Tuesday
evening there were two goodbye parties at the center. Next Saturday would be
Sarah’s own party, Sunday morning she would go back home to her real life, she couldn't deny she was a bit scared for it.
Tonight they said goodbye to Fred and Sandy. Richie had been expecting Fred would ask him but was still surprised when he did. He hadn't let on that he was a fan and hadn't bothered Richie about it either, he liked that about Fred.
“I was wondering,” Fred hesitated when he asked, “Since you’re Richie Sambora…” Richie chuckled at Fred’s nervousness; he had been waiting 3 weeks for him to say it. “Do you want an autograph?” He asked, knowing he would ask that. “And a picture?” Fred asked hopeful. “Man, that’s a great idea.” Richie said and walked with Fred to Tina, she never left her desk, not even during parties.
“Do you have a camera?” He asked her, leaning on the high wall around her desk with his arms. “Eumh, yeah somewhere around here.” Tina started opening drawers, looking around her desk and the cupboards on the wall. “Here it is.” She said when she found it on a shelf.
She took a few quick pictures of Fred and Richie together and lowered the camera. “I’ll email them to you both.” She took the memory card out and put it into a special slot on her computer.
“Could you print one?” Richie asked, that way Fred would have even more proof that he met Richie, he thought it was a perfect way. Tina gave him a black marker and the piece of paper with the picture on it. Richie signed his name to it and gave it to Fred.
“Thanks so much.” Fred said happily when Richie handed it to him. “I’d invite you to our next show but it’s in Croatia.” Richie said. “No problem.” Fred said even though Richie saw he was disappointed. He didn't want to disappoint his friend. “But call this number if you find out we’re touring again.” He wrote down his agent’s phone number. “Great.” Fred answered a lot happier.
He'd have to let his agent know so Fred's messages would actually get to him. It wouldn't be the first time a fan would find that number but they never got directed through to him.
The next morning Fred and Sandy went home after breakfast, everyone said their goodbyes and they walked out of the center. Richie looked forward to next week, the day he would leave the center too, back to his real life.
In the afternoon Richie and Sarah met at the pond again. Sarah sat down next to Richie, her arm around his back; he did the same to her.
“How’s your week going?” Sarah asked, looking up at him. “Pretty good, looking forward, I think this time it’ll work.” He really believed it. “How’s yours going?” He asked her in return. “Good, I really think I’m doing better.” Outside of here would be something else, she knew that but still felt hopeful.
“Not nervous anymore?” He asked hopeful. “Not really around you but when I talk to someone I haven’t talked to yet, I do.” She explained but she still felt proud of herself. “That’s normal, it’s a new person.” Richie said. “I’m so proud of you.” He wrapped his other arm around her and hugged her. “You’re doing really well.” He encouraged her.
His encouragement made her feel really good about herself. “We’ve got each other.” Sarah said hopeful, together they could do it. Richie chuckled at what she said. “What’s funny now?” “You’d be such a good Bon Jovi fan sweetheart.” He smiled. “Is it a line in a song too?” Sarah asked although she was already wondering about him calling her sweetheart. She didn’t hear him answer while she was lost in thought. If she was going to be in a relationship with him he’d call her all sorts of endearments. She knew he liked her and she liked him too, so why wouldn’t he call her sweetheart? It was progress in their relationship, she decided and it was a good thing. Maybe it was just a bit strange to hear it for the first time.
“What’s Ava like?” She asked, if they did meet after rehab she was bound to meet his daughter too, so why not get a heads up?
“She’s a real girly girl.” Richie said, thinking of what to say about his Princess. “She’s out with her friends a lot and wants to be an actress like her mum. She loves daddy’s credit card too.” He added with a smile. He didn't mind, he liked giving her the things she wanted as long as she had good grades.
“Her mum’s an actress? Do I know her?” Sarah asked, she might not listen to music but had loads of time for tv while she was at home alone with her mother. “Heather Locklear.”
