Family is Forever (Sequel to Running on Insulin)

Chapter 74

Samantha POV

The last two weeks of school went too fast. My report card was good. I'd worked really hard for my grades and Mom was really happy when I showed it to her. But I was still really nervous about going on tour with Dad.  Mom could tell and kept reassuring me everything was going to be fine and we'd have a lot of fun.

During the last week of school, every day practically, we stopped somewhere to buy stuff to bring with us on tour. More clothes for me, shoes, because I kept outgrowing my sneakers, toiletries, stuff like that. My passport came and Mom packed it in her luggage.

"It's the only ID you have, really,"she said. I couldn't argue that.

I woke up with a stomach ache the morning we were due to leave.

"Sam? You okay?" Mom asked coming into my room early in the morning and finding me curled up in my bed.

"My stomach hurts," I complained.

"Oh, baby. Nervous stomach or sick stomach?"

"I don't know," I whined. "Just hurt stomach."

"Well," she said, feeling my forehead. "You don't have a temperature, I think maybe you're a little nervous about tour?"

I shrugged. Probably. But that didn't stop my stomach hurting.

"Get up, go to the bathroom, see how you feel, okay?" Mom said. I nodded.

I did just that. I also needed to take and then pack my medications from my bathroom. Mom and I had gone to the pharmacy and gotten two months worth of diabetic supplies including insulin and test strips for my monitor in case something happened to my pump or CGM. We also got a bunch of infusion kits for the pump just in case.

I got dressed and made sure everything I wanted was packed and ready. I was still nervous and my stomach was still upset, but I didn't feel like throwing up so much anymore.

Mom came in with her luggage a few minutes later.

"How're you feeling, baby?" She asked.

I shrugged.

"Stomach still upset?"

"Yeah. Not as bad but yeah. A bit."

"Okay. We'll get you some ginger ale at the airport, okay?"

I nodded, gathered my luggage and followed Mom downstairs.  We were going to eat at the airport to save time and because we'd used up the perishable food, like milk and cheese. And Mon didn't want to do dishes. I couldn't blame her.

A car was being sent for us to take us to the airport, so we put our luggage by the front door and waited. My phone pinged with a text, and I checked it. It was from Dad.

"Can't wait until you get here!  I miss you and we can't wait to see you!"

I smiled. Mom looked over.

"All good?"

"Yeah. Dad," I said, showing her the text. She smiled and pulled me to her.

"He's really excited to show you what he does."

"I know what he does," I said.

"True. But have you ever been to a concert?"

"Nooooo," I said.

"Now you'll see what your dad does when he's not here," she smiled. "He's so excited. Josh too."

I smiled. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad.

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Tyler POV

Jenna and Samantha were due to arrive any minute. I was so excited to have them, but especially Samantha, here. She'd never travelled much. Besides the time she'd run away and our trip to California, she'd never seen anywhere else.

"Ty, relax. The clock isn't going to speed up for you," Josh said.

"I know. I'm just so eager to see my family," I said. Our manager had let me know that their plane had landed and they were on their way in the car he'd had sent for them.

"Me too. I want to see how much taller that weed you're raising has gotten," Josh grinned at me. 

I threw a baby carrot from the tray catering had sent in, at him. He dodged it.

"Jenn says she's growing like, well, a weed," Josh reasoned.

"Yeah. She's doing so well. She's been so healthy up until that UTI and pneumonia a few weeks ago, but otherwise, her diabetes has been in check, her eye doctor says amazingly her eyes are okay. She might have issues later in life but we may have helped save her vision. Her dentist is happy. She only had two cavities. And Doc says he barely recognizes the kid who comes in now when compared to the kid who started with him in October.

"And she turns 14 on tour," Josh said. "So you get to embarrass the crap out of her."

I grinned. Jenna and I had discussed ways in which we could celebrate Samantha's birthday at the end of the month.  Keeping in mind that she still could be skittish around crowds and new people, we thought we'd see how she handled being introduced to the crowd tonight, and if she would come out onto the stage, then we'd consider doing her birthday onstage. Otherwise, I'd mention it on stage and we'd have a birthday cake with the crew backstage.  Either way, we wanted to make this birthday special.

"Hey, Tyler," our manager said, poking his head in the dressing room. 

"Yep?" I said.

He grinned at me. 

"They're here."