Categories > Celebrities > Fall Out Boy > More Adventures with Girl in the Moon
I woke up only a few hours later. Pete was still asleep so I got up as quietly as possible and left the room. Once downstairs I realized the kids were still out playing. Amy and Lisa were in the kitchen making lunch and getting dinner started. And since the 4th of July and the big party was the next day, they were getting things ready for that too.
“Hey, Gracie. How’re you doing?” Lisa asked me when she saw me.
“Ok. Where is everyone?”
“Kids are all outside playing. John and Scott went to town to see if they could get a replacement window. And they’re picking up some stuff for tomorrow.” Amy told me.
“Are you really alright?” Lisa asked me.
“I think I’m as ok as I can be right now.” I told her truthfully.
“You’re doing better than I would be. I’m so sorry this is happening.” She told me and then hugged me. I hugged her back.
“Thank you. I’m so glad you and Abby are on our side. I hope Scott now understands why I felt the need to cut her off.”
“He does. He doesn’t like it much, but he understands now. And we’ll support you in anything you want to do.” Lisa told me.
“Thank you. That really means a lot.” I told her.
Lisa smiled at me and said, “Ya know, the only reason I put up with your mom for so long was because of you, and John, and Amy. I love you guys and if seeing Rebecca meant I got to see you too, it was worth it.”
I smiled back at her. “We think you’re pretty awesome too, you know.”
Pete came into the kitchen at this point. “Hey, Honey.” I said when I saw him.
He gave me a sleepy smile. “Hey Baby. Did you get any sleep?”
“I did. I only woke up a few minutes ago myself.” I told him as I crossed to him. “How’re you feeling? Any pain?”
“A little.” He confessed once I was in front of him.
“I have something that will help. You sit down. I’m going to get my first aid kit. I’m going to clean that up and redress it for you.” Amy said in her ‘nurse’ voice.
Pete did as he was told and let Amy fuss over him. She cleaned the wound, slathered it with an antibacterial and numbing ointment and then redressed it. She did an excellent job on it.
“Thanks Amy. That feels better.” Pete told her.
The kids all came back in time for lunch. They told us all about the games they were playing out in the play area. Abby asked if they could keep the twins out with them that afternoon. But it was time for their nap.
Dad and Scott came back right as the older kids were going back out to play. They had found a window that would fit the door. They also had gone and stocked up on a bunch of fireworks, and other things for the party the next day.
After we had eaten lunch and got the twins down for their nap, I asked Pete to step outside and talk to me. I wanted to leave and go home as soon as we could. But I needed to know how he was feeling and I wanted his input. He was going to need to have his stitches removed.
We got comfortable in a couple of the Adirondack chairs.
“What’s on your mind Baby?” He asked me.
“I want to go home. I want to feel safe and I don’t want to worry about Jupiter getting snatched.” I told him.
“Me too. I would feel much better on the other side of the country. But, I think we might have to wait a few days. I’m going to need to see the doctor and make sure it’ll be alright to have the stitches removed by my doctor back home. I’m sure it will be, but I want to be sure. Ya know? And tomorrow is the 4th. I think the kids will want to stay for that. Besides, tomorrow is a Saturday, it won’t be easy to get a flight until later in the week. Let’s leave when Scott and Lisa do. I think they’re planning on leaving next Friday.”
I hummed and nodded in agreement. “I’ll see about booking us a flight home.”
He reached over and held my hand. I turned my head to look at him. He was wearing a tee shirt and a pair of shorts. He had his long hair pulled up in a bun. And he looked tired and worried. A wave of guilt washed over me. He was hurt because of me. His arm had been cut open by my mother. It was all my fault. I felt so incredibly bad about what had happened. I should have been the one to get my mother’s attack. She was after me, not him. He shouldn’t have stepped in front of me.
I couldn’t help it and started crying.
“Baby, please don’t cry.” He said as he heard me sniff. He squeezed my hand a little, letting me know he had me, and wasn't letting go any time soon.
“Can’t help it. I feel so fucking guilty. You shouldn’t have stepped in front of me. You shouldn’t be the one with the stitches. She’s my mom, and my problem, not yours.” I just started sobbing at this point. I was tired, stressed out, worried not only for my children and my husband, but for my Mom too.
“Grace, Sweetheart, I think you’re forgetting something very important. You and me, we’re a team now. Your problems are mine. And there is no way in Hell that I wouldn’t do everything to protect you.” He said so gently that I felt even more guilt.
“I don’t think I’ll ever be able to forgive her. Not for this. Hurting you, trying to take Jupiter. I’m not sure I’ll be able to forgive myself for letting her stay in our lives. If I had known she would do this…” I trailed off.
Pete tugged on my hand to get me to look back at him. “Stop. Please stop blaming yourself. It’s not your fault. How could you have known she would do that?” He asked me.
I knew in my head that this wasn’t my fault, that I couldn’t have known what my Mom had planned to do. But what my heart was telling me it was my fault, that I could have seen it coming. I had a very heavy heart.