“Oh.” Sarah said a little surprised. “I never liked her.” Richie laughed; he didn’t like her much anymore either of course she was still his ex and Ava’s mother but nothing more.
“But of course I don’t know her in person, so I can’t judge.” Sarah said quickly when Richie didn’t say anything. “It’s alright.” He said. “So what are Caleb and Noah like?” He asked.
“Well Caleb is 16, trying to impress girls all the time.” It was almost comical at what things he had already tried. “Now he’s learning guitar, before that it was surfing but he kept losing his balance. He really likes his guitar thought; I think he’d even stick to it if it doesn’t impress the girls with it.” When he saw another girl, he’d just pick up an extra hobby she thought.
“What about Noah?” He asked. “He’s pretty much like his brother but he sticks to surfing.” “So surfing and guitar, I like both.” He said.
“You can surf?” Sarah asked surprised. “As good as I can cook.” He joked. “How good is that?” “Badly.” Sarah laughed at his joke.
They sat together by the pond, snuggled together, close and arms around each other.
Richie was glad Sarah finally felt comfortable around him. The next few days new people would arrive at the center. He just hoped she got over her fears and wasn’t frightened to socialize with them, even though she only had four more days.
“How are you feeling about new people moving in?” He asked, he wanted her to be able to talk to him about everything. “Confident, maybe it’s a good practice for next week.” Sarah said. She really thought it was and it was only a few more days. It would be a good thing to meet new people, socialize a little bit before leaving and doing it again.
“I really am proud of you; see how much progress you’ve made.” He smiled and hugged her tightly.
“We should go look for some dinner.” Sarah said, it was close to dinner time and she started to feel hungry. “That sounds like a good idea.” Richie was getting hungry himself.
He unwrapped his arms and stood up, stretched his legs and extended a hand to help her up from the bench.
As so often they walked back hand in hand, his thumb stroking the back of her hand.
Go to the next chapter
Tonight they said goodbye to Fred and Sandy. Richie had been expecting Fred would ask him but was still surprised when he did. He hadn't let on that he was a fan and hadn't bothered Richie about it either, he liked that about Fred.
“I was wondering,” Fred hesitated when he asked, “Since you’re Richie Sambora…” Richie chuckled at Fred’s nervousness; he had been waiting 3 weeks for him to say it. “Do you want an autograph?” He asked, knowing he would ask that. “And a picture?” Fred asked hopeful. “Man, that’s a great idea.” Richie said and walked with Fred to Tina, she never left her desk, not even during parties.
“Do you have a camera?” He asked her, leaning on the high wall around her desk with his arms. “Eumh, yeah somewhere around here.” Tina started opening drawers, looking around her desk and the cupboards on the wall. “Here it is.” She said when she found it on a shelf.
She took a few quick pictures of Fred and Richie together and lowered the camera. “I’ll email them to you both.” She took the memory card out and put it into a special slot on her computer.
“Could you print one?” Richie asked, that way Fred would have even more proof that he met Richie, he thought it was a perfect way. Tina gave him a black marker and the piece of paper with the picture on it. Richie signed his name to it and gave it to Fred.
“Thanks so much.” Fred said happily when Richie handed it to him. “I’d invite you to our next show but it’s in Croatia.” Richie said. “No problem.” Fred said even though Richie saw he was disappointed. He didn't want to disappoint his friend. “But call this number if you find out we’re touring again.” He wrote down his agent’s phone number. “Great.” Fred answered a lot happier.
He'd have to let his agent know so Fred's messages would actually get to him. It wouldn't be the first time a fan would find that number but they never got directed through to him.
The next morning Fred and Sandy went home after breakfast, everyone said their goodbyes and they walked out of the center. Richie looked forward to next week, the day he would leave the center too, back to his real life.
In the afternoon Richie and Sarah met at the pond again. Sarah sat down next to Richie, her arm around his back; he did the same to her.
