“Baby?”  His eyes opened wide as he asked the question. “I miscarried.”  I finished off my drink before I turned back to look at him to finish my tale.  “No doctor really ever pin pointed what happened.  I think it was the stress, the loss.  I was so very close to my grandmother, she was like my other best friend, and it really hurt me when she past.  And my aunt was in that horrible accident and she left so violently, it was so hard, on all of us, actually.  And than you all working, and traveling, it was stressful.  I was about two months in.” “Nick knew?” “Oh, yeah, he knew.  He wasn’t the only one,” I told him. “Who else knew?” “Did Nick ever tell you how he met Terri?”  At AJ’s shake, I smiled.  “When I got pregnant again, the doctor I saw wasn’t the one I first had, that doctor retired, so I had to go to a new office.  Anyways, the, um, receptionist was Terri.” “You had

“I’ve seen you a lot of ways!  But jealous, that’s a first!  Even worse because we’re divorced!” I told him then I took a deep breath and heard my kids start to giggle. “Mommy beat daddy up!” “Thomas, out.  Tamara, you too.  Bed time.” “Theresa…,” Nick started. “Save it.  Aaron, will you help your brother to his room.  And put some ice on his eye.  It’ll keep the swelling down, along with that shiner.  I don’t need people thinking I abuse him.” “You didn’t, sis.  You just knocked some sense into him,” Aaron said, amusement evident in his voice. “Thanks.  Glad to know my brother has my back.” “You guys are not family!” Nick growled out, annoyance clearly coming off of him in waves. “More than Terri will ever be, Nick.  Now, let’s go,” Aaron told him. “Night guys.”  I grabbed my kids’ hand after they gave both their uncle and their dad a kiss goodnight.

“My mommy is not a bitch!  You are!”  My jaw dropped as I looked down at Tamara before I glanced over at Nick, he’s eyes dancing with laughter. “Why you little…” “Woah, watch what you say there Terri,” I said as I turned my back on her, grabbing Tamara’s arm.  “And you, Tamara Elizabeth, are in so much trouble.  Nick, let me take him, you need to talk.” “I’ll be right there,” he said.  I gave him a questioning look yet all he did was shake his head.  I walked over to my room, watching as LeighAnne gave Tamara a huge grin before closing the door.   ~*~*~*   Nick watched as Terri leaned against the door frame, her arms crossed over her chest.  “You can’t defend me against your ex-wife?” she asked. “What you said was uncalled for Terri.  Those kids only want to be with me.” “So do I. We really haven’t ever gotten alone time.  This was supposed to be tha

  I watched her walk down to the court, handing the guys a bottle of water.  I shook my head, not wanting to believe what LeighAnne had just told me.  It couldn’t be true.  Nick walked out of my life; it was his decision, why would he second guess that now?  And yes, I know I wanted him back, was willing to fight for it, but I guess I was just really hung up on the past, cause I just couldn’t believe he would feel that way.  Why leave than?  I sighed. “Watch out!”  I quickly snapped my mind back to reality, catching the flying ball before it could knock me upside the head. “Hey, we can say over throw!”  I got up and jumped down the bleachers, walking over to Nick as I told him that and his not so fast warning.  “That sucked.” “I missed,” he said with a shrug. “Nah, say it ain’t so!” “And you think you’re all that?” he asked and it was my turn to shrug, tossing the ball at him. 

He kept his head down, his glasses and hat hiding just who he was, but at that point in time, it would be a welcome distraction from what was raging through his mind. He sighed, more lost and confused than he had ever felt before. And he had no one to turn to, for all would tell him the same thing, and being honest with himself, he just didn’t want to hear that. He knew he could never really offer marriage to Terri, no matter how much he talked about it with her. But there were lots of reasons behind that. After the disaster of his first one, he wouldn’t want to do that all over again. Although, Terri probably wouldn’t stay around as a girlfriend for the rest of his life. That gave him a moment’s pause, and he stopped. The rest of his life? That could be quite a while. He sighed once more before he went on walking. And of course, on the other side, you had Theresa. He couldn’t deny he loved her, he couldn’t deny she wouldn’t be part of his life, for she would forever be.