"Sam!" Josh called through the house.

"In here!" I called back from the bedroom where I was packing. Josh's offer
had been accepted and we were starting to move our stuff over to the
new house.

He sauntered in, cell in hand.

"J wants to have a meeting about the next record. And I should head
down there for a few days anyways.

"Okay. So when are you going?"

"I was thinking we could leave on Friday."

"We? I can't go. I have school and work and moving."

"So just come with me on Friday, come back Sunday or Monday and I'll
follow you back a few days later."

"I don't know if I can get out of work. I've only been there a month
and already I've taken a few days off for the wedding."

"You have too much going on, Sam."

"Doesn't everyone?"

"Let me pay for your classes. You can quit the job and focus on school."

I think about this for a few minutes. "I can't let you do that, Josh.
I need to do this for myself, and nobody else."

"I understand Sam, I really do. But let me cover at least this
semester. Call it a wedding gift if you want. I hardly see you between
your classes and work schedule and studying."

"I'll be here more than just the semester, I need the money for next
semester if not this one."

"I'll pay for it. You can pay me back as you wish."

I sigh. "I'll think about it. I'll take you up on the offer for the
semester, but I'll think about the job thing."

Friday I skipped my last class so we could catch our flight. As I hate flying, I spent the entire flight gripping the armrests and was more than relieved when we landed. We didn't bring enough to have checked luggage so we headed straight out and took a taxi to Josh's home.

I had never actually been to his "home base", but wasn't surprised at what I saw upon entering the house. It reflected Josh well enough. Exhausted from the flight, I followed Josh to the bedroom, where, after depositing my bag and shoes on the floor, collapsed into the bed.

Josh chuckled as I watched him unpack his bag. Bag empty, he turned to look at me.

"You know, this house is suddenly growing on me," he smiled. "If only I could affix you right there for good, I'll never have to leave."

I snorted and he jumped on the bed, pinning me down.

"We have a house all to ourselves."

"We do at home too."

"Mmhm, but this one has a bed in it."

"So it does," I reply before he lowers his head and kisses me.

"If we've got a house to ourselves, who says we have to stay in the bedroom?" I ask between kisses.

"Mm, Mrs. Chasez, you've got a devious mind. I like it."

I won't go into detail here, but there will be fond memories of that house in our minds for forever.

Saturday morning we woke up slowly, just enjoying being with each other. The moment ended when his phone rang.

"'Lo?" Josh answered sleepily.

"Yeah, I'm awake. ... Yes, I'm in town... Yes, I'll be going back to Ohio... I don't know when, man... Sure, we can do that. Later." He hung up and turned back to me. "Gotta be at the compound by one for the meeting." He glanced at the clock. "But we've got a few hours until then."

He leaned in for a kiss and I pushed him away "Urgh, shower first. You reek of last night still." I pulled some of my hair down to my nose and sniffed before wrinkling my nose. "Even my hair needs washed after last night."

He faked a pout. "But if we shower first, we'll just have to take a second shower."

"Who said anything about a second shower?" My response was answered by the devilsh grin that told me I was in for it.

I twiddled my thumbs as Josh drove to the compound later. He had talked me into going with him to the meeting, and for once, I wasn't looking forward to seeing the other guys. Lance and Joey in particular. I wasn't sure how Chris or Justin would take to my arrival- especially when I come with Josh.

As usual, my imagination ran in overdrive. Lance was cordial to me, and Joey seemed quieter to me, but Justin and Chris were the same. I excused myself before the meeting started and hung out in the next room, pretending to watch tv as I focused on not crying.

 "So," Lance's voice seemed to come out of nowhere and I jumped and quickly wiped the tears that had fallen. "You and JC."

I turned to face him.

"I don't know what you mean."

He came around the couch and folded his arms.

"Oh please. You leave me. JC suddenly takes an interest in Ohio, he shows up here with you," I move a stray bit of hair from my face and he continues. "Let's not forget that you're both wearing a matching set of rings. So you weren't leaving me because I messed up, but because you were messing around with him!"

"Lance, it's not like that!"

He drops his arms and looks at me. "I knew it. I knew something was going on between you two."

I stood up now.

"There was nothing going on between Josh and I while you and I were together! See, this is why I ended it between us! We did nothing but argue. When I think back to our marriage, I only remember two things: being pregnant and arguing. And you know what? I wanted to work it out with you. I thought we'd be fine once the tour was over and you had some downtime. But you didn't want that, didn't want to put the work into the relationship. Instead, you just go gallivanting around the country with little miss-"

"ENOUGH," Joey interrupted. We both turned and looked at him. "Look- you're both hurting, I get it. You both have the right to be right now. But all either of you are doing right now is rubbing salt in the wounds, and that will not help anyone. I'm sure you two do need to talk, and I'm sure you will eventually, but it looks like you're not ready for that yet. So, just for right now, can't we call a truce, for everyone's sake? Think of the kids. Would you want them to be here right now?"

Lance looked down for a second. "No, I wouldn't want them here right now."

I shook my head, "Me either. I miss them something fierce, but if we're just going to argue, I wouldn't want them around either of us." I look Lance in the eye. "I'm only here until Sunday morning, I was only able to get away for the weekend. Can we put this summer behind us until then?" Lance nodded.

We shook hands and parted ways.

The drive back to the house was a more subdued mood than earlier, Josh and I each in our own thoughts. We kept to ourselves the rest of the afternoon. I curled up on the couch and flipped through the channels on his overly large tv, trying not to think about the argument from earlier. Josh had sequestered himself in a room we hadn't been in and I wasn't sure what it was, emerging only when dinner time came around.

"What do you want for dinner?"

I shrugged and clicked the tv off. He sighed, grabbed his keys and I followed him out to the car. He switched the radio on during the drive and frowned and switched the station when one of their songs came on. I watched him drive for a few minutes.

"Josh?"

"Yeah?"

"Did that have anything to do with the meeting?"

He sighed heavily. "Yeah. Justin's been offered the chance to do a solo album. He wants to do it, and he should."

"Well, that's great!"

"It is, yes. But it means he wants to take a break from the group to do it. And, well, I fear that this is the beginning of the end." He pulled into a parking lot, found a space and parked. He looked over at me. "We've been together for six years. Six years and we're like brothers. J and I go farther back than that, at least ten years. And now it feels like the family is going to just break apart."

"I'm sorry, honey."

He shrugged. "I'll be fine. Come on, let's go get some food."

We entered the restaurant (Chinese - we both needed a pick-me-up and our favorite cuisine would help), ordered and took our food back home. 

Sunday morning the phone rang early, and I answered it.

"'Lo?" I mumbled.

"Sam. Sorry I woke you up. I don't know when you're leaving today, and I was wondering if you wanted to see the kids before you left."

It took a minute for my brain to shift through what he had said.

"Uh, sure, I guess. We leave for the airport at like ten, and I need to pack-"

"I'll bring them around before then."

"Okay. Later then." We hung up. I looked at the clock and went back to sleep before the alarm would go off.

Hours later, we were awake and dressed. I had packed my bag, and Josh and I were enjoying our last couple of hours together on the couch snuggling and talking.  The doorbell rang and he got up to answer. It was Lance with the twins.

Lance and I were civil with each other as I visited with my children and he told me stories of what they've been doing since I had seen them. After too short a time, we had to go and Lance left with the twins. I got on the plane and flew back to what felt like my real life after the surreal weekend in Florida.