Grow Up!

The smell of the 3-year old couch, same old noises from around the neighborhood, whether it was the dog barking or a teenager practicing his riffs on the guitar, and the fact that the smell of freshly brewed coffee could only mean that Matt was back at home in Fullerton. Along with his wife, Brian and Michelle they enjoyed a whole week in Hawaii recharging their energy for the upcoming six months, or even more, that’ll be filled with less time with the family and more time spending in the studio day and night. At some points in their life they wished they would have got a regular job and coming back home after a long day to spend it with their family. It doesn’t mean anyone regrets the step they made 16 years ago, but the situation would have been different by now.

While Valary and Michelle ran back and forth, up and down the house, Matt and Brian placed their asses onto the big leather couch in the living room. Early flights weren’t their cup of tea at all. Preferably they slept in before heading to the airport. So instead of lending a hand to their wives they rather choose to take a little nap.

„Matt, can you do the laundry while I prepare the dinner for tonight? I can’t believe that there isn’t much time left to prepare everything before the guests arrive. Or shall we call the catering and rather use the time to decorate everything?” she picked up her youngest son from the floor, dragged the bag with her other hand to the stairs before going back to the kitchen to check her fridge.

“Are you sure you don’t want to call Suzanne’s Catering & Event planning? Brian and I had tested her service not long time ago when I’ve managed everything for Katie’s 30th birthday party, do you remember? She’s phenomenal, her staff are kind and considerate and you certainly won’t regret it. I doubt there’s enough time to prepare everything unless the men would really decide to help out this time” Michelle suppressed a grin “I’ll go to the mall and see what I can find in this short time while you keep an eye on those two lazy men” she pointed with her head to the living room, grabbed her purse and left her twin sister alone in this huge kitchen.

“Thanks” Val whispered to herself, looking at her son who had focused his gaze on a new toy his dad brought him in Hawaii.

“You should see this” Michelle begged her sister to follow her to the living room.

“Aren’t you supposed to go to the mall?” Val was confused.

“Yes I’ll still go, no worry, but this was too good not to share this with you” she grinned brightly, enjoying the delightful view of two men sleeping cuddled up on the couch. “The life of a rock star must be pretty exhausting” she added without moving her head from the scenery.

“It doesn’t go for the parenting at least” Val giggled “Since we both mostly looked after the kids while the men went to the beach or talked about their album. It’s like nothing else more counts in this world” Val sighed with despair.

“It’s just the business anyway. But I really need to go when I should be back in time. Please call Lacey or Kelly for help. I wouldn’t bet my money on the guys” Michelle waved to her sister who still stood at the same place watching the guys sleeping before her sister finally left the house.

„What do you say, little one? Perhaps you want to help out your mommy a tiny bit?” Val smiled at her youngest when she suddenly heard a loud rumbling from the nursery on the first floor.

“I wish your older brother would be a little more like his father” Val grinned mischievously and looked at Matt who seemed to sleep tight still.

To check if everything was okay, she went upstairs along with Cash on her arm. By the time she arrived it she seemed pretty confused by the fact that there was no trace of River or any destruction. Val looked everywhere, behind the curtains, under the bed but River was vanished. Where was he? Did she just imagined the bang? Was she all wrong and her senses were just playing some tricks on her?

“Sweetie? Where are you?”

Valary knew she desperately needed sleep, but since the other two gentleman passed out on the couch, it was up on her to decorate and plan a whole dinner party within 8 hours. Only thing she had to do was to stay awake and call Lacey and Kelly later for help. She would send an email to the catering later, so she could take care of the decoration, write all the place cards and polish the dishes.

“Here I am mommy” a voice came from behind and as she turned around she saw River standing on the door, looking still like the innocent child as from day one.

“What did you do? Where have you been?” she knelt down and patted her son’s head.

“I played Daddy” he declared and tugged at his shirt.

Val feared the worst. Although Matt’s home studio in the basement was locked, his personal decorated room on the first floor was always open. Both agreed that everyone could need their own room to calm down, distract themselves from stress or use it for other favourite activities. Besides a small office in the right corner of the room, that offered a fabulous view outside the window, it also had Matt’s second most favourite toy: game console with a large flat screen on the wall.
Her only hope remained on the fact that he hadn’t the strength to destroy this on his own but she couldn’t be sure before she hadn’t seen the real chaos by herself. Carefully she opened the door and it wasn’t anything like she imagined. Somehow, she couldn’t explain herself how yet, River must have pulled so hard on the console that he separated it from the network connector until everything flew on the floor along with the games that Matt must have placed on the console itself.

“Will daddy be angry now with me, Mommy?” he put on his sweetest face he could, blinked twice and pouted.

“Of course he won’t be angry with you, sweetheart” she tried to encourage him.

She couldn’t say with certainty whether if this had caused any damage through the fall or whether it was built stable enough to survive even a fall from the second floor.

“Are you coming to the kitchen with me? Pick two random toys and then let’s go down. You know mommy still has a lot to do until the first guests arrive and so I’m able to keep my eyes on you two, rebels” she smiled softly at River and noticed just now that Cash felt asleep in the meantime.

“Like father, like son” she chuckled in amusement.

~*~

Since Lacey wouldn’t be up by now she tried her luck in calling Kelly. After all she was mother of two young boys and had to manage a household as well. So she clearly would understand her situation better as Lacey would do. That doesn’t mean she couldn’t get along with Lacey, because they got besties over the last 16 years, but sometimes parentless couples didn’t understand how it was like to have a household while raising kids at the same time.

“Hi Val! Are you back home already? I hadn’t expect your call yet” answered a happy-tempered, clear high voice at the other end.

