"Rian, sweetheart, you've gotta talk to me."


I sighed, tapping my fingers on the edge of my laptop. Cass and I tried to have video chats at least once every few days. We've always had a hard time trying to manage raising kids and keep up with both of our musical careers, so when we know for a fact that the girls are both happy and taken care of, we like to relax by seeing each other's face. It always made me happy to see her beautiful smile, because no matter how old or exhausted Cass gets, she's still as stunning as she was the day I met her. Not only that, but she was my rock. We shared everything, even if we shared most of it from a distance.


"I just don't understand when kids decided they wanted to get married and have babies before they were even allowed to drink a beer in public. You and I dated for years before we settled down and that's exactly how we wanted it to be."


"I thought you said you were excited about this, mister," Cass rose an eyebrow, staring me down through the screen. "I know it's hard to accept that our little girl is all grown up but you also have to understand that Jack and Stella sat the bar pretty high. You had to have known that Tom was a romantic."


"Cassadee, don't look at me like that," I groaned, letting out a huff. "I am excited for the baby and I'm excited to see Aub get married. I'm just so confused as to why all of the All Time Low children want to have children while they're still children."


"You just have to trust your daughter. You know she's as smart as they come and she's got such a good head on her shoulders. She knows what she's doing and it's what she wants. Why must you question it?"


"Because I remember hearing her say that she wanted to graduate college before she even moved in with Tom, now suddenly all of this? Where did it come from?"


"Her heart, baby," Cass played with her hands. I could tell by the look on her face she just wanted to be here, beside me, to comfort me. "At least you're there with her. I had to hear the news through a phone call. Do you know how hard that is on a mother?"


"I guess you're right. I'm sorry, love."


"It's okay. I have to go now, but I'll try to call you again tomorrow. Keep an eye on Aubree, all right? Love you mister!"


"Love you too, lady!"


Cass and I blew each other a kiss before my screen went black. Grunting to myself, I shut the laptop and made my way to the fridge to grab a beer. From the bunks, I could still hear Alex typing away on his computer. Always such a night owl. Laughing slightly to myself, I took a seat on the couch and let my mind take in everything that'd been happening lately.
My baby girl was going to be married soon. She wouldn't need me anymore. This must be how Alex felt when it came to Stella. Not only that, but she's having a baby of her own. At least she chose a good guy to settle down with, I'll give her that. Now I can only hope that she doesn't let any of this stand in the way of her dreams. I hope she stays devoted to the band and her classes, but I know my Aubree and I know she will.


I just have to remember what I was like as a kid. I had so many options in front of me but I chose the uncertain path, now look where I am. A very lucky man to have such a wonderful family, both in my career and at home. Aubree is lucky to have the same thing. It's a hard pill to swallow, knowing that she's growing up and I'm growing older, but I'll survive.


I've had my chance to shine, and damn if I didn't shine bright, now it's Aubree's turn. Little Tom Gaskarth, the man behind the scenes, will be the one making sure my baby and her baby are constantly safe and happy. The best part about that was, I knew Tom would use his last breath to tell Aubree that he loved her. They're both such good kids.


"Ri? Do you need someone to talk to?" Alex appeared with a glass of wine in his hands, which made me laugh. "You know, I've been through this exact thing before."


"Nah, you know what? I think I'm good now. I went through the shock, the joy, the over-thinking. Everything's okay now."


"Just wait till we meet the newest addition to the family," Alex grinned, filling his cup back up. "Life gets so much more beautiful."


"I don't doubt that, dude."


Alex flashed me a smile before he took off back to his bunk. We had an early day tomorrow and I really wanted to spend some time with Aubree to let her know I was still here for her. Plus, I should probably talk to her about tour. It's not exactly safe for her to beat the shit of the drums like her old man while she's pregnant. Let's just hope she's willing to hang it up until she has the baby and gets cleared by the doctor to play again.


"Wow," I mumbled to myself, looking around the empty bus, completely amazed that I actually thought about Aubree's health and the baby's health without sinking into shock. "I'm gonna be a grandpa. I'm really gonna be a grandpa."


With a big grin on my face, I carried myself back to my bunk, knowing I'd sleep like an angel tonight.

Notes

Sorry this took so long, guys. My net went out last night.
Anyway, feel free to talk to us. I won't bite unless you ask me to!
-Jess.