Rebel Love Song

“Call me when you’re done, okay?” I said, turning the car off. Jake had a photo shoot today and I was going to take Lily to the park while we waited for him to be done.

“Don’t you wanna come inside?” He asked.

“Why?”

“Because Nikki Sixx is doing our shoot today.” Within two milliseconds of the words “Nikki Sixx” leaving his mouth, I had Lily out of the car and was heading into the building. He caught up to us quickly and led the way through the maze to where the other guys were.

“Ahh, here’s our resident model!” Ashley said, tugging me up next to him. There, in all his glory, was Nikki fucking Sixx. Saying hello to me. Good sweet lord.

“Hi.” I said, shaking the hand he must have been holding out for me while I had a fangirl meltdown.

“Nikki, this is Sky Vincent. Sky, Nikki Sixx.” Andy said, having the presence of mind to introduce us.

“I know you.” Lily said, peeking out from behind my hair. She’s started to get less shy around people nowadays.

“Really.” Nikki looked amused.

“You’re in Motley Crue.” She looked at me for confirmation. “Auntie Sky and Mommy used to listen to you all the time.” I winced, trying not to blush. Jake was laughing, damn him. Even when I looked at him, he still kept laughing.

“You’re a horrible fiancé.” I stuck my tongue out at Jake. He pouted at me. “Uh uh. No puppy dog looks unless they come from my little princess.”

“Ash, do me a favor and take Lily.” Jake said. Ash took Lily out of my arms and in the same heartbeat, Jake was dipping me backwards and kissing me.

“Am I still a horrible fiancé?” He said, in a raspy, sexy voice when he finally put me back on my feet.

“No.” I sounded like a breathless bimbo, but I didn’t care. I kissed him again, ignoring the catcalls and Lily singing the wedding march.

“Okay, you two need to separate.” Jeremy hauled Jake away from me. “Otherwise we’ll never get anything done.”

“I could think of someone that would get done.” I said without really thinking about it. Ash passed Lily back to me.

“Aren’t we going to the park?” Lily said, looking up at me.

“Of course we are kiddo.” I leaned over and gave Jake a quick peck on the lips before heading out. It was an early September day, still boiling hot thanks to California weather, and the park was full of people. I took my normal spot on the bench while Lily went off to play with the other kids. I kept a close eye on her, just because I’d been a kid once and had scraped every inch of my body at some point or another.

This allowed me to watch in horror as Lily’s foot slipped off the jungle gym and she fell, her head hitting against the bars on the way down.

“Call 911!” I shouted at one of the other moms as I ran towards Lily. She was lying on the floor, not moving, just in a crumpled heap. “Lil, honey, talk to me.” I patted her cheek gently but she didn’t respond. A faint movement of her little chest told me she was still breathing.

The EMTs came and took her in the ambulance, telling me to follow them in my car. I dialed Jake’s number as I tore down the street after the ambulance.

“Hey babe.” Jake said. “Are you guys on your way back?”

“Lily fell off the jungle gym and she wouldn’t wake up and I’m going to the hospital.” I sobbed. I heard him curse loudly.

“I’ll be there as soon as I can. Everything’s gonna be okay. I promise.”

“Just…hurry.” I barely managed to put the car in park before I was out of the car and following the paramedics into the ER. Before I could get into the examination area, a nurse stopped me, guided me over to a seat and put a clipboard full of paperwork in my hands. I knew what this was, having seen my sister do this paperwork when Zack was shot: health information, insurance, the whole shebang.

Except Lily would be able to walk out of here, not be wheeled out on a gurney covered by a sheet.

“Let me see my niece.” I said to the nurse when I handed her the paperwork.

“The doctor is seeing her right now, it’s best for you to just wait here.” She said.

“LET ME SEE MY NIECE DAMMIT!” I roared, my last nerve snapping.

“Why won’t they let us see Lily?” Jake was still in full war paint, as was Ashley, who must have driven him here.

“I don’t fucking know but if she doesn’t let me see her-” I burst into tears again. Jake wrapped his arms around me pulling me in close.

“Look, they’re all Lily has. Can you just let them stay with her while the doctor works on her?” Ashley was saying behind us. I guess there is an advantage to being allergic to shirts, because we were on our way to Lily in a few minutes.

Lily was awake when we got there, face stained with tears.

“Auntie Sky!” She wailed. She had a lump the size of an egg on her forehead and a few bruises, but she seemed okay otherwise.

“I’m here sweetie, its okay.” I dried both of our tears with the sleeve of my hoodie, which was smeared with Jake’s warpaint as well.

“Is she all right?” Jake asked the doctor. He and Ashley were getting some weird looks because of their hair and tattoos and the warpaint, of course.

“We’re waiting for the CAT scan machine to be free to make sure she doesn’t have a concussion, and we want to keep her overnight for observation.” The doctor said.

“Ash, can you go to my house and grab some pajamas for Lily, and the stuffed tiger on her bed? And a blanket for Sky?” Jake asked.

“I’ll be right back.” Ashley waved and blew a kiss to Lily before disappearing down the hall.

“Auntie Sky, my head hurts.” Lily sniffled.

“I know baby, but they’re gonna make you all better again.” I said, holding out my pinky for her. She wrapped hers around it.

We got in another fight with the nurse after they brought Lily back from the CAT scan. Jake and I wanted to stay overnight with her but apparently it was “against hospital policy” so we had to leave around ten PM and come back in the morning. I made sure she was snuggled up with Tigey and fast asleep before we left.

Once we’d left the hospital and both of us had had a well needed shower, I let the guilt wash over me.

“I should have been watching her better. If I’d been standing nearby I could have caught her.” I said, holding my head in my hands.

“Sky, it was an accident. Even if you had been nearby you couldn’t have prevented it.” Jake cuddled me to his chest.

“Jules entrusted Lily to me and I’m fucking it up.” I sobbed into his shoulder.

“You aren’t fucking anything up.” He kissed the side of my head. “It was an accident. She’s all right. Everything will be fine.”

“How can you be so sure?”

“Because I have faith in you. In us.” He pulled back just enough so he could see my face. “We’ll raise Lily as best we can and with love and everything will be fine.”

The next morning, we brought Lily home from the hospital with a clean bill of health. Jake, Lily, the animals and I curled up on the couch to watch cartoons all day. Andy and Juliet dropped by to see how Lily was doing and brought her a new stuffed animal. It was a giraffe that moved its neck in a circle when you pressed a certain button. Lily christened it Afa and gave Andy’s leg a hug.

“Hey, before you guys leave, can you take a picture of us?” Jake asked. Andy backed up so he could get the whole couch in view before taking the picture and handing Jake’s phone back to him. I had a feeling I knew what he was going to do with it, and as soon as my phone buzzed I knew I had been right.

The caption on the photo was “I couldn’t love my family anymore than I do right now.” Lily’s face was mostly hidden in my hair, but there had been some pictures of her circulating since the Carson date.

“I love you Jakey.” I said, leaning over and kissing him.

“I love you too.” He smiled.

I took my own picture for Twitter later when he and Trixy both had their heads resting on my lap. They looked so adorable I couldn’t help it.

When Jake and I were getting ready for bed, Lily came toddling in carrying Tigey and Afa. Without saying a word, Jake scooted over so she could get in between us. Within seconds of Lily coming in Trixy followed and then Davey took his normal spot on the pillow next to my head.

“Is everyone who lives in this house in here now?” I laughed, looking at the crowded bed.

“I think so. Night everyone.” Jake turned the lights off and I fell asleep, completely content.