by V. F. Mason
“Keeping everything close in the family, don’t you?” the reporter snapped, not liking that he didn't get anything. “I mean your brother dates the front vocalist. Does this mean the two of you worked your differences out after your father divorced your mother and married Ryan’s?”
Drake tensed next to me. I couldn’t see Ryan’s reaction, but it was probably very similar to Drake’s. We hadn’t had the opportunity to talk about this aspect. We had thought the media would be friendly, but apparently, a bigger story was what they were digging for.
“I think that’s enough of those kind of insinuations. This press conference is about Drake and Jane, so I’m asking you to keep your questions about them.” Jeremy didn't raise his voice; the coldness in it was enough to intimidate most people.
He pointed to some cute, redheaded woman who wore glasses, and she stood up a bit awkwardly and asked her question. “Due to the recent news about Logan Davis and his daughter, is it true that Drake and Jane Jackson have asked for temporary custody of her ‘til Mr. Davis is out of rehab?”
Jeremy was all business. He had warned us before the meeting about that. “Yes, that’s correct. Logan is Drake’s and my close friend, and we want to help him.”
“But are they ready for it? A baby is a big responsibility, and Logan Davis isn’t trustworthy.” Apparently, everyone forgot he used be a musical genius once.
The industry didn't wait for anyone.
Drake responded, “We’re ready to support Logan and Hope. Jane and I understand the responsibility we are taking on. We hope the court’s decision will be in our favor, because it’s better for the little girl to be with us, with her family, and we hope one day with Logan.” Several more questions were asked, some about Logan and some for us. After an hour, we finally finished and could go.
We had a stage rehearsal and concert after that, so we had a lot to do, and then we would leave New Jersey and move on to the next location.
“Jane, come on. We’re going on stage,” Ariel called out. They were standing on the sidewalk waiting for me. I could feel Drake behind me and turned around to see him smile. Everyone had left except the girls, the guys, and me.
“I have a rehearsal.”
“I know, beautiful.”
“I’ll meet you before the concert?”
He nodded and then his hand caressed my cheek slowly as he smiled.
I palmed his head, rose to my toes, and kissed him softly on the mouth. It lasted a bit longer than I initially planned, but I blamed the man’s hotness.
“I should go.”
“You should,” he replied, and with one last glance, I ran to the girls. We exited the building and headed toward the stage, which was five minutes away.
“Jane and Drake sitting in a tree, k-i-s-s-i-n-g,” Ariel sang, and the girls burst out laughing.
I just rolled my eyes. “You guys aren't that original, you know? It’s like high school all over again.”
“I beg to differ,” Sam said. “You never had any boyfriends in high school, so it’s the first time we can say that. So how was last night?”
“Good.”
“Good? That’s all? I gave up my comfortable bus for just good?” Bella sounded annoyed and I laughed.
“I’m not gonna share the details with you.”
“I feel offended,” Ariel said.
“Insulted,” came from Sam.
“And hurt. Don’t forget about hurt," Bella added. It was hard to hide my smile from them. The girls were big goofs, and I loved them for it. I wouldn't want them any other way.
“I think you’ll live.” They weren't that impressed with my answer, so I decided to add, “It was magical, amazingly good. We want to give this a go. I’m done being stupid. I feel good, too.” They giggled and saluted me.
“That’s all that matters, babe,” Sam said and opened the door near the stage. We went inside and upstairs to where the equipment guys had put everything together the way we wanted it. We were a bit OCD when it came to our floor plan, and we each had a weird way we prepared.
“Let’s do this, and then we can grab some food. I’m starved,” Ariel said, and I patted her hand.
“Sure thing, baby mama.”
Bella checked her mic level and how proportional it was to the stage. She also played around, trying to measure how much freedom she had during the performance. She moved much more than the rest of us, since she was the front vocalist. She tried a few higher notes from different distances, listening to the pitch and clarity of her voice.
Sam played some chords on her electric guitar, checked the loudspeakers, and then moved around, practicing some dance moves with it. Finally, she played a bit with Bella, as they always did on stage.
Ariel checked the keyboard, checked the water supply for us, and she was finished. It took her the least time to prepare out of all of us.
My drums were ready. I checked the pedals, put additional sticks nearby, and a towel.
Everything seemed good, and I had this giddy excitement inside me that only the prep time for the concert provided.
“Seriously, let’s grab some food,” Ariel whined, and Sam shook her head.
“Is it a pregnancy thing? Because you’ve never been obsessed with food.”
Ariel shrugged. “Maybe. Why? You don’t want to feed me?” She sounded angry, and Sam raised her hands in defeat, while Bella and I smirked.
“Hey, baby mama, no problem. We’re done here; let’s go get you food.” Saying goodbye to the roadies, we went to the nearby coffee shop, which allowed us some privacy, and since the owner knew us, he made sure we sat in the far corner of the room, where the light was dim and we weren't the center of attention.
The menu looked good, and each one of us could find something we wanted.
“I can’t stay long. I have therapy with Drake in an hour,” Bella warned, and Sam raised her brow.
“You have those sessions every day now?”
