anything else was bothering her. It was her lifeline at times—as long as she could hear his heartbeat she was fine and had everything in the world she’d ever need.

He rested his chin on the top of her head and sighed. “What?” she asked quietly.

“Nothing. I was just thinking about how much you mean to me.”

She turned halfway around and let go of his fingers with her left hand and pulled his head down into a kiss.

When he turned her around and wrapped his arms around without breaking their kiss, Michelle happily lost the battle she’d been fighting inside since the day she had realized he wasn’t going to disappear on her.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and gave in to the power of the kiss.

When they came up for air, she took his hand in hers and led him wordlessly down the hall to their bedroom.

Pausing just outside the door they kissed again. Michelle moaned into the side of his neck when he ran his hands down her arms and settled them around her waist, pulling her close.

She fisted his ice blue polo shirt in her hands and once again laid her head against his chest and sighed her surrender.

He lifted her and she wrapped her arms around his neck and held on as her crossed the threshold and laid her gently on their bed.

He laid down next to her and kissed her soft, swollen lips. “Tell me to stop. Please. Tell me to stop because if we keep going I’m not going to be able to behave myself. Tell me to stop Elle,” he pleaded/whispered so quietly that Michelle almost didn’t hear him.

Her only response was a soul-shattering, bone-melting kiss.


Before opening her eyes the next morning, Michelle rolled over to get closer to Nick and ended up rolling right off the edge of the bed.

She sat up, feeling a little disappointed that Nick was no where to be found before remembering that he’d only been home for one night.

She gazed around the room and her eyes settled on an envelope sitting on top of the dresser.

She walked over and picked up the envelope. Behind it was a small black jeweler’s box. She opened the box first. Inside was a one inch Citrine (my birthstone in real life) cross set in sterling silver with an eighteen inch matching chain.

Michelle left the box open and sitting on the dresser while she sat on the bed to open the envelope.

She smiled as she first uncovered a drawing that Nick had obviously done after she had finally fallen asleep last night. The letter said,

My Elle,
You are the most wonderful person in my life. I wouldn’t have wanted to share last night with anyone else. I know that the concert we met at technically wasn’t our first date but I’ve always counted it as such because it was after the concert that I first kissed you. So the bracelet is to say ‘happy birthday’ and the necklace is to say ‘happy anniversary.’ I’m sorry that I couldn’t be there when you opened you eyes this morning, but know that I love you and will be home in two weeks.
Love,
Nick

Nick had left two weeks ago and Michelle had no idea when he’d be back. He and the fellas had an appearance in upstate New York for the Make-A-Wish foundation and the Nick had some business he had to take care of in the city.

She thought back over the last two weeks and smiled. They had been the best two weeks of her life and she’d never been happier.

“That was Brooke Hogan with ‘Everything to me.’ After a short break we’ll be back with Taylor Hicks and his hit single ‘Do I make you proud?’”

After a three minute commercial break she came back on air with, “This is Syn and here’s Taylor Hicks,” and pressed the play button.

The song was half over when her producer indicated that when the song was over she had a call on line three.

The song ended a minute later and she pressed the button for the phone and said, “You’re on air with Syn, what can I do for you?”

“You can say yes.”

“Huh?” Michelle said just as she felt a tap on her shoulder.

She spun around to see Nick down on his knee holding a little black ring box.

He hung up his phone and said, “Michelle, I love you with everything in me and more, will you marry me?”

For a moment she was speechless and could only stare at him. Then she reached up and pushed the headphones off and jumped into his arms and whispered, “Yes.”

“I love you so much,” Nick whispered as he slipped the ring on her finger.

“I love you too.”

When she heard the cheering she looked up and saw the station manager, her boss, some of the other djs and producers. She laughed and wiped her eyes ad her producer said, “You heard it here first. Our very own Syn is getting married!”

Everyone came into her booth to say congratulations and then left to get back to their various jobs.

Andy, her producer, said, “Thirty seconds to air,” and pointed to her headphones. She jumped from Nick’s arms and right back into her chair and put her headphones on just as Andy signaled they were back on air.

“This is Syn and up next we have Aaron Carter with ‘Forever for your love.’”

She pulled her headphones down around her neck and told Nick, “You’re not going anywhere,” and handed him a spare set of headphones.

Jaxon popped his head into the booth and said, “Hernandez you can take off. I’ll get Ellie to cover for you.”

“Nah. I’ve got and hour left. I’ll last.”

“Okay then.”

“Thanks anyway Jaxon.”

The song ended and Michelle put her headphones back up and said, “For the last hour we’ll have a special guest with us. Nick say something to our listeners.”

He said the only thing that came to mind, a flashback to BSB’s very first music video, “Hi this is Nick.”

Michelle giggled, “Anything else?”

Nick shook his head, “Just that I love you.”

“Well I love you too and to show you how much I’m gonna play this for you!” She pressed a button and the song ‘If you want it to be good girl (get yourself a bad boy)’ came on. Nick hated that song so Michelle played it as often as she could.

After the song and commercial break was over Michelle took more calls. “This is Syn, what can I do for you?”

“Our sister’s getting married! Our sister’s getting married!!” was all they heard.

“Hello Jake and Anthony.”

“Congratulations guys,” the twins said.

“Thanks.”

For the duration of her show most of the calls they took were listeners calling to say the same thing her brothers said. And Nick’s brother, Aaron, and two of their sisters called.

When she finished her show they went home the happiest they’d ever been together.

“Are you okay Shelley?” Nick asked from the other side of the bathroom door.

The only answer he received was the sound of his fiancée throwing up yet again.

Ten minutes later Michelle walked out of the bathroom and saw that Nick was about five feet down the hall talking on his cell. She walked down the hall to him and snaked her arm around his waist and waited patiently for him to finish his call.

“Okay, we’ll be there soon,” Nick said and hung up.

“Where are we going?” she asked. “I thought you and the boys had an interview.”

“We did but I’m not going,” he held up his hand as she started to protest. ‘I called Kevin. I told him you were sick and that I wasn’t leaving you alone. He understands, he’s the same way with Kris.”

“But where are we going?’ she asked again.

“To your doctor’s appointment. You need to get ready or we’re going to be late.”

