Monday, June 20, 2016

Checking In

 Back with Ellie she was stressed out taking care of Jimmy and her Mom as she was starting not to feel so great herself either. But she wasn’t going to tell anyone because her Mom never complained when taking care of her or anyone of them when she was sick. She was having one of her migraine attacks and she knew why. She had got her period and was hurting pretty good. But she knew she couldn’t just shut down she had Jimmy to take care of. If she didn’t have her parents and sibling to help out when she moved in with Jon then she’d have to do this anyway so she better get used to this now.  So she took her med’s and went to see if her Mom wanted anything for lunch as she was going to make Jimmy something.
“Hey Mom you want some soup and tea I’m going to make some for Jimmy and see if I can get him to eat.” She asked her.
“Oh thank you Honey that would be nice. I want to get up and try and eat at the kitchen table if you don’t mind. Ellie are you alright you look awfully pale.” She asked her daughter.
“Oh Mom I’m fine really I’ll let you know when everything is ready ok?” she told her. Cecelia knew better and knew when her daughter was lying. It didn’t take her long to get things ready and she got her Mom taken care of first. Jimmy was thrilled that Grandma was eating with him so he ate up all his soup as long as Grandma ate hers as well. Ellie just made herself some tea and toast as well and that right there nailed it for her Mom.
“Ok Ellie what’s wrong?” she asked her.
Ellie looked at her and smiled weakly. “Ok I have a migraine no big deal plus my period so I want to curl into a ball but I can’t. The only good thing about this is I don’t have to work so I can lay down when I want to Mom. Jon did have the right idea about this not working thing and if you tell him I said this I will never speak to you again!” she said to her laughing.
“I promise I won’t say a thing. It’s not like when your Father did the same thing to me?” she winked at Ellie smiling.
“What is it about men and having their women not working? I mean come on.” Ellie asked her.
“It’s not that they don’t want us working Honey it’s that they want us either at home when they get home or at home raising the kids. And that they are making the living and they don’t need they’re women working. At least with your Dad is concerned. He wanted to make it easier for me because I worked my entire life taking care of Grandma and your Uncle and he wanted me to be able to relax and not worry about it anymore. “she said trying not to cry.
“That’s because Daddy’s the best.” Ellie said trying not to cry also.
“Yes he is. Jon he’s trying to make up for everything that’s happen in the past. Plus he wants you to be with him which there’s nothing wrong with that. But you guys have a little guy that needs the both of you and he just wants you guys to be with him.” Cecelia told her.
“But Mom Jimmy’s in school now I can’t just rip him out and have us tour with him. Especially in THAT environment. Jimmy needs a stable environment you know that. Oh I don’t know what to do.” She said to her Mom.
“Yes you do Sweetheart. You love them both so you’ll be able to work this out. We’ll take Jimmy any time that you need us too. So the summers we can keep him here with us if you want to be with him during those times. During the school times I’m sure you can work things out Ellie.” She told her.
“Well we do kind of have a plan. Richie’s folks said that they’ll take care of him for a few weeks at a time so I can visit them on tour so he can stay in school in New Jersey for us and make sure his parents don’t go near him while I’m gone. “she explained.
“So you are going to keep him away from them then?” she asked her.
“Well for now anyway. I mean I don’t think Jon even has told them that we’re engaged. But I would love to be a fly on the wall when he does.” She said laughing. They were talking for a while til Cecelia needed to go lay down again and so did Ellie as she went and took a nap when Jimmy did.
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The guys were having a great time sightseeing for the afternoon and then went out for dinner. Then they found a bar that they could jump up on stage and have an impromptu concert. It helped that they were pretty much half in the bag when they went up there so they could really chill out and have some giggles. Jon was careful not to scream the songs even thou he was feeling good because they were playing songs that they really wanted too. And this is where Richie always lets go.
Meanwhile Ellie had promised that she would call Jon with a progress report about Jimmy and the reception desk told her that he wasn’t in so they took a message for her for him to call her back. She thought that was strange as he told her that he would be in later to take her call.  But knowing Jon she blew it off figuring he had forgot like he was so busy anyway.
