A/N: Sorry it took a little longer this time to get the next chapter out. Work has been extra hectic, with all the stuff going on due to COVID, and I've had less time to write. I haven't given up on the story, though. Hope you like this next chapter.
Chip
The alarm went off. He shut it off right away. It wasn't that loud, but he'd gotten in the habit of shutting it off quickly, so it didn't disturb Ryleigh. Connie snuggled in closer making little noises as she did. He leaned down and pressed his lips to her forehead. "Wake up, baby," he whispered softly. "It's the first day of school."
"Huh," she said, a light tone to her voice. Then she wrapped her arm around him and sighed. "I don't wanna go, Chip," she said in a whiny voice.
He chuckled a little. "Sweetie, you have to."
She raised up on her elbow and looked down at him. "I want to stay home with Yoby and Ryleigh. Maybe they can just use a body double and then at the end Rayna can die and I don't have to go to work at all."
He laughed then. "I don't think that's gonna work. If that were to happen, they might as well cancel us now. We'd be nothing without you."
"That's not true. There's Hayden." She smiled. "And you. I've always thought they'd kill Rayna off before they killed off Deacon."
He chuckled. "I'm not sure that's true." He ran his fingers up and down her arm. "Yoby and Ryleigh will be going in with you. They'll be there every day you are. You can see them whenever you want."
She sighed deeply. "I know. But I'm just not ready. I mean, I should just now be having a baby, but instead I'm going back to work." She rolled over on her back. "I know I'm being a baby but..." her voice trailed off a little. "I just had a baby," she whispered, sounding choked up.
He rolled towards her, lifting up and balancing himself with his hand on her other side. She looked into his eyes and he saw the sadness there. "I'll be there too, sweetie." They were filming the flashback scenes that day. The only other person filming with them was Judith. They would also be filming at the river house they'd found, which would double as Deacon's cabin. When he'd shown the picture of it to Connie, they had laughed.
"Are you serious?" she said, laughing. "That is not what I thought a cabin would look like."
"No kidding," he said, laughing as well. "I pictured some kind of old one room shack kind of place. Or maybe a log cabin. This is seriously not a cabin."
She gave him a wicked grin. "Who knew Deacon was making such good money to be able to afford that, right? I'm guessing it's the perks of sleeping with the boss."
She sighed. "I know." She reached up and put her hand on his chest. "I'm sure it'll be fine, but, you know, nothing's really been normal since she was born. I wish I'd had more time to settle in with her, establish a routine, connect with her."
He bent down and kissed her. "She loves you, baby. She follows you with her eyes, all the time. She's her mama's baby girl."
She smiled at him, a little shyly. "Still. I just wish I'd had more time." She turned her head to the side.
He moved so that he was sitting beside her, the sheets pulled up to his waist. "We get to be together all day, Connie. All of us."
She turned back to look at him. "I know."
"You want me to see if she's awake?"
She looked happy then. "Yes, please." He turned to get out of bed. She put her hand on his arm and he turned back. "Thanks, babe. I know you're right and everything will be fine. I think once I get back into the swing of it, I'll be fine. We'll be fine."
He leaned over to kiss her. "It's all good, baby." Then he got up and walked down the hall to the nursery. Connie had not had a lot of time to pull the nursery together before Ryleigh was born. She had done most of it while Ryleigh was in the NICU and then, when she came home, they'd had her in their bedroom. It had just been a few nights since Connie had agreed to move her to the nursery, but she'd done really well.
He pushed the door open slowly. The night light put out its soft yellow glow. The mobile over the crib was made with shiny satin stars and moons and suns and the light made them gleam. He walked over and stood next to the crib, looking down at his baby daughter. As often happened, his breath seemed to catch in his throat as he watched her. She was still asleep, all wrapped in her swaddle blanket. Her breathing was shallow and even. Her head was turned to the left, facing away from him.
