by Watkins, TM
My mother had to intervene, she came to Vegas after I'd rung her in a mess of tears. I was sick of the four walls of the bedroom. It didn't matter that there was a television or a great stack of books, I wanted out of bed. So she kept me company and assured Evan that he could go to the clubhouse and work on the album. He rang as soon as he got there to check to see if I was okay.
When he rang half an hour after that, my mother calmly told him to stop stressing because it was only making it worse for me. Once I was in a better frame of mind, I was happy to continue planning the second wedding. With my mother always a step behind me, I ventured to the lounge room and finished everything. We set the date for two months after my due date, I was being optimistic.
The optimism was good for my mind and my body, AJ held on and I carried him to term. His birth wasn't easy but he was worth every single hour of pain. I had stretch marks that were yet to fade, I had a flabby belly from the craving for vanilla cupcakes. Then again, I had a full belly from the little being that was growing within. This pregnancy was smooth sailing, aside from Evan freaking out again.
Devlin was unable to halt the production for the movie second time around, he apologized profusely but there was little he could do for me. It was behind schedule because of my time off and there was a mad push to get it finished. I was lucky though, they didn't want me to suffer another miscarriage so they made the body double do as much work as she could.
We had married again and this time we had a honeymoon. We'd gone to England, stopping overnight in New York. Even though AJ was only a few weeks old, we took him with us. I didn't want to be away from him, I would have preferred to stay at home but everyone kept saying that we had to go somewhere.
Evan smiled at me as the limousine slowed, the crowd outside was going crazy.
“Are you ready?” Evan asked as he undid the restraints.
AJ nodded and reached out for his father. He had sandy blonde hair like me, deep green eyes and a pale olive skin tone like his father. The attendant opened the door and Evan stepped out first, the crowd roared with their cheers. Taking a deep breath, I took his offered hand and stepped out of the vehicle.
This was it, this was the movie premiere. The studio heads had lapped up the idea of bringing AJ to the night though I wasn't so sure. To them it was like the movie was being played out in real life. The couple that had to hide their love from the world, finally able to go public and the child in their arms was a shining beacon of their love.
I was reluctant to bring him but I was also reluctant to leave him behind. Of course life was made more difficult when all possible baby sitters were here as well. I didn't want some unknown person caring for AJ, I'd spent far too many hours trapped in the bedroom to ensure his safety to allow some unknown person around him.
I was just being a worrying mother, deep down I knew that he would be safe. But I just couldn't make myself do it, I couldn't be away from him and I couldn't begin to think of trusting another person with his care.
My parents and Zeke were a few steps ahead of us. The little creature had managed to land himself a minor role in the film, now he was basking in the glow of fame. AJ held his hands to his ears as the fan girls called out to Evan. He passed AJ over and as we walked along the red carpet he signed bits of paper, posed for photos with the girls and got lots of kisses planted on his cheek. I kept back a little, the fear I held was for my little girl. It didn't matter that I was past the safe point, I still worried.
Further along the path we stopped for the cameras, posing as our happy little family. The photographers lapped it up when Evan rubbed the enormous swell that was covered in a deep blue chiffon. I was carrying differently now, even before I found out I knew that there was a girl in there.
We continued into the building, ushered to our seats. AJ saw his grandparents and in an instant he was struggling out of my arms and walking along the floor as held onto the seats. Evan seemed rather anxious. He couldn't sit still. Twiddling his thumbs, adjusting his tie, scratching the back of his head, toying with his wedding band. I tried to ignore it until I couldn't take it any longer.
“Hey.” I said, taking his hands into mine.
He looked at me with a mild panic in his eyes.
“I'm going to tell you a secret.” I whispered. “I've seen it.”
His eyes widened and then he frowned.
“When you went to charity gig last week, Devlin came around with a copy. We sat and watched it with my parents. It's all good baby, you were amazing.”
“Really?”
I nodded with a loving and warm smile, showing him that I had confidence in him and he should too.
“And that scene?”
“You looked like a stud, don't worry about it.”
His eyes narrowed at me.
“That's not what I meant.”
“You've seen it, why are you questioning it?”
Evan shrugged and turned when a shadow loomed over us. Eden and Fraser walked past us to their seats and something dawned on me as I looked at Evan's panic as it returned. He worried for what his friends thought.
To me it wasn't something that I had thought much about, the scenes were always so clinical with a dozen people in the room it didn't feel like a sex scene. But this was different. The studio took the opportunity of me being bed ridden, set up the equipment in our bedroom and filmed it there. It was a closed set, it was dark and rather intimate. Or at least, it looked like it was. In reality I was fully dressed under the bed sheets, Evan was in a pair of pants. Already heavily pregnant and filming a scene where we pretended to get pregnant was rather laughable. I was certainly giggling.
“It's great baby, I'm not lying. You did an amazing job. Relax.”
He nodded and looked up to yet another looming shadow.
“Reassure me that we're not going to see your bare ass.” Curtis grumbled. “There is a lot of chatter on the internet that you get your gear off.”
Evan glanced at me and then back to Curtis with a quiet shrug. He groaned and carried on.
Yes it was true, my darling husband had waggled his bare ass in front of the camera. One for the fan girls he crooned as he agreed to it. It was more likely that he did it for the partial nudity bonus that was on offer, not that he needed more money.
