If You Can't Hang, Then There's the Door

Kellins point of view.

I stepped off the bus into the bright Florida sun. It was around two in the afternoon and my family would be here soon. I was nervous, I loved my mom and my siblings, but my mom didn't know how to get away from my dad if he wanted something. I really hoped he didn't want something from me, now that I was finally living my dreams. Mom can't say no to him and if he wants to be here tonight, there's no doubt in my mind he will be. When he wants something, he gets it at all costs.

"Kellin, are you all set?" Justin asked walking up to me.

"I'm sorry, what?" I shook myself out of my thoughts. I was staring at the gravel and had no idea how long I had even standing there now.

"Your families here we have to go get them from the front." Justin stated and my eyes grew wide. They were already here, was I ready for this? I haven't seen them in almost a year, would they be angry with me?

"Yea man, lets go." We walked through the venue searching through the crowd for the security desk where my family would be waiting.

I spotted the security desk from the Corner of my eye, we were going the wrong way. I saw my mom holding my little sister from afar. It seemed like it may only be them. I hit Justin's shoulder lightly and pointed to where I saw them standing. We approached them slowly and I felt my heart begin to race and my stomach churn. I saw that my oldest sister was here as well as my little brothers. But I didn't see my dad anywhere in sight. That was a relief, but it was also suspicious.

"KELLS!" My little sister shouted and I scooped her out of my moms arms hugging her tightly.

"Hey mini me!" I teased and poked her nose. She had my smile.

"Stap that!" She pouted and hugged my neck tightly, my little brothers soon after latched on to my legs and my mom turned around with a huge smile on her face with tears in her eyes. She joined our group hug and I felt her tears on my shoulder soak through my shirt.

"Hey ma." I whispered and gripped her shoulders tightly. My sister stood back, she missed me but I knew she wanted to talk to me about something, we were always close and I could read her like an open boom.

"I'm so proud of you sweetheart." My mom sobbed happily and whipped her eyes with her hand. She smudged her makeup but I knew she didn't care.

"Thanks mom." I whispered and kissed her cheek.

"Come on brother give me a hug." My sister Harper who was only a year younger than me gave me a hug and rubbed my back.

"We need to talk." She whispered. I could already read on her face that she wanted to talk the second I spotted them all.

"I know sis." I hugged her Tightly before letting go.

I carried my little sister who was about six as we all walked backstage at the venue. My little brothers pushed and shoved each other the whole way, and my mom praised me as she saw the size of the venue and the crowd. I knew she had something else she wanted to say, I could tell by how fast she was talking. If she didn't get it out soon she would burst. As security gave my siblings VIP laminents and showed them around and took them to see the band that was opening for us, my mom pulled me aside.

"Kellin... When were you going to tell me ?" She asked sadly. Oh no, how much did she know.

"Tell you what mom?" I played dumb like I was five years old. Of course this was about scar.

"You and Scar baby! I can't believe your finally together!" She squealed and practically tackled me into a hug.

"Finally?" I laughed at my moms enthusiasm.

"I always knew you'd end up with that girl! You two were attached at the hip ever since high school! I can't believe it took you so long you big idiot!" She took me off guard by smacking my chest. It almost knocked the wind out if me.

"Okay, okay mom." I laughed as she smiled up at me.

"Is she the one?" Mom raised an eyebrow at me. I blushed and became nervous, I had to tell her.

"She is mom, i love her more than anything in the world, her happiness is all that matters to me, and i want to be the only one to make her smile every minute of everyday. But, Mom.. Please don't be angry. I have a few things to tell you about us." I played with my hands and looked at my feet. My mom had her eyebrows pressed together tightly.

"I'm so happy my boy finally understands love, but what's going on ? Is scar okay? Your still together aren't you?" She shot the questions out like rapid fire.

"Yes we're still together mom. We're also... Expecting." I stuttered slightly. Her eyes became the size of saucers and her mouth hung open.

She stared at me for what felt like an eternity before she brought her hands over her mouth and you could see her cheeks raise as she smiled underneath them. Her eyes filled with tears once again. I wrapped my arms around her and hugged her to my chest.

"Oh my goodness, kellin! I'm so... I'm going to be a grandmother?" She said in disbelief.

"Yes you are mom." I smiled widely as we parted ways.

"How far along I's she?" She asked happily and I knew that happiness would change to anger quickly.

"About five months." I whispered and my mom gasped.

"Why didn't you tell any of us sooner Kellin!?" She hissed harshly and hit my arm.

"Mom calm down, I just... I didn't know how to tell you all, and I didn't want you to be disappointed in me for-" she held her finger up to silence me like she used to when I was little. I didn't have the heart to tell her that I didn't want my father knowing about our unborn child.

"Kellin I could never be disappointed in you. I'm so Happy for you and scar Hunny." She smiled and squeezed my hand.

