Maybe I had too many drinks, but that's just what I needed
I hope that you don't think that what I'm saying sounds conceited
When I look across the room, you're staring right back at me
Like somebody told a joke and we're the only ones laughin'
The twins turned three and had a Pirates & Princesses theme birthday at home, with everyone coming dressed up, facepainting and a pirate ship jumping castle. Camila wore her Cinderella costume, Shawn came as Captain Jack Sparrow and she whispered in his ear that he should keep the costume on for later. He couldn't believe how much they had grown, they had become little versions of their parents. JJ was tall with curly brown hair, just like him, and Lily was smaller with straight dark hair like her Mama. Both children had the same big brown eyes like Camila and big smile like their Papa. Personality wise Lily was the boss, and JJ was her muscle. He would defend her to the death and would take the blame for anything, as he and Camila realised very early on, not that either of them were very naughty, but they when they were it was not terribly serious and always inventive. They loved to sing and dance and swim, Lily loved books and JJ loved to bang his drums in perfect time. He couldn't wait until they were old enough to start teaching them music seriously. JJ had a little ukulele, an xylophone and his little drum, he liked to make loud and raucous music with them while Lily sang with her toy microphone. They also loved to watch videos of the world tour.
"Papa, can we watch Kith Me?" Lily asked him the afternoon after their birthday, all but batting her eyelashes at him. He swept her up and blew a raspberry on her bare belly. They were about to have a swim in the pool, it was a warm spring day. It was her favourite part of the tour documentary and she would watch it over and over again if she could. She knew all the words to the song and would sing it constantly into her toy mic. Ed would be so proud, but Camila always said she wished her daughter's favourite song was actually one written by her parents!
"Why do you always want that one?" Shawn asked, slipping her onto his shoulders. She grabbed onto handfuls of his hair in lieu of reins. They walked inside and he ducked going through the door then dumped her on the sofa in a pile of giggles. The video was already cued to the right place on the tv.
She crawled onto his lap and looked up at him with her big brown eyes, so like Camila's. He was wrapped around her finger and she knew it. "Coz it's da one where you kith Mama," she said, as if he was completely stupid. JJ entered the room holding Camila's hand, she had just put him in his little board shorts ready for his swim. It was Rosie's day off and she had gone into LA to meet a friend and go shopping. Seeing Lily sitting on Shawn's lap, JJ ran and climbed up onto his other knee, while Camila looked on with a soft smile.
"Hey big guy, Lily wants to watch Kiss Me before we have our swim." Shawn said.
JJ rolled his eyes and flopped back against Shawn's chest. "Noooo, Leelee! No more kissing!"
Lily leaned forward and planted a big kiss on JJ's cheek with a loud giggle and he wiped it off with the back of his hand. "Euuuuwww." This was a game they often played, because he didn't really care if his sister kissed him, he loved her to bits.
"How about we go swim instead?" Camila asked. He looked her up and down, appreciating how hot she looked in her red high cut swim suit. She raised a brow at him, noticing his glance and he grinned at her.
"No Papa, you said we could watch it!" Lily pouted.
"C'mon Leelee, lets go swimming," JJ wheedled. "I don't wanna watch the concert."
"How about," Camila said, picking Lily up off Shawn's knee. "We all go swim, and Papa and I will sing it to you in the pool?"
Lily clasped her hands together and looked at them with over-dramatic heart eyes, gasping. "Weally? Ohmergawd!" Shawn stifled a grin at the exclamation his daughter had appropriated from Rosie. Dramas averted, they all got into the pool, the kids both had their little life jackets on and they had a fun afternoon in the pool until the kids got tired and the sun slid behind the clouds. Despite the impromptu concert he and Camila had performed in the pool for their bossy daughter, she still demanded they play the concert version later before she went to bed. This time JJ didn't complain, and they sat on their little miniature sofa, holding hands, drinking their milk and nibbling vegan oatmeal cookies watching it happily together. They were still tired from their big weekend, and they were in bed asleep before Rosie even got home, laden down by shopping bags. She said goodnight, keen to inspect her loot before having an early night herself. Shawn poured them both a cup of tea and they took them outside onto the daybed in the garden. He had placed it exactly on the spot where they had been married, and she teased him for his sentimentality but she really did love it.
