culpables years later

Noah

I woke up to a pounding in my head. I think I'm dying. It felt like a hangover, but I hadn't had anything alcoholic the day before. I slowly opened my eyes and snuggled into the arms that wrapped around me from behind. I turned my head to kiss Nick, but Jenna was there. I looked around, confused. Oh, that's right. Jenna had been too drunk and I had laid her in bed with me. I fell back into bed and noticed how dry my mouth was. I needed something to drink. I quietly stood up, pushed Jenna's arms away and went into the kitchen. I was done.

"Good morning, Freckles. Did you have a nice evening?" Nick grinned knowingly and handed me a glass of water with an aspirin. I sat down across from him at the kitchen counter and massaged my forehead. "I'm exhausted, Nick. As if I've had something  alcoholic to drink, but I haven't. But it was a fun evening."

He smiled and took a sip of coffee. "How's Jenna? Was she able to relax?" Jenna was able to relax and had fun. "I think so. But I think she misses Lion very much. No matter what she says. We have to help them both, they did it for us too." Nick knew I was right. But how could we help them? "I'm going to look for Lion today. Time for him to come back to life. They need each other, not to mention their children."

I took his hand across the table and stroked it. We both looked at each other lovingly. "I love you Nick and thank you for putting up with me even though I'm a bitch sometimes." He laughed loudly and choked. "Always Noah. That's why I love you. And it makes us complement each other even better. You have the temperament and I have the muscles."

I liked the way he thinks. Since the others were still asleep, we had breakfast for two. Today Nick made breakfast and I loved watching him cook. It was hot. It always reminded me of our first breakfast together after the sex we had. What was typical for both of us now, when we are alone and sometimes eat, is to feed each other with food and kisses. While our breakfast turned into a smooching session, I suddenly remembered that I still had to talk to him about the gala. Just as he was caressing my neck, I stopped him. "Nick, I have to talk to you about something." He stopped and looked at me. Normally, this sentence didn't mean anything good. "What's wrong Noah? Is everything OK?" he asked me. "At the brunch with my mother, she asked me if we wanted to go to the Leister Gala as a family? Maggie is coming too. I thought I'd talk to you first." You could see how he was tensing up. Neither of us had good memories of the gala. He took a deep breath. "What do you want?" He wanted to know my opinion first. "I'm not sure. Because of the last few times and my current condition. It would just be the social and economic responsibility to go there." When I gave him my honest opinion, he seemed to think about it. He stroked my back and looked deep into my eyes. "As if Maddison would enjoy something like that. To be honest, I wouldn't like it if we went. It's too dangerous. And I don't want you and the baby out all evening." I put my arm around his neck and nodded. "Are you going to tell her that? She'll come back with family responsibilities." I looked at him, sulking and pleading at the same time. He let out a breath and nodded. "Yes, I'll tell her." I smiled like never before and gave him a thousand kisses on his face. "What are we going to do that evening? If Maggie doesn't want to come, are we all going to do something together?" He asked nicely and you could tell how happy he would be about it.

"What do you have planned for today?" he asked me. Good question. "I think something with Jenna and Andy. You have to work, right?" He looked at me. "Actually, I thought I would spend some time with my family. We could go to the park or the zoo? With Jenna, Lion, our parents, Maggie and the twins." I liked the idea. The park would be good. The kids can let off steam and we adults can chat or play a game of volleyball. "I like that. The park would be good. If we invite the others we could all have a nice day." He joked with me. "Well, sometimes I just have good ideas." I continued eating breakfast, laughing. At some point our son came to us, but he was still sleepy. "Mommy, you're back!" he called excitedly and ran onto my lap. How sweet, he had missed me. "Of course, honey. Did you think I would leave you here alone? Did you have a nice evening with your dad?" Andrew nodded excitedly and ate the fruit from my plate. "Daddy is my number one and you are my number three." Nick choked and laughed at me. Like number three? I pinched Andy in the side and confronted him. "Like number three?" He laughed and tried to defend himself. "I really like Aunt Maggie."

Betrayed by my own child. That hurt! "Don't worry, Freckles, you're my number one." I looked at him annoyed. "Pff, who cares." Now I was insulted. I stood up and put Andy in my place. I had to check on Jenna and see if she was still alive. I took a glass of water and an IBU with me. I knocked quietly on the door and when I heard nothing I went in. She was still sleeping as I had left her. I sat down next to the bed and stroked her awake. "Good morning, sleepyhead. How are you?" She slowly woke up and looked at me in agony. "What time is it?" I looked at my cell phone which was lying next to the bed. "It's half past nine," I answered her. Jenna needed a few minutes to wake up before her hangover from last night made itself known. So I gave her the water with the tablet. She took both and swallowed everything. Then she collapsed into the pillows. She looked at the ceiling and was somewhere else entirely. "Noah?" I looked at her and nodded. "Yes?" "I need Lion. After last night with that guy, I realized something. I only want Lion to whisper nice things in my ear. I only want to be kissed and desired by him. I'm going to make up with him again." I took her hand and smiled. "That's wonderful, Jenna. So it's the reconciliation and not the guy. Make up."

