Around ten that night Nick finally came home.

"What're you doing out of bed?" he asked sounding panicked. His hair was
all messed up and his clothes, wrinkly.

"I only have a stomach ache," I replied, "Where're the groceries, and why
are you so late?" I asked.

"I was shopping for the groceries and I realized I didn't have the list. Then, I spent a few hours just picking up things I thought were on the list. So I went to pay and I didn't have cash or any credit cards so I was going to use a check when I remembered I forgot my id, so I put everything back and here I am," he explained seeming tired.

"Poor baby, I'll go after work tomorrow and pick up some stuff," I shrugged. I got up and hugged him. I tried to kiss him but he pulled away.

"I'm gunna go on home," he said not looking at me.

"Wait, what's wrong?" I asked him worried.

"I'm just tired," he said innocently.

"Okay, I love you," I told him.

"I love you too," he said deeply looking into my eyes and putting his hand in my hair.

"Stay, please?" I whispered, "Something is wrong and I need to know what it is," I said worried I was losing him again.

"I'll seeya tomorrow," he said walking away. He left. I was utterly confused. I didn't sleep that night. My heart wouldn't let me. It ached for Nick to hold me.

The next morning, Thursday morning, I woke up and got the kids ready to
go to work since my baby-sitter went home.

"Mommy, is Nick coming to work with us?" Kat asked.

"Oh, I'm not sure sweety, he'll call sooner or later," I replied as we parked. We headed up to my office. All day nick never called, "Are we over? What
did I do?" I thought inside my head.

"Mommy!" Turn tugged on my arm. I turned my attention towards him,
"Stacey just said for us to leave. Its five o'clock," he told me.

"Oh, wow, so it is. Lets go Kat," I called to her as she was still watching TV.

"Can we see Nick now?" she asked. I was afraid she was getting too attached.

"How about we five Roadie a bath?" I asked them changing the subject.

"Yeah!" Turn squealed.

"I'd rather see Nick," Kat grumped.

"C'mon, lets go," I picked both of them up. I saw Nick's Durango in my
driveway. I wondered why he was there. I picked up the kids and headed inside.

"Baby!" Nick yelled running towards me. Why was he acting so different? He grabbed Kat from my arms.

"See...he didn't take me, he took Kat," Turn whispered to me.

"I'll talk to him later about it," I whispered back.

"What's going on?" Nick asked confused.

"I'll tell you later. So...why are you here?" I asked.

"Can't I come and see my girl?" he asked innocently.

"Mommy, I wanna go play outside," Turn told me.

"Okay lets go," I smiled and headed for the back door.

"I wanna go swimming," Kat announced.

"Well, come outside and I'll set the pool up," I told her.

"I wan Nick to take me," she whined.

"That's fine, but you gotta go get your swimming suit on," he said putting her down, but she wouldn't let go.

"Nick, take Turn outside I'll get her ready," I instructed.

"I want Nick to get me ready," she whined still hanging on.

"Mommy, its okay, if they only wanna play with each other, let them," Turn told me quietly.

"Oh, buddy, I wanna play with you too," Nick said hearing him.

"Nick, lets go," Kat said getting angry.

"I"ll be down in a few minutes," Nick said to me taking Kat upstairs. Me
and Turn went outside. He played with his new truck and I sat on a swing
attached to a tree. Brian had put it up for me. I love to sit out there. It was so peaceful. I saw Nick filling up the pool for Kat. She jumped in and splashed Nick.

"Kat, no splashing," Nick warned her gently. He ruffled her hair and came
over to me. I stood up and picked up Roadie who was about to gnaw at Nick's feet. He sat on the swing and pulled me into his lap.

"What do we have to talk about?" he asked nuzzling my neck.

"Its Turn. He thinks you don't like him. Because you have been spending a
lot of time with Kat lately," I said quietly so the kids wouldn't hear.

"I didn't even notice it," he replied looking at Turn.

"What was wrong last night?" I asked.

"I was tired," he shrugged. He kissed me gently.

"You taste like cherry," I told him.

"I ate cherry pie," he replied going in to kiss me again.

"But before I made it and you said you were allergic," I pulled away.

"I've held it down so far," he shrugged and kissed me.

"Nick will you play with me?" Turn asked shyly looking at the ground.

"Yeah," he smiled. I stood up to let him get up. A breath of chanel entered my nose again. I was really confused by how Nick was acting.

The rest of the time Nick was there he acted weird. Always late and
looking decheveled. Always smelling like perfume, but I payed now attention. I also found out I was pregnant from that other night and that's why I was having all these stomach problems. I couldn't tell Nick. I was too scared. The final night Nick was there Brian took Kat and Turn out.

Nick and I watched a movie on my bed. He held me closely to him. "I'm not going to see you for a month," he said gently. I smiled and kissed him.
We stayed connected with each other for hours. He seemed more experienced this time. Maybe he'd been with someone during those 4 months we were apart, but I wasn't about to ask. This time seemed more meaningful to me then ever.

Around nine that night we fixed ourselves up for when the kids came home. Nick frantically looked through his duffel bag for something.

"What's wrong?" I asked. He finally found what he was looking for.

"Turn mentioned something to me the other day and I've been thinking hard about it since. And tonight gave me even more reason to do this," he started, "Ali, I've loved you since high school and I will always love you, so Al," he lowered on one knee, "Will you marry me?" he asked holding out a ring.