"Thanks mom." My siblings came running back over to us with Harper trying to keep them all under control. My tour manager followed after them.

"Kellin, you guys are on in a few minutes." My tour manager stated and my siblings all squealed in excitement.

"Ready to see your big brother on stage " I asked kneeling down and hugging them all. My tour manager ushered me to the side of the stage and set me up with my soundbox and earbud.

I watched as the rest of the guys took the stage and right before It was tome for me to rub out as the sing intro played I looked back at my family and smiled. They looked in with shining eyes and it made me want to put on the best show of my life. The crowd was absolutely Insane, the second I walked on stage there were screams and people already surfing to the front trying to get closer to us. Hometown shows were easily my favorite.

I walked off stage dripping in sweat, but that didn't stop my family from hugging me and telling me how well I did out there. Their approval warmed my heart and I couldn't stop smiling. However our embrace was bitter sweet, they had to leave since it was late and my siblings were obviously tired. I looked to Harper and gave her a weak smile as mom took the kids to the car with the help of security.

"Harper, what's going on?" I asked walking outside as she hung her head low.

"It's dad kellin..." She whispered, I took in a sharp breath and clenched my fists.

"What did he do this time?" I asked sharply, my sister flinched at the growl in my voice. I didn't mean to scare her.

"He... He left again, and I think it's for good this time Kells." I snorted loudly and immediately felt bad for doing so. My sister didn't deserve my condescending attitude.

"He always leaves Harper. That's nothing new." She shook her head, she knew as well as I did how dad was.

"Kellin, mom is the reason he left this time, not just the bottle." Now she had my attention. My mom? She would never let go of our father... Or would she?

"What? What happened?" I asked angrily, did he hurt mom?

"Kellin... He... He hit mom one day, he just snapped. He did it front of the kids and mom lost it, she said all the things she could never say to him all those years of him disappearing and reappearing, the love for him left her heart the second his hand made contact with her cheek. Kellin. She will never let dad back into her life... Our lives" I hit the wall of the venue with my fists. He hit my mother ?!

"Harper ! He hit mom? I swear to god if I ever see him again!" I gritted my teeth and Harper grabbed my hands forcing me to stop hitting the wall.

"Stop, he's not worth it kellin, but he's out of our lives for good this time. Im sure of it, he can't fuck with our emotions anymore." She smiled, she was as hurt by dad as I was. She was daddies little girl before he turned to the alcohol. Him ignoring Harper after giving her the slightest shred of hope, shattered her heart into little pieces every time. At least I stopped hoping after I opened my eyes, she just never lost faith in him. It broke my heart to watch.

"Harper... Come here." I opened my arms for her. My little sister no longer looked broken. She had finally let dad out of her heart.

"I love you kellin, I'm so proud of you, please don't be a stranger." I winced at her choice of words... Dad was always a stranger, and I'm scared ill be one just like him.

All the touring all the recording.... Will my little girl think I'm just a stranger too? Will my absence break her heart like my dads broke harpers and mine everyday?

Would I become my father?

Scars point if view.

"Scarlett!" I looked up from my computer screen to see an overly excited Ashley.

"Yes?" I sang to her looking up at her as she bounced up and down.

"Look!" She handed me her camera that she had brought over every time I've seen her since she found out I was pregnant. She was 'documenting' my growing stomach and always made me pose with my stomach exposed and my hands resting gently in it. No matter how small it started off.

I clocked through the photos she had been taking, and honesty. They were adorable. I could see all the suttle changes before my stomach began to grow and I felt tears brim my eyes by the end of the cameras timeline.

"Ash, these are coming out amazing." I choked out and she rushed to my side.

"Oh baby mama, don't cry!" She hugged my as I sobbed harder into her shoulder on the couch in mine and kellins apartment.

"It's just so hard without him ash, I miss him, the house seems lifeless without his smiling face and he's missing her grow." I sobbed, my true feelings starting to surface. Or maybe it was just the hormones.

"Shhh, scar it will be okay, kellins coming back and you know it. Please don't cry." I tried to stop but the tears just kept flowing.

"But what if something happened to him while he was away? What if he misses out on her arriving? I'm so scared ash, I couldn't do this without him." I was almost hyperventilating by now. But I quickly tried to calm myself, I didn't want to strain my heart and hurt my little girl.

"Scarlett, I wish I knew exactly what you were going through, but please trust me when I say this. Nothing will happen to kellin and you will certainly NOT be doing this on your own, he wouldn't miss the birth of your baby girl for anything else in the world, and I promise when he gets back your worried will all wash away." I smiled and wiped my eyes. She was right. I had to be strong.

I had to be strong for me and kellin, for our relationship. Kellin would never leave me forever, he would always come back. Kellin would always be here, even if he wasn't always physically around. He would never disappear on his family. That I knew was true.