Michelle turned and walked into their bedroom. She hated it when it felt like Nick was ordering her around. She pulled a pair of jeans from the closet that she had bought a week ago and was mad when she couldn’t get them buttoned. So she pulled out a different pair and pulled them on and added an oversized “House of Carters” t-shirt that Aaron had given her months ago.

They left the house and headed to Dr. Andrews office.

There were only two other patients in the waiting room. As soon as she signed in she was ushered into an exam room. Fifteen minutes later Michelle’s doctor walked into the room.

“Jordan, how are you?” she asked.

“Fine how are you?”

“I’ve felt like crap for days now.”

Nick sat back watching the exchange between his fiancée and her doctor. This was the first time he’d been to the office with her and to him it seemed like they knew one another.

“Nicky this is Jordan Andrews, my doctor and one of Brandon’s oldest and best friends. Jordan, this is my fiancée Nick.”

The two men shook hands and Jordan began the exam.

Just before he drew blood Jordan informed her that she’d gained ten pounds since she’d last weighed herself about a week and a half ago.

“I’ll have the lab run some tests and I’ll be back with the results as soon as I get them.”

“Thanks Jordy.”

He left and Nick and Michelle did all they could. They waited.

Forty five minutes later Jordan came back into the room with a HUGE grin on his face.

“What?” Michelle asked. She had seen that grin twice before. The first time had been when he told her that Brandon’s girlfriend was pregnant and then again when he’d come over with the news that he’d gotten into medical school. And since she was pretty sure that those tests he’d run hadn’t gained her admittance into medical school… “I’m pregnant?” she asked quietly.

“Congratulations Squeaky. You’re going to be a mother. Congratulations Nick.”

Nick and Michelle stared at one another for a moment and then Michelle said, “Thanks Jordan.”

Michelle told Jordan, “Don’t tell Brandon. If he knows before I tell him I’ll…I’ll toilet paper your house again!”

“That was you!?”

“I told you not to tell my father didn’t I?”

Jordan and Nick started laughing as Jordan recounted the toilet paper incident to Nick.

Just before they left Michelle asked, “Is there anything special I need to start doing?”

“You should be back to feeling normal once you begin taking vitamins and eating right.”

Hoping down from the exam table she said, “Thanks again Jordan.”

“You’re welcome hon, congratulations again.”

They left the office in a daze. When they were safely inside the car Michelle broke the silence, “Can you believe it? We’re having a baby.”

Nick smiled, “I wouldn’t want to with anyone else.”

Instead of going home right away they called Leighanne and Brian, who was done with the interview Nick had missed, to see if they and Baylee would like to go out to lunch.

They met up a half hour later at Tiger’s, a restaurant owned by Howie’s older brother.

“Uncle Nick!” Baylee screeched as he ran toward them.

“Baylee,” Nick began as he bent to reach the child’s height. “What’s new buddy?”

“Mommy says you and Michelle are getting married. Does that mean she’s going to be my auntie just like Auntie Susan?”

“If you want her to be,” he answered looking over his head into Michelle’s eyes.

“Well, I want her to be,” he said enthuastically as he held his arms up to Michelle for a hug.

She picked him up and he wrapped his arms around her neck and said, “I love you Auntie Michelle.”

“I love you too Baylee.”

Brian hugged her as she wiped her eyes; she couldn’t wait for the day when she would hear the child she was now carrying to tell her “I love you.”

They were seated a short while later and as they looked over their menus Nick almost choked when Brian asked, “So what’s new with you tow besides getting married?”

“Not too much. We’re getting ready for my dad and Sarah to come down for a week,” Michelle answered.

Nick nudged her under the table as the waitress appeared to take their orders. “Later,” she whispered as Leighanne placed her order.

Michelle ordered Parmesan chicken strips, Caesar salad and an iced tea.

They talked about trivial things while they waited for their food to come.

As soon as the waitress set Brian’s food in front of him after giving everyone else their food Michelle felt sick and jumped up and ran to the bathroom.

She was in the stall for quite some time and when she came out Leighanne was leaning up against the baby changing table. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine now.”

“What’s wrong? I’ve never seen you move that fast?”

“Brian’s food made me sick.”

“Why would a cheeseburger make you sick?”

“Because I’m pregnant,” Michelle said. “And apparently I’m not too fond of beef products right now.”

“Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh! You’re pregnant!”

“Yes. We’ve established that.”

“Who knows?”

“So far, me, Nick, my doctor and now you,” she answered.

“Awesome.”

“Yuppers. I suppose we should get back before they send in a search party.”

They giggled and walked out of the bathroom and back to their table.

“Are you okay Shelley?” Nick asked.

“I’m great.”

As they began to eat Leighanne said, “Congratulations Nick. You must be so excited.”

“Thanks Leigh, I am,” He answered.

Poor Brian looked clueless, Excited about what?”

“We’re having a baby Brian,” Nick told him.

“You guys are pregnant!?”

“Yuppers.”

“Uncle Nic be daddy too?” Baylee asked with wide eyes.

“Yup,” Nick answered.

They kept a conversation going throughout lunch and parted ways when Baylee began to fall asleep in the remnants of his tomato soup.

“That was Heartland with ‘I Loved Her First,’ after a short break we’ll be back with Taylor Swift, Sugarland and Toby Keith,” Michelle sighed and pulled her headphones down around her neck. She had been having a hell of a week.

First her mother had shown up right in the middle of Nick’s birthday party demanding to know what the “Big News” they twins had called and told her about was because they hadn’t gone into specifics, the next day Brandon had found out the real reason she and Nick had moved the wedding date from August seventeenth to March twentieth and caused a giant fuss about it. And just that very morning, at Starbucks on her way to work, she had run into Mason whom she hadn’t known was out of prison even though she was supposed to be notified when he was let out.

Michelle sat deep in thought until her producer tapped the window separating them and pointed to his ears. She yanked the headphones back up and said, rather uncheerfully, into the mike, “Here’s Tim McGraw,” and slumped back into her chair.

Andy popped his head into her booth and asked, “Are you alright?”

“Not really. I had an argument with my mother on Nick’s birthday, in the middle of his party no less, then my older brother and I got into it the very next day. And to top it all off I saw that guy I was telling you about the other day just this morning.”

“Wow, tough luck. Maybe all you need is a break and some rest.”

“Probably,” she huffed. “Screw it, at the next commercial break I’m telling Jaxon I’m going home.”

