STILL THE ONE

Chapter 42 - After All These Years

Your hair's grown a little longer
Your arms look a little stronger
Your eyes just as I remember
Your smile's just a little softer

And I, and I never prepared for a moment like that
Yeah, in a second it came all back, it all came back

'Cause after all these years
I still feel everything when you are near
And it was just a quick hello
And you had to go
And you probably will never know
You're still the one I'm after all these years

They had gone to Toronto for Christmas, as Aaliyah had just had her first baby, and it was a lovely and relaxing few days, then they flew from there to Miami and spent New Years with Camila's parents again. Rosie stayed behind for a holiday with her family and they flew home for a few weeks of quiet family time. In the middle of that, the Academy Awards nominations came out. Camila couldn't watch, she was jumping off her seat, but there it was. Nominations for Best Picture, Best Screenplay and Best Actress for Camila, and Best Original Score for Shawn, Best Original Song for the two of them. The Award Season would be full-on this year.

Other than that, their year ahead was quiet. No movies, no tours, no albums. Camila was working on her cookbook, Shawn had some new artists, one of whom he was producing an album for, and the children would be starting nursery school proper. Before that, they were planning to perhaps go on holiday.

February was Grammy's month. Camila stood in the hotel room while her stylists fluttered around her. In the adjacent room, Shawn was undergoing a similar transformation. Last year it had been both of them up there on the podium accepting their Grammy, but she was so glad to be at his side while he took all the attention this year. Nevertheless, she wanted to make him proud too, and she had chosen carefully, finally selecting an amazing orange dress, the colour of the season. Her hair and make-up done, she was helped into the dress. There was a knock on the door and Shawn walked in. His suit was black this year, style forward as usual. She was so used to seeing him in shorts or yoga pants or jeans that sometimes she forgot how fucking amazing he looked in a suit. Her heart skipped a beat, a few actually. He grinned at her.

"Baby, you look incredible!" Their teams scurried around them as they made their way out and down to their limo in the basement.

"I'm so nervous, and how many of these have we been to? Have I been to? And I'm not even nominated or performing!" Shawn was performing his single. "Actually, why am I even here?"

He laughed at her silly joke. He could tell she was trying to defuse the tension. She squeezed his hand. "I love you baby, I'm so proud of you." Her voice was husky.

"I know," he said, kissing her head. The red carpet was the usual crazy and they eventually made it to their seats. The night was a whirlwind, and his performance was incredible and would go down as one of his best ever, and at the end of the evening he held all five gold gramophones in his arms for the photos and she could not have been more proud.

"How are you doing?" He asked, stroking her face. They were on their way to the after party, but they wouldn't stay long. Both kids had bad colds and although Rosie was more than capable, they were worried about them and wanted to get home.

"Yeah I'm OK," she smiled. Even in the midst of all this, he thought of her first.

***

They had been to the Oscars before, but this time they were both nominated and it was a personal project that they were both involved in so intimately that it meant so much to them. And there was another reason to be nervous.

Once again they got ready in the hotel close to the venue. He couldn't wait to see her and nagged his team to hurry so he could go next door and see her. Her dress was pink and clung in all the right places, exposing her cleavage and the magnificent pink diamond necklace he had given her for her thirtieth birthday to match her engagement ring. He swallowed, hard. God she was gorgeous. He held her hands and looked at every inch of her.