“Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday to Darren happy birthday to you” Everyone sang around the table. Nick was unable to attend since he was still on tour with NKTOBSB so it was just Rayna, and the kids. Her computer started to ring it was Nick ringing in for his weekly live chat.

“Dada!” Darren exclaimed as Rayna accepted the video chat.

“Hey there little buddy” Nick waved,” Sorry I am late honey I had an interview that ran over,” he said,” Did you already sing to him?”

“Yes we did I am sorry” Rayna said.

“It’s okay I am here now though.” The party had continued in front of the computer Darren was so excited to see Nick since the tour had started last May Nick wasn’t around much to see him after Nick’s solo album launched he did a little tour in Japan and then went right into a new tour with the guys and joined forces with New Kids On The Block. They went on tour with him for a little while and now they just Skype when they can. While Rayna let Nick talk to the kids she went into the living room and grabbed the presents off the couch and brought them into the kitchen and set them on the table. It was hard having him gone so long and even though Hunter and Olivia were almost six and five it was still difficult at times she had set up a little school room in the playroom for her to teach them their ABC’s and numbers to get them ready for school in the fall Hunter was going to kindergarten and Olivia was going to be in pre-school. In her spare time Rayna even started getting Madison used to it as well it was never too early to start.

“Present!” Darren yelled.

“What do you say?”

“Plessse” he said Rayna handed him a gift from Nick that he had bought when he was home last Rayna didn’t even know what it was Darren tore open that paper and Rayna was surprised to see that he had gotten him a remote control car.

“Don’t you think it’s a little young to be teaching him how to drive?” she chuckled.

“I thought it was cool and I thought since he is so into cars he would enjoy it something we do could together and Hunter could play with him too it’s a boy’s thing.” Rayna sighed,” What you don’t like it?”

“Nick dear this is for kids 7 and up this toy is too old for Darren, but brownie points for thinking ahead.” Nick sighed,” Honey you did a good job but even Hunter is too young for this gift but I am sure you will love driving it around,” Nick thought this was the perfect gift for him he even knew he was too young for him but he wanted something he could do with the boys he wasn’t just thinking of himself.

“I guess I got a little ahead of myself what did you get him?” Rayna handed Darren the next present and once more Darren tore into the paper like he was a kitty cat and it was a phone,” You got him a phone? How is that anything different from mine?”

“It’s a kid phone that just looks like an IPhone it has games and stuff.”

“He is one of he can’t play with a remote control car how can he possible know how to play games on a phone?”

“Nick I don’t want to fight right now please plus this is educational.”

“He is one Ray.”

“It’s never too early to start you were impressed with Maddy weren’t you?”

“Well yea of course.”

“Well I did this for her too.. you just weren’t here to see most of it”

“Hey stop throwing that in my face its not fair” it seemed like all they ever did was fight anymore he was beginning to think that they were headed down a dark and nasty path of destruction and he didn’t want that Rayna was his soul mate but he knew it was true he has been on the road for almost a year with just a few times in between that he was actually home for more than a twenty-four hour period just then his phone started beeping.

“I gotta go honey I am sorry I’ll call you later love you”

“Alright love you too” the kids waved good-bye at the computer screen and then Nick was gone.” Well kids how about some cake and ice cream?”

“Num nums!” Darren yelled Rayna dished all the kids out a little piece of cake and some ice cream Rayna sat down next to Darren and couldn’t help but wonder if Nick was hiding something he went awfully quickly from Skype and he wasn’t usually like that.

“Maybe its just all in my head probably more paranoid than anything,” she thought to herself even though her and Nick have been together for almost three years she was still terrified at times of everything just falling apart and being stuck back in the same position she was in with John she tried to hide it but it was always on her mind. She wondered if she would ever get over it.