“No, but I feel extra anxious during concerts, so I prefer to talk it all out with him beforehand.” Sam touched her hand gently.
“But is everything all right?” She was worried, and rightly so.
“Yeah, everything is great.” There was more to it, but none of us wanted to push for answers. She was going to talk when she was ready.
Once we ordered, Ariel folded her hands on the table and gave me an expectant look.
“Do you feel okay?” I asked. She was all vibrant and moody, but who knew what really went on inside a pregnant woman’s head?
“Yeah. I mean I’m moody, hungry, and I have morning sickness, but beside that, I’m great. I was just thinking about how I’m going to tell my parents.”
“I don’t think you should be worried about that.” I didn’t think they would be an issue.
Her parents were the most laid-back people on the planet. They were into this whole hippie mentality, and let her explore her life as she wanted. They weren't rich, and she got a scholarship to attend school with us. They always supported whatever she did, as long as she understood the consequences of her decisions. Once we became famous, her dad retired from his police job and Ariel bought them a ranch in Montana, where they opened a summer camp for kids, and then during the winter, they enjoyed the weather and their horses.
“Come on, Ariel. Those are your parents,” Sam said, and the rest of us nodded.
“Yeah, but they sort of told me to have kids, only when I was married.” That made me blink, because I’d never heard this before.
“What do you mean?” Bella asked, confused.
“Dad knew I was all for free love or whatever, but Dad and Mom were each other’s firsts. So they had this big talk with me about how sex is good and all, but true love is important. And that once I met the one, only then should I think about babies, because babies are supposed to be made in love,” she finished lamely, and unfortunately, it did sound like something her parents would say.
They had a free take on sex, but love was sacred to them
, and they had constant talks with us about it, not that any of us listened.
“We’ll all be there. It’s gonna be fine.” Sam took her hand and squeezed it, while Ariel smiled weakly.
“I still need to go to the doctor without all those people knowing about it.” She looked pointedly at me, and hell, I knew what that meant.
My grandmother was one of the best OB-GYNs in the States. She had her own clinic, and she was highly respected in her field.
However, my family situation was complicated, but none of the girls knew it. I shared it with Drake last night, while he was holding me after our second, or was it our third, time of making love, and he listened carefully to everything I had to say. After I was done, he pointed out that my parents were always good to me, and maybe I should give them another chance to explain.
“Look, Ariel—” I started, but was immediately interrupted.
“Jane, please. It won’t look weird if you go with me, because she is your grandma. And although she has her faults, her staff will keep quiet about it.” I hated to admit it, but what she said was true. Gran had the best people working for her. No one would leak a word, or she would destroy them. Plus, there was the whole patient confidentiality thing and all.
Which reminded me of something else.
“I never talked about the whole Drake thing to my family.” This was making me feel guiltier by the second. My parents didn't deserve to know about my marriage from the media.
“Don’t worry. They don’t watch the news, remember?” Bella pointed out, but that didn't make me feel better.
“I know, but still. It’s a jackass thing for me to act like this. I need to call them and clear it all up.”
“Babe, I hate to say this,” Sam started, and with my nod, continued, “but I think they already know. You do realize who they are, right? I think they are probably friends of Drake’s parents.” Shit, that thought hadn’t even crossed my mind.
Since Sam had a wealthy family, her parents and mine mingled together, and since Drake was from high society as well, it meant they indeed shared at least some kind of friendship.
This was turning from bad to worse.
“I really need to call them.”
“Yep,” Ariel said, and then started eating everything the waitress brought. The appetite clearly grew in some during pregnancy.
We talked a bit about the concert, and then we laughed some about the latest gossip as we finished our lunch. Bella left for her session with Drake. Ariel wanted to sleep (another pregnancy thing), and Sam and I decided to watch a movie back on the bus.
Once we were back, I took Sparky for a quick walk and decided to make two phones calls.
First one: Grandma.
As usual, she picked up on the third ring. I swear it was always like that with her.
“Jane,” she said warmly, and it brought a smile to my face.
“Hey, Gran.”
“Is this my favorite granddaughter calling?”
“Um, Gran, I’m your only granddaughter.”
“Which makes you my favorite,” she stated with her no bullshit tone. “So, young lady, are you done hiding from your parents?” She had to cut to this, didn’t she?
“They lied to me. I had good reason.” She was silent for a second, and then I heard her exhale a heavy breath.
“Pumpkin, I wasn't happy when the truth came out either, because the idea of my flesh and blood in foster care killed me. But I don't think we should judge your mom. She gave you the best chance. It was a miracle she met Marcus again.”
“Grandma, since when do you call it a miracle? Don't you hate Mom?” This wasn't the best question to ask. We all knew they didn't like each other, but the matter was never discussed.
“My relationship with your mom is complicated and I’ll leave it at that. Now tell me the reason for your call.”
“I need your help.”
“With what?”
“Can we make an appointment in your clinic a month from now?”
Again, the statement was met with silence, and then she asked carefully, “Appointment with one of my doctors?”
“Well, we were hoping with you.”
“With me,” she repeated.
“Yeah.” Then there was the sound of a glass breaking, and she screamed so loudly in the phone that I had to take it away from my ear, but still was able to hear her every word.