“How’s your week going?” Sarah asked, looking up at him. “Pretty good, looking forward, I think this time it’ll work.” He really believed it. “How’s yours going?” He asked her in return. “Good, I really think I’m doing better.” Outside of here would be something else, she knew that but still felt hopeful.
“Not nervous anymore?” He asked hopeful. “Not really around you but when I talk to someone I haven’t talked to yet, I do.” She explained but she still felt proud of herself. “That’s normal, it’s a new person.” Richie said. “I’m so proud of you.” He wrapped his other arm around her and hugged her. “You’re doing really well.” He encouraged her.
His encouragement made her feel really good about herself. “We’ve got each other.” Sarah said hopeful, together they could do it. Richie chuckled at what she said. “What’s funny now?” “You’d be such a good Bon Jovi fan sweetheart.” He smiled. “Is it a line in a song too?” Sarah asked although she was already wondering about him calling her sweetheart. She didn’t hear him answer while she was lost in thought. If she was going to be in a relationship with him he’d call her all sorts of endearments. She knew he liked her and she liked him too, so why wouldn’t he call her sweetheart? It was progress in their relationship, she decided and it was a good thing. Maybe it was just a bit strange to hear it for the first time.
“What’s Ava like?” She asked, if they did meet after rehab she was bound to meet his daughter too, so why not get a heads up?
“She’s a real girly girl.” Richie said, thinking of what to say about his Princess. “She’s out with her friends a lot and wants to be an actress like her mum. She loves daddy’s credit card too.” He added with a smile. He didn't mind, he liked giving her the things she wanted as long as she had good grades.
“Her mum’s an actress? Do I know her?” Sarah asked, she might not listen to music but had loads of time for tv while she was at home alone with her mother. “Heather Locklear.”
“Oh.” Sarah said a little surprised. “I never liked her.” Richie laughed; he didn’t like her much anymore either of course she was still his ex and Ava’s mother but nothing more.
“But of course I don’t know her in person, so I can’t judge.” Sarah said quickly when Richie didn’t say anything. “It’s alright.” He said. “So what are Caleb and Noah like?” He asked.
“Well Caleb is 16, trying to impress girls all the time.” It was almost comical at what things he had already tried. “Now he’s learning guitar, before that it was surfing but he kept losing his balance. He really likes his guitar thought; I think he’d even stick to it if it doesn’t impress the girls with it.” When he saw another girl, he’d just pick up an extra hobby she thought.
“What about Noah?” He asked. “He’s pretty much like his brother but he sticks to surfing.” “So surfing and guitar, I like both.” He said.
“You can surf?” Sarah asked surprised. “As good as I can cook.” He joked. “How good is that?” “Badly.” Sarah laughed at his joke.
They sat together by the pond, snuggled together, close and arms around each other.
Richie was glad Sarah finally felt comfortable around him. The next few days new people would arrive at the center. He just hoped she got over her fears and wasn’t frightened to socialize with them, even though she only had four more days.
“How are you feeling about new people moving in?” He asked, he wanted her to be able to talk to him about everything. “Confident, maybe it’s a good practice for next week.” Sarah said. She really thought it was and it was only a few more days. It would be a good thing to meet new people, socialize a little bit before leaving and doing it again.
“I really am proud of you; see how much progress you’ve made.” He smiled and hugged her tightly.
“We should go look for some dinner.” Sarah said, it was close to dinner time and she started to feel hungry. “That sounds like a good idea.” Richie was getting hungry himself.
He unwrapped his arms and stood up, stretched his legs and extended a hand to help her up from the bench.
As so often they walked back hand in hand, his thumb stroking the back of her hand.
Go to the next chapter
What a sweet chapter. I love how Fred waited until just before he left to ask for an autograph and picture from Richie. Really curious as to how Richie and Sarah will handle their relationship once they both are out of rehab and back to their real everyday lives. Look forward to readin more : )
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