Noah

I woke up to a pounding in my head. I think I'm dying. It felt like a hangover, but I hadn't had anything alcoholic the day before. I slowly opened my eyes and snuggled into the arms that wrapped around me from behind. I turned my head to kiss Nick, but Jenna was there. I looked around, confused. Oh, that's right. Jenna had been too drunk and I had laid her in bed with me. I fell back into bed and noticed how dry my mouth was. I needed something to drink. I quietly stood up, pushed Jenna's arms away and went into the kitchen. I was done.

"Good morning, Freckles. Did you have a nice evening?" Nick grinned knowingly and handed me a glass of water with an aspirin. I sat down across from him at the kitchen counter and massaged my forehead. "I'm exhausted, Nick. As if I've had something  alcoholic to drink, but I haven't. But it was a fun evening."

He smiled and took a sip of coffee. "How's Jenna? Was she able to relax?" Jenna was able to relax and had fun. "I think so. But I think she misses Lion very much. No matter what she says. We have to help them both, they did it for us too." Nick knew I was right. But how could we help them? "I'm going to look for Lion today. Time for him to come back to life. They need each other, not to mention their children."

I took his hand across the table and stroked it. We both looked at each other lovingly. "I love you Nick and thank you for putting up with me even though I'm a bitch sometimes." He laughed loudly and choked. "Always Noah. That's why I love you. And it makes us complement each other even better. You have the temperament and I have the muscles."

I liked the way he thinks. Since the others were still asleep, we had breakfast for two. Today Nick made breakfast and I loved watching him cook. It was hot. It always reminded me of our first breakfast together after the sex we had. What was typical for both of us now, when we are alone and sometimes eat, is to feed each other with food and kisses. While our breakfast turned into a smooching session, I suddenly remembered that I still had to talk to him about the gala. Just as he was caressing my neck, I stopped him. "Nick, I have to talk to you about something." He stopped and looked at me. Normally, this sentence didn't mean anything good. "What's wrong Noah? Is everything OK?" he asked me. "At the brunch with my mother, she asked me if we wanted to go to the Leister Gala as a family? Maggie is coming too. I thought I'd talk to you first." You could see how he was tensing up. Neither of us had good memories of the gala. He took a deep breath. "What do you want?" He wanted to know my opinion first. "I'm not sure. Because of the last few times and my current condition. It would just be the social and economic responsibility to go there." When I gave him my honest opinion, he seemed to think about it. He stroked my back and looked deep into my eyes. "As if Maddison would enjoy something like that. To be honest, I wouldn't like it if we went. It's too dangerous. And I don't want you and the baby out all evening." I put my arm around his neck and nodded. "Are you going to tell her that? She'll come back with family responsibilities." I looked at him, sulking and pleading at the same time. He let out a breath and nodded. "Yes, I'll tell her." I smiled like never before and gave him a thousand kisses on his face. "What are we going to do that evening? If Maggie doesn't want to come, are we all going to do something together?" He asked nicely and you could tell how happy he would be about it.

"What do you have planned for today?" he asked me. Good question. "I think something with Jenna and Andy. You have to work, right?" He looked at me. "Actually, I thought I would spend some time with my family. We could go to the park or the zoo? With Jenna, Lion, our parents, Maggie and the twins." I liked the idea. The park would be good. The kids can let off steam and we adults can chat or play a game of volleyball. "I like that. The park would be good. If we invite the others we could all have a nice day." He joked with me. "Well, sometimes I just have good ideas." I continued eating breakfast, laughing. At some point our son came to us, but he was still sleepy. "Mommy, you're back!" he called excitedly and ran onto my lap. How sweet, he had missed me. "Of course, honey. Did you think I would leave you here alone? Did you have a nice evening with your dad?" Andrew nodded excitedly and ate the fruit from my plate. "Daddy is my number one and you are my number three." Nick choked and laughed at me. Like number three? I pinched Andy in the side and confronted him. "Like number three?" He laughed and tried to defend himself. "I really like Aunt Maggie."

Betrayed by my own child. That hurt! "Don't worry, Freckles, you're my number one." I looked at him annoyed. "Pff, who cares." Now I was insulted. I stood up and put Andy in my place. I had to check on Jenna and see if she was still alive. I took a glass of water and an IBU with me. I knocked quietly on the door and when I heard nothing I went in. She was still sleeping as I had left her. I sat down next to the bed and stroked her awake. "Good morning, sleepyhead. How are you?" She slowly woke up and looked at me in agony. "What time is it?" I looked at my cell phone which was lying next to the bed. "It's half past nine," I answered her. Jenna needed a few minutes to wake up before her hangover from last night made itself known. So I gave her the water with the tablet. She took both and swallowed everything. Then she collapsed into the pillows. She looked at the ceiling and was somewhere else entirely. "Noah?" I looked at her and nodded. "Yes?" "I need Lion. After last night with that guy, I realized something. I only want Lion to whisper nice things in my ear. I only want to be kissed and desired by him. I'm going to make up with him again." I took her hand and smiled. "That's wonderful, Jenna. So it's the reconciliation and not the guy. Make up."