Ace Huxley's Daughter

1

"I really wish you'd cover up Olive."

"It's a dress mum. One you bought me not even 2 months ago. No shoulders, no collar bone. I'm wearing tights. What is the problem?" I breathed. Mum breathed. She was just pissed I'm following through with it.

"Life on tour isn't what you think it is Olive. The people your father is around-"

"Are also my family." I flicked my hair, turning to face her. "Nothing's going to happen mum. They're just stories and none of them happened on dad's tour. The agreement between you two in the divorce was when I finished school, which I have, and graduated, which I did, I could go with him. You can't back out of it. I'm not. I want to go. I want the experience. If it's rubbish, I can come home. I'm not stuck following him around if I hate it. It's what 7 weeks? I've been in worse places for longer. I haven't seen him in ages and I want to spend some time with him. This is the only time I have before I start working for you right?" She sighed, knuckles white against the wheel. Keep going Callie. "And I'll be returned in one piece, unharmed, still Olive." She cupped my face, thumb rubbing my cheek softly.

"I know. If you're not enjoying it in the slightest-"

"I'll call."

"I hate that he's getting your 21st birthday."

"Mum, you've had the past 5. He deserves one. We'll celebrate when I get back." I looked over my shoulder and exhaled again. "I've got to go. I'll call. I'll text. I'll be fine. I can tell you all about it when I get home."

Watching your mother hold herself together isn't something anyone ever wants to see, much less me. Despite her wrong doings, mum always put me first and for that I could never fault her. She's overprotective, caring, and loves me more than the world itself, that was blatantly obvious to anyone within 100 feet of us. And I love her like any child does. There's one person I love more and I cannot wait to spend 7 weeks with him.

I pulled the door handle pushing on the door until it freed me from the enclosed space, pulling my pristine overnight bag onto my shoulder. A quick goodbye when I could see tears forming and before I knew it, I was walking towards an arena mum had dropped me at one too many times. Every time they were local, I was graced with tickets to see dad. He'd be home for a matter of days before he was off again. My entire childhood was a matter of counting days. How many until the album dropped, how many until tour started, how many until he left the country, how many until he was back, how many until he had to do it all again.

The last time I counted, we stopped before he came home. Mum just stopped changing the board. When he came home, I was out with friends, I could hear the screaming from the road and just waited on the doorstep for it to stop. 3 hours. Until the door slammed and he walked out, getting in the car without realizing I was there. Stuff shattered inside the house as he pulled out and I knew in that instant it was over. 14. I was 14. There was a lot going on behind the scenes that dad only told me about a few years ago when I asked. It wasn't an amicable split. Very much the opposite. She got full custody but I screamed and cried and blocked her out until she gave in.

I got to see him when he was in town. He'd pick me up despite her bitter face and we'd hang out for the day. He'd drop me home before what she had deemed was my 'bedtime' and I'd be dropped at his show a few hours before he started. Those few hours with the band and him are some of my happiest memories. His band mates and best friends were people I considered uncles, if not father figures in their own rights.

"Name."

"Um, he probably put me under Callie Huxley." The security officer looked up.

"As in the Ace Huxley?" He almost laughed and I sighed, pulling my ID out of my phone case, and putting it down a little harsh. He was just doing his job Callie.