It was sometime around two a.m. when they had came crawling in and had passed out in their respected rooms.  Jon didn’t even bother to get undressed he just flopped in bed and passed out.  They all slept til late morning when they all had gotten a late morning wakeup call from Richie B. to make sure that they would get up so they would be up and running for their sound check by late this afternoon. Jon just crawled out of bed and into the bathroom. First he grabbed the aspirin then he stripped down and went into the shower. The hot water felt good on his body. He stood under it for a good few minutes as his head was foggy from last night. He needed to wake up and fast if he wanted to be alert for sound check. He finished up and dried off and got dressed as there was a knock on his door. Jon just shooked his head as he was going to bite Rich’s head off. He had plenty of time before sound check and he was going to get something to eat before they left. When he opened the door thou it was the wrong Rich.
“Richie?” he said surprised.
“Yeah who the hell did you think it was Kidd?” he asked him.
“I thought it was Bozzett he’s been calling here bugging me. You want something to eat I’m about to call room service.” He asked him.
“Yeah sure thanks. (sitting down) so how’s Jimmy doing? Is he feeling any better?” Richie asked him.
Jon looked surprised as he got off the phone. “What?” he said confused and shocked.
“You know Jimmy your son. Is he ok? You said you were going to call him when you got back to the room last night. Did you?” he asked him.
“Oh shit! I totally forgot. I must have passed out because I woke up still wearing my closes. Ah shit. I need to call Ellie and find out how he’s doing.” He said feeling terrible that he didn’t call like he said he would.
“Jon I’m sure she knows that you were probably busy cut yourself some slack will you.” Richie told him.
“Rich she knew we had nothing to do yesterday and probably wondered way I didn’t call her. She probably thinks I blew her off, which I did. What kind of Dad am I if I can’t follow thru on my promises.” He asked him feeling horrible now.
“Jon you’re being too hard on yourself. Look if Ellie wants to be with you then she’s going to have to understand when and why you can call her when you’re on tour. She’s cool so don’t sweat it.” Richie told him.
“Look I need to call her will you look out for the room service cart for me?” he asked him. Richie told him he would so Jon went into the bedroom and called her and hope that she would pick up.
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 Ellie had just put Jimmy to bed and she was settling herself with her tea as Beth and Sean were with her watching t.v. Both her parents were sleeping as Dad had to get up at one a.m. to get ready for work and Mom was still feeling crappy so when the phone rang Sean jumped up and grabbed it so it didn’t wake them up. “Hello? Oh Hi yup she’s here I’ll go get her.” Walking into the den, “Ellie telephone it’s Jon.” Sean told her.
Ellie got up and went to take it. “Jon? Hi Hon what’s up.” She asked him.
“Hi Baby I’m so sorry I didn’t call you yesterday I totally forgot.” He told her feeling guilty.
“That’s ok didn’t you get my message?” she asked him.
“Message? What message?” he asked her confused.
“The message I lefted you yesterday when I called you. I left it with the reception desk. I just told them to have you call me when you get in I didn’t want to leave how Jimmy was doing just in case someone else would get it and use it you know. But he’s doing better and can get solid foods in him. For dinner he got a peanut butter sandwich down so that was good. How are you Honey you sound weird.” She said to him concerned.
“I’m ok now I was afraid you’d be mad at me for not calling yesterday.” He stated.
“Why would I be mad? You’re a busy man Jon I know you said you had the day off but with you that can change at a drop of the hat.” She told him.
“Yeah well it didn’t the guys wanted to go out and explore the town and they kept bugging me to go with them so I finally caved and went. Then we found this out of the way little tavern and well we kind if closed it last night and I got loaded so EL don’t be mad ok?” he hoped she wouldn’t be to pissed at him.
There was a pause then she said, “Jon why would I be mad? Did you do something that I should be mad at? Because right now you’re scaring me Jon.” She told him.
“Oh no Baby no it’s just that well (chuckling) I guess we both have our baggage. I’m so used to apologizing for getting drunk after the fact and raising a little hell with my guys and having Dotty scream at me about it I forgot sometimes. You know like you do with Michael. I’m sorry.” He explained to her.
“That’s ok Honey you know you are allowed to have fun. Just not that much fun ha ha. I love you so much and I want you to be you ok? Just loyal to me that’s all and I’ll always be yours I promise. So what’s the matter you feeling guilty about going out yesterday?” she asked him curious.
“Well yeah kind of. Where I didn’t call you back I thought you might be mad at me. Plus I didn’t remember til Richie reminded me just now. Again I’m so sorry Babe.” He said again.
Laughing now, “Jon I told you that it’s ok. But stop apologizing before I think you did something ok.” She told him still chuckling.
