culpables years later

Noah

It was hard for my mum to start talking. ,,Mum, what's going on? You're scaring me." She took a deep breath and looked at me.

,,Well, to be honest, I don't know where to start. As you may know, every year is the Leister Gala and so is this year. It's in two weeks and Will and I wanted to know how you and Nick feel about it?" Oh, the gala. It's been so great the last few years. Especially the one last year for Andrew Leister. To be honest, I've never wasted a thought about taking part in one again since. It had something to do with social and economic responsibility. Definitely out of love and kindness to my mom, I wasn't going to go this year. Plus, I was pregnant and you could see that. Was I going to face the hundred pairs of eyes? And the questions and the paparazzi? Not really. My thoughts wandered back to my mom, who looked at me expectantly. ,,You know, Mum, it's complicated. Nick and I have a lot to do. The move and the baby." 

She nodded. ,,I understand all of this, honey. Only we would have to act as a family and Maggie would come along." That sentence alone made me angry! ,,Mum stop! Don't come back to me with that sentence! You know how it ended last time because of you two. It's our decision whether we come or not. I still have bed rest and then a party like that? Do you honestly think Maddison likes this gala? You know, I don't like being forced in one direction. I just run three steps further into the other." She seemed angry, but her face relaxed. She took my hand on the table and slapped it on the back of my hand. ,,I know. I'm sorry. Think about it. We have three invitations ready for you. How are you? And the baby?" I smiled at her and took a sip. ,,Sometimes it's good and sometimes it's bad. The nausea is slowly going away, but it's stomach pain. Otherwise, our daughter is doing just fine. She's healthy and with sugar there's a party in my stomach. The biggest help in getting through this is Nick. If I didn't have him, I'd be in a mess." 

My mum had come to terms with the fact that Nick and I are a couple and are happy. They both tried their best to have a reasonably good relationship. ,,Have you ever heard of Jenna and Lion? We'd met her dad once and he said they both don't report and Lion doesn't go to work." I started to worry about the two of them. ,,Not really. Nick and I are still a bit upset or rather disappointed with Lion for ruining our party. But I should stop by Jenna's. Maybe after our dinner." She nodded apprehensively at me and we had a relaxed morning. After dinner, I asked Steve to drive me to Jenna's house. I knew that today was always her day off, so she was at home with her kids.

The two of them lived in a family home with a beautiful garden. Steve parked outside the front door and stayed in the car when I rang. It took a while for Jenna to open the door for me. She looked at me with surprise and embarrassment: ,,Noah? What are you doing here? Are you OK?" Without thinking, I hugged her tightly, and it stayed that way for about a minute.

,,Can I come in?" She nodded and sat down with me on the patio, where the sun was shining. She served us lemonade with cookies. ,,Jenn? What's going on with you? We're all so worried about you." Jenna was completely beside herself. She had always been a strong person but suddenly she was in tears. I slipped closer to her so I could put an arm around her. ,,I don't know what to do. I want to forgive him but I can't. He's sleeping in the garage and I'm here with the kids. I'm always the stupid one with the illegal husband."

I've never heard Jenna talk like that before. ,,The heart wants what the heart wants. You've always been there for me Jenna and now it's my turn. If you need anything, come to us and we'll help. You are always welcome. Jenna. Lion loves you and the kids. You will make the right decision."

She hugged me. ,,The kids are with my grandma and I'd love to get drunk right now. Only you can't."  I smiled at her and thought. ,,What do you think if we go to our bar tonight? I can drink mocktails and look after you while you drink. And tomorrow you'll report to work sick." ,,Tell me, how are you and Nick? And my godson?"