“It’s gonna be ok. Really, we’ll get through this.” Pete told me.
I didn’t answer him, I just nodded my head. I was trying to get myself under control. I sniffed and wiped my eyes. We sat quietly together thinking our own thoughts. I did realize something though.
“Ya know, there is one thing that I’ve realized.” I finally said.
“What’s that?” He asked me.
“That there isn't anything that could make me love you more or find you even more attractive than knowing you would do anything to protect me and the children.” I told him.
He turned his head to look at me and then flashed his grin. “Really? You think I’m attractive?” He was teasing me. He knew I did, but sometimes he needed to hear it.
I gave him a smile back, “You know I do.” I said and gave him that look, the one that says I think he’s the most attractive man I know. “There’s something about knowing, without a doubt, that you will protect me. It’s very masculine, primal, animalistic, and very sexy.”
“I actually know what you mean. You scared the shit out of me when you faced down the mountain lion. But there was something incredibly sexy about knowing you love me and the kids so much you would put yourself in danger to keep us safe.”
“I think it’s sexy to know you love us as much as I love you. And I adore you and the children.” I told him.
He squeezed my hand, leaned over and dropped a kiss on my lips and said, “I love you so much.”
We sat there, holding hands and taking comfort in each other's company for a little while. I finally got up when it was close to when the twins should be waking up. Pete followed me in. He wasn’t comfortable with Jupiter being out of his site for too long either.
He did call the doctor’s office and made an appointment for the Monday after the 4th of July. I started looking for a flight home the next weekend. I wanted to go home and be as far from Mom as I could get.
That night I found a flight out on Saturday morning. It was an early flight, but it got us home at a reasonable time. I checked with Pete if he was ok with it. We decided that we would leave Dads on Friday and spend the night at a hotel in Charleston. It just made sense to spend the night up there so we didn’t have to get up before dawn to make it to the airport on time.
The next day was the 4th of July. As always, Dad was throwing a big cook out for friends and family. We all had fun. The kids got to play with a bunch of kids that were there for the day. Bronx and Abby took charge of all of them and organized a big game of hide and seek. It kept them all busy for hours. They even got the twins involved. They all had a great time. Bronx brought me the twins when they were in need of a nap.
Many people remembered Pete and the kids from two summers before. A few of them had found out what Pete actually does and commented on the band. Lots of people wanted to meet the babies. Most of them were older friends of Dad’s, people that had known me for most of my life. Star turned shy and wasn’t interested in meeting all these new and strange people. But Jupiter was happy with the attention. He got told how much he looked like his Pops over and over again.
Todd and Kayla and their children were invited. They all came and had a great time. Kayla got to cuddle the twins and was happy about it. Their kids got along with ours and went off and spent time together.
When darkness came the fireworks were started. There was lots of noise and the twins weren’t used to that, but they did alright. Star was fascinated by the fireworks. Jupiter didn’t seem as impressed by them as his sister. He wanted to cuddle on Pete’s lap. It was much later than they normally stay up. Jupiter was ready for bed, but also wanted to stay up with his brothers and sisters.
When the fireworks were over we said goodbye to everyone and took the kids inside. All of them were ready for bed, even the teenagers. They had been running and playing all day. They slept the sleep of the young and tired. I wish I could sleep so well.
Pete and I were both tired and worn out. It had been a long couple of days. But we still had enough energy to spend some quality time together. I got to show him just how sexy I thought what he did for me really was.
Pete went to see the doctor on Monday. He was given the all clear to go home and have his regular doctor remove the stitches. His wound was healing well and the doctor didn’t have any concerns. We were all ready to go home. It just didn’t feel safe here. Going home felt safer.
On Sunday we informed the family that we would be leaving at the end of the week. Marvel wasn’t happy with the news. She had been having a great time on the farm. She was totally in love with all the animals and being able to run and explore the farm. Saint however was happy to know we were leaving. He was the most worried of all the kids about what had happened with my Mom.
Bronx informed us that he too would be leaving soon. He had to get back home too. Ashlee knew where he was, but she wanted some time with him before he left for college and he had promised her he would be back from his trip before the middle of July.
My mother was still being held in the jail in town. It was a federal holiday weekend so the local judge wasn’t available. He was on vacation. This meant she was being held until his return. Her doctor was trying to get her released into his custody. He wanted to put her in an institution for an evaluation.
Ryan was done. He had been trying to help her and she drugged him. She used prescription sleeping pills in his evening tea, and she used two. She could have killed him. He told Scott that he would not allow her back in the house. He would do what he could for her from a distance. But he couldn’t trust her to be in the same home with him. I couldn’t blame him.
I got a call from my mother’s attorney on Monday. He had the gall to ask me to drop the charges against her. I asked him if he had children. He said he did. I then asked him if he would forgive someone trying to kidnap his child. He admitted that he wouldn’t. I told him I wouldn’t either and to not contact me directly. I gave him our attorney's number and told him all communication needed to go through Larry.
