*SERENA*

Jamie and I are sitting in the kitchen when the knock comes.  I have calmed down considerably, but a good friend and some ice cream will do that for you.

“That’s probably him.” Jamie doesn’t look too happy.  Hmm, I wonder what’s she’s planning on doing, I hope she doesn’t make a huge scene.

“Oh, just wait till I give him a piece of my mind.”

“Jamie, wait!”  It’s too late she’s already opened the door and is yelling at Matthias.  The boys look worried, and I hear Peter coming from the living room.

“Aunt Serena?”

“Shh hun, it’s okay go back in the living room and the twins will join you in a few minutes.”

“Elijah’s back? Yay!”  I can’t help but smile at that despite the situation.  After I persuade him to go back to the living room I make my way to the door.  Hopefully I can diffuse the situation before it gets too out of hand,

“No Matthias!  You need to leave!  I don’t want you and your filth anywhere near my house.”

“Jamie!”  I scold her, now my boys really look scared.

“Zainey, Elijah?  Why don’t ya’ll go ahead and go into the living room and go play with Peter.”  Elijah jumps up and runs ahead, the arguing forgotten in his haste to get to his friend.  Zainey on the other hand just looks uneasily at Jamie, then at Matthias.  He finally settles a glare onto Nico; I swear that boy really is too smart for his own good.

“Mom?”

“Everything will be fine Zainey.  Aunt Jamie and your dad are just having a disagreement.”  Jamie looks guilty as she realizes that she scared the boys.  Good, she should.

“I’m sorry Serena.”

“Shhh Jamie, now if you’d like to let Matthias know how you feel, fine.  Just please don’t involve my boys.”  I look at Nico who looks like he’s feeling a bit guilty himself.  Poor guy.  This situation is tough on all of us.

“Nico and I are going to make sure the boys are okay while you settle how you feel with Matthias.”  Besides I think Nico and I need to have a little talk ourselves.  Now he’s gone as white as a sheet.  I feel some satisfaction in the fact that I was able to make him look like that.  Don’t get me wrong, I’m not mean and like I said this situation is terrible however you look at it, but he is the one that Nico was cheating on me with also.

“B-but!  I don’t want that nasty home wrecker faggot in my house!”  Really?  I’ve never known Jamie to talk like that.  I mean I knew she’d be upset.  I’m her best friend and if the tables were turned, I’m sure I’d react almost the same way.  Still that seems a bit much, and now Nico really looks like he’s holding back tears.

“Really Jamie, it will only be for a couple of minutes while you talk to Matthias.”

I walk inside and Nico follows me.  I’m like a sister to Jamie she can’t really refuse me too much.  She’s just a bit over-protective of me.

“Se-Serena?”  Nico asks timidly.  I feel my mouth tighten into a thin line.  Just because he’s cute and I don’t approve of the way Jamie is treating him doesn’t mean I have to be happy about all this.

“Save it Nico.  I know you didn’t mean for all this to happen, but you had to have known what you were getting into.”  He just looks down at his feet.  I sigh.

“You and I both know that Matthias has a huge decision to make, and that there will be a lot of hurt and pain in the process.  It might take some time for him to come to his own conclusions and realize where he really belongs.  No one but him can know that.  I want to be there for him the whole way, and I’m sure you do too, but it’s something he has to decide on his own.”

He sighs also.

“Yeah, I know.  I just can’t help but worry and feel guilty about everything.”

I turn to him and make sure I have his attention.

“Okay, Nico?  So here’s the deal.  I don’t have to like you or approve of you.  I’m just sticking around because Matthias needs me at the moment and we have a family together.  I’m not sure anything you say will get me to like you any better at this point.  At least not now.  Just letting you know straight out that I’m not happy about everything going on and I’m sure at the moment no one else is either.  You however need to hold yourself together because Mattie does need us both right now, however much we wish he didn’t need the other.”

He looks down ashamed again.  Like I said before poor guy, I can’t help but feel sorry for him in a way.  I know I was being harsh, but those are the facts.  I don’t have to like him because of everything that he and Mattie did to me.  In any other circumstance I’m sure I would have loved Nico, but that’s not the case.

“Now, let’s drop it for now and go see what the boys are up to.  We don’t need to worry them any more than they already are.”

He nods his head.

We walk into the living room to see Elijah and Peter playing with blocks and Zainey just lost in thought.  As soon as they see us Zainey looks at Nico disdainfully.  Hm, so it looks like I’m not the only one who’s not exactly happy with him.  I wonder what that’s about.  Elijah jumps up and comes running to me.

“Mamma, mamma!  Wook, what we got for you!”  He holds up some handmade jewelry of some type.

“It’s really pretty I say distractedly.”

“Yep, and guess what?  Daddy’s friend is the one who wanted to get it for you!”  Now that caught my attention.  What?  Nico thought to get me something?  He might not be that bad after all.  Though that still doesn’t change anything and I still don’t like him.  I just have to keep telling myself that.

I look at him to see that he’s looking away kind of embarrassed.  Awe.  Wait, I need to stop that.  He’s the reason my family is falling apart here.  Just as I had that thought, Mattie walks in followed by Jamie.  Neither one of them look happy.

“Nico, I think we should go.”  He glares at Jamie.

“I know when I’m not welcomed somewhere.”  He adds under his breath, though I’m not sure I was meant to here that.  Hmm, I guess Jamie really does hate him now.  I think it’s more than just him cheating on me too.

“Okay, bye boys.  Bye Serena.”  He added that last part in a whisper.  This night is just too confusing for me.  I can’t wait to just go home and curl up in bed.  Maybe the boys will join me if they can’t sleep.  Yeah that always makes me feel better.

“Bye Nico!  Bye Daddy!  Love you!  Nico, will you come back and see me?”  Elijah says with a pout, he’s just too cute.

“Sure”

“Goody!”

I can’t help but notice that Zainey is really quiet during all this.  Though he does go and hug his daddy before they go.

I turn to Jamie after they leave.

“What was that about?”

“Nothing, I just can’t stand fags.”

“Jamie, that’s not a nice thing to say.  Not all gay guys are that bad.”  She scoffs at that.

“No?  Look what they are doing to you!”  I sigh.

“Look Jamie, it’s been a long day and I should get home.  I’ll call you in the morning okay?”

She agrees and with that I gather the boys and leave.