With her long silk robe wrapped around her, the blonde trailed out into the bedroom balcony that overlooked the perfect, calm blue water. "Good morning..." her two hands fell on his shoulders from behind, gently rubbing them as she bent down to be closer to his ear.
Bringing a hand up, he tangled his fingers in between hers. "Good morning." He glanced over his shoulder, a soft smile on his face as his eyes met her sleepy brown orbs. "Did you sleep good?" He wondered, still holding her hand as she trailed around the patio sofa.
Her long hair was pulled into a loose clip, and some untamed curls framing her face perfectly. "I did..." she lingered as she took a seat next to her husband. "I'm just sad that it's our last morning." Stevie leaned into his shoulder, head meeting his chest to be held.
Lindsey chuckled softly, nodding in agreement. "Just think, we get to go back to work when we get home..." he teased, only because he knew that's exactly what she was dreading.
"Let's just retire and run away..." she half smirked, looking up at him with a set of soft, playful eyes. "Than we wouldn't have to leave this beautiful place." Stevie used one hand to motion out, showing off how beautiful Italy was, even at the crack of dawn.
Tossing his head back, he let out a faint chuckle. "We'd miss the kids far too much." He reminded her, even though he really didn't have to.
Nodding lightly, she sighed heavily. "They could come here and visit us." She grinned, feeling him rub her shoulder.
He smiled a tad, looking down at her as she slowly began sinking into him a little further.
He knew exactly what it took to quiet her down- a massage.
So he wasn't surprised when those deep brown eyes fell closed just a second later, a heavy breath escaping her as the tips of his fingers caressed her shoulder. "My neck..." she mumbled as she slipped down to lay her head in his lap. "Rub my neck." She added in a suddenly very sleepy tone of voice.
He did exactly that as he stared down at her, watching her long eyelashes flutter. And sure enough, within ten minutes, her breathing patterns changed.
"Beautiful woman..." he lightly traced the circumference of her face with his index finger.
~~~
It was late, just a little after nine in the evening when their plane touched down in California. It was weird night- the rain was coming down and the temperature had dropped... so much so, they could see their own breath when they stepped outside the airport doors.
"I'm exhausted..." she announced, following behind him as they headed for their car.
They had been gone for ten days, celebrating their anniversary, which was the perfect amount of time to enjoy Italy, but also made it harder to come home... It was nice, but tiring.
"I know," he reached back, grabbing her soft hand in his as they crossed the parking lot. "We'll be home before you know it, baby." Lindsey held the umbrella over her, not nearly as worried about getting wet as she was.
"Not soon enough." She whispered, trudging through the cold evening air.
~Nora-
It was rush hour in New York- the time in between dinner parties and club hopping on a Friday night in the city. And since she was just barely getting by in the hustle and bustle, she was headed into her second job as a DJ in a bar in Brooklyn. They served coney dogs during the day and by night it was one of the most happening places on the block.
"You look exhausted." The owner of the club, also her very close friend greeted her the second she stepped into the empty bar.
She scoffed softly, smoke rolling from her lips as she carried her lit cigarette in with her. "I am." She admitted, smashing it into the ashtray on the counter.
"Well, you need to start answering your cell phone more often." He announced as he slid the landline across the marble top. "Got a call from some girl out in California, said she was your sister." Alex shrugged.
Creasing a brow, the younger woman's ears perked up. "My sister called?" She wondered, a feeling of panic setting in instantly.
"Yeah... Heather...?" He creased a brow, finding it hard to recall.
"Harper." She correct. "What'd she say?" Nora never got calls from her older sister, not just out of the blue like that, especially.
"She said to have you call her as soon as you got in today. Sounded important."
Without a second thought, she picked up the phone and dialed the number that she'd known by heart for years.
~Louise~
With her baby in one arm, and the monitor to watch her toddler in the other, a very sleep deprived mother swayed back and forth in the center of the kitchen.
Motherhood isn't always everyone's strong suit- it just isn't. Of course, she loved it, but most days she found herself wishing it was bedtime, or the weekend so her husband was home to help... It always felt like she was wishing away time and she regretted it, occasionally.
"Honey?" His voice caught her attention, causing her turn back around to face him.
"Yeah?" Louise had the longest blonde hair that she braided that night and the deepest brown eyes. She was beautiful, even when she was exhausted.
Brad bit down on the inside of his cheek, staring at her with a set of very soft eyes. "Harper just called..."
She creased a brow, glancing over at the clock on the stove. "It's almost midnight..." she knew that was never good. No one wants a phone call that late.
He sighed lightly, nodding his head. "Something has happened with your parents."
