Chapter 22
Luc
The Adventure
Angels & Airways
“I want to hold her.” Mikey announces as he reaches out in an attempt to take Larkin from me. “I am her uncle after all.”
“You’re a depraved lunatic and there’s no way I’m letting you hold my daughter.” I twist my frame from Mikey’s outstretched hands, moving a few feet away from him at the same time.
“Come on, dude. I’m not going to hurt her for fuck’s sake.” Mikey whines, arms lowering as he approaches again, this time crouching down to Larkin’s level.
“Jesus, man! You can’t use language like that around her!” I admonish, using a hand to gently press her head against my chest to try and cover her ears.
Mikey completely ignores the scolding, instead choosing to focus on Larkin. “Don’t you want to come to your Uncle Mikey? You look just like your daddy, poor thing. Maybe you’ll outgrow that and look like your mom instead.”
He’s cooing. Actually cooing to her in a little voice that has me wondering what alien has invaded my brother’s body. He rises to his full height, which is still two inches shorter than me, and pleads again.
“I’m not going to drop her.” He extends his hands again. “Just let me hold her. She’s adorable.”
Maybe it’s from being dumbfounded into shock, but I relent and transfer her into Mikey’s eager hold. “Be careful with her. She’s little.”
“I got her.” He says and then focuses all his attention on the angel in his arms, cooing voice back in action. “Don’t I Little-Kins? Uncle Mikey would never drop such a pretty baby. Especially one that’s my niece. You and Uncle Mikey are gonna be thick as thieves.”
To my absolute shock, Larkin’s entire face lights up, the dimple in her cheek making an appearance, her tiny hands clapping in delight as she beams at my brother.
My absolute, pain-in-the-ass, perpetual thorn in my side, dick of a little brother seems to have won my daughter over in less than a minute.
“Miwey!” She chirps out. Not quite Mikey, but said with so much baby conviction we all knew what she meant. Cheeks puffed, eyes bright, proud as hell of herself. Dropped the two syllables like it was a divine revelation.
My insides turn glacial. This baby, who still hasn’t gifted me with a single “Dada”, or even a pity “Da”, just joyfully christened my brother after one smile. You could see the actual joy flash in Mikey’s eyes.
I turn my head slowly toward Lily, expecting a look of horror on her face.
One that should match the betrayal, the violence, the paperwork to disown my brother being filed internally.
Instead, she’s attempting to muffle laughter behind a hand covering her mouth, practically convulsing while doing so.
Larkin just continues to beam, seemingly delighted by the chaos she has unknowingly wrought.
“Give her back.” I demand, slipping my fingers under her armpits to try and reclaim her. Mikey dips his body, pivoting to the left, tightening his hold on Larkin.
“No.” He swings his gaze around to me. “You’re just mad she likes me better.”
“Boys.” Lily is standing between us before I even have a chance to blink. “She is not a toy.” She reaches out and tugs the baby from Mikey’s arms into her own. “When you both learn to behave like adults, we can try this again.”
“Couple of bitches is what you two are.” Dean mutters from a nearby couch, taking our show in from the sidelines. “Letting some baby pussy whip you.”
“Hey, that’s my daughter you’re talking about.” I kick his sneakered foot with my booted one. “Don’t be an asshole.”
“Language!” Mikey chastises, pointing to Larkin. Is he for fucking real?
Dean rises, shaking his head. “I’m going to my room. I’ll catch you for soundcheck.”
“Take him with you.” I order, jerking my chin toward Mikey.
“I’m going, I’m going.” Mikey declares, following behind Dean, flashing a smile to Larkin as he walks by her. “See ya later, Little-kins.”
“Did your brother give my baby a nick-name?” Lily ponders out loud, looking from me to the closing door.
“I don’t know what in the hell that was.” My brow furrowed as I respond. “Or who. I ain’t ever seen my brother act like that.”
Lily, Larkin and I arrived in L.A. a little over an hour ago on a private jet that Cherry had arranged for us.
There was no way we were ready to announce to the world that I had a baby, let alone that she and her mother were on tour with us.
Taking the jet kept things under wraps, and made the trip much easier for the three of us.
We were staying in a hotel for the next two nights while we were here. Cherry had gotten us a two-bedroom suite so Lily and Larkin could have their own space, but also enabled me to be with them.
She had also somehow managed to find an additional bus for us to use for the rest of the tour, if we needed it that long. Or, if things didn’t go well, I guess one week.
It was in San Francisco though, which was our next tour stop, so we’d have to jet it there, where we could finally get settled in and hopefully get into a routine. I was counting on Lily staying for more than a week.
With the amount of stuff she had packed for Larkin, it sure seemed like she would be staying awhile.