Bronx was planning on leaving on Thursday. He had promised his Mom he would be back before the summer was half over. On Tuesday night all the kids had one last camp out. He and Abby wanted all of the kids so we allowed them to take the twins too. Bronx and Saint were trying to teach Jupiter how to pee in the woods. I didn’t think he was ready for potty training yet, but they both told me he had already started doing it because he had seen them peeing on the trees. And apparently, Abby and Marvel were teaching Star how to pee in the woods too. Star had started telling me when she was wet and in need of a change. So, maybe I was wrong and seeing their older siblings peeing in the woods would accelerate their pottery training.
After the kids left to the far back pasture Pete asked me if I wanted to do our own camp out. We were sitting on the porch steps watching Bronx drive Luna down the tractor path to the far back pasture. All the kids were in the van, but we let them because the fastest he could go was about 10 mph.
Pete scooted over so that our sides, hips, thighs were pressed together. He wrapped his arm around my shoulders. I rested my head on his shoulder and my hand on his thigh. I rubbed my palm lightly over the skin of his knee. He was wearing shorts.
“If you want, we could have our own camp out. In our place. You know, where we celebrated your birthday amongst the honeysuckle, where we got married. We could sleep under the stars. We’ve never done that before, just the two of us.” He said as he tried to convince me. It wasn’t going to take much to convince me to spend the night in the field with him.
I lifted my head and turned it to look at him. “We could grab the small tent and take out some blankets. It’s gonna be a warm night, but we’ll want something to sleep on. The ground gets hard.” I said as I smiled at him.
He grinned back at me. “Doesn’t John have a lot of gear that we can use?” He asked.
“Yeah, there’s a bunch of it. We can use what we want. And I would like to look at the stars with you.” I said and slid my hand up his thigh. “There are a lot of things I’d like to do with you under the stars.”
I felt him shiver as my hand slid even further up his thigh. “Yeah, yeah we can definitely do lots of things under the stars.” He said in his dark husky voice that always means he’s turned on.
Turning my torso towards him, I lifted my other hand and cupped his cheek. I rubbed my thumb over the stubble there. Then, without saying a word, I pulled him to me and kissed him. He moaned into my mouth as I slid my tongue into his. I moved the hand that was on his thigh to his lower back. He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me as close as possible without breaking the kiss.
When I was done with the kiss I pulled back and took the time to catch my breath.
“Ya know, we don’t have to wait until tonight. We can head out there whenever we want. The honeysuckle's in bloom.” I told him.
He nodded and rested his forehead against mine. “Let’s go get some supplies and go spend time in our place.” He said and then kissed me hard.
We got up and gathered up some supplies. Dad had an older small tent in the barn that I knew we could use. I grabbed a larger tote bag and packed it full of blankets and pillows. Then I raided the fridge and pantry to get us something to eat later and drinks. Water was the normal thing we grabbed. But I also took a few beers and packed a small cooler to keep the beer and the other food cold. I told Amy and Dad where Pete and I would be and that we planned on using one of the old tents in the barn. Dad told me to use the blue one and to have fun.
Pete and I took our time and hand in hand we strolled down the path to the back pasture where we had gotten married two years before. The first time I had brought him to this spot was on my 46th birthday. It was the first birthday of mine we had been together. We had made love on an old horse blanket under the Honeysuckle and then went skinny dipping in the river. It held a special place in our hearts. We had brought all the children to this field earlier in the summer and Jupiter had picked me flowers.
We decided to set up our camp close to the river. I made a fire pit with some river rocks in a circle and we gathered up some deadfall so we could have a cozy fire later once it got dark. We set up the tent and had to let it air out a bit. And we set up the bedding so we could get comfortable. I did keep a few blankets and pillows out for us to sit and lay on outside of the tent.
Once we had camp set up, Pete and I settled down on the blankets. He pulled me to him and wrapped his arms around me. He kissed my neck and started sucking gently in the sensitive skin there. I was more than happy to reciprocate the affection. We took our time and undressed each other.
After we had sex in our pasture we lay naked in the hot South Carolina sun. I was happy and satisfied. He rolled over on his side next to me and propped himself up on his bent elbow, head resting on his hand. I was on my back looking up at him. I smiled up at him with a lazy, satisfied smile.
He smiled down at me and said, “You’re so beautiful.”
“No I’m not. It’s sweet you think so. But I know I’m not.” I told him.
He gave me such a look of surprise at that answer it was almost comical. “How can you say that?” He asked in disbelief.
“I’ve looked in mirrors. I know what I look like. And I’m not beautiful. At best I’m ‘girl next door’ pretty. And that’s on my best days. I’ve always wondered how I ever attracted you. I mean, you’re a fucking heartthrob and I’m just an average woman with some freaky blue eyes.” I said. I had always wondered how I had attracted him. He’s been with models and actresses. And here I am, average at best. I can’t hold a candle to them.
