“Good morning.” He looks up from where he’s lifting weights.
“Hey.” I get on the treadmill and start walking.
“Ready for tonight?” he asks.
“I’m looking forward to playing but today is Summer’s last day with us so I’m not thrilled she’s leaving.”
He nods. “It’s tough to be apart. Especially now.”
“Everything is tough right now,” I mutter.
He sits up and cocks his head. “Trouble in paradise? Already?”
“Not really. It’s just…” I blurt out the story and he listens attentively.
“Look, pregnancy changes everything. I’m no expert but I’m going to guess she’s having all the same thoughts you are, but with a fuck-ton of hormones that exacerbates everything.”
“Yeah, but that’s starting to feel like an excuse. Lots of women get pregnant. They still have to function, do whatever needs to be done. And she basically wants to put her head in the sand until after the baby comes.”
“Is that a bad thing?”
“Well, it leaves me hanging. Yes, she’s doing the hard part—carrying the baby—but I’m doing almost everything else. I want to plan for our future and she just wants to hide away in her house in New York, using her pregnancy and her mom’s situation as a crutch.”
“Is it a crutch?”
“Dude, you’re killin’ me here. I don’t need you to ask leading questions to make me think about things from her perspective. That’s pretty much all I do—I’m at the point where something needs to happen. I’m holding up the band with all the indecision.”
“Look, I don’t know what your relationship is like but you can’t be in it by yourself. If you want my opinion, that’s it. Hard or not, you have to make the big decisions. If she wants to give birth in New York, that makes sense. But that also means that you’re going to have to then start making those decisions with a newborn. I don’t think that’s going to be any easier.”
“You think I need to push her?”
“A little, yeah. Not in an overbearing way but honesty can go a long way.”
“I did! And she basically said she needed time to think about it.”
“Then give it to her.”
“She leaves tomorrow. Then we’ll have a six- or seven-hour time difference, which will make serious conversations difficult. By the time I get back to the hotel, she’ll be at work. On her days off, she’ll be asleep when I get up in the morning. By the time she’s up, I’ll be heading to soundcheck.”
He’s thoughtful for a minute but before he can respond, Ryleigh sticks her head in. “Guys, Sasha’s on video chat and she’s calling for all hands. Something about adding a show. Everyone is meeting in Lexi’s room in five minutes.”
“On our way.” Angus stands up and I’m right behind him.
I don’t want to add a show on to the end of the tour—that’s more time away from Summer. And it puts us even closer to Christmas. I’d like some down time with her so we can focus on getting ready for both the holidays and the baby, in case I have to go back on tour.
We congregate in Lexi’s room and the girls join us. We gather around the coffee table in her suite as Sasha starts talking.
“Sorry to interrupt your morning,” Sasha says, “but I’m in Limaj, visiting family, and my mom had an idea. Your show at Edinburgh Castle was such a hit, what if you played here at the palace on Sunday? There wouldn’t be any pay involved but all expenses will be covered, and you’d stay at the palace. And the best part? It’s going to be televised live all over Europe and streamed online worldwide.”
We all start talking at once, asking questions and trying to sort out the timing.
I glance over at Summer and realize she looks sad.
Because she’s going home in the morning and will miss all of this.
As everyone talks over each other, I slide my arm around her and pull her against my side. “You okay?”
“Just disappointed. A show in Limaj? Staying at a palace…and I can’t be part of it.”
