On Tour

Chapter 50

I finish setting up the iPad on the porch, and then I make the FaceTime call. I run back to the blanket filled with toys and sit down next to Amara. I look over and count the two filled baby bottles, just in case she gets hungry. We are on the porch and there is a nice breeze, not to hot, not to cold. There's a glass sheet all around the decks edges so I don't have to worry about Amara or any of her toys falling. "Hey Lily!" I hear the familiar voice of my older brother, Ethan. "Ethan! Hey!" I say, giving all my attention to the camera. "I miss you, how are things with mom and dad and the sisters?" I say, nervously fluffing Amara's hair. "Their great! Missing you of course." He says, propping himself up on his pillow. "Is that my little niece?" He says, looking down at Amara, "Yep, Amara meet Ethan, Ethan Amara." I say putting her closer to the screen. She babbles and her big eyes search all over the camera, "Hi Amara I'm your uncle Ethan," he says in a kiddish voice and she laughs, reaching for the screen, I pull her back and she gets mad, I give her her rattle and she gets distracted. "Where is everyone?" Ethan asks, "They're preforming at Bay Arena, I figured I'd sit this one out and watch baby Amara." I say, looking down at her. "She has your smile, she doesn't really have... erm, anything of Josh's?" He says, eyeing her down, I look at Ethan and say, "It's me and the person who abducted me, that's where she came from." I say, it's getting easier to say it now. He runs his hand through his dark hair and says, "You're.... um... ok with that? I don't mean to sound rude or anything I'm just making sure you alr-," "I'm ok, and I know what you mean, it was hard at first, but then everyone starting being so supportive, and I almost forgot." "Almost?" "Almost..." I say and he bites his lip, "I really miss you," I say smiling, wiping the tear from my eye. I usually don't get homesick but me and Ethan have always been so close, you could say attached-to-the-hip even, and being away from him for this long just seems off to me. "I miss you too," I barley consider him a brother, more like a best friend, like Katie, which whom I NEED to get in touch with. I shake it off and say, "So tell me, what's the latest gossip in Ethan Gilchorns life?" Amara distracts me, she's starting to pout and whine, I look down at her and she puts her hands up reaching for me. She just needs attention, I pick her up and hold her, bouncing her in my arms, "You're gonna hate me," he stars off, yikes. "I could never hate you," I say, throwing my hand to my chest in awe. He laughs and so do I, "Promise?" He says seriously, "Damn, you got me scared now. What's up?" I say, Amara still doesn't stop whining and I pick her up to smell her, nope, not it, thank god. I grab a bottle full of formula, giving it a hard shake, I hover it over her lips and she latches on immediately. Hungry, that's what she was. "Me and Katie, we, uh, we hooked up." I cringe, fricccc. Never thought my best friend would, ewwww, with my, EWWW. I feel unsure, should I be pissed? I guess my life's been so efed up lately I don't even know if I'm one to judge? "Was it just sex, or was it uh, was it more?" "It was JUST sex." He says, do I believe him? No, but honestly I'm ok with giving him a pass on this one. "Are you ok that we hooked up, or?" He says unsure, oh no, I'm fine, except, I mean like, except the part where I'm mEnTAlLY UNSTABLE WHAT THE F-,"Perfectttt," I say smiling, "Ok good, phew." He says swiping his forehead. "Oh hey, when you, Tyler, Jenna, and Josh get back from tour this year we are throwing you a party/get together with all of their families and ours." He says, smiling. "What's new with you?" He says going on. "I'm thinking of going back to med school," he was taking a drink of tea and then he chokes on it, "You sure that's something you want to do? I just finished my four years of internship and I'm on my first year of residency, it's kicking my arse." "But yet you keep doing it, why?" "Yes, I do it becuase, I love how fast paced it is, and the adrenaline rush you get when you find out a diagnosis, it's a high. Of course losing a patient can be emotionally exhausting, but it's made me a wiser person. And of course you can't forget about getting in on surgeries, holding a beating heart in your hand and giving someone a new liver is exhilarating." I smile, "All of the reasons I want to go back." I say, setting aside Amara's empty bottle. Her mouth is still open, meaning she's not full yet, I grab the other bottle, shake, let her grasp onto it, then the tiny little gulping noises continue. "You know," I say starting off, "I'm gonna go back to medical school, become a surgeon, and then me, Josh, and Amara are going to buy a mansion, with a big back yard, and a swing set. Don't worry, they'll be tons of guest bedrooms for you and the family." I say winking at him. He smiles, "Good, I plan on staying," he says winking back, my phone buzzes a few times indicating I got text messages.
Josh- We'll be back soon babe, we're bringing home take out spaghetti
Katie- We need to talk...
"Speak of the Devil," I mutter, "What?" Ethan says in the background, I look up at him, "It's Katie, 'We need to talk'" "Its probably about us..." Ethan says, running his hand through his hair once more, I swear to god that's his nervous habit. "And Josh, 'Be back soon babe' so I guess I should let you go." I say, bouncing Amara around. "I love you," I say blowing him a kiss, "Love you more, see you at the party." He says winking, "See you then," I smile, the FaceTime video ends and I look down at Amara's already empty bottle, "You must've been hungry hey?" I say, setting it down next to me. "That was your Uncle Ethan, my favorite brother. I'm obligated to say that becuase he's my only brother, so. I'd be lost without him, I think you two will become close once you get older. I mean like, he is your 'god father'." I say, smiling down at her.