Chapter Twenty Four
“You ready?” Nick asked, his hand over India’s eyes.

“Yes! Lemme see it!” she said, her handing waving around in front of her, trying to feel for where the doorknob was.

Nick laughed her, feeling her way around the door to the knob, and put his hand over hers, leading her to open the door. He nudged her a few steps into the room, then took his hand off her eyes, revealing the completed nursery to her for the first time.

India gasped, her jaw dropping as she looked around at the room. A warm, sunny yellow covered three of the walls- decorated by palm trees on one of the walls, and a sailboat on another.  On the largest wall in the room, Nick had drawn and painted a mural of a beach scene that looked so real and inviting India felt like she should be able to step into it.

“What do you think?” he asked, surveying the room again for himself, still impressed with the results.

“This is unbelievable!!” India exclaimed. She could already picture the furniture they’d picked out – light bleached wood, very beachy- that was supposed to be delivered later in the week. “It’s just… it’s perfect, Nick.” she said, getting teary… the littlest things were making her cry lately… but this really wasn’t a little thing- it was amazing.

Nick wrapped his arms around her and kissed her cheek. “Thank you.”

“Really… it’s so beautiful..” She walked around the room, looking at it from all angles, her mind filling with thoughts of sleepless nights spent in here rocking the baby, afternoons playing on the floor, reading books and making up stories… and she loved every idea.

Nick’s hands slipped over her stomach, just in time to feel a tiny kick. He giggled, just like he always did, except for the first time he’d felt it and nearly freaked out. He bent down to pull up India’s shirt and kiss her stomach. “I think your mom likes your room, baby… I hope you do, too.”

~~~

Nick stood on TRL’s stage with the VJ, who was talking about how good it must feel for Nick to have another video at number one.

“It’s always good to know people like what you’re doing. I guess it’s even a little better when they like something I’ve done on my own.. because I know they like what I’m doing. I love working with the group, of course, but it’s always nice to have a little personal recognition.” Nick answered.

“Okay, well, speaking of doing things on your own… I gotta question for you…” the VJ began.

“Aight..”

“I hear your girlfriend is pregnant… is that true?”

Nick looked shocked, India hadn’t come with him, so they couldn’t have seen her to ask about her…  “How do people find these things out?”

“So, she is?”

“Yeah…”

“You excited?”

“Hell yeah! Of course I am… I really wanted this. I mean.. the timing is crazy, but we’re ready for it.” he said, noticing the displeased looks on some of the girls in the audiences faces.

“Congratulations, man… a lot happenin’ for you right now…”

Nick just smiled as the VJ talked the show into a commercial, tuning out what he was saying. He hadn’t really been planning to let the entire world know like that… but he figured at least now he wouldn’t have to worry about when and how they would find out.

***

“Just think how cool that will make our kid, though.” India said.

“Still pissed me off.” On the flight home, he’d continued to think about what had happened on the show, and had decided that he was actually really mad about it. Shouldn’t it have been his decision about when to break the news? He thought he should have probably just said he had no comment- even though he did have comments, lots of them because he was excited, but he’d been so caught off guard he’d responded without thinking.

India leaned over and kissed him, “Don’t worry about it. So what… everyone knows you’re going to be a dad… it’s cute… it’s sweet…girls will love you for it.”

“You don’t care?” he asked.

“No, I don’t. I’m not ashamed of the situation… so why would I care who knows or how they found out? I understand if you don’t want to talk about it, but no, I’m not mad or anything.”

Nick slid further down on the couch, leaning against India’s side. If she wasn’t upset about it, he shouldn’t be either.

~~~

India looked up from the magazine she was reading, sitting in an uncomfortable hotel chair she’d pulled over near the bed so she could prop her feet up, at the sound of Nick coming through the door of their suite, grumbling to himself. “Dare I ask?”

“I’m TIRED of this!” he said, practically growling. “Everywhere I go, the ONLY thing anyone wants to talk about is the baby and what I think about being a dad. I’m love the idea! I’m excited! How many fucking times can I say that? I’ve got an ALBUM coming out that I worked my ass off on to make it as good as I possibly could, that I am really fucking proud of… and they only want to talk about that for, like, five seconds.” he ranted, pacing around the room.

