Esha eyed the invitation in her hands and looked across the table at Nick. "So Lis is marrying Bri." she stated.
Numbly Nick nodded. "She moved on..."
"Would she still marry him if she knew the way you feel?"
Nick got up and poured himself more coffee. "E, she made her choice."
"I think you made it for her when you left Nick." she said leaning back in her chair.
"So maybe I did." he turned and looked at his best friend. "She's happy, I'm happy...everything worked out for the best."
"Whatever you say Nick." she stood up. "I have to go make a few calls, but I'll be back in awhile okay?"
Nick walked her out. "Yeah I'll be here."
E gave him a hug. "It'll work out."
He nodded as he closed the door behind her.
Aaron looked up from his menu at the two women at the table. "Okay I'm ready."
Lis laughed. "It's almost sad you know what you're ordering so quickly."
BJ smirked. "He's ordered the same food since he was 3..."
"That explains it." Lis stated, setting her menu down. "So guys, uhm I've got something to ask you two."
"What?" they asked in unison.
Lis took a deep breath glancing at the diamond engagement ring on her finger. "When me and Bri go on our honeymoon, would you two want to watch Michael?"
BJ nodded. "Of course."
"Good let's order." Lis said, waving the waitress over.
E sat on her bed, she'd made the phone calls she'd needed to make and she had a few minutes to herself before she was going to head downstairs to see Nick. She pulled her purse to her and took out the RSVP, she doubted he even knew it was missing. E grabbed the pen from her purse and carefully filled it out, stuffing it back into its envelope. "This is the right thing to do Nick." she said outloud, hoping her friend would understand. She sighed thinking back to a day a few months before.
~~Flashback~~
"Nick...Nick!" A female voice said nearing his table.
Nick set down his coffee and looked over, smiling at his one friend in New York. "Hey!"
She set her bags down at the table and took a seat. "I wasn't sure you could hear me over the traffic." she said motioning to the nearby cars.
Nick laughed. "Just lost in thought."
"And I can bet I know what you were thinking about." She said knowingly.
He raised an eyebrow. "The final papers came today, so I am officially a free man." He grinned and wiggled his eyebrows at her.
E sighed. "Can you stop pretending and be serious?"
He picked up his menu, trying to force Esha to change the subject. "So what looks good to you?"
She pulled the menu out of his hand. "You dropping this charade?"
Nick shrugged. "How was work?"
"Okay fine, avoid things you always do."
Nick sighed. "What do you want me to say E, I can't sleep at night because I miss her next to me...She's a month away from her due date and everyday I worry about something happening to her and the baby...or how about I regret every decision I've made since that night?"
"Thank you! Finally being honest. You know she's in Orlando, why don't you go see her?"
Nick shook his head, he almost wished he hadn't told Esha everything but then he'd have no one to talk to till 2 am. "Just appear in her life? No, not going to upset her."
~~End Flashback~~
E set the envelope down on the coffee table before she left. "Definitely the right thing." she said as she walked out of her apartment, heading for Nick's.
~ A couple days later ~
Aaron looked up from the box he was unpacking when he heard Lis' voice. A minute later she and BJ walked in. "Lis!"
"Hi Aaron." she smiled at him. "Wow Beej, you've done a good job." she looked around, some of Nick's things she'd had moved over from the house were gone, in their place BJ's belongings.
"I like how it's turning out. I didn't move a lot of Nick's stuff, who knew he actually had decent taste?"
Lis laughed, "I don't know."
"Oh I found something, I'll go get it." BJ said leaving the room.
Lis sat down on the couch. "How's it going?"
Aaron smiled. "Not bad, her stuff should be unpacked today...mine by the end of the century." he laughed, "How's Michael?"
"Getting bigger! I think he misses his uncle Aaron though."
"I'll come by later, maybe take him out for awhile."
"I think he'd just be happy if you came by."
BJ came in the room, box in hand. "AC, you want to grab us some drinks?" He nodded and jumped to his feet and headed for the kitchen leaving the two alone.
"So what is that?" Lis asked as BJ sat down next to her.
"I came across this last night, uh it belongs to you." BJ explained, looking down at the box in her hands.
Lis made a face. "I don't think so." she said, taking a good look at the box. She didn't remember ever seeing it before.
BJ passed the box to Lis. "It's from Nick to you...I thought you might want this."
Lis took the box hesitantly and lifted the lid, finding a small jewelry box and a couple of small wrapped packages. Lis put the lid back. "Thanks BJ."
"You might want to open that alone...just a feeling."
"Yeah, probably a good idea." Lis set the box beside her. "You two need some help?"
BJ surveyed the room. "Nah we're almost done."
Aaron walked back in. "Drink man is here!" he set the tray down, glancing at BJ. "Do I need to leave?"
"No." she answered, grabbing a glass of iced tea from the tray. "Feel free to resume your unpacking duties."
"Ha ha ha. Look Lis, my sister's funny." he said sarcastically, plopping himself down on the floor.
Lis laughed. "So are you AC."