He thought she looked a bit like Taylor when she was a baby. Everyone always said Taylor looked like him and, since Connie told him she thought Ryleigh looked like him, he guessed that would make sense. Ryleigh's skin was soft as velvet. Her tiny little fingers and toes were perfectly formed. Her legs were thin. Chicken legs, he'd told Connie and she had told him Ryleigh's legs were just thin like his, a smug smile on her face when she said it. She was perfectly proportioned though, slender instead of chunky. When she was awake, her deep blue eyes were wide open and alert, taking in everything around her. She had a hint of dark fuzz on her head and a perfect little rosebud mouth. He often marveled that he and Connie had made such a perfect little being.
His eyes suddenly felt misty and he breathed in, pushing back gently from the crib. He didn't want to wake her, she'd be up soon enough. He headed back for the door and, stepping out into the hall, closed it gently. Then he made his way back to the bedroom. Connie looked up expectantly, but she noticed right away he didn't have the baby. "She was still asleep," he said.
She looked a little disappointed, but she smiled anyway. "It's okay. I'll see her soon enough." She pushed back the sheet and swung her legs off the side of the bed, then pushed up. "I think I'll go ahead and get a quick shower, okay?" He smiled at her and nodded, then watched her as she headed for the bathroom. Even though she claimed otherwise, she had lost her baby weight, not that she'd had a lot in the first place. Not that it truly mattered to him, because he loved her no matter how she looked. She would forever be beautiful to him.
Connie
It was her first day back at work. Ryleigh was just seven weeks old. She hadn't even been home from the hospital that long. She got her dressed and put her in the bassinette while she finished getting dressed. As she stood in front of the mirror, she questioned her decision to come back so early. They had been working around her and now they would start filming the scenes she had missed. They had waited as long as they could, but her scenes were needed so they could do the final edits on the season premiere episode. She had spent time with the wardrobe stylists on her clothes for the first few episodes, finding things that fit her comfortably. She just had the smallest of swells to her stomach now, although Chip told her she was imagining it, and they were accommodating her with outfits that had some give. The main issue, from her perspective, was being sure she didn't show much cleavage, especially at first, but they'd been amazing. She and Chip were filming the flashback scenes first, but on her second filming day, she'd do the coma scenes – she rolled her eyes when she thought about them. Thinking about working with Chip again made her smile, though, and she leaned down to rub her nose against Ryleigh's.
"You're going to work with your daddy and mama, sweetheart," she whispered. "I'm so glad you can go with us." Ryleigh waved her arms and her feet. She felt a lump in her throat as she realized they were right at Ryleigh's original due date. They'd been so lucky. It had taken her a little longer than they'd hoped, but Ryleigh had responded really well in the NICU and they had been able to bring her home less than three and a half weeks after she was born. She'd been growing like a weed ever since. She was still a little behind on weight and length, but she was a perfectly healthy baby.
She picked Ryleigh up and carried her downstairs, placing her in the baby seat while she went through her purse to be sure she had everything she needed. She took her phone and put it in the diaper bag. She opened the bag to be sure she'd put in enough diapers and changes of clothes. Chip had already taken the insulated bag with the bottles of breast milk and the warmer out to the car. She heard footsteps behind her and stood up. She turned to see Yoby and the nanny come into the den. Yoby ran to her and she squeezed him tightly. "Hey, y'all," she said, with a smile. "Are we ready?"
"Ready!" Yoby cried, his voice muffled against her shoulder.
She smiled. "Well, let's go, little man," she said. "Chip's waiting for us in the car." Katie took Yoby by the hand and headed out the door, along with his bag. She grabbed Ryleigh's diaper bag and slung it over her shoulder. Then she picked up the baby and, holding her close, headed for the door herself.
She was already exhausted by the time they got to the house along the Cumberland River where they'd be filming that day. There was a trailer onsite for them to use, since they needed someplace outside of the house itself for Yoby and Ryleigh. She and Katie got the kids settled in, while Chip went in the house to get dressed for the first scene and then head for hair and makeup. As she was settling Ryleigh into the travel bassinette, she heard the trailer door open and close. She turned to see Judith, already hair and makeup ready for filming.
