PROMISE

A Cloudy Day

"Mom! What are you doing here? Oh my God, and Dad and Nat... great the whole family, unannounced. Is gram back there?" Gaga walked, confused and agitated,  towards her family to properly greet them. Bradley looked down to make sure he was decent. Both pretending and trying to forget that they almost just kissed. 

"Unannounced? We've been planning on coming here since the acci-...for a couple of weeks now." Her mother argued and immediately made her way towards the babies, tidying up random things along the way.

"Mom leave it. And I know, I know. But here, in this house. It's just... I'm sorry, I'm happy you're here, just you should have called." Gaga steals a glance at Bradley who awkwardly stands away from them from the group not sure where to look or what to do.

"Well, that was my fault but actually we did call. We landed last night, mom texted you and they have been driving me crazy at your place so I figured I'd just bring them here when we didn't hear from you." Natali said while eying Bradley curiously. 

"Hi, I'm Bradley, we haven't officially met." He shook each of their hands, her father squeezing his hand extra tight refusing to let go until Bradley pulled away. "We were just going to make breakfast." They just blankly stared at him. "I'll get started and make coffee...ok." He ran to hide in the kitchen.

"Oooo, look at these angels." Cynthia's eyes teared up as she picked off the Cheerios stuck to their faces. "Such a tragedy. Just awful. It's a good thing they have you, Stefi but so young and so sad-"

"Alright, ma, that's enough. You can pick them up if you want. They just had a snack but you can feed them when B is done making their breakfast." Gaga tried to avoid her parents and cleaned up some of the mess they neglected due of their most recent favorite pastime of falling onto he nearest surface. 

"He makes their food?" Cynthia lowered her voice while grabbing Ava. Natali bounced Jackson on her knees. "They look thinner than the photos you sent." She accused.

"Oh stop it. Be nice! Yes we both make their food. And their weight is fluctuating because they started to walk. I asked the doctor just to be sure."

"Whatever happened to Dr. Hottie?" Natali winked. Bradley entered the room with two colorful bowls. Gaga handed Natali and Cynthia the bowls and avoided all eye contact.

"I- he-nothing. I just wasn't into it, that's all. He's obviously still a huge part of their lives, though."

"Too bad, he's not a huge part of yours-" The entire family shushed Natali. "What? He was cute from the picture you sent me. Isn't that right Ava?" Ava looked confused and reached for mama. "Oh my God, did she just-"

"Stefani, did she just call you mama!?" Cynthia asked shocked.

Gaga rubbed at her temples. "We are working on that, I don't know where they picked that up. Wow, I can't believe this is all happening before I even had a moment to change."  

"I didn't want to say anything, sweetheart, but should you really be prancing around here like Lady Gaga with ...?" She nodded in Bradley's direction who was trying his best to blend into the wall.  

"Alright enough! I'm going to change, you feed them. B, can I talk to you?" Her family started to complain not seeing any thing wrong with them barging in. Bradley smiled at them and quickly followed her upstairs. "Sorry I didn't give you a heads up."

"Not going to lie, this is a lot Stef. How long are they in town? Are they staying here?"

Gaga quickly threw on clothes and walked to the bathroom to pack some essentials, while Bradley followed close behind. "God no, they are staying at my house in Malibu. I meant to tell you about this last week-"

"How could something like this just slip your mind?" Bradley scolded.

"Probably because anytime I tried to talk about it, you already were balls deep inside me!" She whisper yelled and worked her way into the nursery to pack.

"Oh because you hated it so much....oooyea, harder, harder, don't stop!" Bradley mimiced her while humping a stuffed bear. 

"Shhh! Enough! I'm not doing this with you right now, obviously it was good, that's not what we're talking about. What I had hoped to talk to you about was me taking the kids with me for the next few days-"

"Wait a minute, no way, just leave them here with me." 

She just about finished packing extra clothes, diapers and accessories for the kids. "It just slipped my mind and now they're here already and...look if you want to come over..."

"No fucking way, this is their home!" 

"Bradley, I'm not having this conversation with you just because your ego is hurt. You have back to back rehearsals today and tomorrow you will probably be heading into the office, then you go to New York. I'll need the help. It's literally a few days, it'll be fine." 

She had a point but for some reason he felt like he couldn't breath and hated not being part of the conversation. "I'll bring them with me to rehearsals and then you guys are coming with me to New York, remember." He felt like shaking her to prove his point but also burying his head in her neck and wrapping his arms around her and telling her not to leave. 

"Are you done pouting?" She asked with her hands on her hips. He threw his hands up and turned away. "You can come over...you can work out of my office, unless Bobby desperately needs it. You can stay in one of the guest bedrooms  if you want to stay over, you don't have to if you don't want. My mom is going to want to help with the kids, which you and I both very much need. And my dad will cook, which will be a nice break." Gaga didn't realize she was so close to him until she started playing with the hem of his shirt. Bradley was coming around to this idea but was still mad she didn't consult him on this.

"I'll just head back to my place I guess and yea maybe I'll swing by to see them." Bradley shoved his hands into his pockets and followed her downstairs, offering to hold the bags. Bradley avoided the family as he walked outside to pack the car. He called into the house. "Ba-Stef, stroller or no stroller?"

"Stroller, please." Bradley packed the stroller and tightened the carseats in her car. The Germanotta's made their way happily out of the house with the twins enjoying all the attention. Natali handed Jackson over to Bradley and Gaga brought Ava over to say a short goodbye. Bradley kissed them both sadly. "Hey, it's just a couple of days." Gaga reassured him and please come over. We can take them swimming!" Bradley sadly nodded and placed them in the car seats. The Germanotta's pulled out of the drive way and left. Gaga sat down and started her car. 

"Bye-bye Ava, Bye-bye Jackson." He waved at them in the backseat. He jokingly squeezed Gaga's nose, looking down at her one more time before closing her door. She pulled out of the driveway and drove away. Clouds rolled over the front yard just in time to fit Bradleys current mood.