When one of the producers I was selling my songs to got wind I sing too and he heard my voice, he begged me to sign.
I didn’t want to, because I didn’t want to be away from Nova and the kids, but she told me if I didn’t take the offer I was an idiot.
So what do you do when the woman you love says you’re an idiot?
You prove to her you’re not.
So I took the deal, and I’ve been working on my album for the last year. It’s due to release in two months, and this trip was to re-record some things that needed to be touched up.
“Yeah—can we do your makeup too?” Astrid asks.
I chuckle. “Why can’t you play with Mommy?”
“Because we want to play with you.”
Fuck it if my heart doesn’t melt at her words.
“Fine, let me unpack and then we can play.”
“Yay!” Astrid cries, clapping her hands. “I love you, Daddy.” She hugs my legs.
I bend down and hug her tighter. She smells like her princess shampoo. I never realize how much I miss something as simple as that until I’m gone for a little while.
“I love you too.”
She lets me go and runs off.
Elise looks after her sister, but turns back to me with a cute angel like smile.
“Love you, Daddy.” She hugs me too and then kisses me before running off after her sister.
“Love you, lady bug,” I call after her, but I doubt she hears me.
I take my suitcase to the laundry room and dump out my dirty clothes, sticking them in the washer.
I haven’t heard a peep out of Nova, so I have no idea where she might be.
I zip my suitcase back up and carry it upstairs to our bedroom to put away.
I stop in the doorway when I find her lying in the bed beside our one-month-old son, Parker.
She opens her eyes and smiles at me.
Like always, she takes my breath away, and I question how I got so fucking lucky to call this person mine.
“You’re home,” she whispers so she doesn’t wake the sleeping baby.
“I’m home,” I whisper back.
I set the suitcase down and kick off my shoes, creeping across the floor to climb in the bed so the baby is between us.
“I missed you.” I lean over to kiss her. She tastes sweet like my favorite cake.
“We missed you too.”
I place my hand on Parker’s belly and kiss his cheek. He stirs, but doesn’t wake. His hair is dark like Nova’s, and we have no way of knowing what his eye color will be yet but I’m hoping for brown.
The girls come running into the room and we quickly motion for them to slow down.