She had a car seat, a portable crib, a high chair, a stroller, some bouncy chair thing, endless amounts of clothes and blankets and diapers and toys.
Don’t even get me started on the bottles, the sippy cups, tiny bowls and silverware.
I had no idea how much crap a baby needed.
She wanted to bring the cat too, but I had to squash that. At least until we were on the bus, then maybe we could see if it was possible. Until then, Teddy was staying with Briana.
“Well, it went much better than I expected.” She’s got Larkin on her jutted hip, exhaustion written all over her.
“Dean was kind of a dick.” I frown. “Wasn’t expecting that from him. He’s usually the receptive one.”
“It’s a shock, Luc.” She defends, smoothing a hand over Larkin’s unruly curls. “I’m sure the last thing they want is a baby on tour with them, cramping their style.”
“They have their own space.” I counter. “They can still do whatever the hell they want.”
“I’m Yoko.” She shrugs, like it should be so obvious to me.
I chuckle. “You’re the furthest thing from Yoko.”
I stride over. “Give her to me. You look beat. Why don’t you go take a nap?”
“I was up until after three packing.” She explains with a small chuckle. “And I may have had a little too much to drink with Bri.”
“Go then.” I wave her away. “I got this.”
“You sure?” Concern in the look she’s giving me. “Will you be okay if she needs to be changed or gets fussy?”
“I’m sure I can figure it out. I’m a grown-ass man.” I point toward her bedroom door. “Go. Rest.” I beam down at the little girl in my arms. “Nothing I want more than to spend some time with this one.”
“Okay.” She relents, slowly retreating away from us. “But wake me if-”
“We’ll be fine.” I assure her a final time, my voice more convincing than the beating of my heart pounding against my ribs. She shuts the door softly after a final glance in our direction.
“Now what, Little One?” I peer down and ask, a gummy smile the response I get. “Want to play?”
I kneel down on the floor and sit her in front of giant block that has a million different types of activities for her to explore.
She pulls herself up almost instantly, and I rear back, surprised she can stand.
I realize I have so many things to learn about her, about what she can and can’t do, about what it means to be her dad.
I still haven’t told my parents, and I know I need to. I know they’ll be thrilled. But, I also know that as soon as I tell them, they’ll be on the first plane out here. Not ready for that yet. I need to get a better grip on the whole fatherhood thing before I drag them into this.
Larkin plays with beads that are on a track, sliding them back and forth, her face lighting up when they drop and glide on their own.
This keeps her entertained for a full ten minutes, so I transfer her to the big boppy chair thing.
She bounces in it and spins around in circles, slapping at the different toys sitting on the tray around the circumference.
I marvel at the different sounds she makes.
Her voice is a bit raspy, even though it’s a higher pitch, and I wonder if she’ll sound like me.
Will she be able to sing like me? How is it possible that less than a week ago, I didn’t even know a tiny version of me existed?
And even more surprising, that I’m okay with it.
When she starts to get bored in the chair, I snag her up and get cozy with her on the sofa.
I find some baby music on YouTube, which she seems to like, her attention mesmerized by the characters and the songs they sing.
I feel her body relax into mine, and I let out a sigh of relief.
She’s getting more comfortable with me, and I think me with her.
“Hey you two.” A hand shaking my shoulder gently has me prying my eyes open.
I jerk awake, my arms automatically tightening around Larkin, making sure she’s still there. “Sorry!” I sit up straighter, heart racing. “I didn’t mean to fall asleep.”
“Luc.” Her voice soft. “You didn’t do anything wrong.” She dips her chin to the precious bundle in my arms. “Look, she’s totally fine.”
And she is. She’s sound asleep against my chest, her lips puckered around her thumb, content and safe. This might only be the second time in my life I’ve woken up with a girl in my arms and liked it.
“Looks like we all needed a nap.” A yawn escaping as she smiles down at us. “Want me to take her?”
“What time is it?” I scooch forward, sitting up straighter, transferring Larkin into her mother’s welcome arms.
“A little after four.” She informs me, her gaze locked on her daughter.
“Shit.” I rise, scraping a hand down my face as I try and wake up. “I have to go to sound check.”
“Go.” Her hips sway slightly, Lily still sleeping like an angel. “I’m good.”
I start to stride away, then stop, turning to look at the two girls that are now a permanent part of my life. “This is going to work.”
Her lips turn up in a small smile. “It’s not even been a day, Luc.”
I shake off her reality check, restating what I know in my heart to be true. “This is going to work.”
I don’t wait for her to respond. I don’t need her to respond. It’s what I believe and because of that, I’ll do everything in my power to make sure it does.
Little did I know, life always seems to have the final say.