Never Grow Up
Run in with the new Tour Photographer
I was helping Kylee color in her coloring early the next morning. I was used to waking up early with Kylee since she would climb over me to go to the bathroom on the bus, waking me up when her little knees made contact with my chest and stomach. I was waiting for the others to wake up since Kylee wanted pancakes for breakfast and we don't have a griddle on the bus to make her any and I had seen a diner just past the venue.
"Daddy, do you think you could love another girl like you did Mommy," Kylee asked. I was shocked she'd even ask that kind of question.
"Why do you ask, Kylee," I asked her in return.
"I wish that it wasn't just you and me Daddy. I wish you had someone like how Matty has Christina and Rian has Cassadee," she replied.
"Kylee, I loved your mom very much and I just," I paused, "It's been really hard for me to move on past her. I miss her a lot and I'm holding onto her through just being with you."
"I'm sorry I made you cry, Daddy," Kylee wiped her little hands against my cheeks, wiping away the tears I didn't know I allowed to escape my eyes.
"You didn't make me cry, Kylee. Just some old memories of your mom did," I told her as I pulled her up into my chest.
"I love you, Daddy," Kylee mumbled into my chest.
"I love you too, Kylee," I mumbled into her hair.
I was busy doing sound check and I watched as Vinny, Dan, and Ian played soccer with Kylee to keep her busy. Kylee was smiling and having fun the grown men as she kicked the ball around as best as her little legs could. I was pulled from my watching of my daughter by a flash of a camera. I looked over to the source of the flash to find a girl with long dark brunette hair in a Boner shirt, a glamour kills zip up jacket, and dark blue skinny jeans tucked into a pair of high top sneakers. She had brown eyes like Jack's but she had a small nose. She must be some how related to the hyper goof ball I have as a best friend.
"I didn't mean to interrupt your sound check," the brunette apologized as we all stopped playing. Kylee and the others kept playing their game.
"It's fine, Jasmin. I can't believe you got the job as our new tour photographer," Jack replied. He handed his guitar over to Danny before jumping off stage and pulled her into a hug.
"I think intorductions are required," Zack commented, stealing the words from my mouth.
"Oh, sorry, I'm Jasmin Barakat. I'm Jack's cousin. I'm the new tour photographer," Jasmin spoke as she pushed a strand of hair behind her ear shyly.
"I'm Alex, the little girl running around playing soccer is my daughter, Kylee. She's four," I told her.
"Where's her mom," Jasmin asked curiously. I froze up. I could feel an anxiety attack coming on.
"It's hard for Alex to talk about it with new people," Jack spoke up as Zack put a hand on my shoulder to let me know I'll be okay.
"Daddy, are you okay," Kylee had stopped playing her game when she heard me gasp for breath.
"Kylee, go with Vinny, to help him, with merch," I struggled to say.
"Come on Kylee," Vinny picked her up and took her away. Rian came over to me and gave me a water. My hands shook violently as I took the bottle from him.
"What's going on," Jasmin asked as Jack lifted her up on stage before he jumped back up.
"He's having an anxiety attack," Jack replied to her, "Alex just breathe, we're all here everything is fine. Kylee is safe with Vinny. Nothing bad's going to happen now."
"She's gone, Jack," I whimpered.
"We know. Everything's going to be fine," he told me.
My breathing finally returned to normal and I stopped shaking. I hated having attacks in front of Kylee. I knew it scared her when I had them and I tried to keep it under control around her. But it was so hard since Kylee reminds me so much of her.
"Are you alright now, Alex," Jasmin asked.
"Yeah," I replied quietly.
"Did her mom leave you Kylee to raise of your own," she asked.
"Not by choice," I replied before swallowing hard, "Kylee's mom died when she was born. She had an aneurysm and she died. Kylee wasn't fully delivered when they lost her mother, so Kylee developed asthma from it. But she's healthy and happy; that's all I could ask for."
"I am so sorry I brought her up, Alex," Jasmin replied.
"You didn't know," I told her, "I have anxiety and I'm prone to attacks. My main triggers have been my brother who died years ago and Kylee's mom."
"I'll make sure not to bring her up too much around you, Alex," Jasmin smiled reassuringly to me.
"Kylee brings her up all the time, whether by asking questions about her or by just doing some of the things mother used to do," I told her.
"It was nice to meet you, Alex. I look forward to working with you and the rest of the tour," Jasmin patted the back of my hand before she left to go to her bus, I think.
