I was sitting in my computer chair writing when the ringing of the house phone sounded from its place on the coffee table, I sighed getting up and answering.

“Hello?”

I said into the mouth piece.

“Nicole, how are you?”

I smiled at the sound of my Dad’s voice on the other end.

“I’m doing okay, how are you and Mom?”

I sat back down into my computer chair and clicked the save button.

“No too bad I guess; the reason I’m calling is because I wanted to know if Frank and his Mom were still coming for Christmas dinner?”

Shit! I had forgotten Christmas was a few days away and Frank and Linda had agreed to join my family for dinner.

“Ah yeah as far as I know…”

“You forgot didn’t you?”

I put my head in my hand and closed my eyes.

“Yeah I did, but don’t worry they know about it, it’s just Frank and I have been so busy we
haven’t talked about it in a while.”

I could hear the smile in my Dad’s voice as he continued.

“Well just make sure you guys are all here at 4:00, okay?”

“Okay sounds good Dad. Love you.”

“Love you too.”

I hung up the phone and dialed the number where Frank was playing at; lighting a cigarette in the process.

“Hello?”

I could hear guitars and drums in the background, making whoever answered the phone hard to hear.

“Hi, is Frank there? It’s Nicole.”

“Yeah hold on.”

I waited a few minutes before his voice came over the phone.

“Hey, why are you calling here? You know you’re not supposed to.”

I rolled my eyes, remembering the last time I phoned and got in shit for “ruining the creative flow” and was informed not to call unless it was an emergency.

“I know sorry, my Dad needed to know if you and your Mom are coming to Christmas dinner.”

“Yeah I think so; I’ll call her when I get home. I have to go Nicole.”

I could hear the frustration in his voice as he spoke, and sighed knowing I had created it.

“Okay, I’ll see you later then.”

“Yeah bye.”

And with that he hung up the phone.

Things had been tense with us again lately; He came home late or sometimes not at all, claiming he had stayed at the garage and slept on a couch, and I believed him every time not wanting to acknowledge he could be elsewhere. I myself had been buried under my writing and taking Spartan to a few horse shows here and there, and with the Christmas season upon us I had been spending a lot of time with my Mom in New York, shopping for gifts.

Frank and I had been good after our fight resolved, but since his birthday we had been spending less and less time with each other; I wouldn’t say that we were drifting, for we had our perfect moments where we were outrageously in love all over again, but I also couldn’t deny the space that was coming between us that I always shrugged off as us just being busy.

Roger came over to me and placed a paw on my leg, looking up at me and meowing.

“What’s up buddy?”

I said as I picked him up, placing him in my lap as I continued on with my writing, passing the time before Frank came home.

---

He got home at quarter to one that night, soundlessly closing the door behind him and taking his shoes off before going into the kitchen. I hear the top of a beer can being opened and paused the movie I was watching, glancing in the direction of the kitchen.

He walked out a minute later, slugging on his beer before coming to sit on the couch.

“How was practice?”

I asked, sincerely interested; he shrugged his shoulders and took another sip from his beer.

“Alright.”

I was getting frustrated with the fact that he couldn’t even elaborate on his day, even if it was only for my benefit.

“Just alright?”

He snapped his head in my direction and anger flickered within his eyes.

“Yeah, just alright.”

He sat forward and lit a smoke.

“Sorry, it’s just you spend so much time there that I thought you might want to talk about it.”

I got up from the couch and made my way into the bedroom, changing out of my clothes and grabbing pajamas from the dresser; Frank came in a while later as I was reading my book.

He changed and got into the bed, lying next to me.

“Did you call your Mom?”

I asked, still focusing on the paragraph I was reading.

“Yeah she’ll be there, four o’clock right?”

“Yep.”

I said, closing my book and placing it on the nightstand; I rolled over to face him and found him looking at me.

He looked tired and worn down, thinner; his cheek bones were more prominent and his muscles looked slacker; he was still handsome, but I worried all in the same.

“You’re coming too right?”

I asked hopefully, my voice just above a whisper.

“I’ll be there, that I can promise.”

I gave him a smile, which he returned before rolling over and settling into the blankets.

“Night babe.”

His voice muffled by the pillow; I turned the light off and settled down myself, facing him.

“Night, I love you.”

