Black Into Gold // Demi Lovato // 3

11. Future

After three days of searching for the girl, Demi was losing hope, but remained optimistic, and I wasn't sure I believed she existed. I asked for specific details about how she looked and Demi was vague.

She hadn't seen her up close, but she had long, dark hair, dark eyes, and tanned skin. Demi thought she might be Latina.

We sat at home, Demi picking at a thread on her thin sweater, me absentmindedly staring at my phone. I had logged out of my social media accounts because every time someone posted about Demi, they tagged or mentioned me and I hated the constant notifications, especially when I was trying to do something requiring my phone.

Everyone of her Lovatics were going insane with the news that she was out of rehab, even though it had been confirmed back in November. She stayed quiet on Instagram and Twitter-aside from her Instagram post from Election Day-still unsure of what to say about her music career. There were rumors she was planning on releasing new music before the Grammys, but she said nothing about it.

I had seen posts about her not returning to Los Angeles, but she was here and if she had any intention of moving, she didn't voice it to me. Would she really want to pack up and move less than a month after I moved in?

It was definitely something we needed to discuss later on.

My thoughts about the situation were interrupted when Demi suddenly spoke up. "Hey, question." I locked my phone and set it next to me to show I was listening. "Have you ever thought about kids?"

I half snorted, half scoffed. "I mean, I've thought about kids, but maybe not in the way I think you're implying. Kids as in raising them? Birthing them?"

She shook her head. "I was thinking more along the lines of fostering or adopting."

My mouth opened but the words took a while to form. "Is this about the girl?" I asked.

She nodded. "I have to make a difference somehow."

"Trust me, you already have made a difference. All of your Lovatics have been... blessed to have you as their role model for all these years." I paused, thinking of my next sentence. "And the fact you want to help kids in need... kids that need a loving home and a family that cares for them..." I trailed off, Demi waiting while I sorted through my thoughts. "You're an amazing person. Not just because of your voice, but your heart too. You care. You've done so much good, despite your battles, but that's what makes you so great."

She smiled, looking close to tears. "Maia..." she said, trailing off.

"Even the greatest fall, but the fact that you never gave up, never stopped fighting, that's why we love you."

~//~//~//~//~//~//~

A couple more days passed after my heartfelt speech and Demi started going out by herself, trips to the gym and running errands, getting coffee, sometimes bringing me some tea. She came back with reports that she hadn't seen the girl, but I was surprised she wasn't upset. In fact, she was happy.

I confronted her about it, but she explained her good mood was related to something else and that she still was upset we hadn't been able to find the girl.

"So what's going on?" I asked, since she wasn't telling me why she was happy.

"I've been talking to some people and we can apply to become legal foster parents," she said with a grin. "It's a process, it doesn't just happen overnight, but we can do it." I saw the excitement about helping kids in need of a safe and loving home in her eyes.

She probably saw the hesitation in mine and raised one brow. "Are you not happy about this?"

"No, it's not that. It's great. I just never thought I'd be a mom, or foster mom, at 26."

"To be fair, you could be 27 by then. I'm not sure." She lit up again at the thought of my birthday in less than a couple months. My first birthday together hadn't gone nearly as either of us hoped-me being kidnapped, the reason I found out Demi had relapsed after my party-so I had been dreading this one in the back of my head as the months faded away, closer and closer to March.

"So," Demi started with a big breath and I knew exactly where she was headed. I shut that shit down immediately (Gotta have a Negan quote, c'mon).

"I wanna lay low this year. Something small, just family and a few friends," I said.

She looked a little disappointed that she wouldn't be able to plan a spectacular event, but she quickly realized it was probably better this way. "Okay, um, maybe we can just take another trip to Texas?" she suggested.

We were sitting on the couch now, having been standing during the entire beginning of our conversation.

"And since you have more time to plan, you can get a private jet there this time." I said it with a small smirk playing on my lips, but I knew I was serious.

"Anything for you." She tapped my nose with her finger and I giggled. "Only the best." Her phone chose the moment we were about to kiss to vibrate. "Wilmer," she said.

I resisted the urge to groan or make any noise of discontent. Ever since Demi had been in the hospital and rehab, they had been talking a lot. They didn't see each other often, but we all had a sit down to talk about what was going on.

Wilmer was just there to be an extra support beam for Demi to help her stay sober. I knew saying "Oh, so I'm not enough?" would be wrong, so I held my tongue, letting Wilmer be there for her. She also had a sober coach, and before I had moved in, she'd been in and out of her-our-house and a sober living house.

In the long run, it was better that I waited for things to return to a somewhat sense of normalcy before fully moving in and I think Demi had known that too. And that was why she hadn't been pushing the topic so much.

I hoped soon everything would be completely normal. Demi would be back to writing and recording in the studio-Dianna had confirmed in November that Demi would return to the industry, but when was unknown-and I would be working with Abby for the magazine. It seemed like a short amount of time that I'd been there, with my injuries and everything else, but they were already talking about another year-long contract. I knew Abby was down, but I needed some time to make sure the dust had settled before I could fully commit.

The only thing I knew I was committed to at the moment was making sure Demi was alright. She was doing a lot better, she was happy and healthy, but I couldn't shake my fears at night when I worried something might happen while I slept.