Destiny had been at Hopes for the last week and she was going straight home with me to spend a month helping me plan the wedding.. Then we, Brian Tommy and I were all going to Kentucky for Christmas. After we came back, we were going to have the wedding in February.
We were back in Oregon. It is a week after Halloween and now the whole world knew that Brian and I were getting married.
“Oh My GOD! Faith!” Hope nearly knocked me over again. “How are you doing ?” She looked at Tommy, who I was carrying. “Oh my God. Is this Thomas Kevin Alexander Dee Carter Morrison?” I nodded.
“Tommy for short and yes it is. He looks like Jake.”
“Yeah your right. But you know who else he looks like?” Destiny spoke up.
“Who?”
“Nick.”
“Yeah I thought about that.”
“Well, anyway. How’s everything?” Hope said, very excited.
“Pretty good.”
“Is everyone else here?” Destiny looked around where we were standing.
“No they aren’t. They all stayed home. They didn’t want to create to much commotion.”
“I can’t believe that all that time we were hanging out with the Backstreet Boys. That is so cool! And now your engaged to one of them.” Destiny said. “You and Brain, huh? I would have never guessed. I thought that you liked Ni-.” She was cut off by Hope elbowing her in the stomach.
“Well, lets go get your stuff! I know that you will be anxious to see everyone else. Oh by the way, Des, AJ has asked me about three million times today what time your flight was coming in. So I’m just warning that he might get a little over excited and try to like, well, I’m not sure I want to know what he might do.” Hope laughed along with me. Destiny just blushed.
We walked to the baggage claim, grabbed their stuff and then headed out to the car. Along the way we talked about the last few months and all the stuff that happened with Jake. I hadn’t told them about the real reason Brian and were getting married. At this point it was something that I really felt like keeping to myself.
At one point I went to roll down my window and Hope’s eyes caught sight of the ring on my left hand.
“Oh my lord! Dessy! Look at that rock! I guess the didn’t give his that nickname for nothing!”
“Ha ha, Hope!” When they had calmed down about my ring, I thought it was a good time to bring something else up. “Did I tell you guys, Brian wants to adopt Tommy?”
“No you didn’t tell us this. So what will his name be then? Thomas Kevin Alexander Dee Carter Littrell- Morrison? Thomas Kevin Alexander Dee Carter Morrison- Littrell?” Destiny asked. I laughed at her.
“NO! I’m going to just go with his last name. And AJ already gave me a bunch of crap about how long his name is.”
“What did you say to him?”
“I told him I could always take the Alexander part out. That would make it shorter. He didn’t like that idea very much.”
“That’s my girl! So are you going to let him adopt Tommy?”
“Of course I am.”
The rest of the ride was filled with catching up and talking about old times. “Well, here we are. Home sweet home.” I opened the front door. “HELLO? ANYONE HOME? WE HAVE COMPANY!” I yelled. Hope and Destiny looked at me like I was crazy. “Hey, you spend as much time as I do around these guys and you learn that if you don’t vocalise they are going to roll right over you.” The two other girls laughed. Then we heard the response to my yelling.
“HONEY, WE’RE IN THE BACK!” Brian’s voice ran through the house.
“Well, let’s go ladies.” I said moving towards the back of the house, with Tommy on my hip. As soon as I walked outside I started to shiver. After all it is November and this is Oregon we’re talking about. At least they weren’t in the pool. They were all sitting on the steps that lead to the beach. They just starred at it.
Brian looked up and saw me shivering “Oh, you poor baby. Come here.” I walked over to him and let him wrap his arms around me and Tommy. Nick was trying not to look at us.
Brian didn’t usually act like this but he knew that I hadn’t told Hope and Destiny the real reason that we were getting married and he didn’t want them to be suspicious about anything. Plus, I was cold.
Hope and Destiny had followed me and seen the whole thing. Ten minutes later I stood up. “OK I’m going inside. It’s cold out here and I need to put Tommy down for his nap.”
