The sunlight filtered in, causing the lump under the thick covers of the bed to groan and roll over. The lump moved, shifted, then settled down. The sun rose higher, which caused the light inside the room to become more radiant. The lump groaned and pulled the covers tighter around himself. The man shifted and moved again then settled down again. He then heard the most beautiful sound in the world to his ears...laughter of the two most important people in his life.
He pulled the covers off his face and his blue eyes squinted from the bright light that invaded a little too quickly. He rolled over and propped himself up on one elbow and looked out into the hallway where the two stood, giggling and laughing. A small smile covered his face as he watched her and the smaller boy that resembled them both so much; moreso him than her but there was a bunch of both seen in him.
She was bent over the boy, her arms around him, her long dark hair covering them both in a shower of dark chocolate. The boy was squirming, laughing lovingly, as she tickled him un-mercifully. He suddenly caught the older man's eye and grinned before leaning up to her to whisper something Nick couldn't hear. She looked up, shooting a smile his way before nodding at the little boy. He grinning before taking off in a running start into the master bedroom, leaping a good two feet from the bed and landing right on Nick. Nick began to laugh and tickle the little boy onto his back, tackling him gently.
She stepped into the room, leaning against the door jam while her two 'boys' rolled around laughing in the bed. Nick finally sighed, lying onto his back looking up at the ceiling. The little boy did the same thing, on the side of him. He then looked up at her and smiling his grin with the two missing teeth, motioned for her to join them. She nodded and walked further into the room and crawling onto the bed lying on her back as well. The little boy was lying in the middle of the two older people and cuddled up next to her.
Nick smiled and begin to think about just how drastically his life had changed in recent years. He was now 29, married and had a four year old. The Backstreet Boys had ended long ago, but he still saw all of them often. Him and Brian had bi-weekly basketball games, him and AJ went out on his boat at least twice a month, him and Kevin worked a bit on writing and producing, and he attempted to help Howie with his real estate and helped out with his Lupus cruises yearly. He wrote a little bit and produced a little bit but right now, his family was first on his list.
He looked over to see the little boy asleep, curled up next to his wife. She turned her head and smiled at him before easing herself out of the bed. Nick got up carefully, as to not wake the little boy. He followed her out of the room. "How long has he been awake?"
"Ummm..he got me up about 7.."
He smiled before kissing her gently, "You could have woke me up.."
"You looked too cute..come on, I'll go fix us breakfast."
Nick followed her down the stairs and into the kitchen.
As he watched her make breakfast and dodge various toys that the little boy had left around. He lifted his coffee cup to his lips and took a small drink, it was still too hot. He smiled inwardly as she tripped and stubbed her toe over a toy firetruck. She said a few choice cuss words before shooting him a glare as he struggled not to laugh out loud. "That's not funny!"
He raised up a hand in defense, "It's not, it's not."
"He is SO much like you.."
"What'd you mean?"
She smiled, setting a plate of food in front of him, "He looks like you, he has the same facial expressions as you, and he leaves his toys and clothes around..just...like..you."
He smiled, "Sorry."
She pressed a kiss to his forehead before going to fix her own plate, "It's okay..it's quite endearing. Until I break a toe."
"Or your neck."
"That too."
She sat down across from him and they dropped into silence.
Later, as Nick sat out in the backyard watching the little boy play on his swing set, he looked upwards at the clear, blue sky.
So this is what life was like when it was normal. A small smile crossed his features, he sometimes wondered what it'd be like to have a normal life. To be able to go to the store without being recognized and asked for a million and one autographs. To step outside with the love of his life and not have dirty looks and curse words thrown their way..mostly at her. And this is what it was like.
He smiled as the little boy launched himself into Nick's arms, hugging him tightly.
This is what normalcy was...and he loved the fact he was getting a chance to experience it.