I waited anxiously for a response, my heart rate picking up speed.

“Love you too.”

I exhaled a breath I didn’t even know I was holding as my heart returned to its normal rhythm; I fell asleep a short time later.

---

It was Christmas Eve and Frank and I were driving over to my parents’ house; I had let Frank drive my car, so I could look at all the lights hung outside of houses as it had always been one of my favorite things about Christmas.

Frank was singing along with the radio that was playing Christmas Carols, his voice filling the car and making my heart race. I looked over at him and smiled, hoping that he knew how amazing he was; he felt my stare on him and looked over at me, returning my smile, before the traffic light turned green.

“So your Mom is meeting us there?”

I asked looking back out the window and watching as all the houses passed.

“Yeah, she might be a bit late though, she gets off work at four.”

“That’s fine, I’m sure my parents will understand.”

As I finished my sentence Frank had pulled into my parents’ driveway and parked the car, looking over at me with his hand on the door handle.

“You ready?”

I nodded and placed a smile on my face; was I ready to face my parents along with his mom, all while Frank and I were on unsteady ground?

We walked into the house and we were instantly greeted with the smell of cooking food and my Mom running into the entryway.

“You two made it!”

She shrieked while pulling me into a hug.

“Oh I am so excited! Now Frank, Stan is in the living room watching TV, why don’t you grab a beer or something and join him? I need Nicole’s help anyways.”

“Thank you Heather.”

Frank said giving her a smile before he retreated into the living room to join my Dad, not even bothering to look in my direction at all; I could hear them greet each other and thought about joining them, I really didn’t want to be stuck in the kitchen with my Mother.

I was saved by the doorbell ringing behind me; I opened the door and was met by Frank’s Mom Linda.

“Linda! It’s so nice to see you; Frank is in the living room with my Dad.”

I said as she walked into the house opening her arms for a hug that I gladly accepted.

“Nicole, dear it’s been too long. You and Frank don’t come by as often.”

I stepped back, a sheepish look on my face.

“Yeah we’ve both been so busy, we’ll make more time for it I promise.”

She gave me a knowing smile as I showed her into the living room; Frank said hi to his Mom
and gave her a hug before sitting back onto the couch; eyes glued to the TV.

I stepped out of the room and went to find my Mom in the kitchen; she was pulling a turkey out of the stove as I walked in.

“There’s wine in the fridge Nicole, you look like you need it.”

“Yeah don’t mind if I do.”

I said as I reached into the fridge, grabbing a bottle of pricey Shiraz.

My mom and I got the table set and brought all the food out onto the table before calling everyone into the dining room. We sat around and ate, drank and laughed until past midnight; Linda had gone home wishing everyone a Merry Christmas and giving Frank a kiss on the cheek before she drove off towards her house. Frank and I left shortly after her; thanking my parents and getting into the car, the whole drive home silent.

I was feeding a hungry Roger after we got home as Frank came into the kitchen and grabbed a beer; I got up and looked him giving him a weak smile.

“Thanks for being there tonight.”

“It was nice.”

He said before going off to the bedroom; I trailed behind him, grabbing my smokes on the way and lighting one. He was climbing into bed when I entered the room, dressed in only a pair of boxers that hung off of his thinning hips; and to be honest I was slightly concerned, he was getting too thin.

He noticed me standing in the doorway and patted the spot next to him, silently begging me to join him; I sat beside him on the bed, my hands resting in my lap, my gaze focused on the quilt beneath me. I waited anxiously for him to say something, to say anything; and after a few moments of complete silence I reached over and turned the light off, crawling under the blankets and resting my head on the pillow.

“Nicole?”

I turned to face him, waiting for him to continue.

“Goodnight.”

I sighed disappointed. I closed my eyes and hoped sleep would find me quickly, until I felt his hand on my cheek, the heat from his body coming closer to me under the covers. His lips found mine in a soft kiss, making my head spin; our first kiss in days. He pulled away too quickly, resting his head back down, and taking his hand from my face.

I fell asleep angry that night; Frank never mentioning the fact I cried myself to sleep.

Notes

Here is chapter sixteen!
Chapter seventeen may be posted tomorrow, but I'm not making any promises as it is quite a personal day for me.
With that being said if it's not up tomorrow it will be the next night.
Rate + Review!

Helena.