It All Started At Cookie Time, chapter 10
*3 Months Later*
*Adie's POV*
I woke up and reached over for Billie but he wasn't there. I looked at the clock. It was 10:30. I groaned. Jakob had a sleepover the other day for his birthday. We got no sleep, so last night was the night to catch up.
I got out of bed and went downstairs and got coffee. Before headed back up stairs I checked the calendar to see what we had to do today. The calendar said today was September 15, the day Billie's dad died. I checked back in our room and Billie wasn't there. Joey and Jakob were still sleeping when I checked in on them. So, I wondered around the house for Billie Joe but I didn't find him anywhere.
Finally I went to the last place I didn't look. I silently opened the door to the basement. When I opened the door I heard Wake Me Up When September Ends playing. I walked down the stairs trying to be as quiet as possible. Billie Joe was sitting with his back to me playing his guitar and singing along to the CD.
I walked over to wear he was sitting and I put my hand on his shoulder. He turned around fast. I looked into his eyes, they where red and puffy. I reached down to my husband and gave him a hug. I took his hand and lead him upstairs and lay down with him on the bed. I put my hand across his chest and he rolled over to me. I hugged him hard as he cried into my neck.
"Shh... " I whispered to him "It'll be okay." I rubbed his back like I always do if he or the kids were upset.
"I just wish he could have seen this," he said sobbing
"I know, I know," I whispered "He would be so... "
"No Adie, I wish he could have seen everything that has happened. I sometimes feel like he would be disappointed, he always wanted me to finish school. But I didn't. I was so wrapped up in music that I forgot how much he wanted me too finish," He said cutting me off and leaving the room. I followed him until he went down to the basement and shut the door.
I went back up to our bedroom and called Mike.
"Hello?" Mike said through the phone
"Hey Mike, its Adie, Can you talk?"
"Is everything okay? You sound upset," He said worriedly.
"Well today is the day-" I began.
"Today is the day Billie's Dad died," He said.
"You are the only friend that Billie has that met his dad, I was wondering if you could just, maybe, take his mind off it?" I asked hopefully.
"Sure," Mike said "I'll come over in like 3 hours, okay? I have to go do some stuff first."
"Thanks Mike," I said "But please nothing like last time, okay?"
"Yes m'am." he said "I'll see you later."
We said our goodbyes and hung up the phone. I remembered the last time Billie went out with Mike when he was upset.
*Adie Flashback*
I looked over at the clock. It was almost midnight. Mike and Trè took Billie out hours ago. Finally I heard the door open. I got off the couch and went to the door. I saw Billie stumble in with Mike and Trè right behind him.
"Mike, what happened?" I whispered harshly. Joey was upstairs asleep and I didn't want to wake him up. It is September of 1998, Joey is 3 and we have another baby coming any day. Billie Joe's dad died 16 years ago next week, but the pressure of the baby and it being September made him crack. Mike and Trè took him out of the house hoping to cheer him up.
"We took him to a bar and-"
"You took him to a bar!" I screamed "Mike! I am nine months pregnant and you took my husband to a bar, because he was upset! I don't care that he isn't drunk, but look he can barely walk straight!"
"Adie honey I'm sorry," Billie Joe said stumbling toward me. I turned my huge self away from him.
"Goodnight," I said walking up the stairs into my room and locking the door.
I began to wonder if I overreacted. Stupid mood swings. I walked down stairs to apologize but I found Billie asleep on the couch.
*End Flashback*
*A couple Hours Later*
I heard the doorbell ring and I rushed to get to the door. Mike was standing outside.
"Hey Mike, come on in," I said
"Does Billie know I am taking him out today?" Mike asked
"No," I said truthfully "He went down to the studio and hasn't come up yet."
"Oh, we should get him then,"
"Alright, can you try to bring him home by 10 tonight?" I asked
We walked down the stairs and knocked on the basement door.
"Billie, honey, please come out. Mike is here." I called hopefully to my husband on the other side of the door.
The door didn't open
"Billie, come out," Mike said pounding on the door.
Jakob walked down the stairs.
"Mommy, why isn't Daddy coming out of the basement?" He said curiously "Is he okay?"
