Post by audreykins on Aug 14, 2008 23:02:28 GMT -5
Oh my! Look! I'm actually updating!
CHAPTER FIVE
The Jonas family and Julia joined hands as they sat around the dinner table. “Dear Heavenly Father,” Kevin, Sr. began. “We are truly blessed and will never be able to show our gratitude for all the opportunities You have given us. Thank You for our four beautiful and healthy children and I pray that You can guide us to use their talents in Your name. Thank you for bringing Julia to California safely.” Nick squeezed Julia’s hand at this part and she smiled. “She is a joy to have here and is a faithful servant to You, Lord. Please take this food we are about to eat and let it nourish our bodies. Guide us and direct us in your light. In your Heavenly name we pray, amen.”
“I miss this when we’re on tour,” Joe said as he passed a bowl to his mom.
“Me too. There’s nothing like a home-cooked meal,” Kevin added, cutting into his lasagna.
“Agreed,” Nick said.
“So, how have you been Miss Julia?” Kevin, Sr. asked.
“Oh, I’ve been good. Just bored mostly,” Julia answered, taking a bite of her dinner. Kevin, Sr. chuckled.
“You’re still taking dance and piano lessons, right?” Denise asked.
“Mm-hm. That part is fun.”
“When is your dance recital this year? You know we always come,” Kevin said.
Julia smiled. “I know for sure it's in June.” Ever since her first dance recital when she was in first grade, the Jonas family always came to see her dance. They were always sure to bring her flowers—yellow roses, her favorite—and there are plenty of pictures documenting the events. It’s just another page in the Jacob-Jonas story. “I’ll let you know, though.”
After dinner, Julia helped Denise clear the table and wash the dishes. “No, sweetie. You don’t have to do that. You’re our guest.”
Julia smiled. “I know, but it feels like home.”
After more TV watching and joking around, the household went to bed. Julia, however, laid in her new bed wide awake. She had always been a night person. She usually stayed up later into the night to read or sit at the computer. Being in California, even with the time difference, nothing changed.
Julia pulled her covers off and turned her lamp on. She grabbed some towels and her robe and headed to the bathroom down the hallway being as quiet as possible. The last thing she wanted to do was to wake up the whole Jonas family and have them question why she was up so late.
When she made it to the bathroom, she turned the shower on and allowed the water to get hot. After slipping off her clothes, she stepped in. Showers relaxed her and gave her time to think. Julia was famous for taking random showers in the middle of the night. She couldn’t count the number of times she had woken her mother up because of one of her midnight showers. So, it wasn’t a surprise when Julia put her robe on after her shower and opened the bathroom door to see Nick in the hallway, leaning against the opposite wall. She forgot he was a light sleeper.
Julia grinned. “Hi Nick.”
Nick chuckled and ruffled his messy hair with his hand as he stood up straight. He was wearing a white T-shirt and green boxer shorts. “Hi Julia.”
“What are you doing up?”
“I heard the shower running. Isn’t that strange?”
“Yeah it is! Who would take a shower in the middle of the night?”
“No idea. Crazy people I guess.” He smirked.
Julia walked past him. “You’re still a light sleep.”
Nick followed her. “Yeah, I know. I hate it. Most of the time anyway.”
Julia didn’t catch the flirty undertone in his comment. She stopped at the staircase leading to her room. “You want to hang out tonight?”
“Sure. No sense in sleeping, right?”
“No way. I’ll go change.” Julia dashed up the stairs and found her cute pajamas—a yellow cami with yellow and green striped shorts. Why did she care if Nick saw her in her cute pajamas? He had seen her at her worst.
Julia started down the stairs, but Nick started to walk up the stairs with his guitar in his hands. Julia waited on the same step until Nick met her. “I want to play something for you,” Nick said.
“What? A new song?” Julia asked, turning around and walking up the stairs.
“Sort of. Sit down.”
Julia gave him a questioning look, but sat on the edge of her bed anyway.
Nick grabbed a chair and pulled it to the bed so that it was in front of Julia. He sat down. “Ok, this is sort of a present for you,” Nick said. “I’ve been working on it for awhile. I hope you like it.” Nick moved the guitar in place and looked at Julia.
Julia nodded. “I know I’ll love it,” she said quickly.
Nick cleared his throat and started to strum some familiar chords. Julia knew them like the back of her hand. The sound of them tugged on her heart strings and made a lump rise in her throat. Nick began to sing.
Half of what I say is meaningless
But I say it just to reach you,
Julia
Nick was singing her song. Her father’s song. John Lennon’s song.
Julia, Julia, Ocean Child, calls me
So I sing a song of love, Julia
Julia, seashell eyes, windy smile, calls me
So I sing a song of love, Julia
Julia shifted on the bed. She was trying not to cry, so she focused on Nick’s strumming fingers.
