"Welcome back, man. How was the trip?" Howie stood at the bottom of the steps as he waited for Brian and Ashton to get off of the plain.
"Hey," Brian smiled back and hugged Howie.
"It was okay. Pretty good actually. I do'tn get to see mom and dad as often as I'd like. I think Ashton had the most fun." The. looked down at Ashton who was standing slightly behind Brian, playing wit hthe zippers and velcro on his cargo pants.
Her and Grandma went shopping." Ashtons face lit up at the word.
"Yea! Me and Gran-maw went shoppin' " she exclaimed in her Childish sothern drawl. "We bought a lot of stuff." She finished smiling.
"Yea." Brian mumbles "Why don't you go ahead and give Uncle Kevin and the rest of the guys the gifts that you brought them" Brian coaxed, handing her her small "Dora the Explorer" Backpack and kissing her on the head. He watched her walk into the airport lobby as Kevin picked her up and squeezed her tightly.
Brian turned to Howie and began to talk again as they made their way to the luggage return.
"I just wish Rachel could have been there. I mean,....." Brian sighed. "I don't know, man, Idon't know if I'll ever get over her. Sh ejust ... ... I can't ..." Tears welled up in Brian's eyes.
"She wasn't suppost to die. She was suppost to still be here with me." He let the tears flow freely now. "She was suppost to be here with me and grow old with me and to see Ashton grow up." Brian wiped his eyes as howie handed him a tissue.
"Thanks man." He crumpled the tissue up and stuck it in his pocket. "How is Nick? I haven't talked to him in a while."
Howie's face twisted in confusion. "It's wierd man. One day he's all upset about it then on the day of the funeral it's just like he's a stone and then a couple of days later, it was like 'Anna who?' It's really scary how he's dealing with it."
Now it was Brian's turn to look confused. "Thats wierd. I won't ever forget Rachel."
Brian and Howie went into the airport and Brian exchanged hugs with everyone. "Hows it been guys?"
A chorus of the same sentiments came from the group. "We just can't manage without you Tok." A.J. chuckled.
"Yea. You gotta have me." Brian gave A.J. a tight hug.
"Lets go guys." Brian said, walking through the gates.
They soon arrived at Brian's house. After setting thier things down, the guys setteled down in the living room. The guys waited as Brian laid Ashton down in her nursery. Brian came back from the mursery and sat down in the den wit the gys.
"So, how've you been, Rok?" Nick asked
He sighed. "It's been tough and everything I see reminds me of her. It just hurts so bad . Every time I look at Ashton, I see Rachel. I see her in everything that Ashton says and does but it makes me so happy to know that she won't be forgotten." Brian wiped another stray tear from his eyes abnd looked at Nick. "How have you been?"
Nick looked around the room and then back at Brian. "Same old, same old." Brian looked at Nick for only a second before he decided the he was definately not taking this very well.
"So guys, how are the girls?" Brian asked trying to make some polite conversation.
Howie started "Sara's been thinking about getting her belly button pierced. She wants to now that it's betting warmer. She's nervous though."
A.J. Laughed "Tell her those piercings aren't as bad as they look."
They all smiled. "She wan't to go back to school too."
"Really?" Brian asked
"Whats she wan't to go for?" Kevin asked getting into the conversation.
"She wants to go and learn how to teach handicaped children. or she may go into Physical Therapy for handicapped children. She just wants to have something to do with handicapped children."
Dude, I can so see her doing that!" A.J. Exclaimed.
"Yea, I can too." Howie stated with a slight grin on his face.
They continued conversation about various things and soon after, everyone except for Nick left to go to thier own houses.