"Daddy's going to be just fine," said Billie opening the door "Come on Mike let's go."
Mike followed Billie to his car and they drove away.
"Hey Mom," Joey asked me. "Where is Dad going?"
"He and Uncle Mike are going out for a bit," I told my son.
"Okay Jakob and I wanna sleep in the family room tonight, can we?"
"Yeah that's fine," I approved. "Just don't fool around all night I wanna go to sleep tonight."
*10:30 PM*
"Okay, guys. Time to go to bed," I told my sons who were watching TV from the family room floor.
I went upstairs to our bedroom and started to fall asleep. A few minutes later I heard the door open and Billie walk in. The bathroom light turned on and a few minutes later it turned off.
I watched silently as my husband changed and lay down in the bed.
"How was your day?" I whispered turning on the lamp next to our bed. I saw his eyes were still red.
"It was okay," he paused
"We went to the cemetery and visited Dad," He said a few moments later.
I saw his tears begin to form in his eyes. I hugged him.
"Shhh... " I whispered rubbing his back like this morning "Billie, its okay."
"It still feels like just yesterday," he said into my neck
"I know," I said bringing him closer. "He would be so proud of you Billie. You have dealt with a lot but you still pull through."
We were silent.
"Come on," I finally said.
I got up off the bed and Billie followed me. I laced my fingers in with his and lead him down the stairs into the room where our children are sleeping. Joey was looking more like a teenager everytime I looked at him.
"Wow," he said looking at the kids sleeping next to each other on the floor.
"They look just like their dad," I said.
He was silent, but I saw a smile creep on his face.
"He would be proud Billie Joe. Look at what you have now. You are a successful musician. You have a wife that loves you," I whispered "We have two beautiful children together. You have two of the best friends anyone could ask for, and they would do anything for you Billie. And so would I."
Now tears were coming to my own eyes. He hugged me tight.
"I love you Adrienne," He whispered into my ear
"I know," I whispered back "I love you too."
We walked back upstairs into the room we shared and lay on the bed. We fell asleep in each others arms and under the circumstances, I couldn't have been happier.
*Adie's POV*
I woke up and reached over for Billie but he wasn't there. I looked at the clock. It was 10:30. I groaned. Jakob had a sleepover the other day for his birthday. We got no sleep, so last night was the night to catch up.
I got out of bed and went downstairs and got coffee. Before headed back up stairs I checked the calendar to see what we had to do today. The calendar said today was September 15, the day Billie's dad died. I checked back in our room and Billie wasn't there. Joey and Jakob were still sleeping when I checked in on them. So, I wondered around the house for Billie Joe but I didn't find him anywhere.
Finally I went to the last place I didn't look. I silently opened the door to the basement. When I opened the door I heard Wake Me Up When September Ends playing. I walked down the stairs trying to be as quiet as possible. Billie Joe was sitting with his back to me playing his guitar and singing along to the CD.
I walked over to wear he was sitting and I put my hand on his shoulder. He turned around fast. I looked into his eyes, they where red and puffy. I reached down to my husband and gave him a hug. I took his hand and lead him upstairs and lay down with him on the bed. I put my hand across his chest and he rolled over to me. I hugged him hard as he cried into my neck.
"Shh... " I whispered to him "It'll be okay." I rubbed his back like I always do if he or the kids were upset.
"I just wish he could have seen this," he said sobbing
"I know, I know," I whispered "He would be so... "
"No Adie, I wish he could have seen everything that has happened. I sometimes feel like he would be disappointed, he always wanted me to finish school. But I didn't. I was so wrapped up in music that I forgot how much he wanted me too finish," He said cutting me off and leaving the room. I followed him until he went down to the basement and shut the door.
I went back up to our bedroom and called Mike.
"Hello?" Mike said through the phone
"Hey Mike, its Adie, Can you talk?"
"Is everything okay? You sound upset," He said worriedly.
"Well today is the day-" I began.
"Today is the day Billie's Dad died," He said.
"You are the only friend that Billie has that met his dad, I was wondering if you could just, maybe, take his mind off it?" I asked hopefully.
