Time To Live

Chapter 04: Commotion

"Judging by the fact that we do not have a singer for tonight's gig, I'm going to say that that did not go well," Ricky laughed, trying to lighten the mood. He sat on the sofa inside the band's bus, clutching a sleeping Christian in his tattooed arms. "So, what now?"

Jenna shrugged, pushing the box of Kleenex across the couch with a frown. "I go home with Christian and forget that this ever happened. We continue on as we were, just fine without him."

Brian shook his head slowly. "Is that what you really want?"

"What I want doesn't matter anymore," Jenna confessed sadly. "Christian matters and I cannot force Christopher to man up and be a father for him. So, rather than create a situation where my son will end up psychologically-damaged, I choose to walk away and cut my ties now. It's already too late."

Ricky gazed at the sleeping infant in his arms. "I understand but that's too bad - he's beautiful and he deserves a dad."

Jenna winced at his words. "With luck, one day I will meet an amazing man who will welcome both of us with open arms and he will have a father, a real father. Biology aside."

Brian looked from his little sister to Ricky and raised a shaggy eyebrow. "Should I leave you two alone for a bit?"

Ricky's blue eyes widened, Jenna sat up straighter. "No, no," she argued, waving her hands. "I didn't mean-"

Brian glanced at the other man, noticing but not acknowledging when his blue eyes fell. "Just checking!"

"Can we start to head out?" Jen inquired softly, looking around the dangerously quiet bus skeptically. "Christian will wake up soon and I should really feed him. I don't need to do that here and here is just . . . . " Her voice trailed off, but the anxiety was clear on her face.

Ricky stood slowly, clutching the infant in his arms. "Let me carry him to the car, alright? I want to know that you guys got on the road safely."

"Thank you," Jenna smiled sadly. She began shoving her few belongings – a bottle covered in monkeys, one blue binky, and a stuffed zebra – into her diaper bag, then collected her purse from the sofa, as well.

Brian disappeared off the bus and went to bring the car around, while Jenna made sure for the umpteenth time that everything in her bags was repacked and nothing of the baby's was left behind. Ricky rocked the little boy softly. "I hope I'm a dad one day," he confessed quietly.

"You'll be a great dad," Jenna smiled sadly. "One day."

He stood beside her, rocking slowly back and forth and cooing at the infant. "When you called with the test results, there was not an amount of money that I wouldn't have paid to have you say that I was Christian's father." He saw the anxiety still so clear in her large brown eyes and he sighed. "I just wish that things were different for you guys."