After three more songs it was time to take calls before going to commercials. “Hello KRTZ.”

“Who am I speaking to?”

“Syn, you must not listen to this station very much or you’d know that.”

“I haven’t listened very much; where I was I wasn’t allowed too. It was nice seeing you this morning. It’s been a long time.”

The caller’s voice sounded familiar but his words didn’t stick with her, she was extremely tired and everything was going in one ear and out the other. “I’m sorry?” Jordan signaled for her to end the call but something kept her from doing that.

“We haven’t seen one another for about six years now. You’re looking good. If I had known that back in high school I would have waited.”

It was the high school comment that finally got through to her. She yanked her headphones off and literally ran from the room screaming. She made it to the break room before anyone caught up with her.

“Michelle,” Jaxon asked full of concern. “What’s wrong?”

“Mason’s out. They didn’t tell me like they were supposed to. I need to go home.”

“Who’s Mason?”

“I don’t want to talk about him; can you please call Nick for me?”

“Of course,” he walked out and she heard him yell, “Kennedy, go cover for Hernandez.”

About fifteen minutes later both Nick and Aaron walked into the room. Nick dropped to his knees in front of her and asked, “What’s wrong honey?”

Tears streaming down her face, she looked up and answered, “They were supposed to tell me when they let Mason out and they didn’t. I saw him this morning at Starbucks and he just called into my show. Can you take me home please?”

“Of course, let’s go.”

Nick took her car keys from her purse and tossed them to Aaron, “Drive her car back to the house will you?”

When they reached the parking lot Aaron drove off in her car while Nick unlocked his and they both climbed inside. The drive seemed to take much longer than the actual fifteen minutes it took.

When she was safely inside she said, “I’m going to bed,” and walked straight up to their bedroom while Nick stood by and watched.

*~*~*~*~*

The next day Michelle called Jaxon and told him that she was taking a week-long vacation.

He agreed and told her to let him know if she needed more time.

*~*~*~*~*

“Are you ready?” Dr. Andrews asked.

“Will we be able to hear the heartbeat?” Nick asked voicing what the both of them really wanted to know.

“No, the baby is still too small. We should be able to in the next couple of weeks.”

Michelle took a deep breath as the doctor put the wand-thingie on her stomach and proceeded to point out their baby.

*~*~*~*~*

“I needed that,” Michelle said smiling across the table at Nick.

They were at KFC, something both of them had wanted, discussing the doctor’s appointment.

He smiled back, “We both did. You seem a lot more relaxed than you were yesterday.”

“That’s because I am,” she paused. “You know, I’ve been thinking.”

“You always do that.”

“Smart ass, I was talking about the fact that I’ve been thinking about taking time off work. If I do I want to do it soon, what do you think?”

He thought for a moment. “You need it. You’re pregnant, we’re planning a wedding that is shortly over a month away, and now Mason’s out. But I can’t tell you what to do. Follow your head and heart.”

“Both are telling me that it’s what’s best for me, you, and the baby. I’ll talk to Jaxon as soon as I go back on Monday. I want to finish at least one more week before I take time off.”

“Okay. Now,” he pulled out a notebook. “Down to business, we need to talk about wedding stuff. The major thing we still need to decide on is where to honeymoon.”

“Carmel, California,” she replied without hesitation. At the surprised look on Nick’s face she continued, “I mean we only have two and a half weeks after the wedding ‘til you have to be back in the studio, which is in California, and we’ve both always wanted to go to Carmel.”

He thought about it for a long moment then agreed. He jotted down “Carmel” and flipped a few pages. “Why we decided to do this without a wedding planner I’ll never understand.”

“It’s more fun doing it ourselves. Besides, I always said I would plan my own wedding and now I’m doing it.”

He saluted, “Yes Miss lady ma’mn sir!”
She laughed, “Uh oh, I think we’ve been spotted.”

Two girls both of whom looked to be about sixteen came over. “Aren’t you Nick Carter?” the redhead asked.

He closed the notebook and placed it back inside his bag before answering, “Yup/”

“And aren’t you his fiancée Michelle?” the brunette asked.

“Guilty as charged.”

“Would you guys mind if we took some pictures with you and maybe got autographs?”

“Sure,” Nick answered for both of them.

The redhead signaled to a boy who looked to be the same age as the girls to come over. Michelle and Nick stood up from their booth and the girls stood in between them. The boy snapped pictures with both of the digital cameras he was holding. Then the redhead, whose name turned out to be Beth, took pictures with both of them and then individually. The brunette, whose name turned out to be Marianna, repeated her friend’s actions. Then both of the girls took a picture of just Nick and Michelle with their cameras.

Beth and Marianna then pulled green sharpies and scraps of paper from their purses and handed them to Michelle and Nick. They signed the papers and switched to repeat the action. When they handed the papers and markers back the girls thanked them and left.

*~*~*~*~*

“Jaxon, I need to talk to you,” Michelle said walking into his office.

“You’re back!” he stood and hugged her.

“For a while at least.”

He looked at her and his eyes sort of popped when he saw what she was wearing.

“Relax,” she told him. “I’m wearing shorts,” she pulled up the edge of Nick’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers jersey to show him.

“What did you want to talk about?”

“I want to take some time off. I need to concentrate solely on myself, my relationship with my fiancée and our baby for a while.”

“Baby? You’re pregnant?”

“Yes.”

“Congratulations, how much time?”

“A year.”

“A year?” he repeated.

“Yes.”

Jaxon tapped some keys on his computer keyboard and replied, “We can do that. We’ll just have to get someone to fill in for you.”

“Kennedey. He’s good and you’ve been thinking about giving him his own show for a while now. Try him out on my show, you can’t tell me he wouldn’t love it.”

“Yeah,” Jaxon pressed a button and said into a microphone, “Kennedey to Jaxon’s office.”

He came in a few moments later, “Yeah boss?”

“You’re going to be taking over Michelle’s show starting Friday. It’s a trial of sorts. You’ll only be doing it until she comes back in a year and then I’ll see about getting you your own on-air time slot.”

Kennedey sat, “Really? Why?”

“I’m taking a year off to concentrate of a few things. I want you to cover for me.”

“I’ll do it.”

They signed the necessary papers and she left to do her show.

*~*~*~*~*

Friday came sooner than she expected it too. She was happy that she was getting so much time off but knew she would miss her job.