"Sure," Mike said "I'll come over in like 3 hours, okay? I have to go do some stuff first."
"Thanks Mike," I said "But please nothing like last time, okay?"
"Yes m'am." he said "I'll see you later."
We said our goodbyes and hung up the phone. I remembered the last time Billie went out with Mike when he was upset.
*Adie Flashback*
I looked over at the clock. It was almost midnight. Mike and Trè took Billie out hours ago. Finally I heard the door open. I got off the couch and went to the door. I saw Billie stumble in with Mike and Trè right behind him.
"Mike, what happened?" I whispered harshly. Joey was upstairs asleep and I didn't want to wake him up. It is September of 1998, Joey is 3 and we have another baby coming any day. Billie Joe's dad died 16 years ago next week, but the pressure of the baby and it being September made him crack. Mike and Trè took him out of the house hoping to cheer him up.
"We took him to a bar and-"
"You took him to a bar!" I screamed "Mike! I am nine months pregnant and you took my husband to a bar, because he was upset! I don't care that he isn't drunk, but look he can barely walk straight!"
"Adie honey I'm sorry," Billie Joe said stumbling toward me. I turned my huge self away from him.
"Goodnight," I said walking up the stairs into my room and locking the door.
I began to wonder if I overreacted. Stupid mood swings. I walked down stairs to apologize but I found Billie asleep on the couch.
*End Flashback*
*A couple Hours Later*
I heard the doorbell ring and I rushed to get to the door. Mike was standing outside.
"Hey Mike, come on in," I said
"Does Billie know I am taking him out today?" Mike asked
"No," I said truthfully "He went down to the studio and hasn't come up yet."
"Oh, we should get him then,"
"Alright, can you try to bring him home by 10 tonight?" I asked
We walked down the stairs and knocked on the basement door.
"Billie, honey, please come out. Mike is here." I called hopefully to my husband on the other side of the door.
The door didn't open
"Billie, come out," Mike said pounding on the door.
Jakob walked down the stairs.
"Mommy, why isn't Daddy coming out of the basement?" He said curiously "Is he okay?"
"Daddy's going to be just fine," said Billie opening the door "Come on Mike let's go."
Mike followed Billie to his car and they drove away.
"Hey Mom," Joey asked me. "Where is Dad going?"
"He and Uncle Mike are going out for a bit," I told my son.
"Okay Jakob and I wanna sleep in the family room tonight, can we?"
"Yeah that's fine," I approved. "Just don't fool around all night I wanna go to sleep tonight."
*10:30 PM*
"Okay, guys. Time to go to bed," I told my sons who were watching TV from the family room floor.
I went upstairs to our bedroom and started to fall asleep. A few minutes later I heard the door open and Billie walk in. The bathroom light turned on and a few minutes later it turned off.
I watched silently as my husband changed and lay down in the bed.
"How was your day?" I whispered turning on the lamp next to our bed. I saw his eyes were still red.
"It was okay," he paused
"We went to the cemetery and visited Dad," He said a few moments later.
I saw his tears begin to form in his eyes. I hugged him.
"Shhh... " I whispered rubbing his back like this morning "Billie, its okay."
"It still feels like just yesterday," he said into my neck
"I know," I said bringing him closer. "He would be so proud of you Billie. You have dealt with a lot but you still pull through."
We were silent.
"Come on," I finally said.
I got up off the bed and Billie followed me. I laced my fingers in with his and lead him down the stairs into the room where our children are sleeping. Joey was looking more like a teenager everytime I looked at him.
"Wow," he said looking at the kids sleeping next to each other on the floor.
"They look just like their dad," I said.
He was silent, but I saw a smile creep on his face.
"He would be proud Billie Joe. Look at what you have now. You are a successful musician. You have a wife that loves you," I whispered "We have two beautiful children together. You have two of the best friends anyone could ask for, and they would do anything for you Billie. And so would I."
Now tears were coming to my own eyes. He hugged me tight.
"I love you Adrienne," He whispered into my ear
"I know," I whispered back "I love you too."
We walked back upstairs into the room we shared and lay on the bed. We fell asleep in each others arms and under the circumstances, I couldn't have been happier.
