Nothing Is Stopping Me, chapter 2
The doorbell rang loudly throughout the house. Adrienne quickly gathered her composure and opened it. There was Mike standing there with a welcoming smile. Adie put on her fake smile that day, and let him in.
"Thanks Adie," Mike smiled and took off his coat, not daring to look at her. Adie took notice and stared at the ground. "So, everything's okay?" He muttered.
Adie wanted to scream no, but she didn't want to burden Mike with more of her troubles, so she only nodded and replied, "Billie's upstairs with Tre," she still stared at the ground, as if it was going to talk to her. She saw Mike in the corner of her eye nod and she felt him brush past her heading up the stairs.
Adie sat down on the couch and stared at the wall behind the TV. She was mesmerized by the picture of Billie and her on their wedding day. It was the happiest day of her life, and the few years after that wonderful day were as wonderful as the day itself. Then the birth of their two boys happened, and they moved to a spectacular new house. After those years, things had started to fall apart gradually, leaving Adie full of her doubts and insecurities.
She heard a loud crash followed by tons of laughter. Adie heard all of the guys come stampeding down the stairs and out the door, with only a quick "See you!" from Tre.
Adrienne just sat there, hearing them drive off probably going to a bar or strip club, as they usually did. She checked her watch and saw that it said 4:12 PM. She sighed and got up. She normally felt lonely, so why wasn't she used to it? Why was it bugging her now? She saw the bus pull up and two kids jump out of it.
"MOM!" Jakob screamed when he ran through the door. "Can I go over to Jesse's house?" He gave Adie the puppy dog eyes. She nodded and he scattered off running down the street.
Joey flung his backpack onto the couch and stared at his mother. "Mom, I'm bored," He sat on the floor cross-legged.
"Do your homework. That's not boring," She suggested, knowing the answer she was going to get.
"Meh. Later," He replied, now turning on the TV and flipping through the channels. "I'll see if there's anything on TV," He smiled faintly as Adie watched him.
"Why don't you practice on your guitar and then later show your dad?" She shrugged watching the tube with nothing on it.
"Okay. Hey, Jakob gets to go to someone's house, why can't I?" Joey said getting up.
"I never said you couldn't... " Adie questioned.
"Oh, right. Tell me when dinner is ready," He ran up the stairs. Adie stared blankly, at nothing. She never had the nerve to tell her kids what was going on.
***
Adrienne grabbed the frying pan and placed some butter in it. She then cracked an egg and placed it in it. The phone rang just as Adie had placed the pan on the stove element. "Joey? Can you get that?" She yelled. She heard the muffling upstairs and then the phone stopped ringing. By the time the eggs were finished she heard Joey come walking downstairs casually.
He noted his mother's questioning face and said, "It was Jake. He said he's coming home now," Adie nodded and Joey sat down in the chair.
"Dinner's ready," Adie placed the rest of the food on the plate and set it aside for Joey to eat.
"Where's dad?" He asked staring at his mother as he walked towards the kitchen. "I practiced more songs that I wanna show him."
Adie put on that fake smile again and turned away, she couldn't tell him the truth, or all lies, and face him. "He's...uh...out with Mike and Tre," She pretended to put things away, though she was trying to avoid his glance.
"Again?" He asked blankly. Adie knew he was catching on, and that was what she was most afraid of. She didn't want the kids to be caught in the middle of everything that happened between her and Billie.
"Thanks Adie," Mike smiled and took off his coat, not daring to look at her. Adie took notice and stared at the ground. "So, everything's okay?" He muttered.
Adie wanted to scream no, but she didn't want to burden Mike with more of her troubles, so she only nodded and replied, "Billie's upstairs with Tre," she still stared at the ground, as if it was going to talk to her. She saw Mike in the corner of her eye nod and she felt him brush past her heading up the stairs.
Adie sat down on the couch and stared at the wall behind the TV. She was mesmerized by the picture of Billie and her on their wedding day. It was the happiest day of her life, and the few years after that wonderful day were as wonderful as the day itself. Then the birth of their two boys happened, and they moved to a spectacular new house. After those years, things had started to fall apart gradually, leaving Adie full of her doubts and insecurities.
She heard a loud crash followed by tons of laughter. Adie heard all of the guys come stampeding down the stairs and out the door, with only a quick "See you!" from Tre.
Adrienne just sat there, hearing them drive off probably going to a bar or strip club, as they usually did. She checked her watch and saw that it said 4:12 PM. She sighed and got up. She normally felt lonely, so why wasn't she used to it? Why was it bugging her now? She saw the bus pull up and two kids jump out of it.
"MOM!" Jakob screamed when he ran through the door. "Can I go over to Jesse's house?" He gave Adie the puppy dog eyes. She nodded and he scattered off running down the street.
Joey flung his backpack onto the couch and stared at his mother. "Mom, I'm bored," He sat on the floor cross-legged.
"Do your homework. That's not boring," She suggested, knowing the answer she was going to get.
"Meh. Later," He replied, now turning on the TV and flipping through the channels. "I'll see if there's anything on TV," He smiled faintly as Adie watched him.
"Why don't you practice on your guitar and then later show your dad?" She shrugged watching the tube with nothing on it.
"Okay. Hey, Jakob gets to go to someone's house, why can't I?" Joey said getting up.
"I never said you couldn't... " Adie questioned.
"Oh, right. Tell me when dinner is ready," He ran up the stairs. Adie stared blankly, at nothing. She never had the nerve to tell her kids what was going on.
***
Adrienne grabbed the frying pan and placed some butter in it. She then cracked an egg and placed it in it. The phone rang just as Adie had placed the pan on the stove element. "Joey? Can you get that?" She yelled. She heard the muffling upstairs and then the phone stopped ringing. By the time the eggs were finished she heard Joey come walking downstairs casually.
He noted his mother's questioning face and said, "It was Jake. He said he's coming home now," Adie nodded and Joey sat down in the chair.
"Dinner's ready," Adie placed the rest of the food on the plate and set it aside for Joey to eat.
"Where's dad?" He asked staring at his mother as he walked towards the kitchen. "I practiced more songs that I wanna show him."
Adie put on that fake smile again and turned away, she couldn't tell him the truth, or all lies, and face him. "He's...uh...out with Mike and Tre," She pretended to put things away, though she was trying to avoid his glance.
"Again?" He asked blankly. Adie knew he was catching on, and that was what she was most afraid of. She didn't want the kids to be caught in the middle of everything that happened between her and Billie.
