I awoke to the sunlight shining in my eyes. There was no person to wake up next to me. No one to kiss good morning, no one to tell that I loved him. Just some crumpled up sheets and the letter. The letter always said the same things. Empty promises. And a line at the end telling me that he left me a gift lying on the bureau. There was something different though. He used to sign it, `Love you, Nickolas. This time it was, `NGC.' I felt somehow downgraded, like I wasn't important enough to write his name, just his initials like he was signing some kind of check. I glided over to the bureau and found a silver necklace in an open black box. It hit me for the first time. I always felt so hollow after these escapades because he always treated me like a high priced prostitute. He came home to have sex and in return he gave me an expensive gift. Did he do it intentionally; or did he even realize that this was what it was?
I began running in automatic yet again. I plucked his worn jeans from the floor and fished for the receipt. The jewelry would be going back and into the bank. First of all, I wasn't a material person and I hated it when he spent gross amounts of money on me. Especially in the way that I had received it. Secondly, because he didn't need to be spending obscene amounts of money. He might not be making this much money for the rest of his life. I absolutely loved the music that these guys made, but it might not last forever. Teens grow up and move on. The group had not yet had staying power like some other famous groups.
I laid the receipt on the bed and started down the hall. I opened the door and smiled at the sight of the little toe headed child. My child. It still seemed so weird to say that. I never really even cared to have children. But here I was, standing with a stupid ass grin as I watched my baby boy stand up in the crib and grip the bar. His hair was disheveled and his cheeks flushed from sleep. He began looking like Nick more and more each day. I stopped to wonder if he would have the same attitude that his father possessed? "Hey Chase! How's my big boy doing?" He cooed back with delight. I set some toys in the crib to occupy Chase so that I could shower. After that, it was to the jewelry store to make a return and to the bank to make a deposit.