Chapter Twenty Three - a long awaited phone call
The phone, that Nikki placed on the table shortly before dinner rang again....
And again....
There was silence across the Newman table as all the family member looked at each other, she looked toward the phone, she was the closest to it, but didn't dare to answer.
Sharon stared at it tearfully while Victor looked at Nikki, he expected her to answer it, he knew how much she wanted to talk to her son.
After 4 rings, just as Victor was about to pick up the phone Victoria lunged toward it from across the table, knocking off two glasses and the salad dish and picked the phone up “Hello...” she called out hopefully...
“Hi Vic... I was about to give up on you guys”, Nicholas’s emotional voice was heard.
“Nicholas!” Victoria called out, standing up.
Nikki put her hand over her mouth as she looked at her daughter talking with her brother.
Victoria said, sitting down "It's good to hear you too, baby brother...”
Nicholas asked “Are you guys having Christmas?”
Victoria nodded and said “Yea... yea.. we were just sitting to eat...we were afraid you won’t call...”
Nicholas said “I had to... Vic... is... are everyone there? Sharon? Dad?”
Vicki sniffed and said “Aha... we’re all here... just like you wanted..”
Victor and Nikki exchanged looks from across the table...Victor put his hand over Nikki’s who was sitting next to him and squeezed it tightly as she looked longingly toward the phone.
Nicholas said “Everyone talking to each other?”
Vicki smiled through her tears “Definitely looks like it...”
Nicholas asked “How did that happen?”
Vicki said with a smile, wiping tears away “Oh, I don’t know, a Christmas miracle...”
Everyone else, who couldn’t hear what Nicholas was saying looked at Victoria puzzled..
Sharon looked at Victoria pleadingly and she said to Nicholas “Nick... I’m going to put you on the speaker phone, is that alright?”
Nicholas, getting quite emotional said “Yea... yes... that’s okay..”
Vicki put him on speaker phone and after a moment Nicholas tears ridden voice was heard “Merry Christmas everyone...”
No one in the room could control his tears as Victor said quietly “Merry Christmas my boy... boy I’m glad you called...”
Nicholas smiled “Hey dad... I’m glad you’re there...”
Victor told him, sending a meaningful look toward Nikki, whose hands were shaking as she finally listened to her son’s voice “Where else would I be?”
Cole said “Hey Nicholas, how are you?”
Nicholas smiled “Hey Cole... I’m fine, hanging in there”
Cole told him “And we’ll get you out of there, don’t worry...”
Nick managed half a smile “I’m trying, Cole, I am...”
There was silence across the table as Nikki opened her mouth to call out her son’s name, but no words came out, she just couldn’t, not until he asks to speak to her.
Nicholas voice was heard... “um.. Sharon, baby.. are you there?”
Sharon called out tearfully “Yes, Yes Nicholas, I’m right here...”
Nicholas sniffed “I’m glad... can you.. hmm...pick up the phone, please?”
Nikki couldn’t mask the pained whimper she let out as she saw Sharon picking up the phone... she got up, her chair fell backwards as she went to the other side of the room, trying to control her tears.
Her son still wouldn’t talk to her... he talked to everyone but her.
Victor looked at her in pain and walked to her from behind as she stood near the fireplace and put his arms around her, trying to comfort her...
Nikki just shook her head, refusing to be consoled as she looked at Sharon with a teary, blazing eyes as she picked up the phone.
Sharon picked up the phone and said, turning her back to everyone else, trying to make the conversation more privet “I’m so glad you called sweetheart... so glad, I miss you”
Nicholas told her “I miss you too baby, more than I can put into words... I love you...”
Sharon said “I love you too... so much...”
Sharon overheard someone telling Nicholas to get off the line and called out, frightened “You don’t
have to get off do you?”Nicholas muttered something angrily to the person in the other line and said to Sharon “Yea, it’s busy in here today..I have to get off”
Sharon sent a worried look toward Nikki, who looked at the phone with an almost desperate look, giving up hope of talking to her son.
He paused and said, uncertain “Sharon... could you please... ahhh... put my mom on...?”
Sharon paused and slowly turned to Nikki, who buried her face in her hands as her family looked on worriedly and said to her “Hmmm.. Mrs. Abott... Nicholas wants to speak to you..”
Nikki looked up, and asked her in a small voice “He does?”
Sharon smiled at her and handed her the phone “That’s what he said”
Nikki, her hand shaking, took the receiver, and took a deep breath, trying to control her flowing tears..
“Nicholas?” She asked in a teary voice.
There was silence for a moment and then she heard Nicholas, who was trying to overcome the lump in his throat “Yea mom... it’s me...”
Nikki, finally hearing her son’s voice for the first time after 10 days broke down in tears as she sobbed into the receiver “I’m so glad you called...”
Nicholas couldn't control his tears, at that moment, he regretted greatly not calling his mother all this time, he could hear in her voice how much that hurt her “I’m glad I called too mom... don’t cry...please”
Nikki didn’t even tried to control her tears as a enormous wave of love, yearning and relief swept her over.