Judith opened her mouth wide, her eyes dancing with excitement. "Can I get my hands on your precious baby girl for just one second?" she said, speaking softly.
She stepped back, a smile on her face. "Judith, meet Ryleigh," she said, feeling proud of her baby.
Judith leaned over the bassinette and gasped with pleasure. "Oh, sweetie, she's even more precious than her pictures," she cried. She ran her finger gently over Ryleigh's arm. She moved her hand, balled into a fist, to her mouth, kicking her legs. Judith looked over her shoulder. "Connie, she's an angel," she said, then turned back to focus on Ryleigh.
She smiled. "We think she's pretty special." She touched Judith's arm. "I need to go get ready for the scene. You can stay here, if you like."
Judith looked at her and grinned. "I like." She made a shooing motion with her hand. "You go on. I'll see you in a little bit."
She waved as she headed for the door and out into the yard. She was halfway across the porch when Chip walked out. He was wearing jeans, along with a light gray tank and a sleeveless collared, button down shirt over the tank. The shirt was unbuttoned and it made her want to slide her arms around his waist He smiled when he saw her. "Hey, baby," he said as he approached, putting an arm around her waist and pulling her in for a kiss.
She took a couple steps back and looked him up and down. "You sure do look like a hoodlum," she said with a grin. "Like someone out of Grease."
"Grease?" He held his arms out, his legs slight bent. "I thought I kind of looked like the Fonz." He had a look of mock disappointment on his face.
She laughed. "Wrong hair, babe." She reached out and grabbed part of the shirt between her index finger and thumb. "And this isn't leather."
"Well, shoot, there goes my cool factor." He smiled. "You going in?"
She nodded. "it's going to take me a bit to get ready. "I have that wig, you know." She made a face. Her hair was too long to try to manipulate into a shoulder brushing hair style. She didn't understand why it made a difference, but apparently it did, so she had given up making a big deal out of it. She put her hand on his arm. "Judith is in the trailer spoiling our daughter." She smiled. "I have to admit it's nice to know she's just right there and that whenever there's a break, I can run over and see her. And check in on Yoby."
He grinned. "See, I told you."
She smirked. "You did." She started to walk towards the door, then stopped. "Thanks for putting up with me."
He looked confused. "What do you mean?"
"Everything. But most recently coming back to work."
He put his arm around her and kissed her on the forehead. "I don't mind," he said with a smile. "So go on and get ready."
She smiled back at him and, with a wave, walked towards the sliding doors.
The last scene they filmed that day was the lovemaking scene. It was well after dark and she was tired. She wasn't so sure the two day schedule was such a great idea after all. She really wasn't spending quite as much time with Yoby and Ryleigh as she had expected and her emotions were all over the place. She wanted to cry, but she couldn't. She was standing, with a blanket around her, looking out through the sliders at the river, the moon sparkling across the dark water.
"You okay?" She'd been deep in thought and he startled her a bit.
She looked back at him, giving him a little bit of a smile. "I'm tired. This has really worn me out."
He frowned. "Maybe we need to talk to Callie and Dee about stretching out your schedule."
She shook her head. "I'm okay." Through the blanket she felt his hand at her waist. "it's just all the standing around."
"You nervous about doing this?"
"A little. These kinds of scenes are always so not romantic." She gave him a tiny smile. "It feels weird now that people know we're together." She laughed a little. "Maybe it shouldn't, but somehow it is." He had his shirt off and that was a little distracting.
He was staring at the window too. "I knew I was in love with you the first time we did a scene like this," he said, his voice as quiet as a whisper.
She remembered. She'd had that little quivering feeling in her stomach every time she was around him, which was a lot, since they had so many scenes together. She also remembered she didn't want to feel that way. She had worked hard to try to pretend she didn't have feelings for him. That scene had been very intimate and her body had responded. She didn't say anything about it and he hadn't either. Not then. She smiled at him. "I know." She paused. "I was still trying to pretend I didn't."
