Paradise City.

Chapter 60: She's So Lovely.

Chapter 60: She’s So Lovely.

¬Phil¬

I smiled as I got out of the silver Volvo with a bouquet of red and white roses that had a card that I hand wrote instead of bought and a box of variety chocolates. My heart was racing and my mind was reeling, I nervously bit my lip as I entered the building. It was late in the afternoon, the sun was still rather high in the sky and it was fairly warm outside for being late summer. I was lucky I changed my shirt before I left work, the other one had sweat stains on it because of how nervous I’ve been all day about this. We’ve been together for a long time but I still worry about impressing her. She’s my everything and she gave birth to more of my everything. God she’s great, she’s the greatest. I can’t believe we’re actually married, every time I feel down I look at my wedding ring and remember that I married my dream girl, she’s not just my girlfriend or fiancée but she’s my wife and the mother of my beautiful little boy and gorgeous little girl.

I grinned a toothy grin and shook my head as I stepped onto the elevator. I just got home from my busy day at work, all day I was thinking about Peasnie. I know she’s fine working from home but I didn’t want to leave her alone even though she is with James and Nevaeh. I’m worried about her, she’s been through so much these last few weeks and I didn’t want her to have to deal with it alone but I need to be able to put food on the table and a roof over our heads so I can’t just call in and say ‘hey my wife is depressed, I need some time off.’ That will not fly with the boss. So instead I’ve asked if Melissa to go over there and talk to her or even her Uncles or Aunts, anyone that she can have a serious conversation with will do for me. I know today her Uncles went over for a couple minutes this morning. Johnny called me when they left and said she was pretty upset, she was saying some things that maybe we need to talk about as a couple. That made me worried so much that I could barely concentrate on anything, I just wanted to call her and tell her I love her and let her know that everything will be okay soon, but with my luck, the boss had me running around all afternoon without five minutes to spare so I could call and check up on them. And when I did have the time, my phone was dead and I forgot my charger.

I got out of work later than I expected so instead of taking my time with everything like I planned I rushed through the florists, then Thornton’s Chocolates and I managed to beat traffic. I was surprised that I beat traffic at this time of day. Usually I get stuck in it and it sucks. I was lucky this time, we have dinner reservations at seven and when I left the office it was quarter to four so by the time I get to the condo, get Peasnie and put everything away it’ll be quarter past six which gives us time. I feel lucky I wrote her a little card this morning while I was having breakfast at my desk. Luckily there are no coffee stains on it. And I didn’t write it from the computer and print it off; I wrote it by hand, it has more value then. I hope she likes it. I spent an entire week trying to think of the perfect words to put into it. It’s difficult to sum up eighteen years into a couple of words without making a novel about it. But I think the words I chose were perfect to sum up all the love I have for her.

I stepped off the elevator and down the dimly lit hallway to our condo door. I knew the door would be unlocked; Peasnie leaves the door unlocked for me when I get home. When I walked into the oddly silent condo I became worried, even more so than I already was. I furrowed my eye brows when I saw Peasnie sitting on the floor in front of the coffee table with a white melted down candle in front of her. I assumed Nevaeh and James were still asleep since I wasn’t greeted by James yelling gibberish and Nevaeh screaming bloody murder.

Most men would cringe when they come home to hear that but I smile because this is my dream come true. My dreams weren’t to become a YouTube star or a radio show host but to marry the girl of my dreams and have a family with her, those things are just side projects. This is what I really wanted, the screaming bloody murder, and the shouts of gibberish, the late nights and pre-dawn mornings. That’s my dream. It’s just a bonus that I got to meet those bands doing the radio show and I got to travel around a lot. My favourite memory so far with James is just before Nevaeh was born and Paramore were doing a show in California and we got to meet them, James has a huge crush on Hayley. It’s seeing the smile on his face as he ventures the world for the first time, that’s my dream come true. Nothing can beat that look in his eyes. It makes me smile to know that Dan will feel the same joy I feel. I know he’s scared of becoming a dad and so was I but the moment I saw James for the first time I knew that this is what destiny had planned for me. The amazing threesome are all grown up now, I’m married, Peasnie’s married, we have kids and Dan’s getting married and his girl is having a baby. Peasnie looked swamped; she looked like something that came out of Night of the Living Dead. A knotting feeling twisted in my stomach but I put on a brave face and smiled as I came into the condo.