"Daddy, do you think you could love another girl like you did Mommy," Kylee asked. I was shocked she'd even ask that kind of question.
"Why do you ask, Kylee," I asked her in return.
"I wish that it wasn't just you and me Daddy. I wish you had someone like how Matty has Christina and Rian has Cassadee," she replied.
"Kylee, I loved your mom very much and I just," I paused, "It's been really hard for me to move on past her. I miss her a lot and I'm holding onto her through just being with you."
"I'm sorry I made you cry, Daddy," Kylee wiped her little hands against my cheeks, wiping away the tears I didn't know I allowed to escape my eyes.
"You didn't make me cry, Kylee. Just some old memories of your mom did," I told her as I pulled her up into my chest.
"I love you, Daddy," Kylee mumbled into my chest.
"I love you too, Kylee," I mumbled into her hair.
I was busy doing sound check and I watched as Vinny, Dan, and Ian played soccer with Kylee to keep her busy. Kylee was smiling and having fun the grown men as she kicked the ball around as best as her little legs could. I was pulled from my watching of my daughter by a flash of a camera. I looked over to the source of the flash to find a girl with long dark brunette hair in a Boner shirt, a glamour kills zip up jacket, and dark blue skinny jeans tucked into a pair of high top sneakers. She had brown eyes like Jack's but she had a small nose. She must be some how related to the hyper goof ball I have as a best friend.
"I didn't mean to interrupt your sound check," the brunette apologized as we all stopped playing. Kylee and the others kept playing their game.
"It's fine, Jasmin. I can't believe you got the job as our new tour photographer," Jack replied. He handed his guitar over to Danny before jumping off stage and pulled her into a hug.
"I think intorductions are required," Zack commented, stealing the words from my mouth.
"Oh, sorry, I'm Jasmin Barakat. I'm Jack's cousin. I'm the new tour photographer," Jasmin spoke as she pushed a strand of hair behind her ear shyly.
"I'm Alex, the little girl running around playing soccer is my daughter, Kylee. She's four," I told her.
"Where's her mom," Jasmin asked curiously. I froze up. I could feel an anxiety attack coming on.
"It's hard for Alex to talk about it with new people," Jack spoke up as Zack put a hand on my shoulder to let me know I'll be okay.
"Daddy, are you okay," Kylee had stopped playing her game when she heard me gasp for breath.
"Kylee, go with Vinny, to help him, with merch," I struggled to say.
"Come on Kylee," Vinny picked her up and took her away. Rian came over to me and gave me a water. My hands shook violently as I took the bottle from him.
"What's going on," Jasmin asked as Jack lifted her up on stage before he jumped back up.
"He's having an anxiety attack," Jack replied to her, "Alex just breathe, we're all here everything is fine. Kylee is safe with Vinny. Nothing bad's going to happen now."
"She's gone, Jack," I whimpered.
"We know. Everything's going to be fine," he told me.
My breathing finally returned to normal and I stopped shaking. I hated having attacks in front of Kylee. I knew it scared her when I had them and I tried to keep it under control around her. But it was so hard since Kylee reminds me so much of her.
"Are you alright now, Alex," Jasmin asked.
"Yeah," I replied quietly.
"Did her mom leave you Kylee to raise of your own," she asked.
"Not by choice," I replied before swallowing hard, "Kylee's mom died when she was born. She had an aneurysm and she died. Kylee wasn't fully delivered when they lost her mother, so Kylee developed asthma from it. But she's healthy and happy; that's all I could ask for."
"I am so sorry I brought her up, Alex," Jasmin replied.
"You didn't know," I told her, "I have anxiety and I'm prone to attacks. My main triggers have been my brother who died years ago and Kylee's mom."
"I'll make sure not to bring her up too much around you, Alex," Jasmin smiled reassuringly to me.
"Kylee brings her up all the time, whether by asking questions about her or by just doing some of the things mother used to do," I told her.
"It was nice to meet you, Alex. I look forward to working with you and the rest of the tour," Jasmin patted the back of my hand before she left to go to her bus, I think.
I just read what you have of this, and absolutely love it. I'm not sure if that last chapter you posted was kind of meant as a final chapter; I guess it could work in a way. But the story is awesome and I really liked what you have of it.
It's been a minute since you've updated, so it's probably asking a lot to update again, but if you weren't finished with this and one day want to update again, I will be here to read. :) Although as it is it could be seen as conclusive.
Idk, but I just wanted to leave this comment letting you know I enjoyed what you did have of this and think you're a great writer. The story is very sweet. :)
12/29/16