Pete sat all the way up and crossed his legs criss-cross style. He had a very serious and concerned look. “Grace, how the fuck can you not know how beautiful you are? Your eyes are not freaky. They’re the most intense, deep blue and amazing eyes I’ve ever seen. Your smile lights up your face and I love your dimples. I love your crooked half smile too. The one that tells everyone you're amused. I think you’re gorgeous. I always have, since the first time I watched one of your videos. And you're fun, and smart, and so positive. Your positivity is so fucking attractive. It’s refreshing. I need that in my life. Otherwise I’d still be buried in self doubt, darkness and I know my depression would be in full force. You’ve made me realize that life doesn’t have to be all negative. You always see the bright side and the silver lining.” He told me very earnestly.
I sat up and mirrored him, sitting with my legs folded criss-crossed. We were both still as naked as the day we were born and the sun was starting to feel a bit too hot in some of my more sensitive areas.
“Why do you love me?” I asked him. He had asked me that before, but I had never asked him.
He smiled at me and said, “Because you’re you. Just Grace, my lover, my wife, my best friend, mother of my children. My favorite author, my favorite YouTuber. My inspiration. My soulmate. And the best lover I’ve ever had. I love you because you’re loving, and wonderful, and creative, and kind, and smart, and funny, and one of the best people I’ve ever known. And I think you’re beautiful and sexy.”
When he had asked me why I loved him so much, I had answered him with almost the same reasons. I smiled a loving smile at him. All the reasons he listed were the best reasons to love someone.
“All very good reasons to love somebody.” I said. Then I leaned in and kissed him. “I love you.” I told him when the kiss was over.
“Love you too. Wanna go skinny dipping? I’m getting hot.” He asked.
“Yeah, come on.” I said as I got up.
We spent some time in the river cooling off. When we got out I pulled on my tank top and panties. I needed to cover the more delicate parts. He did the same and pulled on his boxers and tee shirt.
The sun was bright and we decided to move and sit in the shade of the trees and honeysuckle. We lounged on the blankets and just talked. We are actually pretty good at that, talking. We share almost everything with each other. We talked about the new Fall Out Babies that were on their way. We talked about school for Saint and Marvel. I had been researching homeschooling and online learning for Saint and for Marvel if she was interested. But we both were planning on a very busy fall and winter with our work. The band was going to release the new album soon and a tour was going to follow. Even with two babies on the way. Scheduling was going to be difficult. And I will be going on a book tour in the fall. We were trying to figure out how to handle that, juggling the kids and who we could get to help with them. We talked about nonsense too. Just whatever came to mind. It was really nice. Just talking with him was one of my favorite things to do with him.
I’m not sure how long we laid there in the hot humid honeysuckle scented air. It could have been an hour or it could have been three hours. We had been laughing at something we were talking about. Our laughter died down and we fell silent. I was stretched out on my back, eyes closed. I opened them when I felt Pete move his leg over my hips. He moved so he was sitting on my hips. He was looking at me like I was a problem he needed to solve.
I placed both of my hands on his thighs, looked up at him and asked, “What?”
He didn’t answer right away, only looked me over. He eventually leaned over me, putting his arms on either side of my shoulders. His hair curtained his face as he leaned further into me.
“You’re so beautiful. And I never want to hear you disagree with me about it again. You know, the entire time you were pregnant I prayed they both would have your eyes, your smile. I wanted them to look like you. I’m so fucking happy Star looks like you. One day, some lucky young man or young woman is going to fall head over heels for those amazing eyes, just like I’ve fallen head over heels for yours.” He told me before he kissed me.
Pete continued to tell me just how attracted he was to me. He slowly moved down my body and removed the few clothes I had on. With each part he exposed, he told me just how beautiful he thought it was. My chest, amazing that I had fed our children from my breasts and let him experience tasting my milk. My abdomen, amazing how I had grown the twins there and how much he loved the stretch marks that proved they had been inside of me. He loved the imperfections. Finally, he commented on how much he liked my legs and ass.
“And your legs, so strong and shapely. I love it when you wrap them around me.” By this time he had completely undressed me and was nestled in between my legs. I moved them to wrap around him. “Yeah, just like that. I love all of you. Every little bit.”
We made love again right there under the honeysuckle. This wasn’t just sex, it was us both expressing how much we loved the other. After we went back into the river. We needed to cool off and wash off a bit. Then we were ready to make something to eat. I got the small fire started and we cooked up a dinner in the coals of the fire. As we ate, we watched the sun set and the moon rise.
After dinner we shared the last joint Pete had with him. We laid on the blankets watching the night sky and smoked the joint. We saw a couple shooting stars. That started a long conversation about the strange things we’ve seen in the night sky over the years and what they could have been.
Finally, we were ready to sleep. We crawled into the tent and slept. We woke up early and packed up camp. We made it back to the house before the kids did. But it didn’t take long for them to show up for breakfast.
We spent the last few days on the farm letting the children run and play as much as they wanted to. On Thursday morning Bronx left. On Friday morning Scott, Lisa, and Abby all left. We packed up and headed to Charleston later that day. It was a few hours drive so we didn’t need to rush.
