Three years later

“Daddy!” I looked over at Austin who was now opening the door. I rushed to greet him along with Mia. He picked his daughter up in his arms and kissed her on the forehead before pulling me into a deep kiss. Three months. That was how long he’d been on tour.

“Hey, angel.”

“Hey, stud.” I winked at him and he chuckled. I noticed the lines around his eyes and his mouth. I was pretty sure he hadn’t them when he’d left for the tour three months ago. I remember the argument we had about it.

“You’re not taking our three year old daughter on tour with you!” I screamed to him as he tossed a pair of jeans in his backpack that he was packing for said tour.

“Why not? Kellin does it all the time.”

“You’re not Kellin. She can barely walk and you want her around electrical equipment? Have you gone fucking mad?”

“I’m going to be gone three months! I don’t know why you’re not coming with me.” Austin clasped his hands behind his back as he paced back forth across the near black carpet in our bedroom. I didn’t like seeing him like this but I didn’t want him taking our daughter on tour when she was barely three years old.

“I’ve told you, Austin. I’m going to doing classes online and I need to study for it. I don’t want to sponge off you forever.”

“I like treating you.”

“I want to support myself and if you don’t like it then that’s too bad.”

“For fuck sake, Taylor. Why are you being so damn stubborn?”

“Mummy?” Mia poked her blonde curly around the doorframe, the bear Austin had bought her when she was a baby clutched in her hands. A frown was on her beautiful face as she looked between her two fighting parents. I sent a glare at Austin before heading over to pick her up in my arms.

“Did you have a bad dream, sweetie?”

“I don’t want Daddy to leave.” She whispered to me, so quietly that Austin couldn’t here, before she buried her head in my neck. I debated about letting him take her with but I didn’t want any damage to come to her while she was with him and if there was damage he would feel terrible about it.

“I don’t either, but remember what I told you about Daddy’s job?”

“He’d be leaving. Sometimes without us.”

“That’s right, baby girl. Remember I’ll always come home to you though.” Austin said as he walked up behind me. Mia held her arms out and Austin took her in his arms and buried his face in her curly hair.

“You’re Mommy has a point though. I couldn’t take you with me yet, not until you get a little bigger.”

“I’m big girl, Daddy.”

“I know, sweetie but not quite big enough. I’ll see you very soon though. Remember, I’ll always be in here.” He placed his overly large hand on Mia’s small delicate chest, just over heart with a smile. “Always here for you.”

“Taylor?” I snapped out of my memory as Mia wriggled to the ground and accidently jumped on my foot. I winced as I looked into Austin’s tired face. “Never again am I doing it without you.”

“This is your career. Your dream.”

“Was my dream. You became my dream nearly four years ago when I first met you. I’m not going on tour unless you come with me next time.”

“Do you want to see what Mia drew at playgroup today?” I asked and gently tugged him into the kitchen. He allowed me to pull him into the kitchen by his hand. He turned me when we got to the kitchen and pinned me to the wall before smashing his lips onto mine.

The first time in three months since I’d felt his lips on mine and it felt like paradise. I wound my hands in his dark hair and tugged him closer to me with a moan. His hand slid down my side and under my shirt a few moments before he squeezed my breast in his hand.

I moaned quietly as the other trailed across the waistband of my jeans and dipping inside quickly. There was a banging on the kitchen door seconds before Mia came rushing into the kitchen with tears in her eyes and a dolly in her hands. Austin groaned ever so quietly before taking his hands away and kneeling in front of Mia.

“What happened, sweetie?”

“Telly-tubby bit her head off!” Mia wailed as she handed the doll to Austin to look at. Sure enough there was tiny kitten marks around the dolls head. He looked up at me with a worried glance as much to say what the fuck am I supposed to do with this?

“Maybe Telly-tubby just wanted to play with your dolly too. How about we let Daddy fix her and you show me what Uncle Alan bought you home yesterday, hey?”

“Okay.” Mia wiped her sniffling nose before grabbing a hold of my hand and taking me upstairs. I looked over my shoulder with a smile and Austin murmured later to me. I nodded to him as he took the doll into the workshop that was built a few years ago.

Mia dropped my hand as we reached her bedroom. Austin had finally gotten his way and when Mia had turned three he’d replaced her crib with a castle bed and Mia loved it. She sat in front of a huge dolls house that Austin’s dad and my dad had made for her last Christmas. She reached inside the house and pulled out a plastic doll with a smile.

“Who is this?”

“This is Timmy. He’s Bob’s little brother.” Mia picked up another doll and put them together. Since the doll’s house had been made Alan had made it his duty to pick Mia a doll up every time he went out to a different state. I was worried when Alan returned yesterday with no Austin with him but he’d reassured me that Austin was on his way.

“Mia, honey? Bella is fixed.” Austin popped his head around the door and held out the little ginger haired dolly. Mia made a happy squealing noise and rushed towards her Dad who was holding the little toy. Austin handed the doll over with a smile as he headed into the room.

Notes

Title Cred: Sleeping With Sirens.

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