No matter what everyone said, up till that moment, she never truly believed he was alright, that nothing happened to him, she cried “I’m sorry...I can’t... I’m just so glad to finally hear your voice, I missed you so much...”
Nicholas said tearfully “ I know... I’m really sorry mom... I should have called, I’m sorry... I missed you too”
Nikki shook her head and said “It’s okay baby... it’s okay... I’m just overjoyed I’m hearing your voice right now, are you sure you’re alright?”
Nicholas said “Yes, I am, I promise you, I am, knowing how worried you all are making everything so much difficult for me, you have to promise me you won’t worry so much...okay?”
Nikki shook her head and exclaimed “I’m your mother, I can’t help it, I love you I can’t just stop worrying”
Nicholas said firmly “Well, please do it, for me, please mom”
Nikki took a deep breath and said “Okay... Okay... I’ll do my best...”
Nicholas said tearfully “”I love you mom, you *have* to know that, I didn’t call because it was so hard, not because I didn’t want to... You do believe me don’t you?”
Nikki nodded “I do, I do baby, don’t apologize, not for that, I just want you to be okay...:
Victoria and Cole smiled at each other, Victor breath out a sigh of relief as mother and son finally talked to each other...
Nicholas said “I know you do I...put me back on speaker for a second..”
Nikki clicked on the speaker button and sank back into her chair as Victoria smiled at her...
Nicholas said “So what are you guys eating?”
Victor couldn’t help but laugh and Victoria said “We’ll send you the leftovers, trust me, there will be... Miguel made tons of food”
Nicholas smiled through his tears “Yea... I can almost smell it through the phone..”
There was a sad silence and Nicholas asked “So, what did you get each other?”
Victor looked at Nikki and she looked back and met his eyes and smiled at him and Cole said “Your parents exchanged gifts but we have been forbidden to open ours till morning..”
Nicholas managed to laugh “Well, I’m allowed to know, I won’t be there in the morning... you did get me something did you?”
Victor said “You bet we did!”
Nicholas asked “Well?”
Sharon was about to tell him when Nikki interrupted and said quietly.. “You’ll know, if you call tomorrow”
Nicholas was silent for a moment and than said “Okay... I will”
Nikki asked, leaning toward the phone “Promise?”
Nicholas sniffed and said “Promise...”
Nikki smiled with satisfaction “Good”
Loud noises interrupted the conversation and Nicholas said hurriedly “I gotta go, a lot of people wants to use the phone”
Victor told him “Okay myboy, we understand...”
Nicholas said “I love you all, take care... and don’t worry...”
Victor said “I will do what ever is necessary to get you out, you hear me? don’t lose faith... ”
Nicholas told his father “If anyone can do it dad... I know it’s you...”
Sharon said “I love you Nicholas...”
Vicki smiled through her tears and said “I love you too Nick...”
Nicholas smiled “Yea, same here...”
Nikki touched the phone with her hand and said “I love you baby, take care of yourself, alright?”
Nicholas said “Don’t worry mom, I will... I love you all and I wish I could be there with you... but just know I am thinking of you”
Cole said “As we are of you”
Nicholas sniffed and said “I have to go now, goodbye...”
And he hung up.
Everyone were silence and in tears, Victor wiped his tears away and Victoria hugged Cole, Nikki and Sharon were looking at each other, both of them with deep pain in their eyes.
Nikki turned her look away resentfully and Sharon looked away as well, and walked to the other side of the room to calm down.
Nikki’s gaze fell on Victor whose eyes rested on her softly.
He sent a hand and wrapped it around her waist as she leaned her head on shoulder and closed his eyes, she said quietly “I’m so glad he called...”
Victoria said with a smile “Yes..so am I”
Victor told Nikki softly “I told you he would talk to you, all he needed was time”
Nikki nodded, a happy, relived smile on her face “Nicholas phone call is the best Christmas present anyone could have ever given me...”
Victoria said to her mother “And Nicholas knows it...”
She looked with curiosity toward her parents who looked close than ever... they just looked so comfortable with each other, her father’s hand was wrapped around her mother,who put her other hand over his...entwining their fingers together.
It *was* typical of them, She saw them comforting each other a lot of times during the ordeal with Nicholas, and during many other family crisis's in general.
She knew they always used to put their problems aside when they needed each other but she felt something different with them that evening, more intimacy, maybe?
But that wasn’t anything rare either there were times her parents were very close, and she knew they had gotten close lately... but she had learnt over the years that didn’t always mean anything... not with her parents.
She sighed deeply as she looked at them, not truly knowing what to think.
Sharon was silent, feeling a bit excluded of the family moment, she took the moment to observe Victor and Nikki, for divorced couple they looked so close...
Nicholas mentioned a couple of times his parents unique closeness, but this was the first time she actually saw it.
Nikki noticed her inquisitive looks and pulled away slowly and said “Well, hmmm... why won’t we all sit down... there is plenty of food and somehow...”
She smiled “I’m actually hungry now..”