“Okay guys and girls, I’ve got some news for you. It’s good, bad, and great all at the same time.”

She paused, took a deep breath and smiled at the audience that couldn’t see her. “First the great news, my fiancée and I are expecting our first child this September,” Andy pressed the applause button. “The bad news is that starting in about three minutes I’m going to be taking a year off because there are a few things in my personal life that I need to concentrate on more than I have been. The good news is that our very own traffic and weather man, Mr. Kennedy, will be taking over until I come back. Kennedey say something to your listeners.”

Kennedy said the only thing that came to mind, “I’m Kennedey.”

“Creative, very creative. Well guys this is goodbye for a while not forever. Kennedey be good to my listeners or I’ll come after you when I get back. I will be back with y’all in a year.”

Hey guys,


Thanks for being patient with me on this one. I know exactly where I want it to go and have in fact already written the ending. You're gonna love it. I have decided to change the name of this story from A Dream Come True to ONLY IN HER DREAMS. I hope you like it.

Michelle settled into life in Los Angeles quite easily. To her it was just like Florida but it had a bit of a faster pace. She and Nick had decided to move to L.A. straight away instead of waiting until after their honeymoon. However they would be flying back to Florida for their wedding in three weeks.

She was curled up in front of the lit fire place in the most comfortable chair ever working on her laptop on the update for Nick’s website. He had promised bi-weekly updates to the site viewers and as he was busy she was now doing it. The updates would include information about how they were doing a couple, the latest baby news and a small announcement on how the new BSB album was coming along.

She typed quickly.

We finally got to hear the heartbeat yesterday. For as long as I live I will never forget that sound or the look in Nick’s eyes. We still have a few weeks left before we will be able to find out the baby’s gender and already we’re fighting about it. He wants a girl while I want a boy.
Our wedding is now three weeks away. It’s approaching at an alarming rate and I have to admit that I’m nervous but happy and excited at the same time.
Speaking of time, Nick says to tell y’all that the album is coming along well and will be done in no time once we get back from our honeymoon.
When I have more news to share y’all will be the first people I tell.

Michelle

She shut down her computer, set it on the floor beside the chair and stood up. She walked down the hall, turned left and walked into the room that would become a nursery in about a month and a half.

Michelle pulled out a dress that had been hanging in the closet since they’d arrived in LA. The dress was actually one she had made for Halloween two years ago. It was white and in order for her to be able to wear the shoes she had bought yesterday while shopping with Kristin the hen would have to be taken down at least four inches. There were two inch straps holding up the body of the dress and the chest had thin strips of fabric connected with white beads all across it. There were thin strips of fabric connected to the dress just under the bust of the dress that would be tied behind her back. The bust itself would have to be taken out too, as would the side hems because she had gained a little weight since the last time she wore it.

This dress had come to mind immediately when Howie’s longtime girlfriend, Leigh, had asked about her wedding dress. And besides, why spend thousands on something she was only going to wear once when she already had the perfect dress?

Tomorrow she and her bridesmaids, Ana and Kymmy, and her maid of honor, Summer, her very best friend since toddler-hood, would be going to Victoria’s, the bridal shop they were getting the bridal party dresses from for the final fitting and so she could leave her dress there to have the alterations done. She also had to find a veil.
*~*~*~*~*

“Honey I’m home!” Nick yelled from the front door. Yeah, that was going to get old fast, especially since he did it every time he came home from anywhere.

Michelle was in the kitchen cooking because for the first time since moving, well aside from the first night, Nick was going to be home for dinner.

He and they guys were trying to finish up as many songs as they could before everyone flew back east for the wedding and everyone began their two week vacation.

Her back was to him as he walked in and he was glad because he had brought her a surprise.

All of a sudden she couldn’t see, but she could smell something sweet and flowery which meant that Nick had brought her flowers.

She spun around and hugged him, “How’d recording go today?”

“Ok, they’ve only let us go for dinner and then we’ve got to be back.”

“Oh,” she had been looking forward to spending the rest of the night curled up under a blanket with him watching movies.

“But,” he continued. “We’ve got tomorrow night off so we can stay in.”

Michelle perked back up, “Okay!” and smiled.

“Oh yeah, these are for you,” he said handing her the flowers.

“Thanks,” while he grabbed a vase for the flowers, Michelle turned her attention back to the stove to finish dinner.

It wasn’t anything fancy, just something that she had been craving all day. She and Nick both happened to think it was the best food on the face of the planet. They loved grilled cheese sandwiches and Campbell’s Tomato soup.
*~*~*~*~*

“Rise and shine!” a very perky voice announced. “It’s time to greet the sun.”


“Kymmy shut up!” Michelle yelled as she threw a pillow at her friend.

“We were supposed to be out of here thirty minutes ago,” Ana responded.

That got her out of bed. She bolted to the closet and grabbed the clothing she’d set out the night before and hurried through to the bathroom where she took the quickest shower of her life.

She sprayed her hair so it would stay kinked and had her clothes on and makeup done in four minutes flat. It took her another three minutes to locate the proper colored pair of Converse before she headed down the hall to get her dress before leaving for Victoria’s.
*~*~*~*~*

The five friends go to the shop five minutes behind schedule but there was no harm done and they got right to work.

Summer went first. Her dress was off the shoulder and skimmed the ground. Only the bottom hem needed work so she was done pretty quickly.

Kymmy and Ana both went next. The dresses these two would wear were tube-topish and like Summer’s skimmed the ground. Kym’s bust needed to be taken out and Ana’s dress was perfect.

Finally, Michelle emerged from the changing room with her dress on.

“Who designed that?” Lola, Victoria’s assistant asked.

“Who ever drew the pattern, I made this for Halloween two years ago.”

“Then why are you wearing it now?”

“Because I wasn’t going to spend thousands on something I’d wear for a few hours before it was encased in plastic to forever hang in the back of my closet. And besides, I happen to like this dress,” what she didn’t like was Lola.

Victoria pinned the places that needed to be altered and had Lola begin bringing the veils. After fifteen minutes of trying different veils, Michelle finally found the perfect one. It would require that her hair be pulled back in a knot so the comb holding the veil could be placed in her hair and it cascaded down her back until it reached her knees.

