121 - The Weight

Perched on the edge of the exam table, Ariana looked around the familiar pale-yellow room, waiting. Dr. Barnes had an emergency and was running a little behind. The nurse had been in to check and see if she needed anything. Other than a bottle of water and many trips to the restrooms, she was okay, until now. She needed some food for her growling stomach and for Lily to ease up long enough so she could empty her bladder. Yet again.

 

Leaning back, she propped herself up on one hand and she used the other to trace soft, soothing circles over the stretched fabric. “Sweet baby girl, what’s got into you today? You’re strutting around like your daddy up on stage. Let’s just hope your Jagger Swagger is better than his.”

 

“Hello, you two.” Dr. Barnes opened the door, her eyes taking a quick look around the room. “Sorry, I thought I heard talking. Jon isn't with us today?”

 

“No, he’s on the road. I was just talking to the little one here.”

 

“I see. So, I take it she’s been active for you?”

 

“Very active.”

 

“That’s what I like to hear. How are you feeling?”

 

“Can’t complain. Oh wait, I take that back. I have to pee every two minutes and my clothes don’t fit anymore.” Ariana smiled.

 

“Good.” Dr. Barnes flipped through her chart. “Looks like you’ve gained twelve pounds.”

 

“I WHAT? This is ridiculous!”

 

Laughing, she motioned for Ari to lie back. “Considering you lost the first few months, it’s a decent amount, but I don’t want you to gain too much more. As the baby grows, so will your appetite. Just remember to eat healthy.”

 

“So, no banana splits?” Ariana teased as the doctor used her measuring tape around Ariana’s protruding baby bump.

 

“In moderation.” The doctor pressed the button, causing the tape to roll back up. “What you eat, the baby eats.” Placing the plastic disk in her lab coat pocket, she retrieved the fetal doppler. Moving the instrument around Ariana’s belly, she listened until they heard the rapid pulse of the baby’s heartbeat. “There she is. Nice and strong.”

 

“It’s so fast!” Ariana exclaimed.

 

“That’s perfectly normal. And movement?”

 

“Oh, she moves, trust me.”

 

“Good. How about sleep? Are you getting enough?” Dr. Barnes asked as she scribbled in her chart.

 

“Yes. Not working and being out on the road with Jon, I have the luxury of lots of downtime.”

 

“Excellent. You want to stay well rested. You are more than halfway through. Just remember no sleeping on your back.”

 

“Not a problem. Never was a back sleeper, stomach sleeper….” Ari cupped her belly. “Now that’s a different story. I am learning the art of sleeping on my side.”

 

The doctor laughed. “You’ll need to make an appointment either with myself or Dr. Laurent for a month from now. Do you have questions or concerns?”

 

“Flying? Will I need to stop at some point?”

 

“Good question. Let’s see how your next appointment goes. In the meantime, I will discuss it with Dr. Laurent. But we may have to limit it at some point.”

 

“Sounds good.”

 

Dr. Barnes waited until Ariana gathered her belongs and together, they walked down the narrow hallway to the scheduling desk. Setting her chart down, she turned and smiled kindly. “Take care Ariana. We’ll see you in a month.”

 

♱ ♱ ♱ ♱ ♱ ♱ ♱ ♱ ♱ ♱

 

Jon had made it through the sound check without pissing off anyone. Tico made a silent comment about his state of stupidness that he didn’t bother replying to. Yeah, he made a mistake. Wasn't the first and certainly wouldn’t be his last. It wasn’t his intention to threaten that poor girl, but at that precise moment, his head wasn’t in the right place. It still wasn’t. There were things that Dorothea said that rattled him, and he didn’t rattle easily.  

 

He had just finished signing the last lithograph when his phone vibrated against a nearby table. Seeing Ari’s name, he slid his thumb over the arrow and punched in his passcode to read the text.

 

[4:15pm] Ari: Missed you today at the doctor's Daddy. Dr. Barnes said everything looks good. I’m growing so much that Mommy gained twelve pounds. Mommy is not very happy about that. I think maybe you should call her and cheer her up.

 

He could hear her smiling when she answered after only the first ring and asked him, 

 

“How’s the head feeling?”

 

“Could be worse. Sorry I forgot about today.”

 

“No biggie.”

 

“Yeah, it is. I could have at least called while you were there.”

