Reunion



Summer was just about over. “Back to School” sales were on. And fall designed were on the racks of every store. Selena knew it was just about time for her to go home to her mother.

Her summer with her father had been fun. They found an understanding. A middle ground. And she never felt closer with him. Her work was done. Nick was over his ex-wife. His life was back together. His music with the guys never sounded better. And he had Shannon to brighten up his days. Selena just couldn’t help but feel partially responsible for Nick’s good fortune.

Nick and Shannon were out one day when they stopped for gas. She went in to pay for it while Nick pumped. Just like fresh lovebirds do, they kissed and hugged while the gas flowed into the tank of Nick’s truck. They were interrupted when someone approached them and cleared their throat.

“Fancy meeting you here.” Rianna said. Her face scrunched up from the sun in her eyes, even though she had on sunglasses. Nick was taken aback. Her hair was still short as it was in the movie. She was a little more built than he remembered. But her perfume, Candies. That was the same.

“Rianna?” He asked, still not able to believe it was really her. She pulled off her sunglasses and smiled.

“In the flesh, Carter.” Shannon knew this might turn out to be an awkward situation. Nick was doing so well without having to see Rianna except for on TV. But now there she was. Like she said, in the flesh. She was afraid of how he might react.

“Nicky never did have many manners... Hi, I’m Rianna. And you’re Shannon, correct?” Rianna introduced herself and held out her hand. Shannon shook it and smiled back.

“Yeah, that’s me.”

“Selena told me all about you.” She said, Nick had his head lowered so Rianna mouthed the words “thank you” to Shannon. And Shannon understood completely. Rianna was thanking her for helping to get Nick back on his feet again. She nodded and smiled again. Rianna was much more friendly than she thought she would be.

“What are you doing down here?” Nick said, finally looking up into her eyes again.

“Summer’s up. I really want our little back. School starts in two week. She needs to get home and settled.” Nick had totally forgotten. He had been having so much fun with his new little family, he forgot that Selena did have to go back home.

“Time flies when you’re having fun.” Was his response. “She’s with AJ and Marcy right now. She had a weekend-long slumber party with Angelina.” Nick explained. Then he saw someone come out of the gas station’s mini mart. It was Mark, carrying Rianna’s favorite soda and candy bar. He remembered when he used to go in and buy her little things like that.

“I see you’re boyfriend’s here.” Nick said, and they all looked toward Mark. He saw Rianna and came over to where they were.

“Nick... long time.” He said, giving Rianna her bag and placing his arm around her waist. Nick refused to let it bother him.

“Yeah man, it had been a long time. And hey, I apologize for how I treated you. That was fucked up and I was wrong.” Nick announced. And immediately he felt better. Shannon rested her head on his shoulder and gave him a hug, which was praise enough for what he said.

“It’s forgiven. I’d have done the same in your position. You’re a good man.” Mark said, and they shook hands. For the first time ever, they agreed on something.

“Well, we might as well go on out to Marcy’s.” Rianna told Mark, so they prepared to go back to their car.

“We’ll see you two later then.” Nick called out to them. Rianna turned around.

“I hope so.”

On the ride back home, Shannon reached over and rubbed Nick’s arm. Tickling her own fingers with the hair on his skin.

“You did good, sweetie.” She whispered to him. Then she leaned over and kissed him on the cheek, leaving a bronze-colored lipstick print behind. Then she smeared and smoothed it away with her hand.

“I think so too. I swear, Shannon, I am over this. I’ve moved on. She’s in love with someone else, and so am I.” He said, turning into his neighborhood gate.

“You’re in love, Nicky?” It was then that Nick realized what he had just said. He hadn’t known Shannon very long. But she was one of the key factors in getting his life back to good.

“Yeah, I guess I am.” He felt like going out on a limb and asking her the same question. “Are you?” Shannon grinned and looked around, pretending to be thinking about it.

“I think so.”

AJ wasn’t home when Rianna and Mark arrived at Marcy’s. She opened the door, still as big as a house with child. The sisters, who hadn’t actually seen each other in months, wrapped their arms around each other the minute the door opened.

“Marcy! Girl, look at you!” They parted and Rianna looked at Marcy’s protruding belly.

“Yeah. It’s a little boy!” They both screamed and hugged again. Then Marcy stepped aside and let both her sister and Mark inside.

“And it’s good to see you again, Mark.” She gave him a hug as well and a kiss on the cheek. Then she waddled to the bottom of the stairs and called up.

“Girls! Come down, we have company!” Rianna could hear their little feet parading down the stairs and into the living room. They both were dressed exactly alike. Marcy must have taken them shopping together. They looked like little twins, except for the eyes. Angelina’s green and Selena’s blue.

“There are my girls!” Rianna kneeled down and opened her arms wide. Her daughter and her niece came crashing into her tight embrace. Nearly knocking her over.

“Look Mommy, we got our ears pierced yesterday!” Rianna pulled away and looked at her daughter strangely.

“Selena, you ears were pierced when you were an baby. You two, Angie.” Both girls giggled and turned their head to the side. They had a second piercing. Rianna looked up at her older sister.

“You didn’t.” Rianna said, not exactly thrilled with her young daughter having a second piercing so early.

“I did! It looks cute.” Marcy said, justifying her actions.

“I could see if they were thirteen. Maybe twelve. But now?” Marcy just sucked her teeth and rolled her eyes, shrugging it off.

