Chapter 20

(Told by Nick)

Things with Carly had gone better than I'd expected really. I'd actually felt slightly sorry for her; after all I had left her. She had to understand though that my family was now the most important thing in my life & nothing was ever going to change that. After I'd taken care of things in LA I had AJ drive me back to the airport so I could get a flight out, back to my new life. I'd realized that my whole plan to be romantic & ask Laney to be my wife was out of the question now. I'd asked her once & she told me that she couldn't marry me. Now I could only hope that when I got back to the house that she'd change her mind. I wanted to be a proper family with her & Grayson.

***

I pulled up the driveway & put the car in park. I smiled when I saw Laney sitting on the front porch holding Grayson. I got out of the car & made my way up the sidewalk. "Look Gray, Daddy's home." She cooed to him. It was a vision I never thought I'd see, but now that I had it was one that I never wanted taken away from me.

I sat my carry on bag down & made my way over to them. She stood up & I took Grayson from her arms. I took that opportunity to lean down & kiss her. "Hey Sweets. Miss me?"

She smiled. "Maybe a little bit. How did things go?"

We took a seat in a couple of the chairs on the porch. "Everything is taken care of. Statements were given to any & all radio stations & magazines that she'd talked to. It should all be corrected by tomorrow. She's not pregnant, Laney."

I saw her relax a little bit. "Oh thank God. I don't know what I would've done if she had been. I just can't lose you again to her, especially after all of this."

I nodded. "I know, & you don't have to worry about that. We're going to be fine. We're a family now & that's the way it's going to stay. Isn't that right, buddy?" I asked Grayson who just stared intently at me with his big blue eyes.

"I've been thinking about what you asked me last night."

I looked up at her. I hadn't thought she'd be the one to bring it up. "Oh yeah?"

She nodded. "Yeah. I was kind of hoping that offer still stood."

I smiled & stood up reaching into my pocket. The ring still nestled inside it's little black box. I pulled it out & sat back down. "Of course it does. There's nothing in this world that would make me happier than having you as my wife."

"Then my answer is yes." She said. I could see tears threatening to escape her eyes. She held out her left hand & I slipped the ring on to it. At that moment, sitting there with Laney & Grayson, I had never been happier in my entire life.

I leaned over & kissed her. "You have just made me the luckiest guy in the entire world."

She smiled & took Grayson from me. "I'm going to go see if Momma can keep an eye on this little guy while we spend some time together."

"Don't lie, you just wanna show off the rock," I laughed. She got up & started towards the door.

"Well....that too." She said. "I'll be right back."

And with that, I watched as she disappeared in to the house. I realized that finally I was going to have my 'happy ever after' as cliche as that sounds. I'd lived the party life, done all of the things that musicians do. I'd spent my life on the pages of magazines & finally at 32 years old I had what I really wanted all along, but never knew it: a family of my own. This was where I was meant to be. I really was the luckiest man in the world.

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