He looked at her then and smiled. "I know that too." He ran his fingers up and down her back and she felt those delicious tingles. "I think you're gonna have to figure out how to stay awake tonight."
"Chip? Connie? You guys ready?" They turned then and stepped away from each other, waiting to be told how the director wanted the scene set up.
She undressed, leaving her clothes in a pile on the floor. Katie was gone, the kids were both down, and she felt like she really needed to wash the day off. She reached into the shower and turned on the water, waiting until it warmed up to get in. She reached for a bath sponge and some body wash, lathering it up. The shower door opened and Chip walked in. He came up behind her, putting his arms around her, and leaned into her neck. "Mind if I join you?" he asked.
She laughed. "I think you already have." He kissed her neck, then sprinkled little kisses across her shoulder. He let one hand drift down, splaying out his fingers over her lower abdomen. She felt a languid heat at her core. His other hand gently caressed her breast. She missed the touch of his fingers there. She could feel her nipples get rigid and tight. She wasn't ready for more than the light touching yet, worried about leaking, and he had been understanding. She closed her eyes as he just lightly grazed her nipple with his fingers. He groaned softly and she felt him get hard. "Mmm," she moaned. He moved his hand from her abdomen down between her legs, grazing her gently with his fingers. Her knees felt a little weak and she moaned a little louder.
"That feel good?" he murmured into her ear.
She nodded. "Mm hm." The exquisite heaviness made her go back and forth between letting it continue to build and having him take her then so she could experience the exploding pleasure.
"You want a little more?" She couldn't speak, so she nodded. He slid the tip of his finger inside her and she moaned. He slid it in a little further and she felt herself shiver from the sensations she was feeling. As much as she loved how he was making her feel, she wanted more. She pushed back against him, as the water from the shower flowed all over them. He didn't seem to take the hint, so she tilted her ass slightly. He still continued to tease, as he kissed the side of her neck.
He moved his hand from her breast and then wrapped his arm around her waist, all the while just pulsing in and out with his finger, just barely inside her. She made little moaning noises and then reached out to put her hands on the shower wall. She was getting close. "Oh please, Chip," she murmured. He chuckled a little, then moved his hand as he nudged her legs with his knee. She opened them wide, bending slightly as she did, and then suddenly he was inside her. "Oh," she breathed out.
He was moving inside her and she could feel the circles of pleasure filling her up. "Oh, baby, you feel so good," he whispered. "So good. So hot." She let go then, crying out as she did. Then she felt him come inside her, in a rush, as he pressed his mouth against her shoulder. Her eyes were closed, her hands flat against the wet tile. He had one arm around her waist. Then she felt his other hand cover hers. She was breathing hard and she could feel his panting against her shoulder, his breath hot. The sound of the shower still spilling water all over them just felt like they were inside a bubble where they were the only two people on earth.
He turned her around then, cupping her face with his hands as he looked into her eyes. She put her hands on his waist. A smile slowly spread over his face and he leaned forward, kissing her. "I had fun working with you today," he said.
She smiled back. "I did too. I just wish I was working with you tomorrow."
He nodded. "Me too. But I decided I'm going in with you anyway."
She was surprised. "You are? Why? It's your day off, babe."
He shrugged, then kissed her again. "I wanna be with you," he said. "And I can be there with Yoby and Ryleigh."
"Are you sure? Because we'll have to let Katie know."
He smirked. "Already did. I told her we'd pay her anyway, but that I was gonna do dad duty." He kissed her again. "And make out with you whenever I can."
She gasped. "You didn't," she said, although she knew he was teasing her.
He got that wicked look in his eyes, raising one eyebrow. "I might have."
She laughed. "Well, I'm certainly not going to say no to a little making out." She held up her hands then. "I think I'm a prune now."
He let go of her. "I think we probably both are."