As much as I love my Dad and Amy and being on the farm, I was ready to go. Being 3000 miles from my mom was going to make me feel a whole lot better.
“Hey, Gracie. How’re you doing?” Lisa asked me when she saw me.
“Ok. Where is everyone?”
“Kids are all outside playing. John and Scott went to town to see if they could get a replacement window. And they’re picking up some stuff for tomorrow.” Amy told me.
“Are you really alright?” Lisa asked me.
“I think I’m as ok as I can be right now.” I told her truthfully.
“You’re doing better than I would be. I’m so sorry this is happening.” She told me and then hugged me. I hugged her back.
“Thank you. I’m so glad you and Abby are on our side. I hope Scott now understands why I felt the need to cut her off.”
“He does. He doesn’t like it much, but he understands now. And we’ll support you in anything you want to do.” Lisa told me.
“Thank you. That really means a lot.” I told her.
Lisa smiled at me and said, “Ya know, the only reason I put up with your mom for so long was because of you, and John, and Amy. I love you guys and if seeing Rebecca meant I got to see you too, it was worth it.”
I smiled back at her. “We think you’re pretty awesome too, you know.”
Pete came into the kitchen at this point. “Hey, Honey.” I said when I saw him.
He gave me a sleepy smile. “Hey Baby. Did you get any sleep?”
“I did. I only woke up a few minutes ago myself.” I told him as I crossed to him. “How’re you feeling? Any pain?”
“A little.” He confessed once I was in front of him.
“I have something that will help. You sit down. I’m going to get my first aid kit. I’m going to clean that up and redress it for you.” Amy said in her ‘nurse’ voice.
Pete did as he was told and let Amy fuss over him. She cleaned the wound, slathered it with an antibacterial and numbing ointment and then redressed it. She did an excellent job on it.
“Thanks Amy. That feels better.” Pete told her.
The kids all came back in time for lunch. They told us all about the games they were playing out in the play area. Abby asked if they could keep the twins out with them that afternoon. But it was time for their nap.
Dad and Scott came back right as the older kids were going back out to play. They had found a window that would fit the door. They also had gone and stocked up on a bunch of fireworks, and other things for the party the next day.
After we had eaten lunch and got the twins down for their nap, I asked Pete to step outside and talk to me. I wanted to leave and go home as soon as we could. But I needed to know how he was feeling and I wanted his input. He was going to need to have his stitches removed.
We got comfortable in a couple of the Adirondack chairs.
“What’s on your mind Baby?” He asked me.
“I want to go home. I want to feel safe and I don’t want to worry about Jupiter getting snatched.” I told him.
“Me too. I would feel much better on the other side of the country. But, I think we might have to wait a few days. I’m going to need to see the doctor and make sure it’ll be alright to have the stitches removed by my doctor back home. I’m sure it will be, but I want to be sure. Ya know? And tomorrow is the 4th. I think the kids will want to stay for that. Besides, tomorrow is a Saturday, it won’t be easy to get a flight until later in the week. Let’s leave when Scott and Lisa do. I think they’re planning on leaving next Friday.”
I hummed and nodded in agreement. “I’ll see about booking us a flight home.”
He reached over and held my hand. I turned my head to look at him. He was wearing a tee shirt and a pair of shorts. He had his long hair pulled up in a bun. And he looked tired and worried. A wave of guilt washed over me. He was hurt because of me. His arm had been cut open by my mother. It was all my fault. I felt so incredibly bad about what had happened. I should have been the one to get my mother’s attack. She was after me, not him. He shouldn’t have stepped in front of me.
I couldn’t help it and started crying.
“Baby, please don’t cry.” He said as he heard me sniff. He squeezed my hand a little, letting me know he had me, and wasn't letting go any time soon.
“Can’t help it. I feel so fucking guilty. You shouldn’t have stepped in front of me. You shouldn’t be the one with the stitches. She’s my mom, and my problem, not yours.” I just started sobbing at this point. I was tired, stressed out, worried not only for my children and my husband, but for my Mom too.
“Grace, Sweetheart, I think you’re forgetting something very important. You and me, we’re a team now. Your problems are mine. And there is no way in Hell that I wouldn’t do everything to protect you.” He said so gently that I felt even more guilt.
“I don’t think I’ll ever be able to forgive her. Not for this. Hurting you, trying to take Jupiter. I’m not sure I’ll be able to forgive myself for letting her stay in our lives. If I had known she would do this…” I trailed off.
Pete tugged on my hand to get me to look back at him. “Stop. Please stop blaming yourself. It’s not your fault. How could you have known she would do that?” He asked me.
I knew in my head that this wasn’t my fault, that I couldn’t have known what my Mom had planned to do. But what my heart was telling me it was my fault, that I could have seen it coming. I had a very heavy heart.
“It’s gonna be ok. Really, we’ll get through this.” Pete told me.
I didn’t answer him, I just nodded my head. I was trying to get myself under control. I sniffed and wiped my eyes. We sat quietly together thinking our own thoughts. I did realize something though.
