Not in the Same Way

Seventeen

The past twenty four hours had been incredibly emotionally charged. Our conversations had been tense and difficult but they had been needed. For once when things got hard we didn't result to childish antics and that gave me hope that we might be on a better path to healing than we had traversed before.

I knew this progress could only continue if I stayed true to my word, if I could prove to her that I wasn't the person who had hurt her anymore.

Ava finally woke up around seven, late for her but that didn't surprise me since she always slept better when she was being held. Me too Aves, me too.

"Morning bubs." I say quietly, ruffling her hair as her eyes crack open and she leans against her mum's shoulder.

"Dada." She says, reaching out for me and I can't fight the grin that spreads across my face as I pull her into my own lap.

"You have a good sleep?" I ask her and she giggles, her fingers in her mouth as she stares up at me.

"She needs a diaper change. I can do that and get some breakfast for us." I offer.

"I can figure out breakfast while you get her cleaned up." She counters with a weak smile.

"Come on Aves." I say, lifting myself to my feet and carrying her towards the nursery to get her changed.

When shes been changed I pull a T shirt from her closet and slip it over her head, letting her go pantsless since that's typically the biggest struggle in dressing her and we aren't able to go anywhere anyways.

I pick her up off the changing table and she immediately begins to squirm, whining to be put down.

"Okay, okay!" I laugh, putting her down and stabilizing her on her shaky legs before she walks clumsily towards the kitchen and her mum.

"Someone was awfully excited to get back in here." I laugh as Darby looks down just in time for Ava to reach her and cling to her leg.

"Hi munchkin." She says bending over to grab up the baby and lift her into her high chair, setting some cereal on the tray of the high chair as she turns her attention to me.

"What are your plans for today?" She asks, eyeing me curiously.

"Management wants us on a conference call in thirty minutes. It's just a formality at this point. With the stay at home order I know they are just going to be telling us we have to cancel all the promo officially. We all already knew that much though. They'll probably want to brainstorm other ways we can promote the album to give us the best chance at beating The Weekend next week."

"Well, it's not much but I'll do what I can to help you. You know that."

I smile at her, thankful for her support and unable to stop myself from pulling her to my side for a hug.

"Thanks, Darbs."

She pulls away, her cheeks crimson. "You want a cup of coffee?"

I nod and accept the cup of dark liquid from her, sipping quietly.

"I'll try to keep AK out of your hair while you're working. You gonna be in the junk room?"

I nod and check the time on my phone.

"I should probably go ahead and log on, I think the boys wanted to chat, just us, before we got started. If you need anything I'm sure it won't be a problem for me to step out for a minute. Just knock, okay?"

She agrees silently and I smile before turning and heading down the hall to the extra bedroom.

•

"What do you say we put your swimsuit and swimmies on and go get in the pool while daddy works?"

She squeals happily like she understands what I'm saying though I know she doesn't.

I hear Calum's voice drift through the door as I pass the guest bedroom on my way to Ava's nursery.

I hope she is quiet enough to not disturb him as I get her ready for swimming before setting her on her play mat in my room and slipping into my own bathing suit.

The warm Los Angeles air hits my skin as I step outside, Ava attached to my hip, her deflated swimmies in my hand as I move to sit on the steps of Calum's pool.

I put Ava in the small baby float Cal has for her as I blow up her swimmies.

She'd been such a little water baby and I had gotten her into infant swim lessons when she was six months old, she had been obsessed with water and I tried to take her to my old apartment's pool and Cal let her play in his often.

When her floaties are blown up and on her arms I take her out of the float and let her splash and play on the shallow water of the pool steps.

She throws water at me and giggles, evidently amused by her efforts.

"Oh, Ava Kai, mommy's gonna get you now." I say sending a small splash back in her direction.

We carry on in this manner, our time full of splashing and giggles and play until we're interrupted by the sound of the back door sliding open.

"I see someone's having a good time." He smiles, his eyes focused on Aves.

"She definitely loves the water. Maybe she'll be a swimmer or something when she's older."

He walks over to the steps of the pool where we sit to join us, taking a seat and dipping his feet in.

"How'd the call go?" I ask cautiously, hoping to build upon the progress we'd made this morning.

He sighs and shakes his head, his hands absentmindedly raising to tug at the short blonde curls covering his scalp.

"It was everything I thought. We're gonna do some live-streams and stuff this week, put out another single next Tuesday and then try to do some other stuff on the release date. They want us super active on social media and they're booking us as many radio segments as they can." He shrugs, splashing Ava back as she gets his legs.

"I'm sorry." I tell him. I know how hard he and the boys have been working and how frustrating it must be to have two years of effort threatened by the unpredictable times we're living in.

"I'm trying not to let myself dwell on it." He says, a pensive look on his face. "I don't know how long this whole things gonna last and I'm just trying to find positives wherever I can. I don't want to let myself fall down a hole of despair, that seems to be where all my troubles start."

I nod and let the quiet fill the void between us. My feet are beginning to become wrinkly so I stand and pull Ava, who is also turning pruny from the water. Calum stands sensing that it's time to move inside

She squirms and whines until I set her down.

She tries to get back in the water but Calum blocks her with his leg.

"No, bubs. Time to go inside we'll come play in the pool again tomorrow if it's pretty out."

She begins to cry and tries to run around him.

"Ava Kai Hood!" I say in my sternest voice but it's no use and she continues to try to access the pool by going around Calum.

The next few moments play out in slow motion.

Ava tries to go around him again and he blocks her with her arm only for her to lose her balance and fall forward, her forehead making contact with the concrete surrounding the pool.

My heart stops as Cal and I's eyes snap up to meet before we both spring into action.

An: yay for continued growth

Boo for covid/album problems

What's gonna happen to Aves?

Let me know your thoughts!

Ily,
Sav🖤