Better Than Yesterday

Three

"So, how was your week off on the road?" Dana asks, passing the new baby they had taken on in the daycare about a month prior to Skye, the little girl only three months old.

"So fun. I missed Calum, I hate going to bed in our bed without him every night. It was nice to get to see him in person, to hold his hand and see more of him than the little screen of my phone can show me. It was needed. Plus, much easier to get his actual opinion and keep him focused on wedding plans I needed him to have opinions on." Skye bounces around the room softly with the little girl in her arms, unable to keep her thoughts from wandering to the idea of herself having one of these little ones with Calum in the near future.

"How is wedding planning going?" Dana smiles over at her, handing her a fresh made bottle.

"It's complicated, trying to plan the wedding with the groom traveling all over the world and the wedding halfway around the world. But Cal's mom has been a huge, huge help, and his sister as well."

"I'm here if you need anything too. You know that right?"

"Always." Skye nods, sinking into the rocker and turning her attention to the baby in her arms, beginning to sing softly.

"Hey." Dana asks after about five minutes, "You talked to the fiancé about the idea of letting him put one of those in you soon? You are the most caring motherly person I know. You need your own kid. And not just the one he already has that I know you love, you need to carry and raise your own from day one."

"It's been discussed. Quite thoroughly in fact." Skye chuckles, "I can't wait for my turn. I've wanted to be a mom for so long, I've wanted to be half as amazing as a mom as my mom was to me. And getting to do it with someone who I have full trust and confidence in as a dad, I never thought I'd be able to trust a man enough to let them into my life like this, and I just... I can't wait. Calum is already the most amazing dad to Nika, to watch him become a dad to our baby, to see him experience when I tell him we are pregnant and all of the pregnancy. To have him there when our baby is born, I can't wait."

"Awww. I'm so happy for you, Skye. I hope it all works out perfectly for you. I cannot wait to watch you cuddle your own baby, to become a mom to your own precious little one."

"I can't wait either. Now if only my fiancé would get his ass home so we could work on that more."

"He'll be home in a couple weeks for a few days before they head for Asia." Dana laughs.

"I know. And I mean, there is a chance it happened while I was traveling with him last week, but I don't know, I don't want to get excited while we aren't able to try consistently. I mean it's really been only this week that we've had to start trying. We discussed it before he left for tour, but it wasn't even a full week before he left. So after he is home, after the wedding. Then we will really be starting in on trying to expand our family more."

"Whenever it happened, it will be the right time, and you guys will be amazing parents."

"Thanks." Skye smiles, shifting the little one in her arms to her shoulder to burp after she finishes feeding.

"Hey, Skye, Amy's dad is here to pick her up." Stacy, one of the ladies who works for them steps into the room.

"Burp quick, baby girl, daddy is here for you." Skye laughs, patting the little girls back as she stands carefully, transferring the baby into Stacy's arms.

"Doesn't Nika have volleyball tonight?" Dana asks after a minute, glancing at her watch.

"Shit. I am going to be late. I promised her I wouldn't be late again. She is going to kill me." Skye gasps as she glances at the clock.

"Go. I'll see if Stacy can help me clean up tonight." Dana laughs.

"Thank you. I'll do clean check and closing tomorrow so you can have a early out."

"I don't mind, Skye, I go home to my three dogs, you are going to your soon to be step-daughter's volleyball games. You're who she's got right now with Calum out of town. You going early a couple days a week isn't a big deal."

"I love you, Dana, and thank you again. I'll see you tomorrow." Skye waves, hurrying to the office to find her bag and keys. Driving across town as quickly and safely as she can, Skye's focus in interrupted slightly as a facetime call from Calum comes in.

"Hey!" She laughs as she answers.

"You're late again." The tone of amusement in his voice not lost on her.

"I'm sorry. I really was trying today but then Amy needed fed before her dad showed up to get her. And I got caught up watching her in my arms and thinking about us having our own little one like that."

"It's okay, I'm sure Nika isn't shocked either."

"No, but she might pitch a little bit of a sassy fit for some ice cream on the way home because of it. How is the road?"

"Lonely without you and Nika here, but I'm surviving. Nights like tonight are the worst. When I have nothing to do 'cause it's a night off and I have something at home like Nika's games that I want to be at."

"You get to come to her game on Halloween in a couple weeks. She is so excited you'll get to have the night off for it at home the day before the shows here."

"I'm excited too."

"Okay, I'm only six minutes late." Skye laughs, pulling into the complex parking lot.

"Only. Hope the game isn't half over yet." Calum teases.

"Ha ha. Plus they play three games and it's best two of three. I have plenty of game to watch still."

"And you are going to let me watch through FaceTime, right?"

"Of course." Skye nods, pulling Nika's water bottle and a Gatorade out of her lunch bag before hurrying out of the car.

"It's not the same as being there, but I appreciate it when it's the best I can do for her."

"I've got her covered don't you worry a moment about that. But I also understand why you want to be here for her so badly. You are such a great dad, Cal. I hope you know that, and I hope you know how much I love that about you."

"Stop being so sappy about me being a dad. It's making me so much more excited about the prospect of being a dad again and you are much much too far away to act on those feelings." He blushes slightly.

"I can't wait either." Skye smiles, stepping into the gymnasium where the game has already started. Glancing up she sees Nika's team is up 8-6, Nika sat on the bench near her coach.

"Games only just begun." She smirks at Calum.

"Lucky you." He rolls his eyes back at her.

"Here, Punk Princess, sorry I was late again." Skye leans over Nika's shoulder to hand her the drinks, kissing her cheek softly.

"I'm not even surprised. Thanks for the drinks." Nika laughs.

"Good luck, Nika!" Calum yells out through the phone.

"Thanks, dad!" Nika calls back, grinning excitedly at Skye before waving her off to find a seat as she focuses back on the game her teammates are playing.

"When did she become a big kid, fuck, she almost seems like a teenager already." Calum groans.

"She's not even nine yet, Cal." Skye laughs, finding a place about halfway up the bleaches. "But she really loves volleyball. I haven't seen her this excited about anything, even drums. It's going to break Ashton's heart to hear but it's true."

"Hopefully getting two little one's of his own will help soften the blow of losing Nika to volleyball." Cal laughs, "Flip the camera I want to watch our girl play."

"She's excited you are here even if it's only through camera." Skye grins.

"So am I."

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~M =)