When he got close enough that India could reach him, she grabbed his wrist and made him stand still for a second and listen to her. “Next time someone asks, tell them to stay the fuck out of it. It’s our life… not theirs. And you can quote me on that.”

Nick chuckled a little, “My girlfriend says ‘fuck you’!”

India smiled at the change in his mood, “Exactly.”

He knelt down beside her chair, rubbing his hands over her stomach. He looked up at her, quiet for a moment, then said,  “You’re good for me, you know that? Just like that… you make everything better…”

“That’s because I love you.” She said, reaching to ruffle his hair.

He smiled at her, “I love you, too.”

~~~

India stared at the plate in front of her, thinking the lasagna looked delicious, but it may require more energy than she actually had to pick up her fork and eat it.

Nick noticed her lack of enthusiasm over her food- a definite rarity these days, normally she was always hungry. “Something wrong?”

“Not really… just worn out.” she said, finally picking up the fork.

“You do look kinda tired.” He commented, reaching across the table to touch her hand.

She gave him a look, “You try carrying around another person for the better part of a year and see how perky you are.”

Nick laughed and nearly choked on the bite he’d just taken. He loved that no matter how down she may be, she could never fail to keep some sarcastic humor going.  “It’s almost over.. the album drops in a week… then we can go home for a while.”

“I’m ready for it… I just want to be at home, now.”

Just be able to see how tired she probably really was in the tone of her voice and in her eyes instantly made Nick regret that he’d been dragging her all over the place with him. He hadn’t wanted to be away from her and miss out on all the little things with her.  “I’m sorry…”

“It’s not  your fault… you do what you have to do… I’m just going to be very ready to be at home when we finally get there.”

~~~

“So, the album’s out today, Nick, what do you think?” the dj of New York City’s largest radio station asked.

“I’m nervous, of course, I want everyone to like it… I’m proud of it.” Nick answered.

“The first single has done really well, already.”

“Yeah, I was happy about that.”

“What about the other songs on the album, are they similar?”

“They’ve got the same general vibe… it’s a very upbeat record…” Nick started, but was interrupted by the dj. He wondered why they asked questions that they never let anyone really get a chance to answer.

“Seems very focused with where you’re at in your life… in love and optimistic…”

“Yeah, I’m at a great place and the album really does reflect that.”

“You did a cover on the album, too… Aerosmith’s “Taste of India”… Tell me about that.”

“I love Aerosmith… I’ve known Steven Tyler for years.. and I did it, obviously, for my girlfriend…”

“Her name’s India, right?”

“Yeah..”

“So, how does India taste?” the dj asked, glancing at Nick over the soundboard that separated them.

“Absolutely delicious.” he replied, without hesitating.

~~~~

“This is awesome, Nick.” India told him again, as they lay sprawled out in bed, watching a National Geographic special on the Taj Mahal.

Nick snuggled a little closer to her, glad she was happy with the day. It hadn’t been the most spectacular anniversary- they’d spent the day at home, just hanging out and being together and it had been a very pleasant, romantic day. Since they hadn’t been able to make the trip to see the Taj Mahal like he’d said they’d do for their first anniversary, so he’d bought a DVD that gave a tour of the palace, so if she couldn’t go to the palace, he’d bring the palace to her.

After the video was over, India played with Nick’s hair as his head rest on the curve of her tummy, his ear pressed against her. “You know… I think this is the whole reason everything happened…”

Nick turned to look at her, what do you mean?

“I think that this… being pregnant, having the baby, starting our family… is the reason everything happened with school… If I’d still been teaching, I wouldn’t have gone with you while you were recording… and wouldn’t have gotten pregnant then… so, I had to lose my job to have your kid…” she told him, grinning.

“I never thought of it like that…” Nick said.

“I’d been thinking about it since I was at graduation, and looking back on it… really, I’m glad it all happened. I know this is where my life is supposed to be now. My whole focus has totally changed… it’s made me feel different…think and act different… I feel like I’m really the person I’m supposed to be now… almost a mom… and that I’m supposed to be with you…”

“I know you’re supposed to be with me… “ His hand brushed over her stomach again, “This is our world… our life now.”
to chapter twenty five

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