151 - Happy Together

April 2010

Road life and room service started taking a toll on them. Which is why, immediately after the Charlotte show, they were wheeled up and headed home to New Jersey. It was nice to sleep in their own bed and not worry about walking around half naked if she wanted to. They had her twenty-eight week checkup with Dr. Barnes, which they were excited about. She was scheduled for a 4D sonogram this time, which would allow them to see who Lily looked more like. 

 

Pressing send on her email, Ariana walked around the oversized island to retrieve a clean cup from the iron mug rack. Jon should be ready for a second cup by now. Just as she expected, the moment they had gotten home, he'd been holed up in his office, prisoner to his phone. The damn thing didn’t stop vibrating, but she made him promise he wouldn't answer it while they were at her appointment. 

 

The man couldn't catch a break. After these few weeks off, the next couple of months would be jammed pack. The end of May kicked off the first leg of the US/Canada stadium with a few local shows before they packed up and headed to Europe and their month-long residency at the 02 arena. Then it was back home for another quick break. The second leg of the US/Canada stadium leg was set to start on July 9^th with the extra New Jersey show. Thirteen shows and a baby in twenty-three days. Which is why she took matters into her own hands and devise her plan.

 

When Jon stepped out of the room today, she ran it by Dr. Barnes, who gave her the okay and clearance to put the final touches she needs. Next, she shot a quick text to Jeanie to recruit her help and before long, her surprise trip was set into motion. Dorothea was set to bring the kids out later today for a quick visit. That’s when she would tell her and the kids she was stealing him away to an undisclosed location. Well, not completely undisclosed, Jeanie, Paul, Ken, and his parents knew, but they were all under strict instructions not to bother him unless it was completely necessary. 

 

Ariana heard the back-door creak open and the rustling of coats, followed by the shrieking of Romeo calling for his dog. Setting the hot cup down on the counter, and turned to greet them as they came in.

 

"Hello."

 

"Hey, Ari." Stephanie kissed her stepmother on the cheek and greeted her with a belly rub. "What's this?" she leaned in closer to get a better look at the digital image on Ari's open laptop. 

 

"That's your sister.” The smile was evident in Jon’s reply as he entered the room. 

 

Jesse and Jake hovered over and around them to look. "Really?" 

 

"Yeah. Pretty cool, isn't it?"

 

"Move," Romeo pushed his way between them, “and lemme see.” Studying the screen for a few seconds, his little finger rose and pointed. "So that's Lily?" 

 

"That's her, buddy. What do you think?" Ariana tousled his hair. 

 

"Eh. She looks squished in there and she kinda has daddy's nose."

 

"She does, doesn't she?" 

 

“Poor kid.” Stephanie joked.

 

Clearing her throat, Dorothea stood, arms firmly crossed and pressed against her chest. "Hate to break up this touching family moment, but I need to see you," she jutted a finger at Jon, "outside."

 

Rolling his eyes towards Ariana, he followed his ex out onto the deck. "Seriously, Dorothea. You need to get over this already or learn to contain it in front of the kids. They're happy about the baby."

 

"Stop!" her hand was up and in his face. "We have more important things to discuss."

 

"Like what?"

 

"Like your little wannabe reporter friend Josie whats-her-face. She paid me a little visit in the street the other day."

 

"I assume you told her the standard ‘no comment’ and walked away?"

 

"I did. Then she so nicely told me she knows that you and Ariana," she let out a sigh like it killed her to actually say her name, "have been together all these years."

 

"There's no way for her to know that."

 

"Are you calling me a liar?"

 

"What else did she say?"

 

"That her source is very reliable, and she will go forward with a story."

 

"What was your response to that?"

 

"I almost hit her."

 

"Jesus Christ!." he threw his hands up in disgust.

 

"I said almost, Jon,” she shook her head at him. “Once I realized what I was about to do, I politely warned her to back off or your lawyers would have a field day with her, then I walked away.  Has she tried to contact you?"

 

"Nope."

 

"Excuse me." Ariana appeared in the doorway. "I need a word with Dorothea."

 

Puzzled, Jon looked between the two women, then back at his wife. "Everything okay?"

 

"Yeah. I just need a minute." 

 

Facing Dorothea once again, he asked, “Anything else I need to worry about?”  

 

“Not at the moment.”

 

 "Fine. I'll give Ken a call and let him know to be on the lookout."

 

His emphasis on the word ‘else’ didn’t go unnoticed by Ariana. What sort of shit was she stirring now? Lovingly, she let her hand slide down his arm, then watched as he went back into the house, closing the door behind him.

 

“You needed me?” Dorothea’s sharp tone brought her attention back to the matter at hand.  

 

"I wanted to let you know that I'm taking Jon away for a bit "

 

"Again? He just got home."

 

"I know. But he needs a break, and he won't get that if we stay here."

 

"He won't do that ever." she replied matter-of-factly.

 

"For me, he will." Supporting her back with her hands, Ariana shifted her weight from side to side. “And if you don’t believe me, just watch.”

 

"As the mother to his children, I need to know where he’ll be."

 

Ariana pulled an envelope from her pocket. "It's all in there. If you need to reach him, call my phone because he won’t have his.”

 

"Good luck with that one. That thing is attached to his hand."

 

"It won't be the first time I've had to do this for him." Ariana put her hand on the doorknob. “One more thing, he doesn't know where we are going and won't till the plane is in the air, so I would appreciate it if you kept your mouth shut.”

 

♱ ♱ ♱ ♱ ♱ ♱ ♱ ♱ ♱ ♱

 

Climbing that last step, Ariana caught her breath before heading down the hallway to take one last peek at the boys. It had been a while since they had all been together, so they had let them stay up a little later than usual on the condition that, when Jon finally said enough, they would go up to bed without a fuss.  

