A Deceiving Passion

Memory Lane

After just one week of normalcy, the family would be on the road once again, that time to San Jose to celebrate a late Thanksgiving, Sofia's birthday just to gear up for Christmas... Or Nicksmas.

"Although Santa Monica and Pacific Palisades are home, this is home-home," Stevie mentioned as the cool breeze of San Jose flew through the window of the car.

"Always... This is where I was born and raised, in Atherton..." Lindsey mentioned. "I met your mom when I was sixteen years old."

"That's really young," Brandon mentioned, having hope that he'd find a lasting love like his mom and Lindsey.

Realistically, he wanted anything other than the debacle that was his own mother and father.

"Yep, and I was seventeen..." Stevie smiled.

Lindsey placed his hand over hers, kissing the back of it as they drove the kids down their memory lane.

"Did you grow up here, too, mom?" Roman asked.

"No, I was born in Arizona and then we moved from there when I was one or two... Moved to New Mexico and stayed there for a bit and we jumped all around California and then when I started high school, we moved to San Jose. That's where I met my best friend, Robin at fifteen and then I met Lindsey just a little while later."

"We went the first couple years not even knowing each other or seeing each other in the halls, so when we met each other---it was like two complete strangers meeting," Lindsey mentioned.

"Did you guys start dating right away?" Brandon wondered.

"Not exactly... We didn't see each other again for almost two years and I was dating a football player... But then when Lindsey started his band, he asked me to join and I said yes once I had my parents' approval."

"You guys sang back then too?" Roman pumped a brow.

"Oh, yeah. I wrote my first song at sixteen, I always knew I was gonna be a singer. Never knew I'd meet a guitarist and end up with him forever..." she smirked. "But yes, back then, those were the times to be in San Francisco... It was crazy. We played constantly at our school, we had a gig at a restaurant and we would open for the big stars like Janis Joplin and Jimi Hendrix..."

"That's so cool!" Brandon beamed, just thinking back to what seemed to be the easier times.

"It was a lot of fun..." she assured.

"This is where we went to high school," Lindsey pointed to the building.

The boys had their heads nearly hanging out the window, taking in all the sights that San Jose had to offer considering they'd never been to that part of California yet and due to the fact that they would cherish each spot with a memory that their guardians gave them. It was exciting for them.

Meantime, for the couple, they believed they were best at storytelling when they weren't singing. They loved taking the stroll down memory lane any chance they got. Although, their own kids had heard their love story, adventures and journey to fame more than enough and even though they greatly appreciated it---they didn't want to hear it again. It was nice having a new audience to tell everything to.

...

By the time they pulled up to the Nicks' Manor, Stevie turned just to see Sofia completely knocked out in her car seat.

"Boys, let me just remind you..." she cleared her throat. "Your dad is a good friend of mine, Sharon's relative, if they ask you how you know us or how your dad knows us. Okay? You're dad's single, struggling by himself with three kids---Lindsey and me decided to help out and we adopted you... Sofia looks just like Amarice, we couldn't say no. We adore you boys and just wanted all three of you," she claimed. "I should have mentioned all that before but is that clear?"