“Ok, ok I will. No wonder I love you. OK is Jimmy still up can I say goodnight to him?” he asked her hoping.
“Oh Honey no I put him to sleep about a half hour ago. If I knew you were going to call I would have kept him up. But he was falling asleep as it was. This flu bug has him strung out. But he does want to know when he’s going to see you again. I told him soon. When you get back from Europe and we can visit you. He seemed ok with that.” She told him.
“Well I guess I’ll have to be ok with that. (just then he heard Richie yelling to him from the living room) Babe I’ve got to go Rich is yelling for me. I’ll call you when I can. Hey do you think you can come over before we leave?” he asked her with his fingers crossed.
“Well don’t you only have a little over a month left? I don’t think so Hon between Jimmy and Mom by the time this flu bug finishes you’ll practically be home. Look you’ll be fine I’ll see you when you get here ok?” she told him.
“Why there should be enough time for you to be here.” He whined.
“Jon I can’t I have some things to do I’m sorry. I have some doctors’ appointments and I can’t just drop everything for you. The time will go by quickly you’ll see. Now I love you go see what Richie needs I’ll talk to you later Bye.” She told him and hung up.
Jon just stared at the phone and then hung it up a little annoyed. He walked back into the living room and Richie was setting up the service cart. “Hey so how is Ellie and Jimmy doing?” Richie asked.
“Fine, Jimmy was sleeping but he’s getting solids into him which is good. Ellie was ok with me going out which was great I’m not used to that. You know being yelled at by Dot and shit.” Jon said kind of strange that Richie had caught on too.
Sitting down as both of them had poured themselves their coffee Richie had to ask him, “Ok Kidd so what’s wrong then? Ellie isn’t pissed that you went out with us last night and that she didn’t yell at you for it. So what’s got you so down? That’s she didn’t yell? Because if that’s it I think that there is something really wrong with you.” Richie told him as he took a bite out of his croissant.
“Fuck you! No I’m fine with that I asked her if she would come out one of the last few weeks before we go home and she told me she couldn’t because of Jimmy and her Mom still being sick.” He told him.
“So what’s wrong with that?” Richie wanted to know.
“Rich we still have about a month left on tour right?” Jon said as Richie shooked his head yes. “Ok then why can’t she still come out? She said she couldn’t because she had other things to do like doctor’s appointments and such. And that she just can’t drop everything because of me. I thought we had made these plans ahead of schedule so she could come out and visit me as the tour went on so what the fuck?” Jon complained.
“Well maybe she has to take Jimmy to the doctors Jon? You know with the flu and everything he probably needs a checkup ever think of that?” Richie explained to him smirking.
“Yeah I thought of that but still enough time to come out dumbass. But it sounded like she had to go to the doctor’s too. Why wouldn’t she tell me why she would have to go I mean she has always before?” Jon asked out loud.
“Maybe she’s pregnant and doesn’t want to tell you until she knows for sure.” Richie said to him as straight face as possible. Jon sat there as he went white as a ghost. “Jon. Jon. Jon! Are you ok? Because I was teasing. You look like you’re going to be sick.” He said to him wanting to laugh.
Sitting there wanting to vomit what if that is exactly what she is seeing the doctor for. “Oh God Rich what if that’s exactly what’s going on. What if she is pregnant and doesn’t know how to tell me.” Jon asked his best friend.
“Jon I was fucking kidding. Oh My God! You’ve told me she has migraine headaches for crying out loud you ever think that’s what she going for? You are so easy man.(laughing hard now) Oh you should see your face. You need to chill. And she did tell you that she is going to see her doctor so if you want to piss her off anymore yeah ask her if she’s pregnant.” He told Jon still chuckling.
“You know you’re a jerk. You put the pregnant idea in my head and you think it’s funny you Jackass. I’m a wreck and it wasn’t nice Rich I wasn’t around the first time and believe me what I wouldn’t give to be around for the next one.” He told him.
“Jon you will but give it time. At least wait til you’re married I think her parents will appreciate it much more this time. And this time you’ll get to experience everything with her you’ll see.” Richie told him smiling.
“Yeah I know I just feel guilty that I wasn’t there the first time.” Jon said sadly.
“Well that wasn’t your fault now was it. Hey by the way did you ever tell your parents that you’re engaged?” he asked him.