Victoria promised to have the dresses finished and ready to be picked up on the inside of the week. Once everyone had their “normal” clothes back on the girls headed out to lunch.
*~*~*~*~*

They decided to go to the Ivy, so that’s where Michelle drove.

They had just been seated when there was a tap on her shoulder. She spun around to see none other than Paris Hilton standing behind her.

“What Paris?” they had met twice before and neither meeting had turned out well.

“I know you probably think I’m here to cause trouble but I’m not. I’ve been out of the country until recently and had no idea that you and Nick were engaged. Congratulations.”

Before Michelle had uttered a word Kymmy spoke up, “They’re having a baby too.”

“Even more of a reason to congratulate you.”

“Thanks.”

Paris walked away and the waiter came and took orders.

After eating Ana, Summer and Kymmy decided that they wanted to go shopping so Michelle dropped them off before heading home.

The wedding was now seven days away and everyone was on the plane they had chartered, heading back to Florida.

They were an hour into the flight when everyone began to complain of boredom. Michelle pulled a small box that touted ‘Unbreakable Plastic Spoons’ on the cover and flashed it at Aaron.

“Spoons?” he asked.

Grinning she tossed the box to him and said, “Prepare to lose pretty boy.”

Aj asked, “What’s ‘Spoons’?”

Everyone stopped and stared. “WHAT?!”

“You don’t know how to play spoons?” Kevin, Michelle and Aaron asked simultaneously.

“No.”

“Come on you’re gonna learn,” Michelle drug him over to the table and sat him down.

Once everything was set up and everyone was ready she explained the game to him, “First of all the most obvious, the game is called spoons. You have to put one less spoon than the number of players in the middle of the table. Each player gets four cards, the rest of them are passed around the table one by one very quickly. The object of the game is to get four of the same cards, so you would want four threes, fives, sevens, like that. The object of the game is to be the first to get all four cards and then grab a spoon. If anyone else sees you grab one they follow suit. It’s more fun if nobody sees you grab one. Extreme spoons are even more fun.”

“Extreme Spoons?” he sounded kind of worried.

“That version is better played on the ground and not by pregnant women,” Michelle told him.

“Let’s play!” Baylee yelled; even though he was still pretty young he loved to play “grown up” games.

They played until it was time for lunch. The girls had packed a picnic because they thought it’d be fun. They made the guys move all the movable furniture and set up. Baylee thought it was hilarious that the grown ups were eating on the floor when he usually got in trouble for it.

After everyone was done eating Michelle lay down and Baylee followed. Neither woke up until the plane landed.
*~*~*~*~*

Everyone went straight home to get ready for the rehearsal dinner that night. They’d planned it so far in advance so that if they ran into problems in any other areas they’d have time to deal with them.

Michelle showered and changed into a soft pink cami and dark blue jeans. She French-braided her hair; something her friends loved to watch her do because they couldn’t do it to their own hair; and waited on the bed while Nick showered and changed himself.
*~*~*~*~*

At a quarter to seven they left to meet everyone at the church.

“Uncle Jack!” Michelle greeted the minister, who was in fact her uncle and godfather.

“It’s great to see you Shelley.” He replied hugging her.

“Excited, I can’t wait for Friday.”

“I’ll bet. What do you say we get this over with? Your aunt Mary can’t wait to get all of you in the house. Ruthie can’t wait to get Aj in the house.”

Michelle giggled, Ruthie was her sixteen year old cousin who just so happened to be in love with Aj.
*~*~*~*~*

“She’s in her room,” Mary said as they walked into the kitchen. “I don’t think there’s a chance she saw you pull up she’s busy with Eli.”

“How is he?” Michelle asked.

Her aunt turned to the group and answered, “Fine.”

Jack said to Aj, “Up stairs second door on the left.”

“Yes sir,” Aj saluted and took off.

They heard the door open and Michelle said, “Wait for it…..”

And they heard, “OH. MY. GAWD!”

Ruthie was at the bottom of the stairs seconds later. She had her mouth open to speak but when she saw the rest of the guys in the kitchen she screamed even louder.

“Ruthie calm down,” Jack told his daughter and Michelle laughed. “You might frighten them.”
“Oh please. The only thing that scares them is if one of them pisses off any one of us. Then it gets ugly,” Kristin said.

Everyone laughed including Aj who had just returned. Once they quieted down, Nick finally got it. “HEY!”

“Oh be quiet, you know it’s true.” Michelle replied swatting his arm. “Ruthie, Aunt Mary…”

“Michelle!” Ruthie yelled as she hugged her cousin. “I didn’t see you.”

“That’s ‘cause I’m surrounded by giants. Anyway, Aunt Mary, Ruthie these are Brian, Leighanne, and Baylee, Kevin and Kristin, Aj and Ana, Howie and Leigh and finally Nick, guys these are my Aunt Mary and Cousin Ruthie.”

Everyone exchanged hellos. It was a few minutes before Ruthie asked Michelle, “Do you want to go meet Elijah?”

“Of course,” Ruthie was referring to her four week old son whom Michelle had yet to meet. “I’ve been waiting to see him. I’m sorry I wasn’t there when he was born.”

“That’s okay, Mom was.”

The guys exchanged confused looks that Ruthie caught. She explained, “I did something that I really regret but I will never regret my son.” She turned and led Michelle upstairs.

“He was sleeping when Aj came in but he might be awake now.”

They walked over to the crib and saw that he was in fact awake. Michelle lifted him gently and said, “Ohhhh, I can’t wait.”

“Wait for what?”

“When I have my baby.”

“Your what?!”

“My baby, I’m pregnant. I’m due in September.”

“Dad’ll kill you if he finds out before Friday.”

“That’s why I’m not going to tell him.”

The girls laughed and talked until Jack came upstairs to tell them that dinner was “ready and waiting’.

“Uncle Jack,” Michelle began, nervously tapping her fingers on the arm rest of the chair she was sitting in. “I need to talk to you.”

He uncle walked into his study and sat in the chair opposite her, “About what sweetie?”

She was trembling slightly as she answered, “Me and Nick.”

“Are you having second thoughts? Wishing you would have eloped?”

“Heavens no, although now that I think about it, eloping sounds like a good idea…”

“Michelle Miley, just tell me what’s wrong.”

