Little Girl Don't Grow Up Too Fast

What She Deserves

Carrie was desperate. She might have had her daughter with her on the road, she might have had her perfect boyfriend come and visit her as much as possible, she might have had the most successful career and tour a country music artist could have asked for, but none of that sufficed what she really needed.

"When is she getting here?" Carrie asked her bass player for probably the tenth time that day.

"Anytime now," Mark told her.

"I need her more than anything right now," she admitted to Mark.

"You need her? She's my wife!" Mark joked, causing the blonde to laugh a little. "What do you need her for? Are you and Mike okay? And Charlotte?"

"We're all fine, I just really need her to talk to. She just gets me."

Ivey was everything to the country music singer and Carrie was the same to her. They had been inseparable since college, and Ivey was the one that found her after she had ran away from Mike and Charlotte and the one that had helped her through all of her mental illness. She was the one she could vent to without judgement. She was her person that would listen to her always no matter the time of day, and that's exactly what she needed at the moment. She needed an Ivey talk.

"BABY!" Mark and Carrie heard the dark brunette squeal as she hopped out of a car and into the arms of her husband. The couple shared an intimate moment in front of Carrie as she admired the love that the two had for each other. It reminded her of Mike and how much she missed him even though it had only been a few days. Her trance was broken when Ivey peeled off of her husband and over to the blonde.

"My best friend!" Ivey squealed again as she took Carrie into her arms.

"More like sister from another mister," Carrie giggled.

"I've missed you so much."

"You're telling me," the singer replied. "I have so much to tell you."

"I want to hear all about it! What are you doing now?" Ivey asked.

"I need to probably start getting ready for the show. You can hang out with me on the bus if you want, or if you want to spend some time with Mark we can hang out later," Carrie suggested.

"Nonsense, girl chat starts now," Ivey nudged her before turning back towards Mark, planting a kiss on his lips. "I will be sure to see you before the show. I'll be all yours tonight, baby."

Carrie made a gagging noise as she walked away towards the bus with her best friend in toe. Ivey pushed her lightly at her best friend mocking her, "Oh please, like similar words haven't come out of your mouth when Mike's around. That reminds me! How is Mike? And Charlotte? Isn't Charlotte here with you?"

"She should be on the bus here doing homework," the blonde spoke as she opened the door to the bus, leading the way up the steps.

Sure enough, there her daughter was at the booth where she spent many days and hours on her laptop with her online schooling. She was in a simple t-shirt and grey leggings, her shiny blonde hair still in a pretty french braid that her mom had done for her that morning. She wore light makeup which she had been not-so secretly been using from her mother's makeup stash. Charlotte had grown up so much since being out on tour with her mother, and Carrie wasn't sure how to feel about that yet.

Charlotte looked up from her computer when the door opened and her face immediately lit up at the sight that was standing before her. "Aunt Ivey!" she glowed as she ran into her arms.

"Oh kid, I've missed you!" Ivey remarked.

"Can't you just come with us on tour and sell cupcakes from the truck you have? Uncle Mark is so grumpy without you," Charlotte joked.