Her hair of floating sky is shimmering, glimmering,
In the sun
Julia glanced at Nick’s face and looked away. His eyes were closed.
Julia, Julia, morning moon, touch me
So I sing a song of love, Julia
Julia glanced again and this time Nick saw her looking.
When I cannot sing my heart
I can only speak my mind, Julia
Julia didn’t look away this time.
Julia, sleeping sand, silent cloud, touch me
So I sing a song of love, Julia
Hum hum hum hum… calls me
So I sing a song of love for Julia, Julia, Julia
Nick played the final chords and the room fell silent.
“Nick,” Julia whispered. “You learned that for me?” She still had the lump in her throat.
Nick scratched the back of his neck. “Yeah. I mean, I know it’s not like your dad’s or the Beatles, but…”
“I liked it," she said quickly and then paused. "I loved it."
Nick smiled. “Good. Because the Beatles aren’t easy to learn.” Nick and Julia laughed.
“I know. They’re hard on the piano too.” Julia glanced at the wall covered with pictures and her eyes settled on a picture of the boys and her a couple of years ago on Christmas. The five of them sat on the floor in a row, sitting Indian style from oldest to youngest: Kevin, Joe, Nick, Julia, and Frankie. A Christmas tree was visible in the background and wrapping paper surrounded them. The five of them were wearing matching shirts. The shirt was black with “The Beatles” in big, white letters. Julia remembered her father giving them those shirts.
“Look,” Julia said, pointing to the picture.
Nick looked to the picture and smiled. “Oh yeah. I remember that. I still have my shirt.”
“Me too. Oh gosh. And look at my hair.”
Nick laughed. “I like it.”
“You must have a visual impairment because it looks awful.”
“No! You were cute!”
Julia didn’t say anything for a minute, letting the room fall into an awkward silence. “Thanks,” she finally said, pushing her hair behind her ears. She changed the subject. “So, Nicholas. What do you do for fun around here?”
Nick smiled. “Do you have your socks?”
“One… two… three!” Nick and Julia exclaimed together. They went racing across the kitchen floor and stopped so that they slid a few feet. Their feet slid out from underneath them and they fell to the floor and broke into fits of laughter. This is something they used to do when they were eight years old in the Jacobs’ kitchen.
“I think I’m going to have a bruise from that time,” Julia said, looking at her knee.
“Me too,” Nick said, rubbing his butt. “But not on my knee.” Julia laughed at him and stood up. She reached down and pulled Nick up. “You know what we need to do?”
“What?”
“Ice cream sundaes!”
CHAPTER FIVE
The Jonas family and Julia joined hands as they sat around the dinner table. “Dear Heavenly Father,” Kevin, Sr. began. “We are truly blessed and will never be able to show our gratitude for all the opportunities You have given us. Thank You for our four beautiful and healthy children and I pray that You can guide us to use their talents in Your name. Thank you for bringing Julia to California safely.” Nick squeezed Julia’s hand at this part and she smiled. “She is a joy to have here and is a faithful servant to You, Lord. Please take this food we are about to eat and let it nourish our bodies. Guide us and direct us in your light. In your Heavenly name we pray, amen.”
“I miss this when we’re on tour,” Joe said as he passed a bowl to his mom.
“Me too. There’s nothing like a home-cooked meal,” Kevin added, cutting into his lasagna.
“Agreed,” Nick said.
“So, how have you been Miss Julia?” Kevin, Sr. asked.
“Oh, I’ve been good. Just bored mostly,” Julia answered, taking a bite of her dinner. Kevin, Sr. chuckled.
“You’re still taking dance and piano lessons, right?” Denise asked.
“Mm-hm. That part is fun.”
“When is your dance recital this year? You know we always come,” Kevin said.
Julia smiled. “I know for sure it's in June.” Ever since her first dance recital when she was in first grade, the Jonas family always came to see her dance. They were always sure to bring her flowers—yellow roses, her favorite—and there are plenty of pictures documenting the events. It’s just another page in the Jacob-Jonas story. “I’ll let you know, though.”
After dinner, Julia helped Denise clear the table and wash the dishes. “No, sweetie. You don’t have to do that. You’re our guest.”
Julia smiled. “I know, but it feels like home.”
After more TV watching and joking around, the household went to bed. Julia, however, laid in her new bed wide awake. She had always been a night person. She usually stayed up later into the night to read or sit at the computer. Being in California, even with the time difference, nothing changed.
Julia pulled her covers off and turned her lamp on. She grabbed some towels and her robe and headed to the bathroom down the hallway being as quiet as possible. The last thing she wanted to do was to wake up the whole Jonas family and have them question why she was up so late.
When she made it to the bathroom, she turned the shower on and allowed the water to get hot. After slipping off her clothes, she stepped in. Showers relaxed her and gave her time to think. Julia was famous for taking random showers in the middle of the night. She couldn’t count the number of times she had woken her mother up because of one of her midnight showers. So, it wasn’t a surprise when Julia put her robe on after her shower and opened the bathroom door to see Nick in the hallway, leaning against the opposite wall. She forgot he was a light sleeper.