 

“And do what? Dr. Barnes had an emergency and was running late. When she came in, I think I was there a total of fifteen minutes.”

 

“Tell me everything.” Jon kicked his feet up onto the coffee table and sunk down into the soft leather chair.

 

“Let’s see, heartbeat sounds good. Fast but Dr. Barnes says that’s normal. My blood pressure was good, considering. They took some more blood. Your daughter has not stopped moving around today. I swear she has your goofy dance moves already. Oh,” she let out a long, exacerbated sigh. “And I gained twelve. Do you hear me? Twelve pounds!!”

 

It took a moment for Jon to get his laughter under control before he could answer her. “I’m sorry Crash, I don’t mean to laugh. I just wish I could’ve been there to see your face when Dr. Barnes told you that. As for my dancing, if that is the only thing Lily gets from me, I’ll be okay with that. And the weight, as long as it went to your tits and ass… well, I’m good with that too.”

 

“Let’s see if you’re okay with them hitting the floor after I give birth.”

 

“Doesn’t matter, I’ll love you just the same.”

 

“Smart answer. Not to change the subject, but we should talk about last night,”

 

“Yeah, about that. I know you told me not to call.”

 

“Do you know why I didn’t want you to call?”

 

“Because you are a beautiful, smart woman who doesn’t need me to fight…”

 

Calmly, she interrupted, “No. And for the record, I've always needed you.”

 

For the next several minutes, Jon listened as Ari explained. She told him what she surmised was the reason for Dorothea lashing out. Although unfathomable, it was plausible. Her world had just taken a complete one eighty. Whether or not their marriage had been over long before, the reality of it still hadn't set in. Add to the fact her children seem to be okay with it, she is feeling a little lost. That still didn't give her the right to accost Ariana but in her hurt, the only way she could hurt Jon back was to hurt Ari. What she didn't realize was Ari wouldn't let that happen. No matter how docile Ari appeared, family meant everything to her... and she would fight to the end. 

 

Ari also explained that she was very concerned that Jon would do exactly what he did. Lash out. Ari didn't want him more upset than he already was after she told him. That is why she asked him not to contact Dorothea. Not because she didn't need or want him to fight for her, but because she was trying to avoid causing him more frustration. 

 

Things made more sense after Ari's explanation. Jon even joked about why she couldn’t have said that earlier. It would have saved him one major hangover and an apology to his baby brother. Who more than likely would not let him live this down for a very long time. 

 

They ended their conversation when Jeanie came to fetch Jon for some impromptu meeting of fans. They told each other they loved and missed one another. The last thing Ari said to him was 'knock em dead' and he was gone. She couldn't help the unsettled feeling she felt in the pit of her stomach. Something wasn't right. 

120 - Ground Control To Major Tom

“What the ever-loving fuck?” 

 

The sound of a phone ringing rudely awakened Matt. Lifting his head, he waited for his eyes to adjust to the darkness caused by the pillows he held over his head. The retina burning whiteness from the television screen offered the room’s only light as he reached for the phone. Picking up the receiver, he rolled onto his back, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. “Yeah.”

 

“Mr. Bongiovi, we are sorry to call you at this hour, but we have a situation.” A soft-spoken voice came across the line.

 

“Who is this?” Matt asked abruptly

 

“Please forgive me. It’s Mr. O’Halloran, head of hotel security.”

 

“Is everything okay?”

 

“Well, not exactly. It seems your brother needs some help in the gym.”

 

“What the fuck are you talking about?” Matt was not amused. “Is this some kinda joke? Lema, is this you?”

 

“No, sir. I'm afraid it’s not a joke. We need you to come and retrieve your brother from the hotel gym.”

 

“You're serious?” Pushing himself up, Matt dangled his feet over the side of the bed. What the fuck had happened since he left Jon after dinner? “I’ll be right down.” Matt grumbled.

 

Not yet fully awake Matt jumped out of bed and grabbed the closest article of clothing before jogging to the door. His cell phone in one hand, and the two-way radio in the other. Just in case, he made his way down to the gym. Recounting the day’s events, he couldn’t, for the life of him, figure out what had happened. After they left the airport, they headed to the hotel, hit the gym for a workout. Jon had some things to take care of with Tony, so Matt went to shower and change before they met up for a late lunch early dinner. After which they said their goodnights and retreated to their own rooms. 

 

Somewhere between then and now something had happened, but what?