"She is so bossy," he chuckled, tucking Camila in against him as they sipped their tea and looked out at the ocean. "One day soon he is going to tell her what to do with her orders."
"Never, he will always do anything for her. I know if anything happened to us they would always look after each other."
"So," he said. "They're three. Are we still following the LRP?"
"The what?" she frowned at him.
"The Long Range Plan," he said, putting his mug down. "We were going to start trying again when they turned three. Do you still want that?"
She looked surprised. He knew right now was not the time, she was due to work on the movie, she didn't want to be pregnant for that. She reacted exactly how he expected.
"Maybe after the movie wraps?"
"It's up to you honey," he said, kissing her nose.
"And you, we make these decisions together, remember?"
"I'm not the one whose career could be interrupted and who will probably have to have another c-section."
"The good thing is, we could choose the date and work around it."
"I'm happy to wait until you want to try."
"Well, there is something we have to do first," she said with a serious expression.
"What's that?" he couldn't think what it would be.
She put her mug down and stood up, holding out her hand. "Practice, I think we need lots of practice." He smiled and stood up. He was JJ to her Lily, he'd do anything for her, protect her from anything, and she knew it. He took her hand, knowing that he would follow her anywhere.
***
With birthdays over, Shawn performed at Coachella in April and Rosie looked after the kids while Camila had a rare weekend away, attending with her friends, as a little last hurrah before she flew to Florida to start filming her movie. She had always wanted to go, and it was as much fun as she always imagined. She met up with Shawn in one of the VIP tents where he was laughing with a couple of other artists. She didn't interrupt, she just went to the bar and ordered a drink. She turned around and found him standing right there, wearing jeans and a black shirt unbuttoned to show his chest and the opal necklace she had bought him for his birthday last year, looking every inch the rock star.
"Hey," he said in a low and sexy voice. "I was going to offer to buy you a drink but I can see you have one."
"I do," she said, holding it up.
"So, are you here alone?"
"Yes," she said.
He leaned against the refrigeration unit beside the bar, blocking her from the rest of the tent.
"So what's your name, beautiful?"
Ugh, she loved playing silly games with him. He made her insides turn to mush.
"Karla," she said with mock-shyness, looking up at him through her lashes as she stirred her drink with the straw. His pupils darkened. "Are you performing?"
"Yeah, I am."
"Are you in a band?"
"Yeah."
"What instrument do you play?"
"Guitar."
"Oh, wow, I love guitarists!" she gushed. "Guitarists are HOT!"
He smothered a grin.
"My boyfriend is performing later too." She said innocently. He gripped his chest as if she'd stabbed him.
"Ouch!" he exclaimed. "Boyfriend?"
"Yeah, he's a big star, he plays guitar too, AND sings."
"Yeah, but is he any good?" He pushed a stray hair behind her ear and she shivered.
"Oh, he is SO good." She whispered.
He bent until his face was close. "What he doesn't know, won't hurt him," and then he kissed her, leisurely, sensuously, a long hot, wet, kiss. "Will you come and watch me later, you can stand in the VIP area, or sidestage?"
"Yes," she smiled. "Are there any, er, private places around there, where we could, I don't know, maybe get to know each other better?"
He chuckled and whispered in her ear. "One of these days, we are going to get caught Mrs Mendes."
"You're not allowed to call me that in public," she whispered in his ear in reply.
"Nobody can hear us so it doesn't count."
Later, she stood in the VIP section watching him work the crowd, the ultimate performer, and she was just another fan girl, singing along to every song, dancing her ass off. She remembered what had happened not long before he took the stage, in a dark, curtained off corner back stage and she shivered at the memory of him thrusting into her while she tried her hardest not to cry out. Her groupie moment, she had told him, and he had laughed as he tucked himself in.
"Karla, you are the best I ever had, really." She had batted his arm with her little hand and he had laughed harder, kissing her quickly, then they both snuck out before they were spotted.
And then it was time to start filming the movie, and the location part of the shoot was in Miami.
