[title is from Emily King's song "Georgia"]
Nini paced back and forth in the living room. She was nervous. Ricky was coming home, and she wanted to make everything perfect. She had thought about this moment all week. What she would wear, what she would make for dinner, how she would greet him. Would they hug? shake hands? She just wanted everything to go right without being over the top. She didn't want to push him away.
"Mommy, stop moving around! You're making me dizzy." Joel was sitting on the couch and petting Bob's head.
"Sorry, bud." Nini stopped, "I guess I'm just excited to see your dad."
The front door opened, right on cue, and in comes Ricky fresh from the intercontinental flight. His curls were messy, his face unshaved and they way he walked was just so... Ricky. Nini did not think that she paid attention to how people walked and that it would be something she missed at all, but clearly Ricky's a special case. She knew every little detail about him. He looked absolutely perfect except for the general tiredness that he seems to be coming in with. She guessed that he'd probably had some sleepless nights this past week.
"Hi guys." He said cautiously, "I'm home."
"Daddy!" Joel immediately ran to him and Ricky picked up his not-so-little boy.
"Hey, kid. I missed you sooo much." He proceeded to attack the boy with hugs and kisses.
Nini took a deep breath and slowly walked towards her two boys. They were everything.
"Hey you." Nini said when Ricky and Joel had finally finished their greetings.
"Hi." Ricky smiled ever so slightly and put
Joel down. "You look beautiful."
Nini was wearing a baby blue sundress with the lightest floral pattern. Her hair was in a simple pony tail, she was in mom mode after all. She wasn't wearing any make up, but her skin had this natural glow. She's so pretty, he was getting palpitations just looking at her. He'd been away for so long and he just missed this view. They stood there for a while just taking in each other.
"Come here." Ricky said ever so softly and Nini immediately walked into his arms. Ricky inhaled the smell that was home. He was meant to hold her this way forever. Nini hugged him so tight he could barely breathe, but he didn't move. He knew the feeling all too well, she was just trying to hold on to him because they'd been apart for so long and they could've lost each other. He swore he could even feel her tearing up a little bit by the way her body was slightly shaking.
It was Joel's tiny little body that managed to squeeze between the two of them that finally broke them apart. "Come on lovebirds! I'm hungry!"
Ricky and Nini both laughed at their grumpy little boy.
"When did he get so snarky?" Ricky said taking her hand.
Nini was pleasantly surprised by the gesture but didn't let it show. "He's just a little hangry."
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They ate their dinner accompanied by entertainment from Joel. Nini was glad she made Ricky's favorite lasagna, because she could tell he genuinely enjoyed it and appreciates the effort.
Things seem to be going well and Nini was looking forward to having some alone time with Ricky so they could talk it out. She'd just sent Joel to his room to play for a bit and started to clean up with Ricky when they heard a knock on their door. Nini figured it was probably just Red dropping by to say hello to Ricky, but when she opened the door there was no one.
"Who is it?" Ricky asked.
"I don't know there's no one here." Nini looked down to find a bouquet of red roses (her favorite), and ... Greyson's brand new album. Of course, it's album release day. Nini scoffed, she couldn't believe the audacity-
"What's that?" Before she could hide or explain the situation, Ricky was behind her, examining the "anonymous" gift. The realization creeped in slowly but surely. She looked at him to gauge his reaction and her heart dropped when he looked at her with that expression. It was the way he looked at her when she first told him about the incident.
"Ricky.."
"How does he know which flowers to buy?!" Ricky asked angrily, "These are your favorite."
"I don't know, Rick. I swear I've never said anything. I haven't talked to the guy since that day, I promise."
"He just knows you that well huh?"
"It's not like that."
Ricky disdainfully opened up the note attached to the flowers. Nini had no idea what was written on there, whatever it is it's bound to make her husband more agitated.
"Read that." Ricky said giving the note to her.
"I don't want to." Nini said shaking her head. She'd no reason to. "Can we just get rid of this stuff and talk?"
"Read it Nini. Out loud." Ricky's jaw was clenched and Nini thought his eyes were glassy, he was hurt.
Nini sighed. "Dear Nini, the time we spent together were some of the best. Look at what we made.. . "
"Keep reading, please."
"Look at what we made, b-babe. I can tell by the way you look at me and .. sing to me that you f-feel the same way."
"You sang to him?!" Ricky asked not holding back his tears. He was yelling now. "I thought that was our thing.."
"I was co-writing an album with him, I had to do some singing! And I didn't sing to or for him! I just pitched the songs I wrote." Nini tried to wipe away his tears but he pushed her away, "Ricky, please.."
"You keep telling me ... nothing happened and that you've stopped contacting him! But he's writing you love letters and sending your favorite flowers!" Ricky pulled at his curls in frustration. "You're driving me crazy!"
"It's the truth! Nothing happened! I told you he kissed me. He. Kissed. me. Not the other way around and I stopped it and walked away. I quit my job and I've not spoken to him since!"
Nini was yelling too now. It frustrated her to no end that he wouldn't believe her. "I can't speak for him Ricky. I can't tell you what he feels or thinks or why he's sending me this crap! But I can speak for myself, and I don't feel anything for him!"