“You always said that you would never marry a couple who had a baby before marriage or if the woman was pregnant before they got married. But it’s too lat to find someone else to perform the ceremony if you don’t do it,” she stopped rambling to catch her breath.

“Honey what are you trying to say?”

“I’m…I’m…pregnant,” she whispered the last word.

“You’re what?”

“Pregnant”

“But you can’t be.”

“Oh yes I can.”

“But you always said you would never…at least not until you were married.”

“Things change Uncle Jack. I changed and I gave Nick what I never gave anyone else because I love him.”

She stood and began pacing, “I’m three months along now and my due date is September twenty third. I had to tell you why Nick and I moved the date of the ceremony up before it actually happened. I didn’t want to be lying to you any more. If you don’t perform the ceremony we’ll just have to find someone who will, but I’d rather have you do it.”

“Of course I’ll do it.”

“You will? But you said…”

“Nick told me about the baby before you two moved to Los Angeles. He wanted to make sure I’d still do it.”

“That rat! He didn’t tell me! And now I made an ass of myself.”

“No you didn’t, you did what you thought you should do. You came and told me the truth. You’ve always known what you stated about me, but if I didn’t perform weddings for people like that I wouldn’t do many marriages. Thank you for coming to me, it means more than you know,” he smiled. “And congratulations.”

“Thanks Uncle Jack,” Michelle said hugging the man. “Thanks so much.”

“You’re welcome.”

Michelle left the room in search of Nick.

She finally found him in “Hobbit Hollow,” the tree house her Uncle Jack had built for her and Billy two summers before he died.

“I see the magic of “Hobbit Hollow” has sucked you in too,” she said as she stepped into the first room of the four room tree house, lightly slapping the wall. “Man I missed this place.”

“‘Hobbit Hollow’? You miss it? What is this place?”

It’s mine and Billy’s tree house. Uncle Jack built it for us when we were in the third grade. After the accident I didn’t come here much.”

“Accident?”

Michelle strode to the window on the wall opposite where she was standing and reached up to pull a framed picture down from the shelf above it. “God, I miss Billy.”

The picture was of her, her cousin Billy, her and Billy’s fathers horseback riding a few months before the accident.

“This picture,” she held it out and waited for him to take it before continuing. “Was taken three months before the accident. It was June twenty first and Daddy, Uncle Jack, Billy and I went out on our weekly ‘Daddy and me’ horseback riding trip. Usually we only did the short trail but this day our guide decided to take us on the long trail. Billy’s horse somehow got ahead of the guide’s. The next thing I hear is Billy screaming at the top of his lungs and then there was a thud. Daddy held on to my horse’s reins and kept it under control while Uncle Jack and the guide dismounted and ran to Billy. By the time they got him to the hospital it was too late. The horse, Blaze Runner, had trampled a few of Billy’s vital organs and the doctors couldn’t do anything. To this day, Daddy, Uncle Jack and I have not been back on a horse. Back to missing the tree house, after Billy died I came back a few times but without my best friend here with me there was a feeling of great emptiness and loneliness that I couldn’t stand. I couldn’t play in the tree house without thinking of him and being sad so I stayed away.”

“That’s tragic.”

“It was.”

She grinned and Nick knew something was up so he asked, “What’s going on?”

“How come you didn’t tell me that you told Uncle Jack that I’m pregnant?”

“Right after I told him we shipped everything and moved to LA and we were so busy that it just slipped my mind.”

“Don’t let it happen again.”

“That’s it? You’re not mad? I’m not in trouble?”

“Yes, no, no. Just don’t let it happen again,” she grinned maniacally as she stood to leave, “You’ll pay for it later.”

“Michelle!” Sarah yelled as she pounded on her stepdaughter’s bedroom door, “It’s time to get going. We have to be at the church in less than three hours.”

Michelle sat straight up; how had she slept so late? How had they LET her sleep so late? The wedding was mere hours away and there was still many many things left to do! Someone had to pick up the flowers and everyone needed to get their hair and makeup done. She had to shower and they all had to get dressed and get to the church ON TIME and she had SLEPT LATE!

She jumped out of bed, stripping out of her clothing as she went and jumped into what would be the quickest shower of her life. Five minutes later she was in her bra and panties wrapped in her fuzzy pink robe sitting in front of Drake, her hair dresser.

Forty five minutes later her hair was finished. She had dyed it black just days before and Drake had done it in tight ringlets. Her bridesmaids and maid-of-honor had their hair done in a similar way but their hair was pulled back into a ponytail with the ringlets in back.

Drake placed the wreath of Baby’s Breath on her head and held it in place with bobby pins, while Donna began her makeup.

When Donna finished they had exactly an hour to get to the church which was forty minutes away and Michelle still had to put her dress on.

She dressed as quickly as she could, with Sarah doing the zipper as they walked out to the drive way and the waiting limo. They arrived at the church with fifteen minutes to spare.

*~*~*~*~*

Nick had the opposite problem of that of Michelle’s. He’d woken up at dawn and no matter how hard he tried, he had been unable to get back to sleep.

Brian joined hi soon after and the two friends talked about something that had been weighing heavily on Nick’s mind.

“How are you feeling Nick?” Brian asked as he sat beside his friend on the deck, sipping the coffee he had just poured himself.

“I’m scared as hell.”

A simple “Why?” came from Brian.

“Because Brian, I don’t know who to be a husband. I don’t know how to be a father. I have no idea what I’m getting myself into. I don’t know what I’m doing!” he yelled the last sentence.

“You’ve got a right to be scared Nick. And don’t tell me you’re not ‘cause it’s written all over your face. I was down right terrified the day I married Leighanne. I had no idea what I was getting into. The same goes for being a father the day Baylee was born. But we’re still going strong and Bay’s growing up to be a great person. I figure I’m doing most things right and I’m learning from what I’m not doing the correct way and trying to get it right the second time. You’ll be a great husband and father. What you’ve got to remember is that you love Michelle and she loves you and in the end what matters most is what you’ve got. Love.”

“But what if I screw up?”

“Both Michelle and god will forgive you, you know that. And if you do, you’ll just have to try harder.”

“I’ll do my best Brian, I really will.”

“I know Nicky, I know.”

About an hour later they went back inside and began to wake everyone up to get ready and at ten thirty they left for the church.
*~*~*~*~*

Everyone got into place for the ceremony to begin.

