“Come on, baby, we have to get ready,” Melissa told Cameron who was trying his best not to get dressed. She got his shirt on and then some pants. “Don't give me that look your Daddy does..that one,” she said as Cam stuck out his bottom lip and batted his eyes.
She sighed and pushed back tears. Their things were all boxed up on a moving truck except for four large suitcases and a couple of carryons. They were flying from La Guardia to Orlando International Airport and moving into the house they'd bought just from seeing pictures online in a neighborhood that Chris had lived close to before he'd moved to New York. There were five bedrooms and four bathrooms, a spacious kitchen and a large famiy room and a pool. Melissa had tried to be optimistic, but she was having a hard time picturing a house with all their things in Florida.
“Are you ready?” Chris asked as he paused at the door, looking at his wife and son. He leaned on his cane and watched Cam be still to let her put his shoes on. He didn't miss the tear tracks on her face as she wiped them quickly and he felt bad. If he'd had a choice, he wouldn't have left NewYork. However, school was starting soon in Florida and they'd wanted Hadley and Kenna to be there at the beginning of the term.
“Yeah, come on Cam. Let's go make sure for the fifth time that we have everything to go to the airport and then the hotel for a couple days,” Melissa said, not looking at Chris.
Chris watched her go and give a long hug to Joey as he came in, frowning more. “Hey man,” he said, greeting his friend. “She hates me, I think,” he said softly, looking at the empty room. “It's not like I tried to get in a damn motorcycle wreck and screw up my life and everyone else's.”
“She's upset about moving. I don't think she hates you,” Joey pointed out. “If she hated you, Kirkpatrick, she wouldn't be moving to Florida. It's hotter than balls in a fur vest in summer down there right now.”
“Thanks for reminding me,” Chris said, moving slowly toward the front door, seeing Briahna, Kloey and Kelly talking to Melissa and the kids. “Lance and Addy came by earlier and said goodbye. You'd have thought we were moving to Mars...Lance looked like we'd kicked his puppy, holding on to Mel.”
“You know they're close,” Joey pointed out. “We'll miss crashing your place for impromptu cook outs and beers and shit, man. And there's the tour....” his voice trailed off, looking at Chris. “We tried to keep Johnny from scheduling a lot but we'd all lose a lot of money if we didn't tour the dates that were already set.”
“I know,” Chris said softly. “I can barely get around now with a cane. I can't dance and sure as hell don't want to look like the circus freak out for show,” he said. “I understand, man. You have to do what you have to do. It still sucks...” he told his friend.
“Dad, the taxi's here,” Hadley said loudly, grabbing her backpack with her things in it.
The girls been unhappy about moving until they'd told them about dance classes and the school they'd found that had plenty of sports. It was a private school close to their house, better than the public school that was father away. Chris hadn't wanted to pay for schooling but he couldn't deny that the girls would have a good education. So he'd relented.
Chris gave a small smile to Joey and hugged him. “Thanks, man. For everything...See you in Florida. Stop in when you're down visiting,” he told him, watching Hadley and Briahna hug.
“You know we'll be down and a pain in your ass...” Joey told him, moving to hug Melissa. He smirked and leaned in and kissed her cheek. “You know it would have never worked out between us, darling.”
Melissa giggled through her tears at his lame attempt at Captain Jack Sparrow and smacked his shoulder after she hugged him. “Kelly's going to shank you and dump your body in the Hudson now that I'm gone. And you won't have any cookies.”
“He just loves you for the cookies, Mel. You and I know that,” Kelly said, moving in to hug her. “Call me if you need anything. We'll be down in a month or so to see Joe and Phyllis and everyone. I'll bring you some real pizza and your second husband back to you,” she told Melissa as they both laughed.
“He's a good man but I prefer mine to be part machine, shorter and not as mouthy,” Melissa said, looking at Chris. She knew she couldn't linger there forever with the Fatones, standing just inside the empty house. The suitcases were loaded and kids situated then she helped Chris get in the front seat and she took the back. Melissa gave a small wave to their friends, biting her lip and hugging Kenna, who was trying not to cry.
“It's okay Kenniebear,” she whispered, kissing her daughter's hair. “We have a pool waiting for us and we'll get to decorate your room how you want.”
Chris heard the quiet conversation and looked at his family. He just prayed that things would get better for them; for him. He'd not mentioned that the doctor had upped his anti-depressants again. It would only make Melissa worry more than she did already. And there was enough guilt on his mind that he just wanted a little time to sort things out. He hoped that would happen in Florida.
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“Welcome to Florida,” Joe Senior said as he met them at the terminal. He frowned at Chris and Melissa, one of them looking mad at the other tired. “Let's get your things and get you all to the hotel,” he offered as Chris nodded.
“The sooner I can get off this leg, the better it will be,” he said, nodding when Joey's dad told him where Phyllis was parked in hour parking near the door. He took Kenna and Hadley with him, letting them lead him through the crowd.
“How was the flight?” he asked Melissa who was wiping tears. He walked with her to the baggage claim, Cameron asleep in his stroller.
“Between a son who cried and got sick three times, a husband who hurt the whole time and two girls who didn't want to stay in their seats, it was lovely,” she said softly, shaking her head. “I just want to get everyone fed, and bathed and in bed including Chris...Thank you for picking us up,” Melissa added as she got two of the bags and Joe, Sr got the other two.
“You're family, you know that.”
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“Momma, I want a bath first,” Hadley said, dropping her carry on onto one of the beds.
“No, I want to go first, you went first last night,” Kenna retorted, glaring at her sister as her bag fell next to the bed.