I told Jenna the same thing as my mother did before. I did my best to be there for her and I had not brought up the topic with the party. I knew how much Jenna was ashamed of Lion. We made a plan for how we were going to do tonight. There was only one problem we hadn't considered in that sense. My caring husband. Nick would never let me go anywhere alone at night. Let alone go to a bar or club. I shouldn't have rushed it with me and the baby. How did I tell him? I knew what he was going to say. But the biggest factor was Michael. Life was too short to live in fear. I'd done that for far too long. ,,Are you okay, Noah?" I nodded absently, looking up at the clouds. ,,I'm just thinking about how I'm going to say this to Nick tonight." Jenna laughed bitterly. ,,I don't have that problem because mine isn't there." I looked at her cringe and took a sip from my soda. Inside, I was getting ready for a fight.

Jenna and I made it so that I would take her to our place and we would go to the bar together that night. She would also help me with Nick. I thought that was great. Steve had driven me to Andy's. When we picked him up and he saw Jenna, he ran towards her. I watched from the car as the two fell into each other's arms. It was sweet to watch the two of them do that. No matter what happened, Jenna would have been the godmother one way or the other. Eventually I got out of the car and Jenna came up to me with Andy by her hand. ,,Mummy, how lovely Aunt Jenna is here." We laughed and he hugged me.

When we got home, Nick wasn't there yet. Since Andy was hungry, we quickly cooked some pasta, but a big portion so everyone had something to eat. While we were all eating, Andy was talking excitedly about his day. It was good to have Jenna here. She laughed heartily and enjoyed it. During that time, Nick texted me that he was about to be here. I had warned him that Jenna was here and he shouldn't be surprised. When Jenna went to his room to play with Andrew, I was clearing the table. Just as I was putting the plates in the sink, I noticed a spasm running through my stomach.

It hurt. I hugged my stomach and took a deep breath. She wanted to make herself felt. Deep breaths. ,,Are you okay? Are you in pain?" Nick suddenly appeared behind me and looked at me worried. ,,The baby's kicking again. I'm having cramps. Andy was quietly in my belly.  Nick? Make it go away." He hugged me from behind and inhaled my scent. He stroked my stomach with one hand and was on my neck with the other. His closeness always helped me. ,,I love you Noah. You're doing so great. You are doing such a great job. You made it and then it's over."

Noah

It was hard for my mum to start talking. ,,Mum, what's going on? You're scaring me." She took a deep breath and looked at me.

,,Well, to be honest, I don't know where to start. As you may know, every year is the Leister Gala and so is this year. It's in two weeks and Will and I wanted to know how you and Nick feel about it?" Oh, the gala. It's been so great the last few years. Especially the one last year for Andrew Leister. To be honest, I've never wasted a thought about taking part in one again since. It had something to do with social and economic responsibility. Definitely out of love and kindness to my mom, I wasn't going to go this year. Plus, I was pregnant and you could see that. Was I going to face the hundred pairs of eyes? And the questions and the paparazzi? Not really. My thoughts wandered back to my mom, who looked at me expectantly. ,,You know, Mum, it's complicated. Nick and I have a lot to do. The move and the baby." 

She nodded. ,,I understand all of this, honey. Only we would have to act as a family and Maggie would come along." That sentence alone made me angry! ,,Mum stop! Don't come back to me with that sentence! You know how it ended last time because of you two. It's our decision whether we come or not. I still have bed rest and then a party like that? Do you honestly think Maddison likes this gala? You know, I don't like being forced in one direction. I just run three steps further into the other." She seemed angry, but her face relaxed. She took my hand on the table and slapped it on the back of my hand. ,,I know. I'm sorry. Think about it. We have three invitations ready for you. How are you? And the baby?" I smiled at her and took a sip. ,,Sometimes it's good and sometimes it's bad. The nausea is slowly going away, but it's stomach pain. Otherwise, our daughter is doing just fine. She's healthy and with sugar there's a party in my stomach. The biggest help in getting through this is Nick. If I didn't have him, I'd be in a mess." 

