The bed was so snug, her body warmly nestled against his and when he opened his eyes he found her sleeping soundly then again he wasn’t surprised. They had both made their way back into the bedroom around seven thirty after two more sessions of love making and that’s where they had been ever since. She moved slightly and the sun, peeking in through a crack in the blinds, caught the band of diamonds on the ring that was situated on her right hand, it made them sparkle and glisten but it made him sigh.
He knew she loved the ring, loved the design, loved the sentiment but she hadn’t been able to hide her disappointment. He could tell just by her eyes, and although she tried to hide it, he knew. Maybe Angel had been right, maybe he should have proposed. It wasn’t what he wanted though and he knew he would never be able to go through with it, that would be worse for her because he knew she would be one of these people who would not want a long engagement, she would want to be married by the following year. How could he keep stalling her on a date? He couldn’t.
He heard a small knock at the door but he didn’t want to get up just yet, the fact that he hadn’t had much sleep catching up on him so he closed his eyes and ignored it. As soon as the door opened he knew exactly who it was, and he knew exactly what was coming next so he mentally and physically braced himself. He heard Rachel try and quiet a small chuckle, heard Alex shhh her and then he felt the mass land almost on him when he dived bombed the bed cackling madly.
“If I wasn’t naked I would so beat down on your ass J,” He warned as Adie wiped the sleep from her eyes pulling the covers up to cover her bare breasts.
“I did try and stop him,” Rachel said.
“Liar you egged him on,” Adie said knowingly.
She shrugged and smiled, “Yeah I did. Happy Birthday!”
“Thanks.”
“So what’s the plan for today?” Alex asked, perching himself on the edge of the bed.
“Sex, lots and lots of sex,” Nick smiled winking at Adie.
“Why Nick, although I love that idea it’s Adie’s birthday and I think you should spend some quality time with her, after all we do have the next leg of the tour to go yet,” Alex replied, waggling his eyebrows at his band mate.
“You are totally sick,” he said nudging him with his quilt covered foot.
“Mom said about going there for brunch, then whatever,” Adie shrugged through a yawn.
“No solid plans?” Rachel asked.
“Nope I went out with the guys from work last week, joint leaving party for Mike and birthday shindig for me so I am open to suggestions,” She told them knowing that it had been a huge mistake to say that when Alex’s face lit up.
“Oh I feel a little karaoke session coming on!”
***
She sat in the back yard of her parents lavish home, admiring the scenery but still felt the need to wrap her arms around herself pulling her knew leather jacket closer to her body when the breeze swept through. She had eyed Rachel, shaking her head at her older sister when she had opened the gift, it was the one she had spied in Harojuku street, the one she had replaced when the price tag had read close to seven hundred dollars.
“See it feels nice doesn’t it?” Rachel said as she sat down next to her sister, zipping up one of their Father’s old fleece jackets when she had also begun to feel the cold.
“Yeah it does, it’s gorgeous but you still shouldn’t have spent all that money on me, you have a baby to think about now,” she said placing her hand on her sister’s slightly protruding tummy.
“It’s not like me and Alex are totally broke you know. He has managed to sell more then one record and what with the money only being split four ways now,” she shrugged with a laugh.
“Yeah I know but still,” she tried.
“Anyway you having a nice birthday? I know you had a nice morning,” She said wiggling her eyebrows at her sister which meant she had to have overheard hers and Nick’s escapades this morning.
“You heard us?” Adie asked flushing slightly red.
“Honey if that was you guys trying to be quiet I would hate to be there when you are noisy. So was it as good as it sounded?” She asked.
“Three weeks away from each other, what do you think? What were you doing up that early anyway?”
“Morning sickness,” She shrugged.
“Awww, you shouldn’t have it for too much longer though should you?” She asked.
“Hopefully not. Where’s Alex and Nick?” She asked noticing the absence.
“Helping Mom clear the kitchen,” Adie replied.
“So… what did you think of the ring?” She asked.
What did she think of the ring? It was gorgeous, it was a Jacob Arabov original so she knew it wasn’t cheap, not that the money side mattered to her, it could have been from some generic jewellery store and she still would have liked it. Liked, liked not loved. That was wrong wasn’t it? This ring was beautiful, most women would kill to have a ring like this, so why didn’t she feel that way? Why did it feel like a big slap in the face? He was trying there was no denying that but to her it didn’t seem like he was trying enough. Why did she have to be so impatient about everything?
“Do you think I’m impatient?” She asked.
“Yes,” A voice said making her turn, smiling when she spotted her Father.
“Really?” She asked.
“It’s a funny question to ask sweetie, why are you asking it?” He asked sitting down opposite his two daughters. “So that’s where my fleece is,” He said spotting it on Rachel.
“I was cold,” she shrugged.
“What about me? I’m old I feel the cold too,” he said shivering for good measure.
“Yep but I am managing to keep two of us warm with this fleece it would just be you and your big old beer gut,” she remarked.
“But you have a baby in there to keep you warm,” he said patting her stomach making Adie inwardly scowl and then mentally berate herself. It was so wrong to think like that, she should be happy for her sister, it wasn’t her fault that Nick couldn’t commit. God now she was angry at him, he had bought her this incredibly beautiful ring, told her that he wanted to start opening up and she was still mad at him. It was her birthday for crying out loud and yet she didn’t feel much like celebrating, it was as if the world was mocking her. A harsh reminder, a kick in the teeth to show her all she had yet to achieve, that her plans, once again, had taken a back burner for him. The more she thought about it the more she seemed to realise that she had given up a lot for him, put her life on hold, juggled her job around to be there for him, to travel half way round the world to see him and what had he done for her?
