"Mama, Daddy?" Andi sleepily asked.
Caylin jumped off of Stephen's lap, embarassed. "Sweetheart, it is late. What are you doing up?"
"I was thirsty. What are y'all doing up?"
"Your mum and Ah were talking and looking at yer baby books."
"Uh yeah, okay. If that is what you call it."
"Just go get your drink and go back to bed." Caylin said. Andi grabbed a glass of water and headed back to her room.
"I can't believe my daughter just caught me making out on the couch. What am I sixteen again?"
"Love, it's alright. Ah am sure they know we have been together, otherwise they wouldn't be here. Just calm down."
"Yeah, but that doesn't mean they need to see it. I'm sorry, it shouldn't have happened."
"Yes it should have. Ah love you. And Ah know you love me damn it. Why can't yeh just tell me? We can be happy and a family."
"Because I can't Ste."
"Why not?"
"Because you are leaving tomorrow. I can't let myself fall for you again Ste. I just can't."
"But Ah won't be gone forever. We belong together Caylie. Yeh know it. Ah'm not giving up. Please, tell me ya love me."
"Fine. Yes, I love you. What do you want from me Stephen? You want me to tell you how much I missed you? How I spent my nights crying myself to sleep needing you with me? How I screamed for you when I was in labor with your children? How no man has ever been good enough for me and the girls because they are not you? How I have dreamed of your body lying next to mine, holding me tight? How I have tried to harden my heart and prayed for the ache in my chest to stop? What do you want to hear?" Caylin started shaking and crying, and Stephen was shocked at her outburst. He pulled her into his arms and rocked her. He smoothed back her hair and pressed his lips to her forehead.
"Ah'm so sorry love" he told her, tears welling up in his eyes too. He knew this wasn't going to be easy. At least she admitted she loves him. Caylin did calm down and apologized for her mini-meltdown. She kissed his cheek and headed for bed. "I will see you in the morning Stephen." He watched as she walked down the hall, wondering how he was ever going to make this right. He reached over and turned off the lamp and tried to go to sleep.
The next morning, Andi went into Alli's room. "Al, wake up. I have got to talk to you."
"What Andi?" she asked annoyed.
"You will never guess what I saw last night?"
"Uh, a rat?"
"No! Jeez. Mama and Daddy making out on the couch!"
"Oh my God! No way!"
"Yes way! They were totally making out. Mama was in his lap and everything!"
"Gross!"
"I know right! But I was thinking…"
"Yeah?"
"Yeah. We need to get them together. For real."
"And how are we gonna do that?"
"I dunno."
"Great. So when you decide, can you wake me up then?"
"Shut up. This is serious."
"Yeah, okay."
"Are you not excited about this whole thing Al?"
"I don't know how I feel sis. Mostly, I am confused. I don't know how I am supposed to feel even. I mean, before yesterday, our dad was a jerk who abandoned us. It was easy to just hate him and not want anything to do with him because he didn't want us. Now, all of a sudden, I can't be angry anymore because he didn't know? I am still mad. Just because he didn't know doesn't take away growing up without a father."
"I know Alli. But we have to give him a chance. He wants to try. We need our dad."
"Yeah, things aren't gonna be much different sis. He is still gonna be gone. And now, instead of just an absent father, we will have an absent father we have to share with the world."
"I know. And, oh my God, all our friends are gonna see our father half naked!"
"Ewww. I forgot that! I swear, I will punch anyone in the face who says he is hot!"
"Al!"
"I'm serious!"
The girls sat and talked longer, debating on what they could do to get their parents back together. Andi also convinced her twin to try and not be so hard on their dad. When they came out of their rooms, Stephen was still sleeping. They quietly went to the kitchen and made themselves a bowl of cereal. Caylin walked out and asked them why they hadn't woken their father up yet.
"He looks tired Mama. We decided to let him sleep" Alli answered.
Caylin walked over and crouched down beside him. She shook him gently "wake up Ste."
He slowly opened his eyes and smiled. "Good morning my love." The girls giggled and Caylin blushed. He realized they were in the room and sat up. "Good morning my little angels." The girls giggled loudly and replied in unison "good morning Daddy."