“Let me help your Daddy get comfortable and then we will figure out what we're doing,” Melissa told the girls as she quickly set up Cameron's pack n play. They had a room with a suite, that meant a couch that folded out into a bed and two queen size beds. She put Cam down, thankful he'd fallen asleep ten minutes before they'd landed and would be out for hopefully another hour for his nap.
“Girls, quit arguing,” Chris told Hadley and Kenna, who were still shoving one another. He was covered in sweat from exertion and hurting. He watched Melissa put Cam down and he got up slowly and limped torward the bathroom. “Tell your Momma to come help me,” he told the girls, thankful they'd turned on the television and had gotten quiet.
“I heard,” Melissa said as she opened up her and Chris' suticase, grabbing clothes and toiletries and medicine. “If Cam wakes up, come tell me,” she told Hadley, who nodded before following Chris in the bathroom. She could tell her husband wasn't in the mood to talk, getting his clothes off him and helping him into the shower.
“You're going to have to help me today,” Chris said, sighing when the hot water hit his body. He leaned on the shower wall and closed his eyes. He opened them again when Melissa asked him to move, frowning at the tears she was blinking back. “I'm sorry baby,” he said, watching her wipe under her eyes quickly.
“It's alright, Chris. I'm just tired. We're all tired,” she replied softly. “What do you want for dinner?” she asked him, knowing they would just order something instead of going out.
“Honestly, I just want some pain pills for dinner,” Chris told her, groaning when she used her fingernails on his scalp. “That feels so good.”
Melissa smiled, doing it a few minutes longer before shutting the water off. “Minus the three kids and all of the suitcases, I don't think I've been this tired since the night of our wedding...” she said, helping Chris dry off.
“We didn't fall into bed until almost five in the morning and had to be up in three hours to catch a flight to Turks and Caicos,” Chris told her, giving her a small smile at the memory.
“Why is the alarm going off?”Chris groused as he opened one eye and looked at the time. He shut it off with his left hand, catching a glimpse of his wedding band. The black tunsten band still felt foreign to him, but right. It made him happy, kissing his wife's forehead as she snuggled up closer to him. “We have about half an hour,” he half whispered, kissing her once more.
“Good, so I can sleep,” Melissa mumbled, pulling her husband's arms around her. “We can be freaks in the sheets later, Kirkpatrick.”
“I better write this down. The woman who can't ever get enough of the ol' man wants to sleep. Come on, Weston,” he smirked, snaking a hand up Melissa's shirt and caressing a breast. “I mean, Kirkpatrick.”
“I'm going to remember that,” she told Chris, moaning softly when he tugged on a nipple. “Chris.” Her voice came out like a whine and she tried to glare at him, unsuccessful at being mad.
“Yes, my love?” he half whispered, his lips meeting hers once more. Chris didn't figure they'd do much sight seeing the first week, which was why he was going to surprise his wife with a second week on their honeymoon. She didn't need to know that now; giving a tug on Chris' hair, making him growl. “I thought you wanted sleep.”
“Kiss me and be nice.”
They both heard the girls arguing and sighed. It had been a long time since they'd had a night to themselves and the way it was now, it was hard to know if that would happen for a while, if ever.
“Help me with my shirt and I can get my shorts on,” Chris told her, standing there in his underwear. “I just want to go lay on the bed. Girls, enough!” he hollered and heard it get a little quieter and then a cry from Cameron. “Go make sure the kids don't kill one another. I'll manage,” he said, squeezing his wife's hand.
“Alright,” Melissa told him, going out of the bathroom. Kenna and Hadley were bouncing up and down on the bed she was going to sleep in. “Do you jump on the bed at home?” she asked them as she passed to get Cameron, who was trying to get out of his pack n play.
“Only when Daddy lets us and you aren't home,” Kenna answered before her sister could shush her.
“Thanks for ratting me out, K,” Chris said as he went to the other bed. “After this moment, no jumping on any bed or my belt will find your behind. Got it?” he told them, sitting down on the bed across from the girls.
“Yes, Dad,” they both answered as Cam ran to Chris after getting free.
“Hey bubba. Did you have a good nap?” Chris asked Cam who held his arms up.
“Up, Dadda. Up..” Cam insisted, frowning when Chris didn't immediately move. He looked from him to Melissa.
Melissa frowned and lifted Cam up on to the bed. “Daddy can't lift you, baby. At least not yet,” she told Cameron as he went over to love on Chris. She smiled at Cameron hugging on his Daddy. “How about we order a pizza and some hot wings?” she suggested, getting a resounding yes from the girls and even Chris. She put in an order and added bread sticks with marinara sauce. “They said it will be about forty minutes.”
Chris grimaced when Cam grabbed his fingers. “Yeah, I doubt I'll last that long. Just save me some food for later,” he said, pulling his right hand away. “Take him, Mel. I'm not in the mood to keep moving around a lot.” Chris frowned when Cam thought it was a game and bent Chris' fingers.
“No baby,” Mel cood, taking Cameron and putting him down. “Want help?” she asked Chris, who shook his head. “I'll wake you up in an hour or so for food.”
“If I'm passed out good, let me sleep,” Chris said, moving slowly and pulling the covers back. “I'd rather have sleep than food at this point.”
Melissa was thankful there was another smaller television in the suite. She moved the girls and Cameron to the couch in there where it was more quiet for her husband. Or at least not blaring the television with some annoying cartoon. At least that was something she could be thankful for.
She wasn't sure about anything at that moment, just happy they weren't on a plane. “Welcome to Orlando. Where everything's made up and the points don't matter,” she muttered, sitting down on the bed with a sigh. Melissa looked over at Chris sleeping and wished this was a dream that she could wake up from and find herself back in New York.
Author's Chapter Notes:
So here is the first NEW Chapter I've written to this story. Enjoy and I would love some feedback.
Story Tags: chris