“Jane Louise Armstrong, do you mean to tell me that you and your husband have made me a great-grandmother?”
Wait, what?
“No, come on, Gran, really? And by the way, how do you know that?”
“I’ve known for a long time now. Amanda told me.”
I furrowed my brows. “Who’s Amanda?”
“Your mother-in-law.”
“What?” I shrieked.
“Yes, and your parents know too. So who needs my help? And don’t even think about babies in the near future, Jane. I mean it. I’m not old enough to be a great-grandmother.” I didn't pay much attention to her warning, because, first, my parents knew I was married and never said a word, and second, I had no plans for babies anyway.
“I’m not ready for this right now,” I muttered. “Ariel is pregnant, and we don’t want anyone to know. So can she have an appointment with you or not?”
“Sure, I love that girl.” Yeah, Gran had a soft spot for my whole band. “I’ll be waiting for your call. Love you, sweetie.” And with those words, she hung up on me.
Well, that went better than I expected.
Then came the hardest part.
I pressed another number, and with one ring, it was picked up.
“Jane?” Mom’s voice was surprised.
“Hey.” Was it weird that I had no clue what to say? The vindictive part of me didn't want to call her Mom, but another one longed for it. “Mom, how are you?”
“Good, honey, and you?” She sniffed, but her voice was controlled and steady.
“I’m okay. Mom, listen. I need to tell you something, and I don’t want you to find out from the media.” Well, she already knew what I had to say, but I wasn't going to mention that Gran and I spoke. “I’m married to Drake Jackson, and we held a press conference today about it. We also want to take in Hope Davis ‘til Logan is better.” It was better to give her all the information at once than bit-by-bit. “Oh, and Ariel is pregnant. So in case you hear something about a band pregnancy, it’s not me. Not planning one either in the near future.” Who knew what kind of reaction they would have if they thought I was making them grandparents.
“That’s good to know,” Dad’s voice replied out of nowhere.
“Dad?”
“Yes, extension phones, honey. So you finally decided to tell us about you and the Jackson boy?” Strangely enough, he wasn't angry, just sounded curious.
It didn’t escape my notice that my Mom was still silent.
“So I gather you’re friends with his parents?”
“His dad and I go way back. But it was his mom, Mandy, who told us, shared the news, so to speak,” he replied.
“But how did she know?”
“Drake told her. Well he only told her he got married in Vegas. I guess her private detective did the rest,” he chuckled. “It was a surprise, but we figured you would tell us when you were ready.”
“It was one of the reasons we decided to tell you the truth during Christmas dinner.” Mom finally spoke up. Tiredness was evident in her voice. “We figured if you were married, it would mean that…it would be easier for you to understand the mistakes people in love make.”
That didn't go well, did it?
I honestly had no clue how to proceed with this, but somehow, the phone conversation with them was easier than a one-on-one meeting.
“I wasn’t in love with him, Mom. I’m not in love now, either. I sort of had a thing for Jeremy.”
“Yet, you married Drake, honey. There must be a reason.”
It was impossible not to smile at that. “Have you seen him
? Difficult to resist, if you know what I mean.”
Mom laughed, and Dad growled, “That’s the kind of stuff I don't want to hear about.”
“Mom?”
“Yes?” she asked tentatively, probably afraid of my words.
“I love you and I’m sorry. I just…I didn't know how to handle it, okay? And I forgive you too. It was difficult, but I’m glad I ended up with you guys.”
I heard a sob on the other end of the line and a heavy exhale.
“Mom’s a mess, J. Good thing you made up.”
“Ben?” How many extension phones did they have?
“One and only.”
Since when had my brother gotten so cocky?
“Anyway, is this some kind of family reunion call I wasn't aware of?” he asked, laughing.
“No, I was just calling them to let them know I’m married. Yeah, me.”
“Oh, yeah, Dad said he would punch him, by the way,” he tattled.
“Dad!”
“What? He married my baby girl. He’s lucky to just get away with a punch.”
“Marcus! You won’t punch that boy!” Mom gasped.
“He is not a boy,” Dad murmured under his breath. Warmth slipped through me. I was enjoying the hectic call, because I got my family back.
Life felt exceptionally good when you let go of anger and you dropped the defenses that were guarding your heart.
Sam popped her head from the bus.
“Hey, everything is ready for the movie. You coming?” I nodded and mouthed five minutes to her, and she gave me a thumbs up.
“Listen, people, I need to go.” As much as this conversation was nice, I needed to clear my mind before the performance, and a movie was the perfect distraction.
“Call us when the tour is done. We all want to have dinner together, and Drake’s parents are invited too.”
I cringed at the thought. “Sure.”
“Take care, baby girl.”
“Yeah, Dad. Love you, guys.”
“Love you, sis.”
“Bye.” With that, I hung up the phone and wondered if maybe I should give Drake a call too, but then shook my head.
He was in a session with Bella. We could talk after the concert.
Looking down at Sparky, who was now standing on his two hind paws while his two front ones were on my knees, he whimpered and watched me carefully, begging for attention.