Ex's & Oh Nos

(31) "January 5th"

Two weeks later 

Bucky was at his house with all five kids. Sienna was still healing from the accident and staying quiet. He had Zara and Carter in two different beds for naps. Ashlynn and Saylor were playing in her room with her new LOL doll house that Emily's parents had gotten her for Christmas. He was slowly deconstructing the house. 

He put their pictures away in a box leaving three different ones out of Emily. Nikki put them in a frame for him and placed each of them in the kids' room. Bucky saw the date on his phone as he checked the time. A smile crept across his face it was January 5th. 

A very special date for him and Nicole. He called up the local flower shop and had a dozen red roses ordered. Nikki was at work when a delivery guy said "Hi I'm looking for a nurse Nicole Matthews.." 

"That's me." She said 

"Here you go ma'am. Just sign here." He said

She signed for the flowers as he walked away she pulled the card. 

"January 5th. The day we came together baby doll. Our first kiss was today 16 years ago baby. The day you chose me to love. I can't wait to see you later." 

She smiled as she smelled the roses. 

"Somebody's in love." Rosalyn said 

"Shut up.." she said 

"Is it the cute one that just lost his wife. Cause I would be all over that honey." Rosalyn said 

"Rosa! You are a married woman!" Nikki said 

"Doesn't mean I can't look. I just can't touch..and the way he looked at you,shew girl he thinks you hung the moon. That's real love honey when a man looks at you like that." Rosalyn said 

Nikki looked down. "Yeah. Well we have a lot history." She said as she went to take the roses to her locker. She still had another two hours of her shift. 

Back at the house Bucky finished cleaning out the closet. By the time 5 pm rolled around he finished the closet and dresser that was Emily's. Winnie had come back to take it all down to the church's clothing drive. Nikki pulled into the driveway Bucky met her on the porch. 

"Hey.." he said 

"Hey..how was your day?" She said

"Good. Got a lot done." He said 

"My girls didn't drive you crazy." She said 

"No. They were good." He said 

She smiled at him as they went inside. The dinner table had been set for them all to sit down to have dinner. He got them all down stairs Saylor gave Nikki a big hug. As they were all eating Nikki noticed that Saylor was being quiet and had been for a few days. 

"Saylor honey. Are you okay? You have been quiet and you normally aren't quiet." Nikki said 

"I don't like snow or Christmas anymore mommy." Saylor said 

Bucky looked up from his plate at Nikki. 

"Saylor.." Nikki said 

"It's true mama. It's bad..look what happens. Daddy got so hurt that he changed into somebody mean. He was mean to me and he was mean to you. He didn't like sissy. And now look what happened to Ashy's mommy..it's all bad." Saylor said 

"What do you mean your daddy was mean?" Sienna said 

"My daddy would throw food at my mama or at the wall. He would yell at her he would yell cause sissy was crying. He didn't love my mama anymore he yelled at me for trying to help him. One time I saw him smack my mama. He was very mean.." she said 

Bucky swallowed hard. "Okay how about we talk about something else Saylor." Nikki said 

"Yes please." Bucky said as he took a sip of his beer. 

"Like what?" Sienna said 

"Ashlynn your birthday is coming up right? Isn't it next month..what would you like to do?" Nikki said 

Saylor gasped. "Your birthday is next month." Saylor said in her cheerful tone. 

"Yeah. I want a rainbow and unicorns birthday. With lots of donuts." Ashlynn said 

Nikki smiled as she shook her head. "And I wonder where you get your love of donuts from." She said 

Bucky smiled and raised his eyebrows. 

After dinner was over while Bucky fed Carter Nikki cleaned up the kitchen. Once he was done feeding the babies. He came over to her. 

"Why?" He said 

She looked up from the sink. "Why what?" She said 

"Why did you stay till 7 months ago if you were being abused." He said 

"Bucky I made vows. Through sickness and health for better or for worse. I intended on keeping them. But Riley..I didn't want to look bad that I left my husband cause he couldn't come to grips with reality that he was paralyzed. I was doing my best at being a wife.." she said 

"Nicole..baby doll he was treating you like crap it doesn't matter the circumstances. And he better hope he never shows up cause if he does. I'll hurt him for hurting my girl." He said

"First off I'm not girl and two he is a cripple are you seriously going to beat up a cripple." She said 

"First off no matter what you will always be my girl. And second off I wouldn't hurt him to bad." He said as he backed her into the the corner of the counters. 

He cupped her cheek. "Bucky.." she whispered 

He leaned down and kissed her lips. "Dance with me?" He whispered 

"What?" She whispered 

He pulled her into the living room and moved the coffee table. He turned on some music that was on his laptop. He spun her around and pulled her to him as "Suspicious Minds" began to play. They were dancing all over the floor as he sang the words which made her laugh. 

The next song that began to play was "Stay." By Rihanna. That's when the girls were sitting on the stairs watching them slow dance. The fireplace was the only light in the room. 

"My daddy loves your mommy Saylor." Ashlynn whispered in Saylor's ear. They continued to sit there as "Back At One." started to play. They were off in their world as they continued to slow dance. 

Nikki closed her eyes as tears fell down as their memories played through her head. They continued to dance for another forty five minutes ending on the song "I Still Believe In You." By Vince Gill. They heard giggles and saw the three older girls on the stairs. 

"What are you three doing?" Nikki said 

"Watching you dance mama. We should have a dance party! We always have dance parties at our house. Remember we had one with nana when we moved from daddy." Saylor said

"What's a dance party?" Ashlynn said 

Saylor went running to Nikki's purse and found her phone. She pulled up Nikki's iTunes app and Pump It began to play. Saylor began to dance Bucky looked at Nikki. 

"She's definitely your daughter." He said 

Her mouth fell open and nudged him. "Ow..I'm just saying." He said as she went to join her daughter. 

"Come on Ashy.." Saylor said 

Ashlynn looked at her dad. "Go on baby. Sienna baby you can go too. A broken arm won't stop the dancing." Bucky said as he helped her up. 

He went to check on the little ones as the girls continue to have their dance party. He rejoined them to join in the dance party. Finally all the girls were tuckered out. Nikki and Bucky were laying on the couch and fell asleep themselves. Nikki refused to sleep in his bed on nights that she stays at the house.