 

Matt gave a curt nod to the security guard who stood outside the gym before pushing open the door. An older man he presumed was Mr. O'Halloran walked towards him, but he just waved him off and made his way to the rows of treadmill and his brother. His face slick from sweat and his sleeveless, grey Giant’s shirt drenched hugged his skin.

 

“Care to tell me what the heck is going on?” Matt stood in front of the equipment.

 

“What’s it fucking look like?” Jon spat, not taking his concentration away from the mirror behind his brother.

 

“Do you realize what time it? Don’t play this shit with me.” 

 

“I needed a run.”

 

“Excuse me.” Mr. O'Halloran interrupted. 

 

Twisting the cap off his water, Jon shot the man the stink eye, then looked back at his brother. Taking the man by his elbow, Matt directed him off to the side.

 

“Mr. O’Halloran, can you tell me just exactly what the problem is?”

 

Annoyed, he pulled on the lapels of his generic blue blazer. “The facility is closed, Mr. Bongiovi. To everyone. Your brother here seems to think those rules don’t apply to him. He threatened one of my employees with a lawsuit if he didn’t let him in the facility. Not wanting to cause a bigger scene, he did what he asked and came to find me. When I tried to explain this to your brother, he… well, let’s just say I didn’t appreciate being spoken to in that manner. As Head of Security, it's my job to oversee the hotel's safety protocols. If this was just your average hotel guest, I would have called the police. I called you instead."

 

“I see.” Matt shook his head. “Thank you. I appreciate you calling me first. On behalf of my brother, I’d like to apologize for any misunderstandings.” From the corner of his eye, Matt saw Jon had finished his so-called run. Returning his attention to the man in front of him, he continued. “Now, if you can give me a few minutes with my brother, alone, we will be out of your hair.”

 

It took three strides for Matt to cross the room as soon as the door closed behind the gentleman. “What the fuck is wrong with you?” he pushed at his brother’s back.

 

“Don’t start Matty.” Searing blue eyes stared him down.

 

“Me? This is all you!” His two arms waved in the air. “Whatever it is, you sure are lucky he didn’t call the police instead of me.”

 

“Oh please, stop being so dramatic. It’s not like I killed someone.”

 

“No, but threaten, c’mon Jon, you know better. Wanna tell me what this all about?”

 

With the towel around his neck, Jon wiped his face. “Ex-wife.” Jon grumbled as he turned towards the door. “Fix this Matt! I’m going to bed.” It was the last thing he said as he stepped from the room. 

 

♱ ♱ ♱ ♱ ♱ ♱ ♱ ♱ ♱ ♱

 

Ariana looked at the clock on the wall. It had been two hours since she and Luc had discussed his next project. The nursery. While she rambled off what she wanted done, he took notes. Every now and then, he’d stop her to share some ideas and suggestions, or just to tell her it couldn’t be done. After the work he’d done in Petite Soho, she trusted him completely. He was a master at his craft. Though she made him promise her one thing. Whatever he did, the room was not to be overly girly. He was still laughing at her when her cell phone rang.

 

“Hey Matt, what’s up?”

 

“I take it you haven’t heard from Jon yet?” His somber tone left an uneasy feeling.

 

“No. Is he okay?”

 

“Physically, yes. Mentally, I’m not so sure.”

 

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

 

“I had to go save his dumb ass from hotel security in the middle of the night. The shithead thought it would be a good idea to threaten an employee so he could use the gym. At two a.m.!!”

 

“What? Why was he in…” Ari stopped to excuse herself into the other room.  “What was he doing in the gym at that hour?”

 

“Fuck, if I know. He said something about ‘ex-wife’. Do you know what that’s supposed to mean?”

 

Ari pinched the bridge of her nose and exhaled. “Yeah. I told him not to call her. So much for listening to me. Is that all you know?”

 

“I spoke to Tico this morning. Jon called him around nine-thirty-ish and they headed down to the hotel bar. He confirmed Jon had fought with Dorothea. He also polished off half a bottle of Jack. Which explains his erratic behavior.”

 

“Good lord. Why can’t he just ever…? Never mind.”

 

Matt laughed, “Yup. I know exactly how you feel. Anyway, I just wanted to give you a heads up. Sorta warn you of what could come.”

 

“Yeah, well, he doesn’t scare me.”

 

“I keep forgetting that. How’s things going there?”