Julia grinned. “Hi Nick.”
Nick chuckled and ruffled his messy hair with his hand as he stood up straight. He was wearing a white T-shirt and green boxer shorts. “Hi Julia.”
“What are you doing up?”
“I heard the shower running. Isn’t that strange?”
“Yeah it is! Who would take a shower in the middle of the night?”
“No idea. Crazy people I guess.” He smirked.
Julia walked past him. “You’re still a light sleep.”
Nick followed her. “Yeah, I know. I hate it. Most of the time anyway.”
Julia didn’t catch the flirty undertone in his comment. She stopped at the staircase leading to her room. “You want to hang out tonight?”
“Sure. No sense in sleeping, right?”
“No way. I’ll go change.” Julia dashed up the stairs and found her cute pajamas—a yellow cami with yellow and green striped shorts. Why did she care if Nick saw her in her cute pajamas? He had seen her at her worst.
Julia started down the stairs, but Nick started to walk up the stairs with his guitar in his hands. Julia waited on the same step until Nick met her. “I want to play something for you,” Nick said.
“What? A new song?” Julia asked, turning around and walking up the stairs.
“Sort of. Sit down.”
Julia gave him a questioning look, but sat on the edge of her bed anyway.
Nick grabbed a chair and pulled it to the bed so that it was in front of Julia. He sat down. “Ok, this is sort of a present for you,” Nick said. “I’ve been working on it for awhile. I hope you like it.” Nick moved the guitar in place and looked at Julia.
Julia nodded. “I know I’ll love it,” she said quickly.
Nick cleared his throat and started to strum some familiar chords. Julia knew them like the back of her hand. The sound of them tugged on her heart strings and made a lump rise in her throat. Nick began to sing.
Half of what I say is meaningless
But I say it just to reach you,
Julia
Nick was singing her song. Her father’s song. John Lennon’s song.
Julia, Julia, Ocean Child, calls me
So I sing a song of love, Julia
Julia, seashell eyes, windy smile, calls me
So I sing a song of love, Julia
Julia shifted on the bed. She was trying not to cry, so she focused on Nick’s strumming fingers.
Her hair of floating sky is shimmering, glimmering,
In the sun
Julia glanced at Nick’s face and looked away. His eyes were closed.
Julia, Julia, morning moon, touch me
So I sing a song of love, Julia
Julia glanced again and this time Nick saw her looking.
When I cannot sing my heart
I can only speak my mind, Julia
Julia didn’t look away this time.
Julia, sleeping sand, silent cloud, touch me
So I sing a song of love, Julia
Hum hum hum hum… calls me
So I sing a song of love for Julia, Julia, Julia
Nick played the final chords and the room fell silent.
“Nick,” Julia whispered. “You learned that for me?” She still had the lump in her throat.
Nick scratched the back of his neck. “Yeah. I mean, I know it’s not like your dad’s or the Beatles, but…”
“I liked it," she said quickly and then paused. "I loved it."
Nick smiled. “Good. Because the Beatles aren’t easy to learn.” Nick and Julia laughed.
“I know. They’re hard on the piano too.” Julia glanced at the wall covered with pictures and her eyes settled on a picture of the boys and her a couple of years ago on Christmas. The five of them sat on the floor in a row, sitting Indian style from oldest to youngest: Kevin, Joe, Nick, Julia, and Frankie. A Christmas tree was visible in the background and wrapping paper surrounded them. The five of them were wearing matching shirts. The shirt was black with “The Beatles” in big, white letters. Julia remembered her father giving them those shirts.
“Look,” Julia said, pointing to the picture.
Nick looked to the picture and smiled. “Oh yeah. I remember that. I still have my shirt.”
“Me too. Oh gosh. And look at my hair.”
Nick laughed. “I like it.”
“You must have a visual impairment because it looks awful.”
“No! You were cute!”
Julia didn’t say anything for a minute, letting the room fall into an awkward silence. “Thanks,” she finally said, pushing her hair behind her ears. She changed the subject. “So, Nicholas. What do you do for fun around here?”
Nick smiled. “Do you have your socks?”
“One… two… three!” Nick and Julia exclaimed together. They went racing across the kitchen floor and stopped so that they slid a few feet. Their feet slid out from underneath them and they fell to the floor and broke into fits of laughter. This is something they used to do when they were eight years old in the Jacobs’ kitchen.
“I think I’m going to have a bruise from that time,” Julia said, looking at her knee.
“Me too,” Nick said, rubbing his butt. “But not on my knee.” Julia laughed at him and stood up. She reached down and pulled Nick up. “You know what we need to do?”
“What?”
“Ice cream sundaes!”