She smiled at him as she turned off the shower and then ran her hands down her hair, squeezing out the water as she did. Then she stepped around him and opened the shower door, stepping out. She grabbed a towel and wrapped it around herself, then walked over to the vanity and picked up a comb, gently running it through her hair. He came up behind her, after he'd wrapped a towel around his waist, and kissed her neck. She smiled into the mirror. "You know what?" she said.
He smiled. "What?"
"I love you."
He kissed her neck again. "I love you too." Then he left her to finish combing and then drying her hair.
When she finally went back into the bedroom, he was asleep, the lights all on. She put on a t-shirt and shorts and turned out the lights and then crawled into bed, rolling onto her side so that she faced him. She smiled and then closed her eyes, falling asleep quickly.
Chip
He was awake early, earlier even than he needed to be. His overnight bag had been packed the night before and was sitting by the door to the garage. His guitar was in the trunk of his car, although he still hadn't decided if he was actually going to take it. He got dressed, being quiet so he didn't wake up Connie. He walked down to the nursery. As he approached the crib, Ryleigh turned her head and he saw she was awake. He leaned over the rail. "Hey, there, sweet girl," he said softly. They were still swaddling her at night, but he could see movement of both her arms and legs, as though she were trying to get out. She started smacking her lips together, which he knew meant she was hungry and would shortly start to cry.
He reached into the crib and unwound the swaddling cloth, then picked her up and carried her to the changing table. Once she was changed and in a new onesie, he took her downstairs to feed her. he waited for the bottle to warm and then took her into the den, where he settled into the club chair near the fireplace and touched the nipple of the bottle to her lips. She took it immediately. He loved times like this, when no one else was awake and he was holding Ryleigh in his arms. The only light that was on was the lamp by the chair and it made it feel cozier somehow, like the two of them were wrapped in a cocoon. He knew she was gaining weight, but she still seemed small, not that he cared. Holding her in his arms felt good. It had been such a long time since his kids had been babies and he was enjoying this time with her.
He remembered how shocked he'd been when Connie told him she was pregnant. He hadn't quite known what to say and he had left her house without reassuring her. He loved Connie, that wasn't in doubt by that point, but a baby had seemed so not in the cards for them. Connie was older, they had actually never even talked about it. After he'd taken a minute to get used to the idea, he wasn't even upset. He'd been excited to go through all of that with her. It had complicated both their lives, his the most, but getting to share this with her, seeing her excitement, had made it all worth it. The baby girl he held in his arms was proof of that.
When she was done with the bottle, he held her against his shoulder and rubbed her back. Which is where Connie found him when she came downstairs. She smiled when she saw them, then made her way over to where he was sitting. She leaned over and kissed him, then dragged an ottoman over so she could sit facing him. "What are you doing up so early?" she asked.
He shrugged. "Just woke up, I guess."
"I didn't hear her wake up."
"When I got up, I went in her room, and she was awake. She was doing that thing with her mouth where you know she's hungry, so I got her up and got a bottle, so she wouldn't wake you up."
She looked at him carefully. "Are you anxious?"
He shrugged, trying to be nonchalant. "Nah."
She looked like she didn't believe him, but she seemed to be okay with letting it go. "Okay. So, do you have any plans yet?"
He breathed in. "When I get there, I'm gonna go talk to Patty. There are a couple visitation things I want to hammer out with her and then I want to see what the mood is with the kids. Taylor's got a soccer game, so I'll go to that with Chase and Addie and we'll go out to dinner after. That's as far as I got." Ryleigh burped then and he looked at her. "Good job, sweetie," he said with a smile.
Connie held her arms out. "You want me to take her?"
He shook his head. "I'm not gonna see her for a few days. I want all the time I can get." She smiled. "Anyway, I guess how today goes will determine how tomorrow goes."
She put her hand on his knee. "I'm betting it goes well. I think this is what y'all need, you know? Take everything else out of the equation for now."
He knew she meant taking them out of the equation, with them meaning her and the kids, as well as the two of them. Maybe she was right, although he hated to think that's what it would take. "Well," he said. "I'm willing to try."