 

“Good. I should be heading back to Canada in a day or two.”

 

“The better question is, when are you heading back to us?”

 

It was Ari’s turn to laugh. “Why? You think with me there he’d be any better?”

 

“No, but it would make my job a little easier.”

 

“I’ll see what I can do from here. Thanks for the heads up, though.”

 

“Sure thing. Take care, Ari. Talk to you soon.”

 

♱ ♱ ♱ ♱ ♱ ♱ ♱ ♱ ♱ ♱

 

Walking out of the bathroom wearing nothing but a towel, Jon paused at the knocking on the door, followed by a voice stating it was room service. He didn't order before going into the shower and wondered what was going on. Stepping into his gym shorts, he’d scooped off the floor, he toweled off his hair and answered the door.

 

“I didn’t order…” Jon opened the door; his puzzlement grew when he looked down at the rolling cart. 

 

What in the name?  

 

Stepping aside, the young server wheeled the tray in and set it in the middle of the room and turned to exit.

 

“Do you need me to sign something?” Jon asked.

 

“It’s already been taken care of. Enjoy and have a nice day.” With a wink and a smile, the young man left.

 

“Yeah, right.” Jon mumbled and lifted the metal dome. A pang of guilt tightened in his chest as he revealed its contents. A double bacon cheeseburger and fries. He knew immediately who arranged this. The question was who told her. Tico or Matt.

 

Next to the plate sat two items, a bottle of Advil and a highball glass. He didn’t need to sniff to know what was in it. From its amber color, it was his drink of choice from last night. A small envelope laid across the top of the glass. Opening its seal, Jon pulled out the cream parchment.

 

A little hair of the dog + two Advil should do the trick.

 

xoxo

Me

 

Popping a fry into his mouth, he went to search for his phone he threw across the room last night. He’d knew he’d have some groveling to do, just how much he wasn’t sure.

 

119 - Captain Jack

The steady sounds of her breathing confirmed that Ari had finally fallen asleep. Ending the call, Jon tossed his phone to the middle of the mattress and paced the room. The pounding in his temple had dimmed, but not by much. He knew the moment he heard her weary voice something had happened, and as he listened to her reiterate what had transpired between her and his ex-wife, he grew more furious than ever. Not with Ari, but with Dorothea.  

 

She had gone too far, showing up at the house making mindless accusations. On the upside of things, he was very proud of Ariana for standing her ground. He would have loved to have been a fly on the wall for that. The one thing you didn’t want to do was piss her off, not when it came to something she was passionate about. Even after everything she’d told him, it took her about thirty-five minutes to convince him not to call Dorothea and give her a piece of his mind. Instead, she asked him to talk to her until she fell asleep. It was the first time she was alone in that big house, and not used to it. She was a little off center.

 

But now, here he was in the middle of bum-fuck-Egypt, another town, another hotel with nothing to do but think. Jon knew all too well about Dorothea’s affairs. It was one, if not the only, thing they fought about the most, their infidelities. He couldn’t blame her, and he didn’t. They had tried many times to fix things, but another album, another tour, always seemed to change that. 

Ultimately, it led to their unwritten agreement of ‘do what you want, just don’t embarrass me.’ That was, until she told him she was pregnant with Romeo. That was the be-all-end-all for Jon. Even though the uncertainty was short-lived, it caused him enough pain that he was done, and the spiraling downfall of his marriage began. Thank God for his children, his music and Ari, or the bitterness would have eaten him alive.

 

Leaning across the mattress for his phone, he quickly shot off a text, pulled opened the door and headed down the hallway. With a couple of taps on the door a few rooms away, he continued towards the elevator. Stabbing at the button, the person who would make sure he wouldn’t get into too much trouble greeted him.

 

♱ ♱ ♱ ♱ ♱ ♱ ♱ ♱ ♱ ♱

 

“Sweetheart, would ya bring the entire bottle the next time?” Jon’s eyes drifted upwards to the young woman, who stood above them and gave her a wink.

 

“Sure thing.”

 

“JB. Dontcha think you should slow down?” A lazy finger rimmed the edge of his glass. “That ain’t wine and you’re not as young as you used to be.”

 

“Fuck off, Teek. I may be a wino, but I ain’t no pussy.”

 

“Suit yourself, but don’t say I didn’t warn you. What’s this all about, anyway? Ari’s not even gone twelve hours and you’re hitting it hard. You gonna be a prick the whole time or what?”

