A Fire Inside - Chapter 24

*2 years later*

Amy dodged across the apartment, leaping over boxes and following the obstacle course that Rylann’s apartment had become. She dug through an array of packing paper and various items strewn across the couch in search of the ringing. After three rings and nearly a minute of searching, Amy finally reached the phone.

“Hello?” Amy sighed deeply, throwing her exhausted body down onto the large couch.

“Hey Baby” a sweet, males voice flooded through the receiver.

“Ah, hey sweetie, I was wondering when you were going to call” Amy smiled recognizing Billy’s voice.

“I know, I’m sorry it took so long, we’ve been running from appearance to appearance, it’s insane…but everything I could have dreamed of” he replied honestly.

“I know babe…so how is everything going, is everything on schedule?” Amy inquired anxiously.

“Perfect, and yes everything is right on schedule…we’ll be home in four days!”

“Thank god, I don’t think I can go on much longer without you, everything is so crazy here!”

“I can imagine…I’ll be there to help you out before you know it.”

“I’ll be waiting…” Amy teased seductively.

“Uh, don’t do that to me!” Billy whined jokingly.

“C’mon Billy, hurry up! I wanna talk to Ry…! Biiiiiiiillllllyyyyyy!” Benji complained in the background

“Alright, sweetie I gotta go…Benj is going to gnaw my fingers off if I don’t hurry up, I love you Am...

“I can hear him” Amy laughed “ok babe, I’ll talk to you later on, love you too Billiam” she smiled using her nickname for him.

“Hello? Ry..Ry..” Benji spoke anxiously. Amy laughed at the way he still got overly excited to talk to Rylann.

“Gesh, hang on a sec Benj, I gotta walk back to her room!”

“No walking, Run! I miss my beautiful wife!”

“You still can’t get enough of saying that, can you?”

“I never will get tired of saying ‘my wife’” Benji beamed proudly.

Amy reached the bedroom door and knocked lightly. Rylann had spent the majority of the past week in her bed. She had been feeling quite ill, on top of already feeling lonely since the guys had left a month earlier. In the past two years, the guys spent a lot of time on the road, usually with the girls right by their sides. Almost exactly a year before, a huge double wedding took place in the boy’s home state of Maryland. Benji and Rylann had officially tied the knot, and Joel and Jayde couldn’t resist the allure of a double wedding. As this tour approached, the girls decided to stay home to prepare for all sorts of excitement.

“Come in” Rylann replied in a groggy voice as light tapping danced across her large wooden door. Amy entered and swiftly walked to the bed and stuck the phone out to her sister. She rested her palm atop her older sister’s forehead, and then took the empty glass that was by her bed as she exited the room.

“Hey Baby..” Rylann smiled knowing exactly who was on the phone.

“Hi sweetheart…you sound terrible, are you still feeling sick?” Benji inquired nervously. Rylann could sense his uneasiness and felt guilty for worrying him.

“Not really…I think I just have the flu, nothing to worry about, besides, I sound worse because I just woke up…don’t worry” Rylann comforted.

“I always worry when I am not right by your side” Benji cooed “I miss you…but everything is going perfect and we will be home in four days!” He exclaimed.

“I can’t wait, I miss you so much too…this bed is so big without you in it”

“Hey! Are you calling me fat?!?” Benji joked.

“Welllllll” Rylann teased back, hearing Benji gasp “I’m playing sweetie, you are the sexiest man alive!”

“Yea, well GQ hasn’t given me any calls lately…”

“Your too beautiful for them”

“Not beautiful, tough! Manly! Grrrr”

“Right, grrrrr” she mocked.

“Anyway…how is everything progressing there?”

“Good as far as I know, I really haven’t seen much outside of the bedroom besides the toilet…”

“Aw, Ry…maybe you should go to the doctor…” Benji spoke in his worried tone again.

“No baby, it’s really nothing, I’m feeling better each day…”

“Ok, but promise me if you still feel sick tomorrow you’ll just go see the doctor…”

“Ok, I promise.”

“Great…now back to everything going on there…”

“Well…Amy has been packing practically non-stop for days trying to get everything of her’s and Billy’s together…and Zandria has been in here every hour to ask my opinion for every little aspect of the shower…and Jayde still has no idea, it’s so funny to see her, she look’s like she is about to pop, even though she’s just seven months along…”

”Must be because there are 2! I never actually thought me or Joel would have twins, and now he is…”

“Oh boy! Just what we need, another set of the two of you!”

The couple continued to talk about random things for several more moments before Benji had to report to sound check. He wouldn’t let her off the phone without making sure she promised him again, this time with Amy to witness, that she would visit the doctor if she was still sick. Before Benji would let her go, the converation turned quite serious.

“Babe, I just had to ask…you don’t think that there is any chance, that…you know…” He asked cautiously.

“Benj, don’t do this…you know it’s just not possible…after the false alarm last year, the doctor confirmed what I knew all along, it’s just not going to happen, I’m sorry…” It killed Rylann to have to tell Benji these words. Something inside him always held out hope that they would be able to have children…especially now that his brother was being blessed with twins. After the call ended, Rylann settled back into the large bed and quickly found herself more comfortable then she had been in days. Her eyes become heavy and she drifted into a sweet slumber.

*FLASHBACK/DREAM*

The warm June air blew gently across the open garden. White chairs were lined up in perfect rows, and a huge arched alter was positioned perfectly in the center. Gorgeous yellow rose petals were lining the makeshift isle, and lilies were the flower of choice in the alter. Guests had already filled nearly all the chairs and only moments remained before the ceremony was due to being. An extremely nervous Joel stood beside a glowing Benji in front of the nearly 600 guests. Josh (brother), Billy, and Tony (mest) all stood close behind. The bridal party was currently making its way down the isle. Zandria, Sarah (sister) and Amy matched the male’s unity on the adjacent side. The twin’s mother sat proudly next to Jayde’s mother. Rylann had no family besides Amy attend the wedding. Paul was given the honor of escorting both Jayde and Rylann down the isle since neither woman had a father present in their lives. The ceremony flew by faster than the couples could have imagined. And just like that, they were married, and about to embark on life journeys with someone by their side forever…

*End Flashback/dream*

Chapter 25
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