Little Girl Don't Grow Up Too Fast

I Miss You, I Love You

"Dad, I'm so bored," Charlotte groaned as she sat on the couch with her father watching TV after just getting home from school. "Can I invite a friend over?"

"Am I not fun enough for you?" Mike questioned jokingly.

"Not really," the daughter gave a snarky response.

"Rude," he giggled. "Yeah, I guess you can. You should call your mom now though before your friend comes over."

"Okay."

Charlotte pulled out her phone and opened up FaceTime before dialing her mother's number. There were only two rings before Carrie's face showed up on the screen. It had only been a week and a half that Carrie had been on tour, but the family of three kept their word to each other that they would call, text, and FaceTime every day.

"Hey, sweets!" the blonde mother greeted perkily. "You're early today. I literally just got done with rehearsals!"

"Yeah, Bayley is coming over to hang out so Dad told me to call you now," Charlotte explained.

"I see," Carrie responded. "Do you have your homework done?"

"Yes," Charlotte squeaked.

"I'll take that as a no then?" Carrie's eyebrows raised being able to tell that she was clearly lying.

"Bayley and I will work on it when she gets here," the teen suggested.

"Like that's going to happen," Carrie commented. "No friends over unless you have your homework done."

"But Mom-"

"No buts," Carrie stared her daughter down through the phone.

"UGH!" Charlotte sighed. "Don't you have like a show to get ready for or something?"

"Geez, no need to get an attitude with me now," Carrie frowned when she noticed her daughter roll her eyes at her. "I can tell you don't want to talk to me so is your dad there?"

"I'll get him," Charlotte sighed as she stood up from the couch.

"Hey Charlie, I love you, you know," Carrie spoke sweetly yet seriously.

Charlotte sighed frustratingly giving her mother a knowing look, "Love you too. Here's Dad."

After a few seconds of the camera readjusting, Carrie's gorgeous boyfriend came on her screen, immediately making her eyes light up with joy. "Hey!"

"Hey babe, how's your day been?" he asked her as he went upstairs to the bedroom to talk.

"Fine, I just got done with rehearsals. I have some down time before I have to start getting ready for meet and greets," she told him. "I just got done having a talk with Charlie and she had a serious attitude."

"Yeah, I think she's just in a weird mood."

"I'm not ready for those hormones," Carrie sighed.

"You aren't ready? What about me?" Mike questioned. When he saw the quizzical look on Carrie's face he continued. "I already have to deal you let alone having to deal with her now too."

"Oh, please," the blonde rolled her eyes. "I don't get that hormonal."

"Whatever you say," Mike joked.

"Anyways," Carrie decided to flip the subject getting annoyed by the current topic. "I told Charlotte she couldn't have Bayley over."

"Why not?"

"Mike, she has homework," Carrie giggled at her husband not having a clue in the world. "We literally had this discussion before I left that she wouldn't be able to have friends over until her schoolwork is finished."

"Oops."

Carrie couldn't help but chuckle, "Anyways, I told her she could have a sleepover on Friday night so be prepared for that. Ever since she started doing that her grades have gone up."

"Care, I have a game this weekend," his eyes got big.

"Then they can go to the game together. Have Bayley take my ticket since I can't be there."

"I won't get home until late and who is going to take them anyways?"

"I'm sure Ivey can take them and they can sleepover at her house that night. You won't have to worry about a thing. I'll give Ivey a call."

"Why are you so insistent on this whole sleepover anyways?" Mike questioned.

"Because," Carrie paused trying to think of the real reason why. "You're in hockey season and I'm across the country touring. I guess I just feel guilty that we aren't there as much as what normal parents are. The least we can do is let her have a friend be there for her."

He knew in that moment that his girlfriend was feeling bad, but he couldn't help but fall more and more in love with the girl that loved his daughter as much as he did. "Care, I know this is hard for you because it's hard for me too, but Charlie is going to be okay. She has two parents now that love her and would drop anything if we knew she needed us. Plus, she also has a great support system. Ivey, Christina, Austin, and Melissa are always around when we need them to be. She'll be okay, I promise."

"You're right," Carrie huffed, feeling slightly more at ease with the situation. Mike always had that effect on her just like she had on him. The longer she looked at her phone screen, the sadder she got. She missed having Mike actually there with her. Staring at those blue eyes through the phone didn't have the same sparkle as what they did in real life. She craved feeling the stubble on his chin against her skin when he kissed her. Most of all, she missed feeling protected and safe in his arms. "I miss you."

"I miss you too, babe," he replied. "But I know you are out there having fun in front of thousands of people every night."

Carrie smiled, admiring her boyfriend's support. "I am having fun, but nothing will ever top getting to be with my family now that you guys are a part of my life. It's a little different now."

"Hopefully a good different."

"The best kind of different," she grinned. "I have to take Ace and Penny out for a walk before I have a short meeting with Ann so I'll let you go."

"Alrighty, well I love you, Princess. Break a leg, tonight. Text me when you get off stage."

"I will. I love you."

All these years of being out on the road, Carrie had never had a problem with it. In fact, she almost loved it. She loved the freedom and the adrenaline she had night after night. Touring was such an escape from real life. Maybe that was what was wrong this time. Real life was so good for her before she left that she wished she didn't have to escape it. She still loved touring, but she loved her daughter and the man in her life more. It was a scary concept to think about at first, but she was content with with that. The next few weeks were going to be tougher for Carrie than what she had thought. She missed her family she never thought she would have gotten. She was back to being alone, but this time she wasn't okay with that.