 

With his leg propped up on the long bench, Jon leaned back against the booth and rested his hand on his knee. “Believe or not, it’s not about Ari… well, not directly.”

 

“Then what?”

 

“Fuckin’ ex-wife, that’s what! How the hell did you do it… twice?”

 

“Ha! It wasn’t easy, man.” Tico took a sip of the amber colored liquid. “So, Dottie’s causing trouble?”

 

“Listen to this… not only did she blame Ari for destroying our marriage, but she also told her she won’t allow her to steal the kids.” Draining his glass, Jon smacked his lips and set the empty glass down on the edge of the table.

 

“Steal the kids? Where’s that coming from?” Smoke cloud circles floated into the air from Tico’s lips.

 

“Photos of us on the beach, Ari and Romey on their date in Vegas showed up on the internet. So, Dot took it upon herself to show up at the house, warning Ari,” Jon waved the waitress over, “but she set her straight.”

 

Like he asked. The raven-haired woman approached the table with two fresh drinks and a full bottle of Jack Daniels. Smiling, she balanced the tray on her left hand while clearing their empty glasses. Tearing her eyes away from him only briefly to set down a fresh napkin and drinks in front of each of them.  

 

Dangling the bottle of Jack between her fingers, she gave Jon a wink before placing it down in front of him. “Like you asked.”

 

“Thanks, darlin.”

 

“I’m Eden, if you need me for anything else.” she said, flashing him a smile before leaving.

 

The two men shared a moment of silence before Tico spoke, “Watch it there Johnny Boy.”

 

“For Christ's sakes, man… I’m not that stupid! Maybe twenty years ago, but not now. I’m happier than I’ve ever been.”

 

“Wise choice, my friend.”

 

With an unamused expression, Tico listened as Jon explained over the next couple hours in details, what had prompted this little fight. Being as tight-knit as they were, one would think Tico would know most of what went on over the years. But the more Jon drank, the more he talked, and Tico was about to learn a lot more about his friend.

 

Every so often, Miss Eden would cast them a couple of long side glances or stop by to see if they needed anything. It was obvious from the amount of flirting she was doing, she’d recognized who they were.  

 

Jon was halfway through the bottle and feeling no pain when Tico pulled a couple c-notes from his pocket and placed his empty glass on top of the bills.

 

“Well, mi amigo, I think it’s time to head upstairs. You're gonna regret this in the morning and we're the ones who are gonna have to deal with it.”

 

“You sonofabitch, you’re no fun. I ain’t finished the bottle yet.”

 

“If you wanna stay, you can, but I’m not leaving you alone. I’ll just call baby brother to come babysit your old ass.”

 

“S’alright. S’alright. I’ll go.” Slamming his empty glass onto the table, the two men walked out of the bar.

 

♱ ♱ ♱ ♱ ♱ ♱ ♱ ♱ ♱ ♱

 

Lifting her eyes off the page, Dorothea peered over her reading glasses that sat low on her nose at the ringing phone. An impervious grin grew as she noted the time.

 

"Four hours. Getting slow in your old age?" she questioned the caller on the other end. 

 

"Fuck you, Dottie!" Jon snarled. 

 

"And drunk. I should've known." She pushed her glasses to rest on the top of her head. "If this isn't about the kids, I have nothing to say to you."

 

"You don't need to talk, just listen." he hiccupped. "You two-timing bitch, where do you come off accusing anyone of anything when you've been carrying on an affair this whole time. Isn't that the pot calling the kettle black?"

 

"Name calling, Jon? How very adult of you?"

 

"You wanna talk mature, let's. You ever show up at my house again accusing Ari of anything, so help me God..."

 

"What Jon?” she bit back. “What are you going to do? Come riding in on your white horse and save your little whore?"

 

"Watch it!"

 

"Maybe that was a little harsh. How ‘bout mistress or fuck buddy? Wait, I got a better one. Baby Mama."

 

"Fuck you. Ari has never been any one of those."

 

"Really now, she is carrying your bastard child?"

 

The sound of shattered glass echoed in her ear. "I'm warning you. If you want to fight dirty, we can. Stay the fuck away from my house and stay the fuck away from my..."

 

"Your what? See, even you don't know what to call her."