“Ya know, there is one thing that I’ve realized.” I finally said.
“What’s that?” He asked me.
“That there isn't anything that could make me love you more or find you even more attractive than knowing you would do anything to protect me and the children.” I told him.
He turned his head to look at me and then flashed his grin. “Really? You think I’m attractive?” He was teasing me. He knew I did, but sometimes he needed to hear it.
I gave him a smile back, “You know I do.” I said and gave him that look, the one that says I think he’s the most attractive man I know. “There’s something about knowing, without a doubt, that you will protect me. It’s very masculine, primal, animalistic, and very sexy.”
“I actually know what you mean. You scared the shit out of me when you faced down the mountain lion. But there was something incredibly sexy about knowing you love me and the kids so much you would put yourself in danger to keep us safe.”
“I think it’s sexy to know you love us as much as I love you. And I adore you and the children.” I told him.
He squeezed my hand, leaned over and dropped a kiss on my lips and said, “I love you so much.”
We sat there, holding hands and taking comfort in each other's company for a little while. I finally got up when it was close to when the twins should be waking up. Pete followed me in. He wasn’t comfortable with Jupiter being out of his site for too long either.
He did call the doctor’s office and made an appointment for the Monday after the 4th of July. I started looking for a flight home the next weekend. I wanted to go home and be as far from Mom as I could get.
That night I found a flight out on Saturday morning. It was an early flight, but it got us home at a reasonable time. I checked with Pete if he was ok with it. We decided that we would leave Dads on Friday and spend the night at a hotel in Charleston. It just made sense to spend the night up there so we didn’t have to get up before dawn to make it to the airport on time.
The next day was the 4th of July. As always, Dad was throwing a big cook out for friends and family. We all had fun. The kids got to play with a bunch of kids that were there for the day. Bronx and Abby took charge of all of them and organized a big game of hide and seek. It kept them all busy for hours. They even got the twins involved. They all had a great time. Bronx brought me the twins when they were in need of a nap.
Many people remembered Pete and the kids from two summers before. A few of them had found out what Pete actually does and commented on the band. Lots of people wanted to meet the babies. Most of them were older friends of Dad’s, people that had known me for most of my life. Star turned shy and wasn’t interested in meeting all these new and strange people. But Jupiter was happy with the attention. He got told how much he looked like his Pops over and over again.
Todd and Kayla and their children were invited. They all came and had a great time. Kayla got to cuddle the twins and was happy about it. Their kids got along with ours and went off and spent time together.
When darkness came the fireworks were started. There was lots of noise and the twins weren’t used to that, but they did alright. Star was fascinated by the fireworks. Jupiter didn’t seem as impressed by them as his sister. He wanted to cuddle on Pete’s lap. It was much later than they normally stay up. Jupiter was ready for bed, but also wanted to stay up with his brothers and sisters.
When the fireworks were over we said goodbye to everyone and took the kids inside. All of them were ready for bed, even the teenagers. They had been running and playing all day. They slept the sleep of the young and tired. I wish I could sleep so well.
Pete and I were both tired and worn out. It had been a long couple of days. But we still had enough energy to spend some quality time together. I got to show him just how sexy I thought what he did for me really was.
Pete went to see the doctor on Monday. He was given the all clear to go home and have his regular doctor remove the stitches. His wound was healing well and the doctor didn’t have any concerns. We were all ready to go home. It just didn’t feel safe here. Going home felt safer.
On Sunday we informed the family that we would be leaving at the end of the week. Marvel wasn’t happy with the news. She had been having a great time on the farm. She was totally in love with all the animals and being able to run and explore the farm. Saint however was happy to know we were leaving. He was the most worried of all the kids about what had happened with my Mom.
Bronx informed us that he too would be leaving soon. He had to get back home too. Ashlee knew where he was, but she wanted some time with him before he left for college and he had promised her he would be back from his trip before the middle of July.
My mother was still being held in the jail in town. It was a federal holiday weekend so the local judge wasn’t available. He was on vacation. This meant she was being held until his return. Her doctor was trying to get her released into his custody. He wanted to put her in an institution for an evaluation.
Ryan was done. He had been trying to help her and she drugged him. She used prescription sleeping pills in his evening tea, and she used two. She could have killed him. He told Scott that he would not allow her back in the house. He would do what he could for her from a distance. But he couldn’t trust her to be in the same home with him. I couldn’t blame him.
I got a call from my mother’s attorney on Monday. He had the gall to ask me to drop the charges against her. I asked him if he had children. He said he did. I then asked him if he would forgive someone trying to kidnap his child. He admitted that he wouldn’t. I told him I wouldn’t either and to not contact me directly. I gave him our attorney's number and told him all communication needed to go through Larry.
