Water Ch. 90 - Ballad of Youth

 

Beth woke to the faint sound of someone playing the piano.  She reached over, felt the coolness of his pillow and realized Jon was gone.  The light was out, but the television was on.  She sat up and listened some more.   It was beautiful, whatever he was playing.  She got up, grabbed her robe and went downstairs.  He had heard her coming, so he stopped playing.

 

"I see you found the piano." she smiles at him. 

 

He gets up and walks over to her, "Did I wake you?" He kisses her.

 

She shakes her head no, and says, "I woke up and heard it, I don't know why I woke up.  How long have you been down here?"

 

He looks at his watch and says, "Oh, about an hour.  This thing is gorgeous, why is it down here?" he asks.  She sees that he has uncovered it and dusted it off.

 

"It was Brian's.  He was classically trained, Julliard.  When he died, I couldn't part with it, but I couldn't look at it everyday either.  I had it brought down here, and I sometimes play it.  How does it sound?"

 

He turns and looks back at it and says, "It sounds beautiful, tuned perfectly.  Are you okay that I was playing it?"  he didn't think he needed to ask, but it was Brian's - he didn't see that coming.  He puts his arm around her and buries his face in her hair, "I don't want to intrude."

 

She reaches over and smacks his belly, "I am more than fine with you playing it, Jon.  Someone needs too.  What were you playing?"

 

He walks over and sat on the bench and patted the space next to him.  She wrapped her robe tight and sat down  and he started to play 'Seat Next To You'.   When he started to sing, and she listened to the words, she got tears in her eyes.  He's never sang to her like that, and she thought the lyrics and the music were perfect.  She watched him, like she watched him in concert.  Her eyes were fixed and he was all that was in the room. 

 

When he's finished, he looks to see her reaction.  The tears told him, it was good.  But he had to ask, "What did you think?"

 

She put her head on his shoulder and said, "It was amazing.  I loved it.  Will you play it again?"

 

He put his hands on the keys and sang the song to her again, and she was just as moved.  "I love it Jon."

 

He winked at her and said, "Thank you.  It's not finished, I need to get the band on it, but it will be on our next album."

 

"Your fans will love it.  It speaks on so many level, and can easily relate to any one's life.  Seat Next To You, is a great title."

 

He starts to get up and tells her, "Come on, you and our baby need some rest."  He reaches for her hand, and she offers it up. 

 

They go upstairs and Jon grabs a glass of water and they go to bed.  The TV is on, and it's on a news channel.  Jon loves his news.  With Jon on his back, leaning on head board of the bed, Beth rests her head on his belly.  He strokes her hair, and asks her, "Did the doctor give you a due date?"

 

"Yep, April 29th.  A Spring baby."  Beth starts to rub his leg and he laughs.  "What's so funny?  Am I tickling you?"

 

He says, "Our baby's due date is my wedding date."  he winces and waits for her head to spin around and do the Linda Blair. 

 

She surprises him by sitting up slowly and simply says, "Really?  It must be a sign."  She snuggles in under his arm and says, "I have been consumed with a name for the baby.  Silly, I know, but that's all I've thought about today. Crazy, huh?"

 

He shakes his head no and confesses that he's thought about it today too.  "I wanted to name one of my son's John and I didn't get it.  Dorothea was opposed to it, from boy #1."  Beth could hear the lull in his voice.

 

"I like John.  John is a strong name.  We can name the baby John, I'd like that."  He looks at her and smiles, with so much love in it.

 

"Thanks, babe."  He pulls her tighter to him and holds her there.

 

She has to ask him, only because it's been eating at her for a day now, "Honey, are you okay with having a baby this late in life?"

 

Perking up, he looks to her and says, "YES!  I am so excited about it, you have no idea.  You will be a wonderful mother and I am honored that you want to have a baby with me.  I don't want that thought to enter your mind again.  I might be 43, but I have alot of life in me and I welcome a new addition."  She sees the passion and the honesty in his eyes, and that gives her relief and comfort.

 

Responding to him, outlining his heart, with a heart, using her finger she has to know, "Did you want anymore children?" 

 

"In all honesty, Romeo was an unplanned pregnancy and I thought he would be my last, obviously, I was wrong.  It's that I didn't not want a baby, babe, I'm am great with this."  He reaches over and rubs her belly.

 

"Do you want anymore after this one?" She has to know, she's thinking that she might.

 

He loves that they are talking and they have nothing pressing and nothing to disturb them, so he scoots down a little in the bed and she rests his head on his chest now. Taking in and loving the aroma that oozes from his pores. Heu tells her, "I will leave that p to you.  I am at a  point in life where I can handle the responsibility, but my biggest concern is you living her in California.  That's a big big concern of mine."

 

"Are you wanting me to move?" She asks him, fearful of his answer.

 

"I want you in New Jersey with me and the kids.  They want you there too." he's adamant about it too.  He wants all of his children at least raised within the same zip code, not on opposite sides of the county.

 

Beth yawns and asks, "Can we discuss this tomorrow?  I'm sleepy now." She peeks up at him with just her eyes and he sees that. 

 

"Go to sleep.  We will work it out, one day at a time.  But I want you to know, with all my heart, I am so happy we are having a baby.  I cannot wait to tell everyone."

 

She drifts off to sleep and he watches the news for a few more minutes and he nods off to sleep.  He has his kids and the woman that he loves, all under the same roof, for the first time.  He really couldn't ask for more.

 

"Daddy, daddy................daddy, daddy"  Beth wakes up to.  She lifts her head off the pillow and sees Romeo shaking his daddy, trying to wake him up.

 

"Hi Romeo, come over here." Beth quietly says to the Bongiovi baby.  Romeo runs around to Beth's side of the bed and she pick him up and puts him between Jon and her.  Romeo smiles, and shakes his daddy again.

 

"Daddy, up.  Daddy, up."

 

Beth can see Jon peeking through his eyes.  Romeo started to get in his dad's face saying "Daddy" over and over and join finally sacred him with "What?"  Romeo jumped back and fell on Beth.  She grabbed him so he didn't fall off the bed. Jon sits up in bed, kissed his son good morning and then kisses his future wife good morning.

 

Beth says, "Good Morning gorgeous, how did you sleep?"

 

"With you at my side and all of my kids here, I slept the best I had in a very long time." He smiles at her.

 

They get up and Beth hands Jon his robe and she puts hers on and slips her slippers on.  Jon picks up his son and says, "Let's go wake everyone else up and we can head down to the beach."

 

Beth, Jon and Romeo go out and wake everyone up.  Beth went in to wake Lupetta, and she was gone.  She hurries out to Jon and in a panic says, "Lupetta is gone!!"

 

Stephanie says, with a laugh, "She jogs every morning Beth.  She'll be back soon."

 

The whole Bongiovi/Adams clan worked as a family making breakfast.  Fresh fruits, toast, eggs, turkey bacon, waffles and a variety of other things.  When it was finished, they all sat at Beth's formal dining room conversation and had breakfast as a family.  Jon looked around the table and could not be happier, prouder or feel anymore love  - he thought.  But his baby isn't here yet.