 

"Fiancé." Her breath hitched. “What's the matter? The cat found your tongue. That's right. I asked Ariana to marry me. She will be my wife and stepmother to the kids. So, get used to it."

 

"I'll do no such thing."

 

"Suit yourself. But don't even think I'll let you threaten her or tarnish what she and the kids have. Do! You! Understand! Me?"

 

"Did you just threaten me?"

 

"Take it how you will. Just know this, if you wanna fight, you won't win."

 

“They’re my kids. After all you’ve done….”

 

“I’m not the only adulterer in this family.”

 

“Oh, please! Cut the bullshit! What I’ve done in twenty-one years can’t even compare to the things you’ve done.”  

 

“Now, let’s not go there,” As if he hadn’t turned the knife enough, “Oh, by the way, you might want to have a talk with your daughter. She knows the entire story about Ariana and I.”

 

“She what?”

 

“You heard me, and if you don’t want to risk losing your kids forever, I suggest you be completely honest with them as well.” 

 

Ending the call before she could respond, Jon chucked the phone as hard as he could at the chair across the room. Snarling, he paced from where he was standing in front of the mini bar over towards the bed. Too worked up to sleep, he headed to the hotel gym to burn off some of his alcohol and ex-wife fueled anger. Grabbing his room key, he ignored the ringing phone in the corner and slammed his door behind him. 

118 - Secret's In The Telling

“Nana, please... please… pretty please?!?” The loud cacophony of voices floated up around Carol’s head as she tried to gather all her grandchildren into one orderly group. 

Fat chance. 

 

Barely off the plane, the kids had gathered around her. Begging to go back to their house with Ari. Jon had told them all about the renovations they were doing at the house and told them they could change their own rooms if they wanted to.  

 

“It’s not up to me. You’ll have to check with Ariana.”

 

In the meantime, Jon’s urgent message distracted Ariana. 

 

[5:24] Jon: Call me as soon as you see this!!

 

Ari hadn’t noticed the overly excited children rushing towards her till she heard their singing pleas. Not one, but four faces looked up at her, each one having a different but similar expression… pouty lips, smiley faces, and puppy eyes.

 

“Pleeeeezzzze!” they chimed. 

 

“Whoa there! One at a time.”

 

The littlest one clenched his hands together. “Can we come back to the house with you? Please! Pretty please!”

 

“That’s up to your grandparents.”

 

“They said it was okay with them, but we needed to check with you first.” Stephanie spoke for her siblings.

 

“Sure, I don’t see why not?”

 

Ten minutes later, the waiting SUVs were loaded up and heading down the New Jersey Turnpike. One with Ari and the kids, the other with Carol and John. With a quick glance over her shoulder to check on the kids, she settled into her seat to call Jon. Ariana watched the steady flow of traffic passing by as she waited for him to pick up. 

 

“Hey! Did you just land now?” his voice came across the line.

 

“No. We landed a while ago. We’re in the car now, heading home. What’s up, everything okay?”

 

“Ar-eee. Can we have pizza for dinner?” Romeo bellowed from the seat behind her.

 

“Hold on, Jon.” Ariana held the phone away from her mouth and turned to answer. “Yes, Romeo. Your grandparents are picking it up. Now let me talk to your dad for a few minutes.” Turning around, she brought her attention back to her phone call. “Sorry. Go ahead, Jon.”

 

Surprised to hear the kids in the background, he asked, “Wait! you have the kids?”  

 

“Yup. They wanted to see the house. Your parents are stopping at home, then picking up pizza from Undici. Why? Is that not, okay?”

 

“No. No. It’s fine. I just thought they were going to mom’s that’s all.”

 

“They will after dinner. Then I’m gonna take a nice long bath and curl up on the big, beautiful mattress we just bought and sleep for days.”

 

“Thanks for that imagery. While you’re all comfy, I’ll be in a hotel bed... alone.”

 

“I’ll be alone too. Just the way I like it.” she teased. “The bed to myself.”

 

“You’re lucky the kids are in the car, or I’ll tell you what I would do to you in that bed.”

 

“Alrighty then.” Ari didn’t need him going there not with the kids in the backseats or the driver who was sitting right next to her. “What was so important that you needed me to text you as soon as we landed?”

 

“Smooth Crash. We’ll finish that conversation later. I was just calling to give you a heads up. There are photos floating around of you and Romeo at Serendipity. Along with one of all of us sitting on the beach. I’m pretty sure it was the day we told the kids about the baby.”