“OK But I agree, It’s cold out here. I’m going inside too.” Brian said and followed me inside. Just before I closed the door I poked my head out.
“Hey Leslie, AC, Angel. If you come in, when I’m done putting Tommy down, I’ll make you some hot chocolate!”
“OK!” They all got up and charged inside and into the kitchen.
“I’ll be right back down.” I went upstairs and into Brian’s room. That’s where I was staying for the next month. It was for two reasons. #1 was because that way Hope and Destiny wouldn’t suspect anything and #2: There would be more room in BJ’s room and my two friends could stay in there.
I laid Tommy down in the playpen and looked down at him. He was such a good baby. He hardly ever fussed about nothing and he always took his naps. When I was sure that he was going to be OK I went back downstairs and found three smiling faces waiting for me to make something to warm them up.
“Hey, Ang. Why don’t you go get everyone else and I’ll make everyone some hot chocolate.”
“OK” She ran outside and within a matter of minutes the living room was a buzz with laughter and walking. But I quickly noticed that Nick wasn’t there. Oh well, I thought.
Later that night….
Nick eventually came back in and we all talked and caught up with the two new arrivals. Soon it was time to go to bed. This was going to be interesting.
After saying goodnight to everyone and making sure that the twins were in bed, I walked into Brian’s room. I had changed in BJ’s room, because that’s were all my clothes were. When I walked in, Brian was standing over Tommy’s playpen, watching him sleep. Keeping quiet, I stood there and watched him. He must not have noticed me because he started to talk to Tommy.
“Tommy, I know you don’t really understand what is going on right now. You are just happy to be alive and you want to explore. But I want you to know that I’m doing what I’m doing not just so that your mom can keep you. I love her. And not just as a friend. I’m doing this because I love her.”
I was shocked at what I was hearing. I quietly left the room and came back in, making a little noise so that he would know that I was there.
“Hey.” I said, still in shock of what I had heard coming for his mouth a minute before.
“Hi" He said with that smile. But this time when I looked into his eyes, I didn’t see the same friendly kindness. No what I saw this time was raw, unguarded love. It was only there for a fraction of a second but it was there, none the less.
“Well, I’m ready for bed. How’s Tommy?”
“He’s asleep, like always.” He glanced down at my sleeping baby. “Well, I going to get ready for bed, You can get in bed if you want.” I nodded and climbed into the bed and pulled the covers up tightly around me. It was going to be a cold night. Five minutes later Brian came out of the bathroom (He had his own bathroom) in a pair of sleeping boxers and a T-shirt. He climbed into the bed, next to me.
“It’s going to be cold tonight. I better check and see that Tommy has enough blankets.” I started to climb out of the bed but Brian grabbed my arm.
“I’ll do it. Just relax for a minute.” He got up and grabbed another blanket from the top of all Tommy’s clothes. “Here you go, buddy. And remember what we talked about earlier.” He said as he covered the sleeping form with yet another blanket. He walked over to the door and shut off the lights. He made his way back over to the bed and got in.
“Brain?”
“Yeah, Faith?”
“I’m cold.”
“Well, I think all the other blankets are with everyone else. But if you really want one I can go steal one from Nicky.”
“No that’s OK. I don’t want you to have to get up again.”
“OK. Well, there is way to keep you warm with out having to get up, but I don’t want you to be uncomfortable.”
“Bri, I could never be uncomfortable around you or any of the other guys.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah.”
“OK” He moved closer to me and wrapped his arms around me. He was warm and I instantly felt better. I felt safer too. “Better?”
“Yeah thanks.” I turned over so that I was facing him. I wrapped my arms around his neck and gave him a hug. I let go of him and settled there in his arms.
Just as I drifted off to sleep I thought: Maybe in this month I could learn to love him as more then a friend. Or Maybe I already do and I just don’t know it yet.