Bronx was planning on leaving on Thursday. He had promised his Mom he would be back before the summer was half over. On Tuesday night all the kids had one last camp out. He and Abby wanted all of the kids so we allowed them to take the twins too. Bronx and Saint were trying to teach Jupiter how to pee in the woods. I didn’t think he was ready for potty training yet, but they both told me he had already started doing it because he had seen them peeing on the trees. And apparently, Abby and Marvel were teaching Star how to pee in the woods too. Star had started telling me when she was wet and in need of a change. So, maybe I was wrong and seeing their older siblings peeing in the woods would accelerate their pottery training.
After the kids left to the far back pasture Pete asked me if I wanted to do our own camp out. We were sitting on the porch steps watching Bronx drive Luna down the tractor path to the far back pasture. All the kids were in the van, but we let them because the fastest he could go was about 10 mph.
Pete scooted over so that our sides, hips, thighs were pressed together. He wrapped his arm around my shoulders. I rested my head on his shoulder and my hand on his thigh. I rubbed my palm lightly over the skin of his knee. He was wearing shorts.
“If you want, we could have our own camp out. In our place. You know, where we celebrated your birthday amongst the honeysuckle, where we got married. We could sleep under the stars. We’ve never done that before, just the two of us.” He said as he tried to convince me. It wasn’t going to take much to convince me to spend the night in the field with him.
I lifted my head and turned it to look at him. “We could grab the small tent and take out some blankets. It’s gonna be a warm night, but we’ll want something to sleep on. The ground gets hard.” I said as I smiled at him.
He grinned back at me. “Doesn’t John have a lot of gear that we can use?” He asked.
“Yeah, there’s a bunch of it. We can use what we want. And I would like to look at the stars with you.” I said and slid my hand up his thigh. “There are a lot of things I’d like to do with you under the stars.”
I felt him shiver as my hand slid even further up his thigh. “Yeah, yeah we can definitely do lots of things under the stars.” He said in his dark husky voice that always means he’s turned on.
Turning my torso towards him, I lifted my other hand and cupped his cheek. I rubbed my thumb over the stubble there. Then, without saying a word, I pulled him to me and kissed him. He moaned into my mouth as I slid my tongue into his. I moved the hand that was on his thigh to his lower back. He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me as close as possible without breaking the kiss.
When I was done with the kiss I pulled back and took the time to catch my breath.
“Ya know, we don’t have to wait until tonight. We can head out there whenever we want. The honeysuckle's in bloom.” I told him.
He nodded and rested his forehead against mine. “Let’s go get some supplies and go spend time in our place.” He said and then kissed me hard.
We got up and gathered up some supplies. Dad had an older small tent in the barn that I knew we could use. I grabbed a larger tote bag and packed it full of blankets and pillows. Then I raided the fridge and pantry to get us something to eat later and drinks. Water was the normal thing we grabbed. But I also took a few beers and packed a small cooler to keep the beer and the other food cold. I told Amy and Dad where Pete and I would be and that we planned on using one of the old tents in the barn. Dad told me to use the blue one and to have fun.
Pete and I took our time and hand in hand we strolled down the path to the back pasture where we had gotten married two years before. The first time I had brought him to this spot was on my 46th birthday. It was the first birthday of mine we had been together. We had made love on an old horse blanket under the Honeysuckle and then went skinny dipping in the river. It held a special place in our hearts. We had brought all the children to this field earlier in the summer and Jupiter had picked me flowers.
We decided to set up our camp close to the river. I made a fire pit with some river rocks in a circle and we gathered up some deadfall so we could have a cozy fire later once it got dark. We set up the tent and had to let it air out a bit. And we set up the bedding so we could get comfortable. I did keep a few blankets and pillows out for us to sit and lay on outside of the tent.
Once we had camp set up, Pete and I settled down on the blankets. He pulled me to him and wrapped his arms around me. He kissed my neck and started sucking gently in the sensitive skin there. I was more than happy to reciprocate the affection. We took our time and undressed each other.
After we had sex in our pasture we lay naked in the hot South Carolina sun. I was happy and satisfied. He rolled over on his side next to me and propped himself up on his bent elbow, head resting on his hand. I was on my back looking up at him. I smiled up at him with a lazy, satisfied smile.
He smiled down at me and said, “You’re so beautiful.”
“No I’m not. It’s sweet you think so. But I know I’m not.” I told him.
He gave me such a look of surprise at that answer it was almost comical. “How can you say that?” He asked in disbelief.
“I’ve looked in mirrors. I know what I look like. And I’m not beautiful. At best I’m ‘girl next door’ pretty. And that’s on my best days. I’ve always wondered how I ever attracted you. I mean, you’re a fucking heartthrob and I’m just an average woman with some freaky blue eyes.” I said. I had always wondered how I had attracted him. He’s been with models and actresses. And here I am, average at best. I can’t hold a candle to them.