 

She stopped in Jake's room first. The electronic device he was playing had fallen out of his hand, which hung off the side of the bed. Awkwardly, she squat-bent to pick it up and placed it on the nightstand. Straightening his covers, so that he was actually under them, she switched off the lamp that hung over his bed.

 

Slipping through the connecting bathroom, she picked up the scattered towels and went into Romeo’s room. Meatball’s little head perked up from the foot of the pirate ship shaped bed where he laid with the little sandy-haired little boy curled next to him. Poor little bugger was worn out. Romeo, that is. He was too heavy for her to move so, she gathered the few pirate accessories scattered around him and dropped them neatly in a pile on the floor. Carefully, as not to wake him, she pulled his trusty sword from his semi-clenched fist and leaned it against his nightstand.  

 

Ari watched as he lay there sleeping. His little nose crinkled like his father’s, his mouth slightly open, snoring softly. The apple sure didn't fall far from the tree on that one, she thought, softly brushing some stray bangs off his forehead. Adjusting the blanket, she turned and clicked on the skull head lamp. Gingerly picking her way out of the room, she whispered back, "G'night buddy."

 

She didn’t bother to check on Stephanie or Jesse. They were older, and she trusted they would obey their father’s lights out at eleven rules. Opening the door to their room, she found Jon sitting on the couch, hunched over with his elbows on his knees on the phone… again. Holding her hands up in the air and shrugging, he mouthed back at her, Tony. What could he possibly want now? Continuing into the closet, she removed her bra with a deep, long sigh and pulled the soft cotton tee over her head. She didn’t care if she was going to pay for it come morning, the girls needed a little breathing room tonight. Next, she removed her comfy sweatpants and stepped into a pair of Jon’s gym shorts. She loved to feel the coolness of the sheets against her legs at night.

 

Moving to the vanity, she pulled off the scrunchie and gave her head a quick shake, allowing her long, thick curls to tumble free. She washed her face, brushed her teeth, and applied her favorite scented cream and she was ready for bed. When she returned to the room, Jon was still on the phone. Walking over to him, she held out her hand, waiting for him to hand over the phone. Shaking his head, he did just that.

 

“Hey, Tony. Jon’s going to bed. I know, but it’s bedtime here. Don’t care. It can wait for morning. Yes. I’ll tell him. Will do. Goodnight to you too.” Ariana ended the call, shut the phone down and handed it back to him. “Let’s go. Bedtime.” she held out a hand to help him off the couch.

 

“Since when did you become my mother?” Jon reached behind his head and tugged his shirt off.

 

“Since you don’t know how to shut off and just be John.”

 

“But he….”

 

“Zip it.” She slipped her fingers across his lips like a zipper. “It could wait till morning.” She turned to him and pointed to the bathroom. “Now go brush your teeth and get into bed.”

 

“And if I don’t...”  

 

Ariana swatted his ass and pointed, “GO!”

 

When he returned, she was already in bed. The only light in the room was coming from the television. Climbing into bed, he held his arms out and laughed as she moved closer. Johnny Depp and Orlando Bloom were tiptoeing around the blacksmith’s barn. She’d watched this movie hundreds of times, always talking about how she needed her captain fix.

 

“What?”

 

“Nothing.”  

 

Settling against his chest, she lowered the sound. “I can’t help it. I love me some Captain.”  

 

“Don’t I know it.” softly his fingers sifted through her hair. “Kids asleep?”

 

“Jake and Romey are out cold. Meatball too. I didn’t check on the other two.” Lifting her head, she looked back at him, “should I?”

 

“Nah.” moving his hand from her hair to her lower back, he began kneading her with his knuckles. “You know what’s nice about this?”

 

“Having them all here?”

 

“Well, that, but I meant this?” he gestured at the two of them cuddling. “No twerp sleeping in my bed.”

 

“Jon.”

“Well, it’s true. Getting the mutt was the best idea I ever had.”

 

“If you say so.”  

 

Having his undivided attention, she decided now was as good a time as any to tell him her surprise. Pushing herself up, she tried to sit criss cross, but the best she could do was her legs out in front of her with the bottoms of her feet touching. Once she was comfy, she took his hand in her lap and fingered the platinum band on his finger. “Jon, you’re working too hard.”

 

Laughing at her, he turned his hand and ran it over her belly. “What else is new.”

 

“I’m serious. You’re on edge and miserable. You snap at everyone…” he looked at her puzzlement, “you do and you're getting dark circles under your eyes.”

 

“Crash, it’s tour time. You know how that goes.”

 

“I do.”

 

“We have the next few weeks off. I’ll get some rest.”

 

“No, you won’t. We're home two days and you spent most of that time on the phone or holed up in your office.”

 

“I just have a lot on my plate.”

 

“Like what?”

 

“Things.”

 

“Friends first, remember.”

 

“Crash, I’m good. Honest.” With his pinky, he crisscrossed it over his heart, then held it out for her to hook hers with his. “It’s just work.”

 

“I knew you were gonna say that. That’s why when we take the kids home on Monday, we are not coming back to New Jersey.”

 

“We aren’t?”

 

“Nope. We are going straight to the airport. Don’t look at me like that. I’ve already made the arrangements. I’ve already talked with Jeanie, Paul, Ken, and Sister Mary. Your folks know too, and I even cleared it with Dr. Barnes. I spoke with the kids when you just had to take that one more phone call. I even told Dorothea.”

 

“But…”

 

“Do you trust me?”

 

“With my life.”

 

“Good. All you have to do is show up Monday and get on the plane.”

 

“Can I at least ask where we are going?”

 

Adjusting her position, she was once again nestled against him. “You can, but I won’t tell you. Now, say goodnight, Gracie.”  

 

His hearty laughed rumbled in her ear, “Goodnight Gracie.”