A light || Ricky and Nini

Chapter 78

Ricky POV

School on Friday flies by much quicker than I hoped it would and before I know it, Nini and I are at the airport getting ready to board our flight to Chicago. Saying bye to my dad today was one of the hardest things I had to do, mainly because there was this heavy unspoken feeling that broke us both. I was on my way to watch my mom marry someone else. It felt unreal and as I sit in the airport chairs outside the gate, I contemplate yet again, turning back. I feel Nini's hand rest on my bouncing leg and I stop immediately, turning to look at her. "I'm right here" she reminds me quietly and I nod, reaching for her hand and squeezing it tightly. "Your mom is meeting us when we land?" She asks gently and I nod. "Yeah she's taking us to our hotel." Nini nods and as we hear boarding groups begin to be called, she takes my cheeks in her hands. "I've got you every step of the way." In minutes, we're on the plane and I'm heading into something unknown.

Nini POV

I hear a whispering in my ear after what only feels like a few minutes and I peak my eyes open. I realize that I've fallen asleep against Ricky and when I rub the exhaustion from my eyes I'm greeted with Ricky's bright smile looking down at me. "We're landing soon babe." I nod, slightly ignoring his words and snuggling deeper into his shoulder, earning a quiet chuckle from him. "Did you have good dreams?" He whispers against my temple, his hand coming up to move soothingly through my hair as I continue to inhale the calming scent of his cologne. "Mmm" I say incoherently and I'm met with a soothing kiss on my forehead. "You're beautiful" he mumbles and despite the peace that's fallen over us, I can feel his leg start to bounce against mine, signaling the anxiety that he's beginning to feel again as we get closer to the ground. I completely open my eyes and run my fingers through his soft curls. "You ready?" I ask quietly and his eyes look a little frantic. I place my hands against his leg and I stroke it softly, trying to get him to focus on something other than his fear. "Can we have a code word?" He asks, his eyes giving away to some sort of pleading. "A code word?" I ask smiling and he nods. "Like if I can't be in a situation any longer..." I nod right away and bring my hands to his face. "Absolutely babe. Even a look and I'll be able to take you out of there." I whisper to him and his hands find mine. "Okay" he whispers out gratefully and I lean in to capture his lips gently.

When we land and get our baggage, I feel Ricky's hand tighten immensely. I can feel the anticipation and anxiety rolling off of him and as we make our way through the airport, he stops suddenly by the restroom. "I'm gonna run really quickly." He says, gesturing to the door and I nod, staying back with the luggage. I know he's stalling but if that prepares him then I won't stop him. A few minutes later he walks out and he walks over to me, pressing a deep kiss against my lips. "Let's just get this over with" he tells me and I nod, snaking my arm around his waist and kissing his cheek. We get to the right area and we look through the crowd of people and I see Lynne before Ricky does. She waves excitedly and my heart drops when I see who she brought with her. "Ricky! Nini!" We hear and I see Ricky's head whip to her direction. "No" he whispers when he sees Todd with her and I tighten my grip around his waist. "You've got this babe. I'm right here." I say and he looks right at me, nodding and taking a deep breath.

Ricky POV

"Ricky, hon it's so good to see you!" My mom says, pulling me into a hug before I can even process it. It feels familiar and I sink into it a little more until I hear Todd begin to talk. "Hey there son we're so glad you got to fly in." He says and I feel Nini's hand on my back, even as my mother embraces me. Son? I'm not his son at all. Nini's hand keeps me from getting too angry though and I calm myself down before I can even start. "Hey, good to see you." I say, nodding and trying to smile as I pull back from my mom. It feels like my skin is crawling and I feel like a child, running back to Nini. Her hand grips mine and she greets my mom and Todd kindly, and we begin to walk through the airport. "So guys, tomorrow we're going to do this family brunch thing. It's not a rehearsal dinner or anything but it's giving us a chance to get the wedding party together before the big day on Sunday." I nod curtly and Nini snakes her arm around my waist, bringing our bodies close together and easing the tension in my body. "Okay. What time?" I ask and my mom smiles. "11. Jason, Todd and I will probably be there around 10:30 though if you guys make it early." I nod but I notice the confused expression on Nini's face. I run over my mom's words again "Wait, who's Jason?" I ask and my mom looks at Todd. They share a nervous and confused glance and Nini's arm tightens around my waist. "Todd's son. We've mentioned him?" Anger, confusion and sadness rush through me and all that stops me from flipping out on my mom is Nini kissing my shoulder and rubbing my back lightly. "No, you didn't mention him" I say quietly and my mom glances at me, obviously confused at my lack of outburst too. "Oh. He's 17! You'll love him just as much as we do." She says and I slump my shoulders. We're only ten minutes into this trip and I already feel like breaking down.