 

Jon heard the melancholy tone in her sigh. It was not his intention for the call. It was to let her. “Crash, it’s okay. There is nothing we can do about it from what Jeanie told me, they were making the rounds on Zimbo today. It means it’s only a matter of time before what's-her-face gets a hold of them.”

 

“Yeah, but there is nothing we can do. I just hope they aren’t waiting at the house. Should I not take the kids there?”

 

He loved how her protectiveness kicked in where his children were concerned. “You should be okay. Nowhere for them really to hang out. Did you see anyone at the airport?”

 

“Nope, but then again, I really wasn’t paying attention. The beg and plead patrol had all my attention.”

 

“Ha! Are you turning into a softy?”

 

“No way.” 

 

“Hmm. Pizza at the house instead of my parents. Next thing you’ll be telling me, they are all renovating their rooms.”

 

“Hey no fair! You told them they could.”

 

“No, I told them they could redo, not reconstruct them.”

 

“Whatever! As for dinner, it’s pizza. Who’d be crazy to say no to pizza?”

 

They both laughed at the unison, ‘’Montana’’ that echoed throughout the car.  

 

“On that note, I’m gonna go. I’ll call you tonight after I’m all settled in.”

 

“You better. Tell the kids I’ll call them later.”

 

♱ ♱ ♱ ♱ ♱ ♱ ♱ ♱ ♱ ♱

 

Pizza! Pizza! Pizza! Romeo chanted, while Carol plated him another slice. The boy was on his fourth slice. Where he put it, Ariana didn’t know. Not that she should talk since, as of late, her intake of food had drastically increased.

 

As usual, dinner was chaotic and fun watching the siblings kibitz with one another. Growing up an only child, she wasn’t privy to meals like the ones she had shared with them this past week. Ari loved every minute, and she was going to miss having them around. After dinner, Carol insisted she and John tidy up while the rest of them retreated to the family room.

 

Unlike Jon, Ariana was right in the middle of the action, playing with them. Tonight’s game of choice, Guitar Hero. Unlike their father, they were shocked to see how good Ariana really was. And competitive. boy, was she. She took her game playing seriously. When she didn’t do well, they would laugh at how she would try to hide her frustrations. They would even tease or laugh at her. She explained to them that there was a lot of downtime on the road and once her job was done, she and her crew would hold competitions. It wasn’t just the music games she was good at, either. Jesse challenged her to a game of Madden football. Of course, it was her 49ers against his Giants, and she kicked his butt.

 

When it was time for them to go, she promised they could come back the next time they were with their grandparents. One last wave as she watched the car pull up the drive, then she closed the door. The sound of silence was deafening, as she retreated to the kitchen to make herself a cup of tea. She had never been alone here before. She double checked all the doors in the kitchen once again, then made her way back toward the family room to watch a little television. Setting her mug on the table, she slipped her arm under her sweater, unhooking her bra, pulling the straps down one arm at time. Tossing the binding garment onto the floor, she curled a leg under her and settled onto the couch.

 

She had only been there a few moments when the chiming of the doorbell startled her. Who could that be? The security system hadn’t alerted her someone was at the gate. It must be the kids forgetting something. Opening the large oak door, it surprised her to see who it was. 

 

“May I come in?” Dorothea’s tone was sharp and short as she stepped past Ariana and into the vestibule.  

 

She was dressed in a floor length wool coat, she stood eye to eye with Ariana courtesy of her heeled boots. Her stern facial expression and demeanor told Ari that it wasn’t a pleasant visit. Dorothea tucked her leather gloves into her pockets, waiting for Ariana to close the door.

 

“Hello to you too, Dorothea.” Ariana peered out into the darkness before closing the door. “If you are looking for the kids, they left already.”

 

“Good. Because what I have to say they don’t need to hear.”

 

“Why exactly are you here?” Ariana stood with her arms folded across her chest.

 

“Let’s go inside and have a little chat.” Dorothea spoke with an air of a woman who thought she was in charge. 

 

“No!” Ari snapped. “Whatever it is you have to say you can say it right here.” 

 

“Suit yourself. I’ve seen the photos of you and my family, and I’m here to tell you that they are my kids. You’ve taken my husband, I won’t let you take my kids.” She had placed extra emphasis on the part about her family, hoping Miss Ariana would get the point. Obviously not. 