My mum had come to terms with the fact that Nick and I are a couple and are happy. They both tried their best to have a reasonably good relationship. ,,Have you ever heard of Jenna and Lion? We'd met her dad once and he said they both don't report and Lion doesn't go to work." I started to worry about the two of them. ,,Not really. Nick and I are still a bit upset or rather disappointed with Lion for ruining our party. But I should stop by Jenna's. Maybe after our dinner." She nodded apprehensively at me and we had a relaxed morning. After dinner, I asked Steve to drive me to Jenna's house. I knew that today was always her day off, so she was at home with her kids.

The two of them lived in a family home with a beautiful garden. Steve parked outside the front door and stayed in the car when I rang. It took a while for Jenna to open the door for me. She looked at me with surprise and embarrassment: ,,Noah? What are you doing here? Are you OK?" Without thinking, I hugged her tightly, and it stayed that way for about a minute.

,,Can I come in?" She nodded and sat down with me on the patio, where the sun was shining. She served us lemonade with cookies. ,,Jenn? What's going on with you? We're all so worried about you." Jenna was completely beside herself. She had always been a strong person but suddenly she was in tears. I slipped closer to her so I could put an arm around her. ,,I don't know what to do. I want to forgive him but I can't. He's sleeping in the garage and I'm here with the kids. I'm always the stupid one with the illegal husband."

I've never heard Jenna talk like that before. ,,The heart wants what the heart wants. You've always been there for me Jenna and now it's my turn. If you need anything, come to us and we'll help. You are always welcome. Jenna. Lion loves you and the kids. You will make the right decision."

She hugged me. ,,The kids are with my grandma and I'd love to get drunk right now. Only you can't."  I smiled at her and thought. ,,What do you think if we go to our bar tonight? I can drink mocktails and look after you while you drink. And tomorrow you'll report to work sick." ,,Tell me, how are you and Nick? And my godson?"

I told Jenna the same thing as my mother did before. I did my best to be there for her and I had not brought up the topic with the party. I knew how much Jenna was ashamed of Lion. We made a plan for how we were going to do tonight. There was only one problem we hadn't considered in that sense. My caring husband. Nick would never let me go anywhere alone at night. Let alone go to a bar or club. I shouldn't have rushed it with me and the baby. How did I tell him? I knew what he was going to say. But the biggest factor was Michael. Life was too short to live in fear. I'd done that for far too long. ,,Are you okay, Noah?" I nodded absently, looking up at the clouds. ,,I'm just thinking about how I'm going to say this to Nick tonight." Jenna laughed bitterly. ,,I don't have that problem because mine isn't there." I looked at her cringe and took a sip from my soda. Inside, I was getting ready for a fight.

Jenna and I made it so that I would take her to our place and we would go to the bar together that night. She would also help me with Nick. I thought that was great. Steve had driven me to Andy's. When we picked him up and he saw Jenna, he ran towards her. I watched from the car as the two fell into each other's arms. It was sweet to watch the two of them do that. No matter what happened, Jenna would have been the godmother one way or the other. Eventually I got out of the car and Jenna came up to me with Andy by her hand. ,,Mummy, how lovely Aunt Jenna is here." We laughed and he hugged me.

When we got home, Nick wasn't there yet. Since Andy was hungry, we quickly cooked some pasta, but a big portion so everyone had something to eat. While we were all eating, Andy was talking excitedly about his day. It was good to have Jenna here. She laughed heartily and enjoyed it. During that time, Nick texted me that he was about to be here. I had warned him that Jenna was here and he shouldn't be surprised. When Jenna went to his room to play with Andrew, I was clearing the table. Just as I was putting the plates in the sink, I noticed a spasm running through my stomach.

It hurt. I hugged my stomach and took a deep breath. She wanted to make herself felt. Deep breaths. ,,Are you okay? Are you in pain?" Nick suddenly appeared behind me and looked at me worried. ,,The baby's kicking again. I'm having cramps. Andy was quietly in my belly.  Nick? Make it go away." He hugged me from behind and inhaled my scent. He stroked my stomach with one hand and was on my neck with the other. His closeness always helped me. ,,I love you Noah. You're doing so great. You are doing such a great job. You made it and then it's over."