The bridesmaids and groomsmen went first. Then the best man and maid-of-honor (Aaron and Ruthie who seemed to be getting along rather well *wink*) followed by the flower girl and ring bearer.

Finally the wedding march began. Everyone stood and turned to the doorway through which Michelle would walk, escorted by her father.

A few people gasped when they finally saw the bride. She had foregone the traditional white wedding gown for one that was colored deep red. There was a ‘v’ cut into the material between her breasts and the bodice was tastefully decorated with lace and glass beads. The skirt was long and flowy. Her shoes were the black satin ballet slippers she had worn during her last ballet recital her senior year of high school (her ‘something old’) and her bouquet was white roses, white lilies and baby’s breath.

When they got to the end of the isle her father kissed her cheek and gave her to Nick.

“Friends and family, we are gathered here today to join Nick and Michelle in holy matrimony. If anyone present knows why they should not be wed speak not or remain forever silent,” after pausing for a moment, Jack continued, “On this occasion we begin by asking God's blessing on this marriage service. Let us pray."

After completing the prayer Jack said, “And now ladies and gentlemen, the vows.”
“Do you, Nick take Michelle to be your wife? Do you promise to love, honor, cherish and protect her/him, forsaking all others and holding only unto her?"

“I do.”

“Do you, Michelle take Nick to be your husband? Do you promise to love, honor, cherish and protect her/him, forsaking all others and holding only unto him?"


“I do.”

“Both of you repeat after me, With this Ring I thee wed, with my Body I thee worship, and with all my worldly Goods I thee endow; In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost; Amen."

Michelle and Nick repeated the words and Jack finished, “By the power vested in me by God and the state of Florida, I now pronounce you husband and wife. Nick you may kiss your bride.”

Nick did as he was told and kissed his wife.

“Ladies and gentlemen, may I introduce to you, Mr. and Mrs. Nickolas Gene Carter!” the dj roared into his microphone as the band got into place.

Nick and Michelle walked into the ballroom and everyone cheered. They smiled and proceeded to the middle of the dance floor as the music to the first of their two wedding songs began.

Two special guests, Zac Effron and Vanessa Hudgens, stepped up to the two microphones in front of the stage and stood side-by-side as they began to sing the second of Nick and Michelle’s two wedding songs.


Living in my own world
Didn't understand
That anything can happen
When you take a chance
I never believed in
What I couldn't see
I never opened my heart
To all the possibilities
I know that something has changed
Never felt this way
And right here tonight

This could be the start
Of something new
It feels so right
To be here with you
And now looking in your eyes
I feel in my heart
The start of something new

Now who'd of ever thought that
We'd both be here tonight
And the world looks so much brighter
With you by my side
I know that something has changed
Never felt this way
I know it for real

This could be the start
Of something new
It feels so right
To be here with you
And now looking in your eyes
I feel in my heart
The start of something new


I never knew that it could happen
Till it happened to me
I didn't know it before
But now it's easy to see

It's a start
Of something new
It feels so right
To be here with you
And now looking in your eyes
I feel in my heart

That it's the start
Of something new
It feels so right
To be here with you
And now looking in your eyes
I feel in my heart
The start of something new

Start of something new

When the music ended they shared a soft kiss before taking their seats at the main table.

“So,” Ruthie began. “what does being married feel like?”

“Amazing,” Michelle answered. “but then again that feeling isn’t anything new because it felt like that before.”

“Gag me with a spoon,” Aaron said.

Messing up his brother’s hair Nick said, “Just ‘cause you’re jealous.”

Over the next few minutes dinner was served. Michelle was almost too nervous to eat. She felt like all eyes were on her (which of course they were) and she didn’t like doing anything, particularly eating, when she knew people were watching.

Their guests finished eating at their own pace and then joined the couples on the dance floor.

“And now the bride would like to share a dance with her father,” the dj said as Michelle walked back to the dance floor with her father as the band once again got into place.

The first chords of Gary Allan’s “Tough Little Boys” came through the speakers as the band began to play and their third special guest stepped up to the lone microphone on the stage.


I never once, backed down from a punch.
I'd take it square on the chin.
Well I found out fast a bully's just that,
You've got to stand up to him.
'Cause I didn't cry when I got a black eye,
As bad as it hurt, I just grinned.
But when tough little boys grow up to be Dads
They turn into big babies again

Scared me to death, when took your first steps,
Well I'd fall everytime you fell down.
Your first day of school, I cried like a fool, and
I followed your school bus to town.

Well I didn't cry when Old Yeller died,
at least not in front of my friends.
But when tough little boys grow up to be Dads,
They turn into big babies again

Well I'm a grown man, but as strong as I am,
Well sometimes it's hard to believe,
How one little girl, with little blonde curls, can totally terrify me.
well if you were to ask my wife would just laugh,
She'd say, "I know all about men,
And how tough little boys grow up to be Dads
they turn into big babies again

Well I know one day I'll give you away,
and I'm goin to stand there and smile.
When I get home and I'm all alone,
I'll sit in your room for awhile.
Well I didn't cry when Old Yeller died,
at least not in front of my friends.
But when tough little boys grow up to be Dads
They turn into big babies again

When tough little boys grow up to be Dads,
They turn into big babies again


“I love you sweetheart,” her father said.

“I love you too daddy.”

“I always pictured the day I would give you away. Never did I imagine it would be like this. I always thought you would marry someone with a quiet profession, like a teacher or a doctor or even another radio dj. I never imagined that my baby girl would marry and international pop star. He’s clearly making you happy though and that’s all that matters.”

“Daddy…” Michelle said.

“It’s true. Happiness and love are all that matters in the end.”

The song ended and her father kissed her cheek as Nick walked up to dance with her again.

The music for Heartland's "I Loved Her First" began playing.