He didn't know it, but I knew where the money had gone. It was true to say that he didn't need the bonus money, he didn't even need the money he was making for the entire film. But with the recent events in our life, the sweet soul beside me quietly gave away the bonus money to a few different charities. One was a grief center, it helped people at a time when their lives were at their lowest. Another one was a support group for victims of sex crimes. A substantial portion of it had gone to a group that helps teen parents cope with raising their children, which didn't surprise me that he donated money to it. What did surprise me was the remainder of the money had gone to a group that supports LGBT teens. Why? Well Evan met my uncle and his partner and loved them like I did. He listened to what they said about opening up to their parents and to come out as teenagers. Of how it felt to be so scared of losing their loved ones and so internally conflicted as to what they really wanted.
The baby moved, Evan watched on with happiness as the little limb pressed out. His hand splayed out over my stomach and felt the movement.
“I don't think I could ever tire of that.” he whispered. “She's going to be as pretty as her mommy.”
“Aw, smooth move daddy.”
Evan grinned and leaned in for a kiss, the lights dimmed and a cranky little man wanted his mother back. My mother huddled her body over as she brought him back, more concerned that she'd have a room full of people looking at her. AJ sat on my lap, laying back against me. It was rather difficult since the belly had grown considerably in the past few days.
His eyes went wide as he stared at the screen, pointing with a smile when his father appeared.
“Is that daddy?”
He nodded and then looked at his
father who was on the other side of him. AJ couldn't understand how his father could be in two places at once. Zeke was playing a sibling of the main character, when he appeared before us AJ smiled.
“Eek.”
Zeke loved how AJ called him Eek, stating that no one else was allowed to call him that, just AJ. Every school break he would visit, just to visit AJ. The brat barely acknowledged his sister, all that mattered was the baby that crawled after him and as soon as he could walk, he was following him. They were becoming so close that my parents were actually considering moving to Nevada permanently. All that was left in the house was Zeke and he seemed to want to be where AJ was.
It wasn't as if they wouldn't get to see us, once the baby was born we were planning on going back to LA for a few weeks. Even though Evan hated the thought of going there, he accepted it because he knew that we should go. His grandparents and his mother had finally made peace with each other and were now a part of their lives, Evans too. So it wasn't just my family that we could visit in LA.
AJ rubbed his eyes, like he knew ahead of schedule my assistant was waiting with a warmed bottle and a feeding rug. The man was worth his weight in gold, always on the ball and eager to please his sister. Goose was hesitant at first but when he scrutinized the potential candidates he scoffed and rolled his eyes.
No one was good enough. This guy might hit on you Harmony and this chick, she's only after Evan. This woman here, she's going to rob you blind and this one here, I wouldn't touch her with a ten foot barge pole.
So after years of saying I didn't need an assistant, I had one.
My little man greedily sucked on his bottle, falling asleep pretty quickly. Goose was ready with the noise reduction ear muffs. We weren't exactly sure if it was necessary but I'd rather he get a good sleep than one that was interrupted at the first loud noise. I would have preferred to leave him at home with Goose but he wouldn't have any part of it.
He was freaking out at the thought that the milk might go off. Telling me constantly that it should be in the fridge, not in some silly container that is specifically designed to keep milk warm. I felt sorry for the woman that would one day be his wife. She would have one hell of a time trying to convince him of things.
When AJ was asleep Evan took him and laid him onto his lap. I'd said goodbye to my lap about two weeks ago. Evan took my hand and kissed the back of it, smiling at me. There was nothing more perfect than this moment. He was happy, as was I. We had a beautiful and happy son, a daughter on her way.
We could go the distance. We could make this life together work. No, that was wrong. We will make this work and we will go the distance. Life with Evan isn't always perfect but I didn't want perfect, it was boring and it was a lie. I didn't want a lie, I wanted reality. Life with Evan was fun. Filled with love, laughter and happiness and to me that was all that I needed.
Coming Soon
Invisible
A Night Fire Novel
Kaylee Chambers was saved. At seventeen she was living in an abandoned warehouse, homeless and starving. That was until she was found and saved her from her terrible existence. She was adopted by Night Fire's manager and given a fresh start. For four years Kaylee has been immersed in the world that is Night Fire, America's hottest rock band. For four years she's pined for the one who she thinks looks at her like a kid sister. All Kaylee wants is for Jaxon to love her back but when she thinks that she's invisible, she knows that she doesn't stand a chance.
Jaxon Ryan has always had a soft spot for Kaylee. Ever since finding her in the decrepit building that would be the bands new clubhouse, he's always looked after her. Anything that she has ever needed, he's given her. He's always loved her but believes that it's wrong because they met when she was underage. When she starts dating he finds his life in turmoil, unable to stop her and feeling like a hypocrite because he's always got someone hanging off his arm. But they are all for show, none of them mean a thing. Not when he looks at Kaylee and sees his forever.
When Kaylee turns twenty-one, Jaxon gives her an extravagant present. A gift that will change her life forever.
About the author
TM Watkins lives in Brisbane, Australia with her family. When she's not working or running around after her family, she spends her days contemplating the next adventure for her characters and her nights writing about them. Under the pen name of xMishx on Wattpad, she has written many books that are still available to read for free.
Acknowledgments
Image purchased from Shutterstock
Artist: Annetta
