He walked up the front steps to his house and reached into his jeans pocket for the house key. After he unlocked the door, he set his things inside the foyer and was met at the bottom of the stairs by two small dogs who were excited to see their master.
Nick bent down to their level and began talking to Mikey and Willy, the two pugs, as they barked and wagged their tails happily. "Uncle Nicky!"
Nick looked up just in time to see a small boy launch himself down the stairs and into his arms. Nick braced himself for the impact and almost fell backwards, "Hey Matthew!"
"I missed you Uncle Nicky! Where's my daddy?"
"I believe he went on home to see your mommy but he said for me to take you home soon, sound good?"
Matthew nodded his head, his dark hair flopping all over the place. Nick set him down on the floor, "Now where is that lovely woman known as your aunt?"
Matthew shrugged his shoulders but grinned wildly. Nick bent down to whisper, "Is she playing hide and seek?"
"Matthew nodded his head, "Yep!"
"Well..give me two hints to where she is?"
"She's upstairs."
"Okay, good," Nick said nodding.
Matthew thought harder and whispered, "She's hidin' in the bedroom."
"Alrighty..let's go get her?"
Matthew agreed and the two boys went up the stairs quietly.
Isabel had heard the entire conversation from upstairs and couldn't believe that Matthew had actually told where she was. Nick poked his head around the corner and she was so surprised she jumped back. "Nick!"
He laughed, as did Matthew who exclaimed, "We got her!"
"We sure did!"
Isabel laughed as Matthew ran back in the room and hugged her knees, "Did we surprise you?"
"You sure did Matthew! And that was a good surprise too."
Nick leaned over Matthew and kissed her gently, "How are you?"
"I'm good..I missed you."
Nick smiled, "I missed you too."
Matthew made a face, "Gross!"
Nick and Isabel shared a look before laughing at the four year old below them.
Matthew was Kevin's and Kristen's first son and he was four years old. Isabel loved watching him during the day while Kristen was at work and Kevin was out of town. Matthew was a carbon copy of Kevin at that age; he had the dark wavy hair, he had dark blue eyes and was just so cute and charming that it was hard not to like him.
Nick and the rest of the guys had been in Europe for almost a month as a type of 'reunion'. Nick had embarked on a solo career and was very successful and was now producing and managing a band of friends.
Nick and Isabel, however, had gotten married the year before and were as happy as could be. She had graduated from UK and was now working on a book. They still lived in Tampa in Nick's house that he had bought years before.
Nick made sure Matthew was in the backseat properly and got into the driver's seat, beside Isabel. He drove the half hour to Orlando and was soon pulling into Kevin and Kristen's driveway. Matthew was about to burst from excitement of seeing his father for the first time in a long time. He bounded out of the car and hardly waited for his Aunt and Uncle to get out of the car before he was inside yelling for Kevin.
Nick stopped Isabel right before they got to the doorway and smiled at her, "I did miss you baby."
She stepped into his arms and realized just how much she missed having his arms around her. "I missed you too Nicky."
Nick kissed the top of her head, "Next time you are SO coming with me."
She laughed and pulled away, taking his hand and walking into Kevin and Kristen's house where Kevin and doting over his son on how much he had grown in the past month. Kristen hugged Nick and asked how he was doing and also hugged Isabel. "Was he a handful?"
"I don't think I could of convinced him or bribed him with anything on this Earth to keep him at the house tonight."
Kevin looked up and smiled, "He wanted to see his dad."
"Of course you dork, now come here and give me a hug."
Kevin set Matthew down and hugged Isabel, "How are you doing?"
"Just fine, I'm getting enough exercise watching your little rugrat run around."
"I am not a rugrat!"
Isabel shot Matthew a playful look, "I believe you are."
"Am not."
"You want the tickle monster to come out?"
Matthew put his hands up, "NO!"
"Alrighty then.."
Matthew grinned, and it looked so much like Kevin's smile it was scary, "Can we play tomorrow?"
"Probably not buddy, but I'll see you next week I'm sure."
Matthew hugged both his aunt and uncle before hopping into his mother's arms. "Tell Isabel thank you."
"Tanks for watchin' me Aunt Isabel!"
"You're welcome buddy."
Nick and Isabel soon left after that, getting into his durango. Nick looked over at his wife and smiled, "So, now where to?"
"Home...where else would we go?"
He shrugged, "I have no idea..."
"I don't know either Nick."
"Let's go home and take a walk on the beach?"
"Sounds good to me."
Once at home, Isabel grabbed a sweatshirt and threw it on before joining Nick out on the beach. He took her hand and they begun their walk. He started telling her about Europe and all that they did. "AJ got SO drunk one night it was not even funny; he kept us up all night yelling and carrying on.."
"He is going to become an alcoholic.."
"Nahhh..he doesn't drink that much anymore. I swear he didn't have more than four beers and was completely wasted that night."
"Ohhh...did you have fun?"
"Yeah it was cool to be together again after all that time apart."
She nodded, "I bet."
"Okay what's wrong?"
She stopped and looked at him, "What do you mean?"
"I mean, you've been acting weird since I got home. Did I do something?"
Isabel shook her head, "No you didn't do anything Nick. I'm just tired after watching a four year old all day.."
"I feel like I've done something.."
She smiled and reached up to run her hand through his hair, "You didn't do anything Nicky...I promise."
"You promise to tell me anything that's bugging you?"
She nodded, "I promise.."
He leaned in and kissed her gently, "Wanna head back?"
"Sure."
They headed back up to the house and inside. Nick headed for the kitchen to find a snack while Isabel went upstairs. She was in the bathroom washing her face when he barged on in like noone was in there.
He had changed into his boxers and a t-shirt. He stepped behind her and put his arms around her, "I love calling you my wife.."
She leaned back against him and smiled, "You say that all the time."
"And I do."
"You are so weird."
"I know. And I also love watching you with Matthew..he's a good kid."
"Mm hmm...," She said turning around so she could face him.
"Ever think about a munchkin of our own?," He asked before kissing her.
"Course I do..do you?"
"Yep."
"And?"
He smiled, "I'd love to have children with you Isabel."
She smiled before kissing him, "You just want to get to the part of MAKING the kids."
He laughed, "I'm a guy, what can I say?"
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