Look at the two of you dancing that way
Lost in the moment and each others face
So much in love your alone in this place
Like there’s nobody else in the world
I was enough for her not long ago
I was her number one
She told me so
and she still means the world to me
Just so you know
So be careful when you hold my girl
Time changes everything
Life must go on
and I’m not gonna stand in your way

Chorus:
But I Loved her first and I held her first
and a place in my heart I’ll always be hers
From the first breath she breathed
When she first smiled at me
I knew the love of a father runs deep
and I prayed that she'd find you someday
but it still hard to give her away
I loved her first

How could that beautiful women with you
Be the same freckle face kid that I knew
The one that I read all those fairy tales to
and tucked into bed all those nights
and I knew the first time I saw you with her
It was only a matter of time

Chorus:
But I Loved her first and I held her first
and a place in my heart will always be hers
From the first breath she breathed
When she first smiled at me
I knew the love of a father runs deep
and I prayed that she'd find you someday
but it still hard to give her away
I loved her first

From the first breath she breathed
When she first smiled at me
I knew the love of a father runs deep
Someday you might know what I’m going through
When a miracle smiles up at you
I loved her first…


“What was your father saying?”

“Just how he always thought I’d marry someone with a quiet profession.”

“Quiet profession?”

“Yeah, like a teacher or a doctor or even another dj. He never thought I’d marry a musician.”

“Well I’m glad you didn’t marry a dj, doctor or teacher. You chose me and now you’re stuck with me for the rest of your life.”

“I know I am and I’m glad. I love you.”

“I love you too.”

As soon as the song was over they went to the table where the cake was sitting and took the knife in their hands to cut it.

After everyone was full of cake and whatever else they had eaten Nick and Michelle opened their wedding presents.

A short while later, after they had changed, they left for the airport and the plane that was waiting to take them to Carmel for their honeymoon.

A boy. They were having a baby boy. Nick was going to be deliriously happy when she told him.

Instead of going to her scheduled lunch date with Breeanya, who was in Los Angeles for a few weeks, she canceled and went to the studio where the guys were recording that day.

“Michelle, you’re absolutely glowing!” Max crooned.

“You would be too if you had spent the morning throwing up,” she replied.

“Still happening then?”

“As always,” she smiled and hugged him. “Are they terribly busy?”

“Actually they’re arguing”

She walked to the board, pressed a button and said, “Nick, we’re having a boy,” and released the button.

Immediately the bickering stopped and Nick said,” What?” Well he mouthed the word since the booth was sound proof unless the button was pressed.

She mouthed back, “B.O.Y,” and pointed to her now-noticeable baby bump.

You could tell he and the others understood what she was saying because all of a sudden the four men looked as though they had just gotten the news that their favorite football team had won the Super Bowl.

Nick came rushing out of the booth and hugged her as hard as he could without hurting her. “We’re really having a boy?”

“Yeah, I’ll show you the sonograms when you get home. Right now you need to get back to work and no more fighting or I won’t tell you the name I’ve got picked out.”

“You’ve got a name already? You’re not due for another four months.”

“I know, but do you remember how fast I had the wedding planned?”

“What does our wedding have to do with you having a baby name ready four months in advance?”

“This: I already had the wedding planned. Actually I’d had it planned for almost six months before you proposed, which, beside the wedding date, was all I was waiting for. I’ve had baby names picked out since my baby brothers were born.”

“Do I get a say in the names of our children at all?” he asked.

“Maybe. I’ll tell you when you get home. Now get back to work, you can practically see Max’s eyes popping out of his head because of the time you’re wasting talking to me.”

He kissed her, turned her loose and waited until she left the room before returning to the booth to get back to work.
*~*~*~*~*

“I’m home!” Nick yelled as he walked into the living room.

“I’m in the kitchen!” Michelle yelled back.

She had been preparing dinner (homemade pizza, breadsticks, and a salad) since she had gotten home that afternoon. She’d left the studio at twelve thirty and after grabbing some lunch at McDonalds she driven downtown. She hadn’t been able to resist the baby boutiques she’d driven past. She’d backtracked to the first one she passed and began shopping for her son.

Seeing that Michelle was entranced while tossing a salad, he snuck up behind her, put his arms around her waist and squeezed her.

“Nick!” she exclaimed as she dropped the salad tongs. “You scared me.”

“I’m sorry; I won’t do it again.” He waited about three seconds before adding, “NOT!” and collapsing into a fit of giggles.

“How much work did you guys get done after I left?” she asked.

“We finished the last three songs. Now all we’ve got to do is choose the album songs, a release date and we’re done.”

“Baby that’s awesome, congratulations.”

“Thanks. Brian says to tell you congrats on the boy as do the rest of the guys. Oh and Leighanne, Ana, and Leigh say that they’re planning your baby shower as we speak.”

“I knew they would. Now go wash up, dinner’s almost done.”

“Yes mommy,” Nick saluted ash he walked down the hall to their bedroom.

She set the salad bowl down on the table beside the breadsticks and went to get the pizza.

Everything was in place when Nick returned a few minutes later. On his plate was a white box neatly wrapped in pale blue wrapping paper.

“What’s this?” he asked.

“Just open it,” Michelle gave as her answer. “I did a little shopping after I left and thought you’d like that.”

He plucked the bow off and placed it on top of her head; the brightness of the yellow bow a contrast to the black of her maternity suit. He then carefully unwrapped his present. He opened the box to reveal a darkly stained wooden picture frame that held an eight by ten enlarged photograph of their baby’s sonogram.

When he looked up at her he had tears in his eyes. “It’s beautiful, thank you.”

“You’re welcome. Now let’s eat.”

When they were finished Nick said, “Since you cooked, I’ll clean up. You go and relax.’

“Mmmmmmkay, I’ll be….around,” she practically skipped off.

Michelle ended up soaking in a bubble bath and remained there for an hour until Nick came to retrieve her.

“What is it about bubble baths that make women fall asleep? My sisters used to do it all the time when we were younger.”

“I don’t know. Relaxation I guess. All the peace and quiet allows our brain to turn off.”

“Interesting. I wonder if we could get Aj into a bubble bath long enough to make his brain turn off.”

“You don’t need a bubble bath for that. Just parade a pretty girl in front of him and he’s gone.”

“Yeah but that hasn’t worked since he got married.”

“Then bubble baths probably won’t work anymore either.”

“Enough about Aj while you’re in the bathtub,” Nick said.

“Ok then. Shall we talk about Brian? Howie maybe? No I know! Aaron!!” Michelle replied laughing.

“Whatever, just get out of the tub and come watch a movie with me,” he said as he walked out of the bathroom.

“Okay!” she stood up and turned the shower on to rinse the bubbles off as she drained the tub. She dried herself off and dressed in her most comfortable pajamas and joined Nick.

They spent the night on the couch watching movies and drinking hot cocoa.