Cole laughed and said “Yes, so am I..” Victor pulled Nikki’s chair for her as they all set down, looking a little bit happier this time.
At his car Bradley was driving toward the ranch, playing with a little box, he thought to himself “Nicholas is in jail, I imagine there wouldn't be a big holiday... Nikki would either be alone or with Victoria, and she is no problem, as long as Victor is not there...”
He thought of Nikki, he had missed her very much, they were so good together, he couldn’t understand why it was over... he knew she cared for him very deeply and he wouldn’t give her up, he cared too much about her for that, and she needed him now, when everything was so bad with Nicholas.....
He wanted to spend this holiday with her, he just hoped she would be willing.
Everyone were finished eating and an awkward silence took over... they all felt better and yet, it just didn’t feel like Christmas... not like a real one anyway.
Sharon, sad and quite all through dinner rose from her chair and said “Hmm.. I want to thank you all for the lovely meal... but I think I better go home, I imagine my mom is waiting for me... and I want to spend some time with her”
Victor nodded and said “Of course Sharon, we understand... would you like me to have Miguel drop you off?”
Sharon shook her head “No, I drove”
Nikki told her, feeling a little guilty for the way she reacted when Nicholas chose to talk to her
“Sharon, it’s late, are you sure?”
Cole told her “I can drive you...”
Sharon smiled to him “You really don’t mind?”
Cole said, as he looked at everyone, uncertain “Hmmm.. unless it’s a problem?”
Vicki rose from her chair and shook her head “Hmm.. not with me..”
She looked a her parents worriedly “I hope you don’t mind... I’m just not up for anymore of the holiday”
Nikki got up and hugged her daughter “Of course not, darling..I understand... ”
Victor said “Well... hmm.. I have to say, that I can only hope that the next Christmas for the Newman family would be better than that one...”
Cole raised his glass “Here, here..”
Victor said “We will walk you all out...”
He looked at Nikki as they walked toward the entrance, and slide his hand across her lower back...Nikki shivered to his touch and smiled at the thought of spending a few moments alone with him.
Victoria looked at her parents as Cole looked on..
Suddenly a smile touched her lips as she noticed what her mother was standing under “Hey Mom, look up..” and pointed toward a mistletoe she placed near the entrance.
“It is the PERFECT opportunity to test them” She thought...
Victor and Nikki were taken aback as they noticed the mistletoe... and they looked at each other, not quite sure what to do.
They both noticed Victoria's looks and wasn’t sure how to act, not with their daughter and not with each other... they haven't made any decision about their future together.
Nikki looked at Victor, almost frightened.. confronting everything between them, all the repressed feelings and desires, all the confusion and uncertainties with a kiss, the first ever since they made love right in front of the family...
Victor was thinking along the same lines, not really sure of what to do, he knew very well it was a test, he just wasn’t sure if they should fail it or pass...
But on the other hand, it would be very odd if they refuse, they normally wouldn’t have... but any other time it wouldn't have had the same meaningless as an innocent kiss under a mistletoe would usually have...
Victoria grinned “I think tradition calls for a kiss...”
Nikki looked at him and could read exactly what her was thinking of as she said with embarrassment and raised her eye brow at her daughter “Victoria...”
Victoria smiled and shrugged, faking innocence “Hey, it’s tradition...”
Victor looked at Nikki and smiled to her “Well, I never been a man to break up a good tradition”
Nikki looked at him as she said with a gleam in her eyes “Yes, and it is one of Christmas's finest ones...”
He smiled at her and said casually, making an act for the sake of Victoria “Yes, and we are suppose to pass traditions to our children..”
Nikki took a step closer and nodded her head with a smile “Aha... that’s very true”
Victor, affected by her growing presence to him tried to mask the passion in his voice as he said “Well...come here...”
Cole, Victoria and Sharon were exchanging amused looks as they looked at the scene...
Nikki shook her head with a smile “No...if you want to kiss me... you need to come here...”
Victor smiled and said “Alright...”
He approached he, sent a look up to the mistletoe and looked into Nikki's eyes, leaned down and tasted Nikki’s lips , trying very hard to control himself and not to turn it into a passionate kiss.
Nikki was fighting the same feelings as she tried to remind herself the children don’t know and they shouldn’t either.
They kissed each other tenderly for a few moments and then Victor pulled back.... right when Nikki was about to wrap her hands around him and give in to the insanity of the kiss... she pulled back, a bit overwhelmed... and after a moment of silence turned to her daughter and said with a smile “Happy?”
Victoria didn’t know what to make of it... they looked nervous but she expected that...
She could see the chemistry and the passion underneath... but again.. that were her parents, she had caught them kissing about a million times over the years... she smiled and said “Yes...very much so”
Victor didn't dare to look at Nikki, not wanting his daughter to read through his look and asked “Didn’t you say you needed to go some place?”
Victoria said with a smile “Yes..I did.. “
She opened the door widely and her mouth opened in shock as she saw Bradley standing there, having just arrived.
He was surprised to see everyone there....
