It was a cold, crisp Saturday morning when Tori Vega-West awoke in another dark and lifeless hotel room. She grumbled to herself as she stretched out her left hand reaching blindly for her cell-phone on the bedside table. Quickly hitting the home button, Tori squinted her eyes at the suddenly bright illuminated screen. Subconsciously she told herself she was just checking the time, but consciously she knew she was just double-checking that she hadn't missed any calls or messages from Jade. She knew she hadn't because she never missed a call or message even when her phone was on silent she always knew when it was her, sometimes her heart would skip a beat or the butterflies in her stomach would flutter, she couldn't explain it even if she tried, they connected in every definition of the word mentally.
Sighing heavily Tori finally adjusted her eyes to see that is was only 3:32 AM. She chastised herself for not getting a full night sleep knowing she had to be at the airport in six hours. She knew it wouldn't happen though, she was too excited to finally be going home to her beautiful wife and daughter. This was the first trip that she allowed herself to go on that she knew would take her away from her girls for more than a couple of days, where she couldn't fly back on time to see them, hold them, kiss them and just welcome all the warmth that her little family provided. She knew putting out another album would come with the standard promotional interviews, concerts and just endless hours upon hours of traveling. She didn't know however, that after finally trying for so long and going through countless heartaches with Jade that she had finally ended up pregnant with the tiny human that was the little love of her life. It was one of the happiest moments of her life when she had seen the test come back positive, but she had just put out an album and had to take care of that too. So, she done what needed to be done, she worked her schedule so that interviews stayed close to home, concerts where set so that she could still embark on some sort of tour and still make it home to her wife as quickly as possible. Nine months later, little Isabella Rose Vega-West made her grand appearance into the world, she had Tori's dark brown hair and high cheek bones, thankful of the donor that could pass as Jade's twin if nobody knew, she had Jade's blue-green eyes and pale skin. She was perfect in every way that a newborn could be perfect and she quickly became the little princess that her Mommy and Mama knew she would be.
Turning over to her right, Tori stared at the small slit in the heavy curtains in her room and silently debated with herself whether or not to call Jade, just to hear her voice and attempt to fall back asleep. Tori knew that Jade was most likely still asleep, unless Bells had decided she wanted to be an early bird and make her Mama wake up to make breakfast. Finally settling her internal debate, Tori decided not to call Jade at the time, instead she tossed back the white sheet covering her body and walked across the room to pull open the curtains and look out at New York City. The city that never sleeps, where dreams become a reality for people wanting nothing more than to be on a stage every night. The last city on her month-long tour packed with as many concerts and interviews about her career, wife and baby girl, that could be done in four weeks time. Tori crossed her arms over her chest and thought about anything and everything, she was tired and she really, really missed her girls.
"I can't do this anymore," Tori whispered to herself as a tear slid down her tan skin and landed on her arm. She wiped away her tears with the back of her right hand and turned away from the window, eyeing her phone she had tossed into the covers on the bed. Tori couldn't take it anymore, she darted across the room practically jumping on the bed as if her phone would magically poof into thin air before she could reach it and dialed the one person she truly needed at the moment. She held her breath waiting for Jade to answer and hoping that this one time, Bells had been at least a little fussy so that her Mama would be awake and Tori wouldn't feel as guilty about calling.
"Hello," Jade's raspy with sleep voice came across the line and Tori couldn't help but smile a watery smile at hearing her wife.
"Hey Baby," Tori replied, sniffling and wiping away a few more tears that had fallen.
"Tori? What's wrong? You sound like you're crying." Jade spoke in almost a frantic and panicked tone, waiting for Tori to answer her she sat up in bed looking at the clock and noticed that it was barely four in the morning in New York. She glanced down to her left where Isabella lay snuggled in a cocoon of pillows on her Mommy's side of the bed. She ran her fingers through the little girls hair to soothe her when she stirred from the sudden movements, finding her grip on her pacifier again she settled back down into a peaceful sleep.
"I can't do this anymore Jade, I miss you and I miss Bells and I can't wait to get home to my girls.' Tori spoke in an almost inaudible whisper that Jade barely could hear. Not giving time for Jade to reply, Tori spoke again a bit louder, regaining control of her emotions to some extent. "It's been too long since I held you and kissed you and just shared your company where you were just within an arms reach. I want to be home for longer than a few weeks at time, I feel like I already missed so much with Bells and she's only a year old. I don't want to miss anything else with her or you." Tori choked back a sob, she thought she had regained some control of her emotions only for it to fall away again.
"Tori, Baby listen to me. I know this is hard and you miss us, we miss you every day that you aren't here. But you're coming home today and we get to be our little family again at least for a little while until if or when something else comes along in your schedule. We always make it through and we understand that you had to go on this last tour if you were going to take a break. I can't wait to kiss you when you step off that plane and Bells can't wait to have her Mommy back. I love you so much." Jade spoke trying to swallow the lump in her throat as she wiped away her own tears from hearing her wife sobbing into the phone about coming home.
"I love you too Jade, I just can't stand being away from you any longer. I've already made up my mind that when I get home, I am staying home for a while. I'll issue the statement to my publicist and have them print that I am temporarily retiring so that I can enjoy my family for a while." Tori breathed deep, finally calming down having said what she really needed to say. Just as she was about to speak again, she heard a sharp cry blasting into the phone. She cringed at the noise and then smiled knowing that Jade had Bells in the bed with her where she wasn't supposed to be, but she understood that without Tori being there it would be lonely in that big bed by herself. She listened closely as the crying quieted down and settled into a series of barely there gurgles and whimpers as she heard Jade murmuring soothing words and singing a lullaby to Isabella. After listening to Jade calm Bells back down, Tori laid down on her hotel bed and scooted down under the blankets listening to her wife and daughter, even the simplest of things like this always comforted her.
"Are you still there Tor?" Jade whispered into the phone. With an equally quiet response Tori told Jade that she was still there and that she now knew that Bells was in the bed with her. "Yeah, I swear she knew it was you on the phone and just had to tell on me. She's just trying to get Mama in trouble." Jade pouted into the phone even though Tori couldn't see it.
"S'kay baby, I know it must be lonely by yourself when I am gone. I'm not mad. Will you do me a favor though and keep singing, I couldn't sleep and that's one of the reasons I called. I'm sorry that I woke you up and just dumped all my turmoil on you like that." Tori spoke softly, she could feel her eyelids getting heavier with sleep just moments away.
Jade could tell that Tori was fading fast as she whispered that she had nothing to be sorry for and that it didn't matter the time, she would always be there for her. With a soft humming Jade began to sing a sweet lullaby into Tori's ear as she heard her breathing even out, she knew she had fallen asleep and with a soft spoken "I love you' and an "I can't wait until you're home," Jade hung up the phone and snuggled back down next to Isabella grabbing an hour or so of more sleep before she had to get herself and Bells ready to go pick Tori up from the airport.
AN: This is my first story. I write poems and brain vomit, but not stories like this. I'll do the airport/pickup in the second/next update. I can see how far I can stretch it, if anyone has any ideas on some angst or something? I have like two ideas that could make it longer, but I'm not sure at the moment. Anyway, thanks for reading! :)