When he got to his seat and got settled, he put his ballcap on and closed his eyes, folding his arms over his chest. Most times, when he flew, he didn't mind chatting up whoever was sitting next to him. He generally liked talking to people, whether they knew who he was or not. He actually liked when they didn't, since they were usually more natural, but he also had to be honest that he liked being recognized. It wasn't that he'd gotten into the acting business to be famous on the level of a Kevin Costner or Tom Cruise, but he had often thought he might someday get a lead on a show, or even just a meaty recurring role. The Office had probably been the closest he'd come to that. He had Whose Line, but that was different. He'd mostly thought it had passed him by. Until Nashville. That people recognized him in the Publix or a liquor store or a drug store, apart from Connie, had felt good. He always tried to be approachable, which had led to some fascinating airplane conversations. But this time he needed time to think. And prepare.
He felt the plane pull back from the gate. The flight attendant was giving the safety talk but he tuned it out. It wasn't long before the plane was barreling down the runway and then lifting off the ground. Within a few minutes, he was asleep.
The person sitting next to him slid back into the seat, jarring his seat a little, which woke him up. He wondered what time it was and how far they were from LAX. Once he got there, he would rent a car and drive out towards Sherman Oaks. He had a hotel reservation and would see if he could check in early. He was supposed to meet Patty at the house at 2:00. He had only talked to her on the phone a handful of times since he and Connie had come back to Nashville. Those conversations had been about the kids and were short and awkward.
"Be cordial, babe," Connie said to him the night before.
"I'm always cordial," he retorted.
She shook her head. "You can be a diva when you don't get your way," she said, with a sly smile. He raised his eyebrows and widened his eyes. She laughed then. "You are. You know you are. You can get so unbelievably pissy when you're annoyed or irritated." She reached for his hand. "I just want you to look at the bigger picture, consider the journey."
She was right, of course. Not about him being a 'diva' – he still thought she was wrong about that – but he did have a short fuse. His and Patty's divorce would be final in a little more than a month. Everything had been worked out with surprisingly little bickering. He had a request for visitation, which was one thing he wanted to ask, but she had wanted to talk about his expectations, both for the weekend and for the future. He wasn't sure what there was to talk about, but Connie had told him to meet her halfway, that she was the key to this going well. So he would.
He was on his way to the house and he felt uncharacteristically nervous. He'd officially moved out of the house six months earlier and now it felt strange to drive the old familiar route. When he pulled into the driveway, he noted that not much had changed. Flowers were blooming that hadn't been when he left, but that was really it. He turned off the ignition and opened the door. He was halfway up the walk when the front door opened and Patty walked out. She hadn't really changed at all. She was wearing jeans and a t-shirt. But her arms were crossed over her chest and her face was not welcoming. Not that he'd expected it to be.
He tried smiling. "Hey, Patty," he said.
"Hey." She breathed in. "I have to say this surprises me."
"What? That I came out here?"
"Yeah."
He frowned. "Why? I want to see my kids."
"isn't it hard to get away?"
"I'm working out a schedule." He concentrated on not letting himself get irritated. "This is important to me."
"Okay. So come on in." He followed her into the house. Again, not much had changed, except that he did note she'd put away all the pictures that had included him. Not that he was surprised, but it was sobering. They sat across from each other in the dining room. He couldn't read her face. "I am glad you came to see the kids," she said finally.
"You are?"
She made a face. "Of course. You need to see them. They need to see you."
He was surprised. "I, well, I didn't expect that," he said.
"Why not? Look, you and I may be splitting up, but you're not doing that with the kids. The one thing I don't want to do is make them choose sides." She sighed. "I wanted to tell you that, in front of them, I will be respectful. What goes on between us is between us. I won't talk badly about you to them, even though I might want to. I just wanted you to know that."
"Thank you," he said.