“Adie?” She heard her name called and looked to her Father as he focused on her intently.
“Huh?” She asked being snapped from her depressing thoughts.
“You okay? You looked deep in thought,” He commented.
“Fine,” she shrugged trying to play it off, knowing full well her Dad could read her better then anyone.
“I’m going to help out in the kitchen,” Rachel said making herself scarce which made Adie want to smack her, she did not want to get into this conversation with her Dad now, not when Nick was here anyway.
“What’s wrong?” He asked kicking his feet back and placing them on another chair.
“Nothing,” She lied unsuccessfully, sighing heavily when her Dad threw her the all knowing "Don’t bullshit me" look. “I just thought I would have accomplished more at this stage in my life.”
He frowned at her before saying, “Accomplished more? You’ve accomplished a hell of a lot you know a lot of people would kill to be in your shoes. You’ve got an amazing job which you are very good at, a great guy to look after you, a nice house, a nice car, good friends, you’re seeing the world, what more could you want?”
God when he put it like that she did sound like a spoilt brat. Then again she knew she would give all that up in a heart beat for her to ask her that all one important question, to have a family with him, to have her sisters life.
“Forget it,” she shrugged, “It doesn’t matter.”
“No it’s bothering you so it does matter.”
“I just look at Rachel and see what she has, what she going to have and I want that,” She told him.
“Rachel’s older then you though honey,” he tried.
“Not by much and she meet Alex when I met Nick so why…why hasn’t he asked me? Why doesn’t he want that with me?” She asked shakily, willing herself not to cry.
“Everyone is different and from what I’ve heard he’s been hurt in the past. He’s a lot like your Mother in that respect do you know how long it took me to break down all of her walls? It worked out in the end, we’ve been married almost thirty five years now, have two wonderful daughters neither of whom were born until we were both in our thirties,” he said raising his eyebrows to her.
“You’re right.”
“You’ve always been goal orientated Adie, have always known what you wanted and you’ve gone out and achieved it and I have no doubt in my mind that you’ll have a family one day but these things take time and you’re both still young. Nick’s got a job that lets him travel the world and you get to tag along with him, you should be enjoying that because once babies come along that’s pretty much it for the next twenty years.”
She was about to reply when she heard the out of tune warbling of her Mother, Sister and Angel along with the perfect harmony that Alex and Nick were creating and turned her heard smiling when she saw her Mother carrying the cake alight with candles.
“Happy Birthday to you, Happy birthday to you, Happy birthday to Adie, Happy birthday to you!”
There was loud applause as she blew out the candles and then took a swipe at the icing, bringing her finger to her lips savouring the coco nutty taste.
“What did you wish for?” Angel asked as she took a seat across the table.
“That would be telling,” Adie said as she noticed her Mother walking back into the kitchen only to return a few moments later with another cake making Nick grin in appreciation.
“Hey why does he get a chocolate cake?” Adie asked.
“Because he’s allergic to coconuts,” Her Mom answered handing Nick his smaller cake.
“So. I never get a coconut cake on his birthday and come to think of it when I was in England I never got sent a birthday cake yet I had to lug one to Florida this year for him,” She joked.
“Adie you should know Mom loves Nick more then you, he actually does the dishes without moaning,” Rachel told her as she took a helping of the coconut cake and almost half of Nick’s small cake.
“HEY!” He whined swatting at her hands.
“I’m helping you,” She told him.
“How?!”
“Because there are now less calories in that cake which means less time working it off at the gym,” she told him with a smug smile. “I on the other hand have the perfect excuse for looking like the size of a house!”
“You’ll be more like the size of a mall by the time that baby is out,” Nick retaliated jokingly making her sister give him the finger.
“Rachel not at the table,” Their Mother scolded making Adie laugh, their Mom was so old school, she hated swearing, people getting drunk, loud partying, god if she only knew what Rachel had gotten up to in her younger days she would have plenty more worry lines around her dark brown eyes.
“Yeah Rachel,” Nick mocked.
“You can stop it too Nickolas,” Izzy told him wagging her finger at him playfully as she handed out the rest of the cake to the others waiting patiently.
“Aww Izzy you know you love me more then her,” He said blowing her a kiss making her Mother smile brightly. He got on so well with everyone in her family, knew how to charm her Mom, talk sports with her Dad, joke around with her sister, they were al crazy about him. Usually with previous guys there was always one who didn’t like him, who felt he was no good but with Nick had been totally different from the start. She knew the feeling was mutual too because he raved about them after every family gathering they had been to, called her Mom to speak to her when he had been away and just wanted someone to talk to who wasn’t on the tour.
She knew that his family was a complete mess, well his relationship with his parents anyway, and maybe just maybe he had found some comfort from hers. She didn’t begrudge him that at all…well maybe she did but only slightly, sometimes it felt she was being used for her family. If he liked that bond so much then why wasn’t he willing to create it again with her, to be able to have their own family around them?
“You alright?” Nick asked once again snapping her from her thoughts, “You’ve hardly touched your cake.”
“I’m fine just a bit sleepy,” She smiled as she plunged her fork into the sponge.
“We can take a nap before we go out tonight,” he told her. “So what did you wish for?”
For a question, she inwardly thought.
Author's Chapter Notes:
Adie realises that she does have a good life with Nick and maybe she should comprimise more