Pete sat all the way up and crossed his legs criss-cross style. He had a very serious and concerned look. “Grace, how the fuck can you not know how beautiful you are? Your eyes are not freaky. They’re the most intense, deep blue and amazing eyes I’ve ever seen. Your smile lights up your face and I love your dimples. I love your crooked half smile too. The one that tells everyone you're amused. I think you’re gorgeous. I always have, since the first time I watched one of your videos. And you're fun, and smart, and so positive. Your positivity is so fucking attractive. It’s refreshing. I need that in my life. Otherwise I’d still be buried in self doubt, darkness and I know my depression would be in full force. You’ve made me realize that life doesn’t have to be all negative. You always see the bright side and the silver lining.” He told me very earnestly.
I sat up and mirrored him, sitting with my legs folded criss-crossed. We were both still as naked as the day we were born and the sun was starting to feel a bit too hot in some of my more sensitive areas.
“Why do you love me?” I asked him. He had asked me that before, but I had never asked him.
He smiled at me and said, “Because you’re you. Just Grace, my lover, my wife, my best friend, mother of my children. My favorite author, my favorite YouTuber. My inspiration. My soulmate. And the best lover I’ve ever had. I love you because you’re loving, and wonderful, and creative, and kind, and smart, and funny, and one of the best people I’ve ever known. And I think you’re beautiful and sexy.”
When he had asked me why I loved him so much, I had answered him with almost the same reasons. I smiled a loving smile at him. All the reasons he listed were the best reasons to love someone.
“All very good reasons to love somebody.” I said. Then I leaned in and kissed him. “I love you.” I told him when the kiss was over.
“Love you too. Wanna go skinny dipping? I’m getting hot.” He asked.
“Yeah, come on.” I said as I got up.
We spent some time in the river cooling off. When we got out I pulled on my tank top and panties. I needed to cover the more delicate parts. He did the same and pulled on his boxers and tee shirt.
The sun was bright and we decided to move and sit in the shade of the trees and honeysuckle. We lounged on the blankets and just talked. We are actually pretty good at that, talking. We share almost everything with each other. We talked about the new Fall Out Babies that were on their way. We talked about school for Saint and Marvel. I had been researching homeschooling and online learning for Saint and for Marvel if she was interested. But we both were planning on a very busy fall and winter with our work. The band was going to release the new album soon and a tour was going to follow. Even with two babies on the way. Scheduling was going to be difficult. And I will be going on a book tour in the fall. We were trying to figure out how to handle that, juggling the kids and who we could get to help with them. We talked about nonsense too. Just whatever came to mind. It was really nice. Just talking with him was one of my favorite things to do with him.
I’m not sure how long we laid there in the hot humid honeysuckle scented air. It could have been an hour or it could have been three hours. We had been laughing at something we were talking about. Our laughter died down and we fell silent. I was stretched out on my back, eyes closed. I opened them when I felt Pete move his leg over my hips. He moved so he was sitting on my hips. He was looking at me like I was a problem he needed to solve.
I placed both of my hands on his thighs, looked up at him and asked, “What?”
He didn’t answer right away, only looked me over. He eventually leaned over me, putting his arms on either side of my shoulders. His hair curtained his face as he leaned further into me.
“You’re so beautiful. And I never want to hear you disagree with me about it again. You know, the entire time you were pregnant I prayed they both would have your eyes, your smile. I wanted them to look like you. I’m so fucking happy Star looks like you. One day, some lucky young man or young woman is going to fall head over heels for those amazing eyes, just like I’ve fallen head over heels for yours.” He told me before he kissed me.
Pete continued to tell me just how attracted he was to me. He slowly moved down my body and removed the few clothes I had on. With each part he exposed, he told me just how beautiful he thought it was. My chest, amazing that I had fed our children from my breasts and let him experience tasting my milk. My abdomen, amazing how I had grown the twins there and how much he loved the stretch marks that proved they had been inside of me. He loved the imperfections. Finally, he commented on how much he liked my legs and ass.
“And your legs, so strong and shapely. I love it when you wrap them around me.” By this time he had completely undressed me and was nestled in between my legs. I moved them to wrap around him. “Yeah, just like that. I love all of you. Every little bit.”
We made love again right there under the honeysuckle. This wasn’t just sex, it was us both expressing how much we loved the other. After we went back into the river. We needed to cool off and wash off a bit. Then we were ready to make something to eat. I got the small fire started and we cooked up a dinner in the coals of the fire. As we ate, we watched the sun set and the moon rise.
After dinner we shared the last joint Pete had with him. We laid on the blankets watching the night sky and smoked the joint. We saw a couple shooting stars. That started a long conversation about the strange things we’ve seen in the night sky over the years and what they could have been.
Finally, we were ready to sleep. We crawled into the tent and slept. We woke up early and packed up camp. We made it back to the house before the kids did. But it didn’t take long for them to show up for breakfast.
We spent the last few days on the farm letting the children run and play as much as they wanted to. On Thursday morning Bronx left. On Friday morning Scott, Lisa, and Abby all left. We packed up and headed to Charleston later that day. It was a few hours drive so we didn’t need to rush.
As much as I love my Dad and Amy and being on the farm, I was ready to go. Being 3000 miles from my mom was going to make me feel a whole lot better.
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