 

“You’re joking, right? You’re really picking this fight with me? Tonight?” 

 

“No, I’m not joking.”

 

Ariana inhaled deeply. She was not about to let this woman come into her house and bully her. However, she also would not lower herself either and cause a cat fight. Tucking a loose curl behind her ear, Ariana took a step closer towards the woman.

 

“First, they’re Jon’s kids too. And like it or not I am part of his life and will be part of their life. You need to figure out a way to come to terms with that. Second, he is no longer your husband, so please don’t refer to him that way.”

 

“Oh, that’s right, you made damn sure of that, didn’t you?” she sneered.

 

“Dorothea, I don’t want to continue playing this game with you. Like it or not, I’m here to stay. Which means we will most likely be seeing a lot of one another. That being said, for everyone concerned it would make it a lot easier if we… you could learn to play nice when need be and stay clear when necessary. But. let make one thing clear, you don’t get to show up here or anywhere anytime you want and bring up the past, because if you want to play that way with me, I can play too.”

 

Ariana watched as the color from her faced drained. It wasn’t like Ari to play dirty like this, but this was going to be her family too, and she would do whatever she needed to do to protect them.

 

Adjusting the lapels of her coat, Dorothea stiffened her back, “I do not know what you are talking about.”

 

“Cut the bullshit. You know exactly what I’m talking about. You wanna play games? Let’s play.” 

Ariana pivoted on her toes and headed down the narrow-marbled hallway to the family room from where she came. The sounds of Dorothea’s heels clicking against the floor told her she had followed her. Muting the television, she tossed the remote onto the couch.

 

“I’m sick and tired of you passing the blame on to me and Jon. You’re not little Miss Innocent either.” Venomous brown eyes peered back at her. “That’s right. You didn’t think I knew, did you? Surprise, surprise, sweetie. I’ve known for years. So, while you’re passing blame for something I’m sure you know nothing about, you were doing the exact same thing.”

 

“I wouldn’t go that far? What I did...”

 

“Correction honey… what are you doing?”

 

“How dare…”

 

“How dare I, what? Did you forget what I did for a living? Who worked on the same crew? Ariana transferred her weight from one leg to the other. "I knew all about you and Tom years ago. I also knew it didn’t end when you told Jon it did. Tell me something, does Jon know it’s still going on now?”

 

Dorothea took two steps towards her and stopped. A well-manicured finger pointed in her face, “You listen here. Tom and I weren’t having an affair for nineteen years. I, unlike you, didn’t destroy a marriage.”

 

“Ha! Neither did Jon and I. See, this is where you lose your facts. While you were busy having kids, I ended things with Jon and sent him back to you. I knew what having a family meant to him and as much as I loved him, it was the one thing I couldn’t give him.” Ariana's hands slid across her stomach. “Not then, anyway. That is when I found out about you and Tom.”

 

“So, I had an affair. That’s nothing compared to the shit Jon did over the years.”

 

“Is it? Do you even know what it did to Jon when you got pregnant with Romeo?”

 

“You bitch!”

 

“Ah. I hit a nerve, did I. Don’t get your la Perla in a pickle. I know Romeo’s Jon’s. But back then, before he was born, you broke that man’s heart. Whatever you once had ended in that brief moment of doubt. It was me who put him back together.” It was Ari’s turn to point a finger. “So, you don’t get to come in here and play all holier than thou with me, this!” she waved one hand in the air. “is MY family now too, and I will do whatever I need to do to protect it.”

 

Ariana walked to the doorway, then turned back and looked at Dorothea. Pointing at the door, she tilted her head. “Now, get the hell out of my house and don’t show up unannounced again. Am I making myself perfectly clear?”

 

Tucking her purse firmly under her arm, Dorothea walked out of the room and down the hall without saying a word. When she heard the front door shut, Ariana dropped back against the wall and sighed. No longer in the mood to watch anything, she headed up into the bedroom for the new mattress. As soon as she had slipped her pajamas on and laid down, she realized it would not be quite that easy. After rolling around a couple of times, she reached over to the nightstand and grabbed her phone. Typing in the familiar number, she waited as the phone rang. Just as she was about to give up, she heard his voice. 

 

“Hey, you, everything alright?” his whiskey-tinged voice immediately set to soothing her nerves. 

 

On a sigh, she exhaled, “no, not really.”