Jon just sat there looking at him with another guilty look. “No I just don’t want to hear it Rich. I mean Pop will be ok with it, in fact he will even thrilled with it. But you know Mom she’s going to go thru the roof as it is so I thought I’d just tell them when it happens.” Jon told him as he finished his coffee and almost choked on it.
“You are so chicken shit Bongiovi. All you have to do is call them and make your Mom feel like shit by telling her that basically she didn’t win and that you’re going to marry the girl of your dreams. How hard is that?” Richie asked him.
“Are you fucking me? You know my mother right?” Jon asked him surprised.
“Yeah so? You have the upper hand don’t you?” Richie asked him.
“What the hell are you talking about?” Jon wanted to know as he was getting confused now.
“Jon you have Jimmy right? She’ll want to see him after you guys get married. Ellie can’t keep saying no forever can she? I mean Jimmy will have a say in it eventually so you two might as well talk about it now and come to an arrangement and if you guys want more kids you’ll have her right where you want her.” Richie explained to him.
Jon thought it over and knew Richie was right. But now he had to try and explain it to Ellie. The guys finished up and went to sound check and made sure everything was doable. It took them a couple of hours to get things the way they wanted them (ok mostly Jon) but everytime they stored their instruments it took them a bit to get them back to exactly how they wanted them. They had quite a few hours before they had to go on stage so they headed to get something to eat they headed back to the hotel to unwind before the concert. This left Jon to call his folks to tell them with the good news or his doom.
He picked up the phone and held his breath when he dialed their number. As it was ringing all he could think of was Ellie and Jimmy and the life he couldn’t wait to have with them. “Hello?” his Dad said.
“Hi Dad It’s me Jon how are you?” he asked him.
“Jon fine son are you ok? You sound funny.” John Sr. asked him concerned.
“No Pop I’m fine I have some good news to tell you and Mom. Is she there?” he asked his Dad.
“Yeah she is she’s in the kitchen making some tea for the two of us. We couldn’t sleep.” John Sr. told him.
“Oh Pop I’m sorry I totally forgot about the time there. Why can’t you two sleep?” he asked him.
“Well your brother is out and your mother is worried about him because he got himself into some trouble last week so we’re letting him have a second chance. It was a little simpler with you we always knew where you were.” He told him as Carol walked in with their tea.
“John is that Tony? Is he ok?” Carol started to babble.
“Carol it’s fine it’s only Jon he has some good news for us.” he told her.
“Really? Well we could use some good news. Oh wait don’t tell me he got her pregnant again? Oh Lord please tell me he didn’t get her pregnant again!” Carol yelled as Jon could hear her thru the phone.
Jon nearly screamed. He had to bite his tongue so he didn’t say something he would regret. “Pop tell her that I didn’t get Ellie pregnant again. And to stop that. NOW!” he told his Dad angrily.
“Carol your son and I for that matter want you stop this. He has some good news and for you to bash Ellie is not going to help. Now whether you like it or not she is in your son’s life and is the Mother of your Grandson and if you ever want to see him knock it OFF! Go ahead Jon what is your good news.” He asked his son.
“Well I don’t want to hear any crap about this ok but I proposed to Ellie a while ago and she said yes.” There he said it and now he’s just waiting for the backlash.
“Jon that’s wonderful. Congratulations Son.” John Sr. told him happily.
“What? Why are you congratulating him John?” Carol was nagging him about.
“Carol he proposed to Ellie a while ago and she said yes and do not…” but of course she exploded like she would.
“HE DID WHAT!!!! Give me that phone John right now.” She screamed.
“No I won’t. He’s a grown man and knows what he wants Carol and you should be proud of him stepping up and finally righting what you wreck. He’s been in love with this girl since they were teenagers and if you let them run their path who knows what would have happened between them but oh no you couldn’t do that you had to interfere in that. But guess what life stepped in and they found each other again and not only that but fell back in love with each other. So now you stay out of this because I want to see that beautiful Grandson of mine and any future Grandchild they have and if you don’t fine then you can stay home while I go visit them. Jon are you still there Son?” he asked him.
“Um yeah Dad I’m right here.” He told him kind of in shock after what he just heard him say to his Mom.
“You tell Ellie congrats for me and that I’m thrilled that she’ll be part of our family. And that I would love to see her and if I could visit with my Grandson if she’ll allow it on her terms. Oh I hear Tony driving up look I have to go I love you Jon and you take care of your little family til I see you ok?” John Sr. told him.

“I will Pop and I love you too.” Jon told him and hung up.

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