“They were watching the Weakest Link with AJ. And they bet him that they could get more questions right than him. And if they did, they could get anything they wanted. He agreed. And they won. This is what they wanted.” Marcy explained, finally sitting down and resting her back.

“Remind me to smack AJ, then.” Rianna said playfully, then she stood up and helped her sister take her shoes off, knowing how difficult in can be to do that when you’re pregnant. The girls went to Mark and he knew what the wanted. He bent over and tightened the muscles in his upper arms and each girl held onto an arm. Then he lifted them both into the air with ease.

When the girls finally went back upstairs, the adults got a chance to talk. Of course Nick came up in the conversation.

“We saw him today actually. We stopped to get some gas and he was there with Shannon. She’s a really pretty girl.” Rianna said.

“Did he see you, Mark?” Marcy asked. Mark nodded yes.

“Oh my God, how did he act toward you?”

“He was nice. He actually apologized to me for acting so messed up when Rianna and I first started dating. I was shocked beyond belief. But relieved nonetheless.” Marcy had a look of relief too.

“You have no idea how good that is to hear. Shannon is really good for him. I don’t think I’ve seen him so content since the divorce.” Marcy said, rubbing her stomach. “But what I really wanna know is how you’re relationship is going!” She said, speaking to both of them now.

“It’s definitely going. Extremely well at that.” Rianna said. Then she looked at Mark and they kissed sweetly.

“Do I hear wedding bells a-ringin’????” Marcy asked cheerfully. Mark grinned and ran his fingers through Rianna’s curly hair.

“Maybe.” He said just above a whisper. AJ walked in that very second. He recognized the silver Lincoln Navigator in the driveway and knew it was Rianna’s.

“Is that my sister-in-law???” He called from the door. Rianna jumped up and ran to greet AJ. It had been even longer since she saw him. Because every time she visited Marcy or Marcy visited her, AJ was out of town. Either touring or managing.

“You’re looking good, girl.” He said to her, still hugging her. He then saw mark stand up and he went to see him too.

“Hey, man! Damn, I had no idea you guys were coming so soon!” They shook hands and hugged at the same time. One of those masculine hugs that aren’t as close as a hug between two women or a man and a woman.

“So, how long can you guys stay?” AJ asked.

“Just a couple days. Probably until Thursday morning.” Rianna explained.

“Well then we definitely have to go out before then. It’s been a while since we actually went clubbin’ anyway.” After saying this, AJ then realized why. Marcy looked at him scornfully, rolling her eyes. He knew she loved club hopping with him and having fun. But it was pretty impossible to dance and have fun with a baby on board.

“Come on, Marce, you can still go. We’ll work something out. You know I wouldn’t leave you here, girl.” He pulled her up from the sofa and held her, kissing her neck.

Rianna figured that since they would all be leaving in a few days, Selena should spend that time with Nick. She decided to drive Selena out to Nick’s house that night. When she pulled into the driveway, the house looked pretty vacant. That was except for the game room. He still hung out there.

She rang the doorbell with Selena standing by her side. And soon more lights came on. Nick opened the door and allowed them both to come in. No words spoken. Selena was hugging her father around the waist when Rianna asked her to go upstairs so that they could talk alone. Selena complied and went to her room.

“Marcy made her spicy buffalo wings. She made sure I brought you some.” She gave Nick the plastic container and it was still warm.

“Thanks. I love these. I’m glad she remembered.” He said, taking it into the kitchen and sitting it on the island counter.

“So, how have you been?” She asked, following him into the kitchen.

“Pretty good, you?”

“Same.” She looked around. It had been a very long time since she had stood in that kitchen.

“So... what’d you wanna talk about?” Nick asked, leaning back on the counter.

“I just wanna talk about us. We’ve got so much history, we share a daughter, and I want to discuss where we stand right now.” She leaned back on the island counter and crossed her arms over her chest.

“Well, we’re standing in the kitchen as far as I know.” He say, jesting. Trying to avoid the subject.

“I’m serious, Nick! Not long ago our lives were shared. We were a couple, and item, one body. Now we’re like strangers. I don’t want Selena growing up in this kind of atmosphere. I want us to be friends, Nick. Is that too much to ask?” She was right. They had become strangers. They never talked unless it was about picking Selena up or dropping her off. And he too didn’t want their daughter living that way.

“Rianna, when I look at you, I still can’t help but wonder where we went wrong. Do you ever think about that?” She looked into his eyes and it all came back to her. How deep in love they were. Or thought they were.

“I used to think about it all of the time. And I’ve come to the conclusion that we were both so lonely, we mistook how deep our love actually was. I think that maybe if we had taken things more slowly, it might have worked. But that’s the past. We both made mistakes. I’ve learned from them. And I hope you have too.” He touched her face. The soft skin he hadn’t touched in so very long was like home to him. He brought her in closer and wrapped his arms around her.

“I’ve missed you so much, Rianna.” He said into her neck. She could feel his tears falling on her skin and it made her cry too. She held him as well. No matter what went on between them, she would always have love for him. And he would always hold a special place in her heart.

When Nick pulled away, Rianna wiped his tears away with her thumb. She would always do that if Nick cried or had something on his face. He could feel the cold silver ring on her thumb, one he had given her when they were still dating. She still had it.

“You alright?” She asked, whimpering still herself.

“Yeah, I’m fine. You?”

“I’m good. As long as we’re ok, and we agree on this, I’m good.” They stood there silent for a minute, then hugged again.


Chapter 35 ~ Contents Page ~ Stories ~ Home