"Stop! Stop saying the same things! I don't wanna hear it!" Ricky closed his ears. "I don't ever want-"
Ricky stopped himself when he saw the look in her eyes. He didn't want to say something that he'd regret. But it was too late. She'd heard it.
"Say it Ricky." Nini demanded. "Say it! so we can come full circle!"
She was referring to their first breakup. (a/n: first book) She can't believe he would go that far.
"Is that what you want?!" Ricky retaliated, "It is isn't it ?! You want to be free so you can go with him!"
"You're-"
"Mommy?" Joel soft sniffles drew Ricky and Nini out of their heated argument. "What's happening? Why are you guys yelling? Is daddy leaving again?"
In the heat of the moment they forgot their son was in the other room, and they'd probably gotten too loud.
"No baby. Of course not. It's okay bud, everything's okay." Nini came rushing to him and picked him up. "Mommy and daddy are sorry for scaring you. Mom and dad fight sometimes, okay? But we shouldn't have been so loud. We're just trying to figure things out, Joel."
"That's right." Ricky said ever so gently, "And I'm not going anywhere. I just got here and we have so many things to do."
"Now why don't we go and get you ready for bed, okay?"
Joel nodded. The poor boy was probably trying to understand what was going on with his once harmonious parents.
"Let's go buddy" Ricky motioned to take Joel from Nini. "I got him."
Nini sat on the sofa with her head in her hands just trying to calm herself down. Then she stood up and walked to the front door again where the offending articles were sat. She lifted her heels and crushed the flowers and the album and threw it in the trash.
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Ricky plopped down on the sofa beside his wife and sighed. "He's pretty shaken up."
"We were pretty loud." Nini sighed.
"What do we do now?"
"What do you want to do, Ricky?"
"I don't know." It was his turn to put his head in his arms and close his eyes. Everything is just too much right now. "I wish you'd never told me."
"Well, I wish I never worked for him and I wish my husband would believe me. But we can't always have what we want can we ?" Nini sounded defeated.
Ricky said nothing but seemed to be in deep thought. They sat in silence for a while and Nini who's had enough time to gather her thoughts finally speaks up.
"On the phone, you said you wanted to talk. Do you still want to?"
"No. Not really. Not now at least."
"Ok. Well I do." Nini said sitting up straight. "Before the break, you told me that we needed to figure out what we want as individuals."
Ricky nodded. He was nervous. He didn't know where she was going with this. And his head was just so clouded by his resurfaced anger.
"Well. I've figured out my side Ricky. I've never really had to figure it out. Not since I fell in love with you all those years ago. I love you. I have always loved you and only you. I will probably continue to love you until I die. Over time, I learned that it's not something I have control over." Nini said. "I misjudged Greyson's character and behavior. I made a mistake. I'm truly sorry for hurting you, it's the last thing I want to do and I take responsibility what it's done to our family. But there's only so much I can do... I wish you would tell me what I have to do to fix things. But you can't."
"So what are you saying?" Ricky asked desperately.
"I think you need to figure out what you want." Nini whispered. "I think I should give you some space for a while."
It killed her to say those words to him, but she didn't know what else she could give him but time and space to heal.
"I just got here." Ricky said, "and Joel-"
"I know. You can't leave again, Joel would be devastated." Nini took a deep breath, "It's my turn to go. I just want what's best for Joel. We can't keep yelling at each other in front of him."
"Where will you stay?" Ricky blinked, still unsure about this idea. "What will we say to Joel?"
"I'll figure it out." Nini left the room to go pack her things, but she was also trying to maintain her cool. She didn't want to cry anymore, especially in front of Ricky.
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That night neither of them slept well. Ricky took the couch, while Nini stared at the ceiling in their bedroom. They hadn't slept in the same bed since the whole ordeal with Greyson.
Nini felt sharp shooting pains on her side. She assumed it was her gastritis flaring up, it always happens when she's stressed out.
She kept going over her decision to move out, whether it was the right decision and how she was going to tell Joel. Undoubtedly, the hardest part was going to be leaving Joel, because they'd never really been apart. They'd become really attached to each other during the months that Ricky was working abroad. One would think that it's Joel who was glued to her side, but Nini really depended on Joel especially after the Greyson thing. He was the one thing that kept her going and the reason she stayed strong.
She and Ricky had agreed that on the weekends Nini would take Joel and Ricky would have him the rest of the days. She would tell Joel in the morning and she just needed to be strong enough to not breakdown in front of the boy.
Meanwhile, Ricky was also running circles in his mind. He kept looking at the flowers and the gift from Greyson. They'd been discarded. But the thought of Nini serenading the guy just hurt him so badly. That was sacred. It was their thing.
They were supposed to make up tonight. Ricky wanted reconciliation, but was that the best for their family ? After tonight, he didn't know anymore. Ricky knew tomorrow was going to be hard. But Nini was right. They can't fight in front of Joel. He needed to figure out what the next step is, and he needed to do it before it was too late.
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