I scream and almost jump them, Reed right behind me. Every one of us is in hysterics, entirely unable to keep it together as we celebrate.
“Shut up,when?!” I ask Andi.
I’ve been in and out of their apartment for weeks without a goddamn word from her.
“You said you had the flu!” I remember.
Andi chuckles. “We didn’t want to say anything given… Well… We wanted to wait until after the first trimester was over, and then when we went to the doctor last week and heard his heartbeat, we just—”
“Wait,his?!” I stare between them. “You’re having a little boy?”
Andi swallows and nods her head as if she can’t speak for the tears coming down her face. I scream and jump on Mads again, kissing his face over and over as Reed jumps onto Zeb’s back and they hug Andi together.
“You’re going to be so fucking amazing, dude,” I say to Mads. “So fucking—muah! This kid is going to be the coolest kid ever.” I jump down from his arms and hug Andi. “And you’re going to be the best mom in the entire world. Just holy… Holy shit. Whew. okay, okay. I’m all done crying,” I say as I try to contain my tears. “Holy shit!”
“Alright, fuck the movie night in,” Zeb says when he puts Reed down. “Let’s go fuck something up.”
“Yes. We should celebrate,” Reed declares. “Can we?”
“Karaoke at that local place,” I suggest.
Andi and Mads look between each other, and she squeezes his hand.
“Pop-up concert at the local place,” Mads suggests. “Fuck around and try out some new shit to see the reaction.”
“Hell fucking yes.” Zeb claps his hands hard.
“Fuck yes.” Reed takes his phone out. “Okay, I’m making a video.”
“Wait, you need to call them first,” Gemma chimes in. “Make sure they’re okay with a metal band crashing their quiet Christmas crowd.”
“Boo,” Zeb says.
“Killjoy,” Reed agrees.
“Wait, aren’t you on a leave of absence?” Zeb taunts her.
Gemma purses her lips and crosses her arms over her chest. “Okay. Ask Kade if I’m wrong.”
“She’s right,” Kade says from one of the chairs.
“I’ll make the call,” Andi tells us.
An hour later, we’re pulling up to the bar and finding the line wrapped around the building.
We greet some of our fans outside as Gemma and Kade check out the inside and chat with the owners. It’s wild to think so many people stormed this bar for a show we weren’t scheduled to play—in a bar as small as the one we had our first set together in.
“This brings back memories,” I say when I sit behind the house drum kit.
Zeb plugs in his guitar and pulls it over his head. He holds out his pinky and thumb and touches them to mine. “Let’s fucking go.”
“Let’s do this,” I say, clacking my sticks together.
Gemma is leaning by the bar, smile on her lips. I blow her a kiss, and she snickers as she pretends to catch it. Kade gave her strict instructions not to try to lift anyone out of the audience tonight, though I know it’s going to be hard for her to heed his instructions.
Even if he istechnicallythe boss right now.
On paper.
