𝑫𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒎𝒊𝒏 𝟓

𝐏𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝟑

𝐉𝐀𝐍𝐄𝐓

That night, I felt like I was rediscovering a piece of myself as I stood underneath the warm rain of the shower. The familiar scent of my regular body wash and the feeling of the water hitting my skin were a soothing contrast to the many hotel showers I had been using for months on tour. The exhaustion from the past few days melted away with the steam, and by the time I slipped into bed, I felt more rejuvenated than I had in a long time.

The moment my head hit the pillow, I was out, sinking into a deep, much needed sleep. In the morning, I woke up before the sun, my alarm clock softly buzzing beside me. I stretched under the covers, taking a moment to enjoy the quiet of my home before getting up. There was something about waking up in my own bed that made everything feel a little bit more settled. I slipped out of bed into my chanel slides and, after a quick check on Christopher still asleep beside me, quietly made my way to the kids' rooms.

I knocked lightly on Story's door first, then Eissa's, making sure they were getting up for school. "Come on, guys, time to get going," I called softly through the doors, smiling at the groggy mumbles I received in return.

As they slowly shuffled out of their rooms, I headed downstairs to get breakfast ready. I made quick work of preparing their favorite morning French toast, eggs, and fresh fruit keeping everything simple but comforting. As they ate, I chatted with them about their day ahead, slipping in a reminder or two about getting back into their regular routine. Both Story and Eissa seemed a bit more subdued that morning, the late night finally catching up with them, but they finished their breakfast and gathered their backpacks without much complaint.

By the time they were ready to head out, Joey was waiting at the front door, his familiar, steady presence a comforting sight. "Hey, how was your first night home," he greeted me warmly, his smile easy as always.

"Morning, Joey, it was good,"I replied with a smile of my own, feeling grateful for the consistency he brought to our lives. "Story's just grown over night," I said frank.

Joey laughed flashing his smile. "Yeah, kids do that."

"I haven't even seen Jaden," I nudged him mentioning his son.

"Yeah, he's busy... being a pain in my ass," Joey raised his brows.

"Uncle Joey cursed!" Eissa ran past me on his way out. He was so quick to leave, he was on his way to the car without saying goodbye.

I hugged both of my kids, making sure their jackets were zipped up properly before watching them head out the door with Joey, who led them to the waiting Escalade. I lingered for a moment, watching as the car pulled away from the driveway, my eyes following it until it disappeared down the street. With the kids gone, the house fell into a peaceful quiet.

I stood in the doorway for a second, savoring the stillness before stepping back inside. My mind was already shifting into a different rhythm, and now I could focus on the small luxuries of home life that I had missed so much while on tour. I moved toward the kitchen, my steps light as I began to prepare coffee remembering Christopher's favorite blend.

The smell of the freshly ground beans filled the air as I measured out the perfect amount. I had always been particular about my coffee, and the process of making it was almost meditative. I brewed the coffee with care, knowing how much we both loved starting our day with it. As the coffee machine hummed quietly, I couldn't help but feel a sense of contentment wash over me. It was the little things the familiar scent of coffee, the morning routine, the quiet of our home that made being back so special. Today was just for us. No rehearsals, no meetings, no planes to catch, just a day to enjoy being home with my husband.