"I'm not doing this for you, Chip. I'm doing it for them. You're their father, even if you did have an affair and break up the family. They're old enough to understand that." She paused for a moment. "I know you love them. They love you too. And they need to believe that our focus is on them. Helping them through these emotions." He could see the tension in her shoulders, how she clenched her jaw. "They're looking at us, Chip, to know what to do. How to feel."
"Patty, I've never said anything unkind about you. I respect you as their mom. I always have. What happened between us doesn't change that."
"I don't want them to feel like they have to hide things. They came back from Nashville and I think they felt guilty."
"Guilty for what?"
She looked away. "About loving the baby."
That surprised him. He knew this wasn't about Ryleigh, but it gave him a warm feeling to know they'd felt that way, since it had been hard to know exactly what their feelings were. "I think they probably didn't want to hurt you," he said.
She stood up then and he did as well. "I just wanted to tell you that I'm glad you're doing this and I'll support you with them."
"Well, thank you for letting me. It means a lot."
She crossed her arms over her waist. "They're excited that you came."
He raised his eyebrows. "Really? Even Addie?"
She let him see a little bit of a smile cross her face. "Even Addie. Maybe especially Addie. She came home feeling a little guilty about having been a pill."
He had to smile. The truth was that Addie had been a little more than just a pill, but he was grateful she had recognized it. "Well, I get that it was tough for everyone. I was really happy they came anyway."
She nodded and then changed the subject. "So, the game is at 3:30. I'm going to pick up Addie and drop her off."
He frowned. "You're not going to the game?" it was something she always did. She never missed an event or activity for any of the kids.
She shook her head. "I want the time to be for the four of you. It's a chance for all of you to figure out what's next."
He nodded. "I want them to be part of...my life in Nashville too." The hardness in her face was back, but he pushed through. "I'll come out here and spend time with them, and I want to do that. But I have a life in Nashville too that I want them to be involved in, and I think it's important to include some time for them to come there. I won't push, I promise, but they do have a sister there and I want them all to know each other." He breathed in. "And that includes Connie and Yoby." She turned away. "I know it's complicated, I do. And I know I'm the one who made it that way." He shoved his hands in his pockets. "But at some point, Ryleigh is a package deal."
She looked back at him then. "Have fun at the soccer game."
He knew the conversation was over. And maybe it wasn't one he had to have with her anyway. It was a process, as Connie kept saying, and it would need to be with the kids.
Connie
Yoby and Ryleigh were asleep. She was sitting in bed reading a book. She'd been wondering all day how things had gone with Chip and his kids. They had talked after his conversation with Patty and he'd seemed cautiously hopeful. That Patty wouldn't interfere was encouraging and she hoped it would make things easier for him. I told her you were part of the deal and I guess if that gets in the way... He'd drifted off then and it made her a little anxious. It would take time for them to accept her as part of his life, she knew that. She just didn't want him to try to move too quickly.
Her phone buzzed then. "Hey," she said, with a smile.
"Hey. Did I wake you?"
"No, I'm just doing some reading before bed. How did things go?"
"Actually really good. Chase and Addie and I were at Taylor's game. And then we went to dinner. They were pretty chatty, seemed comfortable. No real tenseness or anything."
She smiled. "I'm so glad. Even Addie?"
"Yep, even her."
"I'm so glad, Chip. I was really hoping this would help all of you. So what's on tap for tomorrow?"
"The beach, maybe a movie or something. Fun dad kind of stuff, I guess." He sighed.
"What is it, babe?" she asked, a frown crossing her face.
"I don't know. I guess it made me think about going to Pittsburgh to see my dad. He always had a full weekend of plans, things we would probably have never done if he'd still been at home. I feel like I'm doing the same thing, planning out a weekend so we're busy and don't have time to just be a family."
"You know, you could always stay at the house out there and have them come over. You don't have to stay in a hotel."
"I guess."
She slid down in the bed. "Do it next time. Maybe they could stay with you and you could do things you normally do. Watch sports or just cook out or something."