He glanced down at his phone, not intending to sleep as long as he had. "Caylie, my friend Drew is driving from Atlanta and will be here shortly so we can drive on home to Tampa. Ah don't want to go, but Ah am going to have to, at least for a few days."
"We understand Ste."
He looked over at the girls, and they looked like they were going to cry. He got up and went over to them, kneeling on the floor between them. "Girls, Ah swear, Ah will come back. Ah will spend every day Ah can with ya. Maybe once ya are done with softball, yeh three can come stay with me in Tampa and Ah will show ya around. Please don't cry."
Andi looked down at him with her big blue eyes full of tears "promise?"
"Ah promise ya lass, with all me heart. Ah will always be around for ya, from now on. Ah will only be a phone call away." Andi threw her arms around him and hugged him tight. A few minutes later, Drew arrived and knocked on the door. Caylin let him in and the girls started to shriek.
"Oh my God! You didn't say Drew McIntyre!" Alli screamed.
"Daddy! I haven't even combed my hair yet!" Andi yelled and ran down the hall. Alli took off after her, red in the face.
Drew threw his head back and laughed at the way the girls acted. Stephen laughed as well, surprised again at how little he knew about teenage girls. "Drew, mate, this is Caylie. Love, this is my best friend, Drew Galloway."
Caylin stuck her hand out and Drew placed a kiss to her knuckles. "Very glad to meet you mum."
"Nice to meet you too, and it is Caylin" she said shooting Stephen a look. "Won't you have a seat Drew?"
About ten minutes later, the girls emerged from their rooms with their hair put up and fully clothed. They were still blushing, but had calmed down. "Drew, these are me daughters. This one is Andrea, and this one is Allison."
Drew kissed their hands and they started giggling. "Nice to meet you lassies."
"Lassies?" the girls asked in unison.
Drew laughed. "Just another name for a girl. I really hate to do this, but we need to get out on the road. We have an appearance tonight we have to make mate."
"Ah know. Look, let me say goodbye and Ah will meet ya at the car."
"Alright. It was a pleasure meeting all of you. Hope to see you again soon." Drew walked out, leaving Stephen to have to tell his girls goodbye.
"Ah promise, Ah will call ya tonight when we make it home. We will get together soon. Ah will miss ya, so much." He hugged them both and kissed them on the tops of their heads. "Ah know this is all new to all of us, but know Ah do love yeh both, with all me heart." He turned to Caylin and pulled her into his arms. He whispered in her ear "Ah love ya too. And yeh will always be my Caylie mo shearc." He kissed her on the cheek and grabbed his bags and carried them out to the car. He got in and waved, his heart breaking to have to leave them. He didn't have enough time, and he wasn't sure there was enough time in the world to make up for what he lost.
"So how did things go mate? I am assuming well since she didn't kick you out and your daughter called you 'Daddy'."
"Better than Ah had hoped. With all three of them. Hit a snag when I got waylaid trying to take me family to dinner."
"What happened?"
"Well, Ah was trying to be polite to my fans and my kids felt Ah was ignoring them. They thought the fans were more important. Ah have so much to learn Drew. Ah really don't know how to be a father, especially not to teenagers. Most men get to ease into fathering half grown daughters since they have been around since they were babies. Ah feel like Ah don't have much of a learning curve. And Ah'm so afraid to mess up and them throw me out of their lives."
"I'm sure it will get better in time Ste. Now how about their mum?"
"That is another tender spot. She admitted she still loves me, and we kissed. The sparks are still there. It was like all that time hadn't passed. We were just two kids snogging on the couch again. But she is afraid to be with me. She said she understands, and she isn't angry at me, but Ah know she may know it in her head, but not her heart. Not yet anyway. Ah feel like Ah am stuck between a rock and a hard place. Ah have to win her back mate. Ah want my family. Ah have never needed anything more than Ah need all of my girls."
"Sounds like your daughters already have your heart as well."
"They do. Ah didn't know it was possible to love another person that much. There is nothing Ah wouldn't do for them."
"They are beautiful Ste. Even though they obviously look like you." Drew said with a laugh.
"Ha ha ha. Very funny. Oh, and get this. One of my girls has a crush on Stu of all people. Can ya believe that? Me own daughter likes him better than me."
"He will never let you live that down mate."
A/N mo shearc (muh hark) = my love