“Yes, we took the earliest flight we could find. Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten the dinner party tonight, right?” Val checked all the dates on the calendar in her computer to make sure she hasn’t mixed up anything.

“Of course I know that, Val, but just tried to say you’re back early. It’s just 8:30am. I had rather expected you later but what’s going on?”

“My husband is sleeping on the couch along with Brian and Michelle does the last errands like getting the decoration and take cares about the details. So I’m ….”

“Alone and you need some help. Of course I’ll help you out in everything you want me to do. That’s no problem” Kelly finished Val’s sentence.

Val hated to call help in the last minute but at least she could admit that. Of course she could ask her parents as well, but since they were on holiday she only had a few range of people to call.

“Aren’t you busy? Seriously how do you manage to raise two kids, do workshops and have still time to spent it with your husband” Val sounded perplex by the fact how she could fit everything in a tight schedule and still make it sound like it was the easiest thing in the world.

“Well I’m happy that Brooks does a lot of chores when he’s home. He’s responsible for the garden for example or does the vacuuming. Believe me, after so many years we’ve worked out a good schedule. It takes time though.”

“Your words in God’s ears, my dear. I hope it’ll work out sooner or later and listen I don’t want to complain about Matt. He’s a great husband and father but sometimes I just wish he would help or support me at least more” Val cupped her chin with her right hand and scrolled with the other one through the menu for the catering service.

“Let’s discuss this one later in peace. Perhaps we find a good solution for you both, who knows” Kelly tried to smile through the phone to encourage Val a little more.

Kelly liked Val as a person and knew she just tried everything to allow her kids a good life, being a good wife for Matt and make everyone happy who was surrounded by her. She had met a lot of wives of band members and most of them proved themselves they were lazy dogs. Nothing but living an exclusive lifestyle, bragging about it on all social medias and spending their guys money. It was inconceivable how those girls managed to live a dull life, nothing as just living in a huge bubble and being happy about it. Val was the complete opposite, she had always worked hard for it, took all the opportunities that life gave her to make a worth living as just following her husband everywhere and party in the most expensive clubs around the globe.

“Thanks again. See you soon then” Val sighed, hung up and pressed the ‘send’ button in her mail program to complete the order for the catering service.

~*~

After long four hours Michelle finally returned back to Val’s home. Exhausted but happy she stood in front of everyone and draw the attention with her new hairdo and clothes she presented in full pride. Michelle beamed at everyone so bright that it would even light up the whole Royal Albert Hall in London.

“You look great” Lacey marvelled.

“I know right?” she turned around “I loved all my long smooth mane, no question, but a new change was already needed so badly. The hairdresser even told me I look much better with curly hair since it would flatter my face. And those clothes weren’t as expensive as they even ….”

“Chelle” she got interrupted by her twin sister “Haven’t you got my text message?”

Meanwhile Val had looked through all the bags but instead of her requested decoration she found more clothes or items that weren’t on her list.

“I did, Val. But look it’s autumn time soon and we’ve had that Mexican theme parties too often. Let’s try something new and more up-to-date. So that’s why I brought all the decoration that you would need for an autumn theme party” she smiled innocently.

“Look” Val sat back down and took a deep breath before she continued “The food is ordered and will arrive in 2 hours. I can’t call them and change everything. There’s no time to change the whole concept because you think it’s cool. It’s my house and so I make the rules. I just gave you one order to follow and you changed everything without notifying me.”

She was surprised by herself that she could remain so calm in this situation. The men were already no help but her sister being unfaithful was like a slap in the face. Val relied much on her and now she had to everything by herself in this short time.

“I would be happy if you would take more responsibility and do once what I told you” she looked at Michelle before she left the kitchen, almost ran into Matt who stood in the entry with his sleepy face.

“What’s going on?” he yawned.

“Nothing” his wife snorted at him before she left the house.

~*~

“I can’t believe you almost forgot about the dinner party.”

Val’s mood wasn’t still anything better as the night before. The dinner party may went better as she had imagined before but Michelle and Brian cancelled the night after the little argument in the kitchen. It wasn’t only the fact that both stayed away for the whole night, but also that Matt remembered everything they had planned for their first day in the studio.

“I’m sorry but don’t make a huge drama out of it, please. We just returned from a fabulous vacation, spent great days in Hawaii and now we go back to our routine. Isn’t it normal to forget one thing or the another?” he turned around on his chair, took her hands carefully into his own but she freed herself from his embrace.

“At least you know everything about your work schedule” Val’s voice sounded bitchy even it wasn’t meant to be.

“Brian, Brooks, Johnny and Zacky reminded me almost every day about it. There’s no chance to forget that. But since it’s our first day I’ll promise we just go through our song selection and talk about general stuff before I come back home and be my wife’s personal slave. Hail to my queen” Matt bowed down, grinned like a little winner and knew Val couldn’t resist his dimples. “And please talk to your sister. It has been noticed that something happened yesterday. Johnny kept asking me about the argument. Please do me that little favour.”

Matt got up, took his car keys and was about to leave the house before he got stopped by his wife again.

“Didn’t you promise me something yesterday?” Val pointed at the chaos from the dinner party. “You said you would help me to do the dishes at least” she reminded him of his last words.

“Unfortunately I’m already late. I’ll see you tonight. Bye.”

He pressed one last kiss on her cheek until he smashed the door into the look. Again Matt shirked the responsibility to follow his own promises. Val should have been used by this now but today marked a day that may change everything in her life.

‘Come over. I have a plan’ she sent Kelly a text message before she made herself comfortable on the big couch in the living room.

Notes