"Maybe I will." He paused. "I know it's only been a day, but I miss you."
She smiled to herself. "I miss you too. Another reason I'm still awake. This bed is too empty." She laughed softly. "I've really gotten used to you."
"I've gotten used to you too. Which is a good thing, I think."
"A very good thing."
"Kids okay?"
"Yeah, they are. Yoby really has missed you. He keeps asking when you're coming home from work."
He laughed. "Tell him soon. He'll probably be asleep when I get back Sunday, but tell him I'll still check in. So it's late for you."
She rolled onto her side, facing his side of the bed, missing him. "Have a great rest of the weekend. I miss you." She paused. "I love you."
"I love you too, baby. Dream about me."
She smiled. "Count on it." When he disconnected, she reached her hand out, dropping the phone. She smoothed her hand over his pillow, then sighed. They had pretty much been together every day since he'd come back to Nashville earlier in the year, after going to LA to tell his family about their relationship and that they were having a baby. It left a void, having him gone. Even though it was just a weekend, her heart ached for him. She pulled the pillow towards her and pressed her face to it, breathing in deeply. It had his smell, faintly musky but clean.
She fell asleep with her arms wrapped around the pillow, clenching it hard against her chest, dreaming of Chip.
Chip
Addie was quiet the next day. She wasn't withdrawn, just not her usual bubbly self. He worried that she didn't want to be with them at the beach, that she didn't want to be doing any of it at all. But she laughed and seemed like she was having fun, so he thought maybe he was overthinking things. It was a hot day, though, so after lunch they decided to go to a movie. They went to see We're The Millers. It wasn't the funniest movie he'd ever seen, but the kids seemed to like it, which was all that mattered.
When he dropped them off, he reached for Addie's arm, as she was sitting up front with him. Taylor and Chase got out, calling out their goodbye's and he smiled and waved. Then he looked back at Addie. "You okay?" he asked, frowning just a little.
She shrugged. "Yeah, why?"
"Well, you were just kind of quiet today."
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be."
He shook his head. "You don't need to be sorry. I just wanted to check."
She sat back against the seat and sighed. Then she turned to look at him. "Everything is just weird," she said.
"Weird in what way?"
"Well, we were supposed to be moving to Nashville and now we're not. You're there and we're here and it's a long way. We won't see you much."
"I'm gonna come as often as I can. I miss y'all. I don't want to not see you. And your mom and I are talking about y'all maybe coming out in the summer. I'll be here when we wrap the show until July and then maybe we work it out where y'all come to the beach and then come to Nashville and stay for a few weeks before you go back to school. What about that?"
She shrugged again. "It might be alright. But it's not the same."
He was pretty sure he knew what she meant. "Well, that's probably true. But things change. We change. Life changes." He stopped and gave her a long look. "It could be better than you think. I know you probably don't think so right now, but maybe just give her a chance."
She breathed in. "Maybe."
He reached out and put his hand on the side of her head. He was grateful she didn't flinch or pull away. "Addie, I love you. I love you and Taylor and Chase. You're 3 of the most important people in my life. I want you all to be part of my life in Nashville. You have a sister there and I want her to know you as she grows up." He smiled. "Listen, I promise not to make you do anything you don't want to, but I just don't want you to shut the door."
"I guess," she murmured.
"I love you, Addie."
She looked up at him. "I love you too, Dad." He reached across the seat and hugged her and, to his relief, she hugged him back.
When he sat back, he smiled at her. "I know you need to go, but I just want you to know that it would hurt so much if I didn't have you in my life. So I hope you won't turn away."
She looked at him for a moment, then finally nodded. "I gotta go. I guess I'll see you tomorrow."
He smiled then, tears pricking his eyes. "Yeah. Brunch before I go."
She unbuckled her seat belt and opened the door to get out. She turned back then and she smiled. "I'll see you then." Then she slipped out of the car and closed the door, jogging up the walk to the porch and then disappearing into the house.
He sat back, closing his eyes for a moment, feeling hopeful.