True to You

Time Still Turns the Pages

2019

Brian sat down beside Zacky on the sofa. "Jesus man, you like shit. Are you getting any sleep?"

The bags under Zacky's eyes weren't mere shoulder bags or even suitcases they were trunks about the size of the ones that carried their touring equipment. His normally neat hair was tufted out in all directions and his stubble was less intentionally cultivated growth and more Castaway.

Zacky glanced down at the angelically sleeping face of the tiny princess cradled in his arms. "Of course I am, it just doesn't feel like it," he responded softly.

He'd never get enough of gazing down on his daughter's chubby cheeked beauty. At three weeks old she was the most beautiful girl he'd ever seen. Kelly hadn't even argued when he apologetically informed her that although he loved her with his whole heart their daughter might just have her beat when it came down to sheer adorability. Her tiny rosebud lips were pursed as though she was getting ready to kiss her daddy as soon as she awoke. He knew it was more likely that she'd blink her big blue eyes a couple of times in amazement that she was here in the world before starting an imperative wail to be fed.

"Where's Kelly?" Brian glanced around slowly taking in the disorder filled living area as if he expected to find Kelly hiding behind a mountain of diapers.

Zacky dreaded to think what kind of state they'd have been in if they hadn't increased the housekeeper's hours from twice a week to every second day and he hadn't ruled out asking her to come in daily.

"Kelly's taking a nap. You know get some sleep while the baby does." Zacky adjusted his hold on his infant daughter as she stirred slightly in her sleep. Her long eyelashes fluttered against her cheek briefly before she opened her eyes and blinked up at him. For the moment she was silent as she watched him talk to Brian.

"So why didn't you catch a few zee's Zee whilst this one slept?" Brian asked as he reached out to let the baby take his finger in her fist.

Zacky sighed and it was the sigh of a man fighting off exhaustion, "Because my princess won't sleep during the day unless she's being held."

Brian gave a soft chuckle as he wiggled his finger in her determined grasp. "Really? Is that what you're doing Princess Sloane? Somehow I can't believe that you'd do such a thing, would you? Would you?" As Brian's voice softened into baby talk Zacky had no doubt that his friend adored his baby daughter as much as he did.

"Okay, fine. I don't like her to sleep during the day without me holding her," Zacky admitted with a soft chuckle.

"Thought so," Brian smirked and then extended his hands as he freed his finger from Sloane's clutches, "Come on, my turn, let me have a hold of her."

Zacky reluctantly passed her over, she was watching Brian avidly so he wasn't worried that she'd be upset to be moved from her father's arms. No, he was the one who didn't like her new location. He knew he shouldn't feel that way, after all the closer his friends were to his daughter the more willing they'd be to assist him in beating the snot out of her future boyfriends.

"So, what's up anyway? You said you had something you wanted to tell me?" Zacky cracked his neck which was stiff from being held in one position for so long.

Brian who'd been pulling faces at a bemused Sloane immediately grew solemn. "You remember Elliot?" he asked.

"Your cousin?" Zacky asked tossing out the lure that had hooked Brian almost every time for nearly twenty years.

For the first time in Zacky couldn't remember how long Brian didn't rise to the bait. "Yeah Elliot my cousin."

Zacky didn't have a good feeling about this but he asked anyway, "How is she? I haven't seen her in years." He didn't think of Elliot often these days but when he did it was always with a pang of regret that they'd lost touch.