Rosie and the twins went with her, spending time with Abuelita and Abuelito, while Shawn stayed in California to record his new album. He flew to Miami a couple of times to join her and then they returned home, as the rest of the shoot was in a studio in Hollywood. It wrapped in July and she had a tingling feeling that it was something special but she was also concerned she was too close to the project to actually see it. Shawn had finished his album and was working on the score by then, and before he flew to Chicago to headline at Lollapalooza, he and Camila celebrated their fourth wedding anniversary.
"Where are we going?" she asked, confused. When they arrived she had a lump in her throat. She recognised the little vintage trailer with it's picnic tables, the scene of their first real date, and he grabbed a blanket and ordered burgers and juice, then they sat on the blanket on the grass, watching the sunset. He pulled her in close and they talked about the wedding as if was yesterday.
"I thought my heart had stopped when I first saw you, in that dress, with your sunflowers..."
"I saw you through the window, I knew you were there, I couldn't wait to marry you."
They snuggled in, feeling content. It had been a long road to get here, but four years and two children later they were as happy as ever.
The year continued as busy as ever, with Shawn working to get his album ready for release, and finishing the music for the movie, while Camila had her production hat on and was involved in it's post-production, a tie-in book re-release with a new cover, and planning the promotion around the release. Shawn headlined Lollapalooza in Chicago, and this time she didn't go and play groupie, but he did so well and she was ridiculously proud of him, and when he got back he dropped the album. He had shown a lot of development in this album, and it kept his reputation intact by debuting at number one, as every single album of his had done, creating a new world record. He dropped the single the same day and it was also a big success, a big anthemic song that showcased his voice and guitar skills.
Thank God for Rosie during the next few months, as the movie was released and Camila had promo, they both attended red carpet premieres, and Shawn promoted the album and single as well. The movie was a critical and box office success, and would have done better if a franchise superhero movie didn't come out around the same time as well as a small indie film that came from nowhere, won the Palm d'or in Cannes in May and blew everyone away by holding the number one box office spot for weeks. As the year grew to a close, they were happy to be at home with the kids and each other.
***
"Are you sure you don't want to stay home and watch the Grammy nominations?" Camila asked. There was a lot of buzz around his album this year, but he seemed to be playing it down. She knew he was trying not to place too much importance on it. To him, his family was more important than any award.
"It would be cool, but I don't know if anything could beat our award together last year. I feel like we peaked then."
"Great, my career is on a downhill slide now," she said drily.
"Anyway, the kids' holiday concert is more important," he said. JJ and Lily attended a three year old nursery school and they were having a little production tonight. It was non-denominational and more about love and giving than anything religious or traditional, and there had been songs especially written for the show, which the kids were excited for them to see. They weren't the only famous names in the house, which was good, they didn't want to take any attention away from the stars of the night, the children. They sat, like every other parent there, in awe and amusement and tearful pride as their little ones sang, danced, acted and played music, showcasing their accomplishments so far in the year.
"They are both totally pitch perfect," Shawn said proudly.
"I know," Camila said under her breath, clapping loudly. "But the drum...". JJ had been the drummer in the little band, and Shawn knew he would have to teach him how to actually play, it had been hysterically horrendous. At the end, the parents and friends gave the little ones a standing ovation, hooting and hollering and clapping loudly, and the kids grinned widely and bowed before running off chattering with excitement. Each parent had brought a plate of treats to be shared afterwards and Shawn was sipping coffee and talking with some of the other parents when a couple he vaguely remembered meeting before came up to him.
"Congratulations dude!" the guy said.
"Thanks," Shawn smiled. "They were all really cute."
The guy laughed. "Not the kids man, although yes, all of them were adorable, but we just heard you got nominated for five Grammys!"
He looked at Camila in shock, her face had lit up and she was jumping up and down. "Oh God, Shawn!" He hugged her and she hugged him tightly, whispering in his ear. "I'm so proud of you baby."
His phone started to go crazy and they grabbed Rosie and the kids, dodged the well-wishers and headed home to watch the recorded announcement and answer all the messages.
Later that night in bed, they talked about it like two kids, so excited but wanting to appear cool in front of everyone else. Five nominations. Every single category he was eligible for. Andrew was so proud he was in tears, so were his parents, but as he looked back on the day, the moment when his son played discordant drums and his daughter danced on stage, both with huge grins on their little faces, stood far and away above anything else that had happened, including his Grammy nominations.