Chapter 50
Adjusting the sleeping baby in his arms, Nick looked out of the window and watched the scenery pass by. He was mere minutes from arriving at Amanda's childhood home, to meet her family. He had been wanting to meet them for a long time, ever since they had met. He wondered what kind of people her parents were and if they were as amazing as she was. He hoped they liked him, and that he would like them. Nick wanted to belong to a family more than anything in the world, it was a wish of his to have parents that cared, that were around when he needed advice or someone to talk to. Amanda noticed Nick was deep in thought and smiled as she looked at the road ahead. She had no idea that Nick was just as nervous about the trip as she was, if not more. Amanda knew that her father would be difficult, after all he had hated Lance when she married him. Her father was very traditional and protective of her, and she was worried he would scare Nick off. Pulling into the driveway, Amanda looked up at the house. It was two
stories tall, brown with black shutters. There was a large front yard that sloped upward to meet the road, and a set of stairs led to the front door. Nick took the baby, and Amanda led the way to the house with Aaron trailing behind.
"This is it," Amanda said gravely as she rang the doorbell.
"I'm ready." Nick grinned as the door opened. Amanda's mother rushed to her and hugged her excitedly, nearly knocking Nick over.
"My baby's home!" she exclaimed, as she let her go.
"Good to see you too, Mom." Amanda replied, blushing profusely. Giving Nick and Aaron a funny look, Amanda's mother let them into the house.
"Well let's not stand here in the cold, come on in." she instructed. Nick walked into the warm house, glad to be out of the February chill. He hated the cold weather in New Jersey, he preferred Florida any day of the week. Nick opened his mouth to say something, but Amanda's mother interrupted him.
"I see you brought your nanny, but where is Lance?" Ouch. Nick made a face at this comment, looking at Amanda as if asking why her mother didn't know who he was.
"This is Nick, and his brother Aaron."
"Isn't he young to be watching Celine? I thought an older nanny would be in order." Amanda's mother said, and Nick mouthed the word nanny to Amanda, raising an eyebrow. He nodded to her and she shrugged her shoulders in reply.
"Mother, Lance and I are divorced, and Nick is my boyfriend." Amanda said in frustration. Her mother sure could be pigheaded sometimes, and it annoyed her.
"And who is this little angel?" her mother asked as she spied Aaron hiding behind Nick. Aaron grinned at her as she looked at him.
"This is my brother Aaron. I hope its alright if he stays with us, I am responsible for him and couldn't leave him alone as he is only twelve." Nick explained as Amanda took the baby from him.
"Well, I am sure you are hungry after your trip." Amanda's mother said with a warm smile, and Aaron nodded. She offered to make everyone lunch.
"I will help you in the kitchen." Nick offered.
"Nonsense, you're a guest." Amanda's mother protested, but Nick edned up following her to the kitchen. Nick walked in knowing fully well what he was getting himself into being in a room alone with her, but he didn't care. He was determined to talk to Amanda's parents.
"Thank you for understanding about my brother, I really appreciate it." Nick said.
"So how old are you, Nick?"
"I just turned 25 last month....January 28th." Nick explained. She turned, her brown eyes looking him over as he blushed. He could feel her watching him as he moved around the kitchen, and his heartbeat quickened. He felt nervous but at the same time there was a sense of calm as well.
"How long have you known Amanda? I don't think she told us anything about a boyfriend. I didn't know she and Lance had divorced."
"Amanda and I met when we were ten-"
"Wait, are you the same Nick that she went to visit in Florida? As in Nick and Brian?" Amanda's mother asked. Nick had to smile at this because Amanda must have talked about them when she left Florida as a teenager.
"Yes I am. Brian is my best friend. So is Amanda. I guess she told you about me?" Nick chuckled.
"She talked of you quite a bit growing up. Begged us to death to go to Florida to see you and Brian, she missed both of you." she told him.
"Amanda has been a big part of my life. She helped me through a lot." Nick stated.
"If you don't mind me asking, Nick....you're Celine's father aren't you? May I ask how this happened?" Dumbfounded, Nick opened his mouth to speak, wondering how she had figured this out. Nobody had told her the truth about Celine or the divorce.
"Wondering how I can tell, aren't you? The baby has your eyes."
"Yes Celine is mine....Lance isn't her father, I am." Nick said shakily, trying not to meet her gaze, but he could feel her eyes following him around the kitchen.
"Mind telling me how this happened? If you and my daughter haven't been together that long, how did Celine come into the picture?" she asked. Nick took a deep breath and told her everything, he knew it was important for him not to lie to Amanda's mother.
"A year ago I was on my honeymoon in Aruba. I had just gotten married..."
"You were married before?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. Nick knew he shouldn't have brought Tracy into the conversation. It was hard enough dealing with her death than to suddenly be reminded of how much he missed her, how he blamed himself for the manner in which she passed.
"I was married, to a friend of Amanda's....Tracy. She was killed in front of me during our honeymoon from a stray bullet. They were going to shoot me but she jumped into the crossfire to save my life." Nick said, feeling his eyes water. His chest felt tight but he regained composure, not able to cry in front of a woman he had just met.
"That must have been hard for you. You're only 25, its rough being widowed at a young age. Do you think of her often?"
"Every single day. I miss her a lot...it was very hard for me," Nick whispered. Amanda's mother embraced him and he took another calming breath.
"It left me heartbroken to say the least. I couldn't come back to FLorida alone so I called Amanda, the one person who understood me. Next thing I knew, our emotions got the best of us and we slept together." Nick told her. She stood there silent for a long time, letting Nick get it out of his system
"So you mentioned you're responsible for your brother." Amanda's mother said, trying to change the topic. Nick was answering everything she threw at him and he felt confident that she liked his answers.
"Aaron is my brother, we met at thanksgiving. He showed up on my porch and I took him in. I am his legal guardian, so I am responsible if anything happens to him."
"You're very mature for a 25 year old, it seems like you have your life together."
"Thank you. I have been on my own since 18, so I had to learn to take care of myself quickly. I take care of the bills, cook and clean, do laundry, and make sure my brother does well in school." Nick explained.
"That's wonderful. Most men don't cook or clean. So what are your plans with my daughter?" she asked with a smile.
"To be honest, I want to marry her. I can't imagine my life without her." Nick said as they put the lunch onto trays.
"How do you know you're ready for this commitment?"
"We have been living together and raising Celine, so its almost like we are married already. I just want to make it official."
"I would be happy to have you in the family, Nick. You're a wonderful man for Amanda."
"I really appreciate that. I like you as well." Nick said. He helped her being the food to the dining room with a smile on his face, thinking that now he only had to win over her father and he would be set. Little did he know how much of a challenge that would be.
Author's Chapter Notes:
Sorry its been a while since I updated. Enjoy! Feedback is appreciated.
