My Idol's Baby Sister

Melody's First Big Trip

Melody and I have gone on small trips, like to go see Tommy while they're touring the United States but Melody has never gone out of the country. It's an understatement to say that she's excited to go to Europe, she's not too excited to be awake and at the airport at four thirty in the morning. Melody also isn't all that excited about flying, the air pressure hurts her ears.

Tommy and I are getting the car loaded to head to the airport so we're there for four thirty but that's not easy when we have to go upstairs every few minutes to re-wake up our daughter. We both know that eventually we're just going to have to carry her downstairs.

With being pregnant I'm puking my guts up a lot do flying is going to be so much fun. I lean against the kitchen counter and sip orange juice, trying and failing to settle my stomach. The door to the garage opens behind me and I see Tommy walking into the kitchen.

"You're sure you can fly while pregnant?" He asks and I smile.

"Yeah, I'm sure. I'm only like two weeks pregnant." I assure him and he kisses my forehead. "Are you excited?"

"Yeah, I'm excited." Tommy beams and I laugh. "And I'm excited for the trip." He smiles and kisses me quickly.

"Mama." The small sleepy voice says.

Melody walks into the kitchen rubbing sleep out of her eyes and wearing a little Mötley Crüe tee shirt and little jean shorts. Her dark curling hair is messy and frizzy and still in the braid from the day before. My daughter walks up to me and I scoop her up, Tommy kisses her hair.

"Mama, I sleepy." She mumbles.

"I know, baby." I whisper and bounce her gently. "You can sleep in the car."

"Does Melody know about the b-a-b-y?" Tommy asks and I shake my head. "Can I tell her when she wakes up a bit more?"

"Yeah, of course." I laugh and he smiles.

"Yay." He laughs and kisses me quickly.

Tommy gently takes our sleeping daughter from my arms and I yawn. My husband starts laughing and kisses my temple.

"You're tired too, I think you're going to sleep on the plane too." Tommy says quietly and I smile.

"Probably." I admit. "I'm hoping that Melody is asleep when the plane takes off, she hates the air pressure change. She cries because it hurts her ears."

Worry washes over my husband's face and he hugs our daughter a little closer to him in a protective way. Tommy kisses her cheek and bounces her again. I smile and grab his hand.

"Come on, we're going to be late for the flight." I remind him and he smiles.

"Hate to be late." He laughs.

Tommy

Melody was still asleep when we got on the jet and we just laid her down on the couch. Katie and I sat up for a little while but we both ended up falling asleep, I didn't sleep nearly as long as my wife and daughter though.

Katie is still fast asleep in the seat beside me and she keeps mumbling about something in Dutch. Without even looking back I can hear Melody snoring which makes me laugh, a precious little angel that snores like a water buffalo.

All at once Melody's snoring stops and me, being a worried father, I look back to see if she's okay. I look back to see our daughter sitting up on the couch and looking around like she's trying to remember where she is. She locks eyes with me and motions me over.

I walk over to the couch and sit down beside her, Melody instantly crawls into my lap and hugs me tightly. She pulls back and holds me at arms length for a second.

"Are you dome touring for a while, daddy?" She asks and I frown.

"Not exactly. I go back on tour in August but I'm back most of September, then I'm on tour from October to half way through December. But after all of that I'm home for a while while we record." I explain and she frowns.

"I miss you when you're on tour." Melody admits. "And you and mama fight more and I don't like it."

"I don't like fighting with mama either and I definitely miss you so much but I gotta go on tour, lamb." I remind her and she sighs.

"I know, daddy." She grumbles and slumps her shoulders.

"That's not all that's bothering you though, is it?" I wonder and she shakes her head. "Then what is it, baby?"

"I don't want to start school in September. I want to stay home with you and mama." Melody admits. "What if the other kids are mean to me?"

"Then mama and daddy are going to go talk to your teacher." I tell her and kiss her cheek. "But that's not going to happen, little lamb. They are going to love you so much and you're going to make so many new friends. Then when you have birthday parties it's not just your uncles and aunts here."

"Uncle Nikki did look pretty in that pink boa when we played tea party." She reminds me and I laugh. "Daddy, I miss Uncle David. I don't like Sammy very much."

"Neither does your mother." I mumble to myself. "How about this? When we get home I'll call Uncle David and see if he wants to come over." I offer and she lights up. "That sound like fun?"

"Yeah, daddy." She beams and hugs me tightly.

Then I remember that Melody doesn't know that Katie is pregnant and she told me that I could tell our daughter when she wakes up a bit more. Melody is awake and I think it's a good time to tell her.

"Hey lamb, remember a few months ago when we asked you if you wanted a little brother or sister?" I ask and she nods. "Well, mommy is going to have a baby next year around April."

"I'm going to be a big sister?" Melody gasps and I laugh.

"Yeah, baby. You're going to be a big sister." I tell her.

"Am I going to have a baby brother or a baby sister?" She wonders.

"It's too soon to know." I explain.

"What if it's both?" She asks excitedly and I smile.

"I guess it's a possibility." I admit and she smiles.

"Daddy, I'm so happy!" Melody tells me and my smile broadens.

"That might be my favourite thing to hear." I admit.

Katie wakes herself just before we land and I get to witness my daughter crying and in pain because of the different air pressures when landing. Melody stayed in my wife's lap and held her ears while tears streamed down her face.

When we got off the plane early, seven am sunlight light up our world. Out in the distance you can see the Parthenon which now looks so tiny and anticlimactic. I love everything about his city and the history that is carved into the ancient architecture. I was born here and so was my mother, this place runs through my veins.

I wasn't raised here but this is my place of birth. I'm home.