Some Things Never Change [SHAWN MENDES]

January 17, 2023

"And that's a wrap," I declared after listening to the playback on the song I'd just finished recording.

"This one's going to be huge," Andrew said with a proud smile. "Do you really want to hold on to it until the next album comes out? That could be eighteen months away."

"I was thinking about that last night, and I think it should be a single. I'll introduce it on tour."

In two months I was hitting the road. This tour was going to be more like the pre-covid ones, and I couldn't wait to perform in front of huge crowds in arenas and stadium. I was also excited to travel the globe with Ceci by my side.

I drove from The Woodshed recording studio to my home and parked in the driveway behind Ceci's car, which we'd purchased the week before. If this was going to be our primary residence, it made sense for her to have one of her own instead of sharing mine or relying on Uber. I had a Range Rover but she'd opted for a Volvo XC40 because of the high safety ratings. Plus she loved that it came in a pretty sky blue color.

As I walked down the stone path to the door, I could hear music wafting from the open windows. It was warmer than usual and we liked to have fresh air circulating through the house whenever possible.

"For once, I can say, this is mine,
you can't take it..
As long as I know I have love,
I can make it...
For once in my life,
I have someone who needs me..."

Stevie Wonder. His music always put a smile on my face and today was no different.

Inside I found Ceci in the kitchen, dancing to the song as she worked at the counter. She obviously hadn't heard me come in, and I took a few moments to enjoy the scene in front of me. When the song ended she turned to reach for something on the stove and saw me leaning against the wall.

"Shawn! How long have you been standing there?"

"Long enough to watch you shake that sweet ass," I replied.

She had on one of my t-shirts, which was what she liked to wear on lazy days around the house. I never complained because when she paired this ensemble with a messy bun and her glasses, she was utter perfection in my eyes. In less than ten days she'd be glammed up to walk the Grammy red carpet with me, but that look didn't hold a candle to how she was right now.

"I hope you're hungry," she said, pointing to the counter. "I'm making eggplant parm."

Our joint new year's resolution had been to eliminate meat from fifty percent of our dinners. This meant that we were trying lots of new recipes. Some were successes, but many were complete disasters. The only way we'd get better at cooking was to keep trying, though.

I walked over to Ceci and pulled her into my arms so that I could give her a deep kiss. "What can I do to help?" I offered once we broke apart.

"I was about to get the step stool from the garage, but maybe you can reach what I need. Can you get the red mixing bowl from that cabinet? It's on the top shelf."

I reached up and grabbed it and was about to hand it to her when I saw that there was something inside. It was a pregnancy test! I didn't even need to look at the results to know what it said, since she wouldn't surprise me with a negative result.

I set the bowl on the counter and picked her up and swung her around. "Holy shit!That was fast!"

She giggled. "Sooooo fast! Remember when I was anxious about fertility issues? I guess I was worried for nothing."

"We're having a baby! I can't fucking believe it!"

A look passed over Ceci's face.

"What's wrong, honey?" I asked.