For The Love Of You

Ryan had always been a drummer. When she thought about who she was as a person, a drummer came to mind first. She was a drummer first and everything else second. It had been two months since the night Jamie made Ryan go out and Ryan didn't really want to do it again. She didn't need to make out with chicks.

"Ryan!" The voice of one of Ryan's best buds, Tyler rang through her apartment.

"How do all of you get in here?" Ryan asked laying on her couch.

"You never lock your door." Tyler told her before he laid down on top of her.

"I'm gonna die. You're gonna kill me." She told him.

"Guess what?" He sang.

"You invented something." She guessed.

"Nope! Jake told me this morning he's ready to go back on tour!" He told her making her smile.

"So why are you on top of me?" She asked.

"You've never complained about me on top of you, Ryan." He smirked.

"Shut up. You're so cocky. No, no. I already know the joke you'll use." She said. He smiled.

"You know me so well. I'm gonna go see my goddaughter. Wanna come?" He asked.

"Yes, I do." She said.

If Jake was ready to start touring again, that meant Madden would be back on the road. Ryan had plenty of songs written, she just needed Jake to be ready to leave his daughter. When Tyler and Ryan got into his car, he turned on Yellowcard making her smile.

"You know me so well." She told him.

"That I do." He said.

Ryan had been in love with Yellowcard since the start of the millennium. Twelve years going, and she had been a committed fan. Tyler turned on Ocean Avenue for her and she went to Back Home and started singing every word. He listened with a smile on his face.

"Gonna see my goddaughter, gonna see my goddaughter." Tyler sang as he and Ryan walked up to Jake's townhouse.

"He's growing up before our eyes, Tyler. He gets a girlfriend, he knocked her up, he buys a townhouse, has a kid. Jesus." Ryan said. He laughed.

"We're not twenty two anymore, man." He told her.

"I know. It's mind blowing." She shook her head.

The moment Jake opened the door, Ryan knuckle pounded with him and went in search of his daughter, Sienna. When she found the ten month old on the floor with Jake's girlfriend Molly watching, Ryan laid down next to Sienna making her giggle.

"Hi, pretty girl." Ryan smiled.

"What's up?" Molly asked her.

"Seeing this cute little thing. If she ever goes missing, I stole her." Ryan said making Molly smile.

"Okay." Molly said.

"Oh, it's my babies!" Tyler said grinning as he laid down on the other side of Sienna.

"It's like there are three babies." Jake said slowly as he sat down next to Molly.

"Can you find me a dad? Mine's a dick." Ryan asked.

"Cursing." Molly warned.

"She doesn't understand anything I just said." Ryan told Molly.

"If your dad is such a dick, why did you name our band after him?" Tyler asked Ryan.

"I love my last name, I just don't love the guy that gave it to me." Ryan said.

"Alright." He said slowly.

"But, you love me." She told Sienna as she picked her up.

Ryan laid on her back and put Sienna on her chest. She soon fell asleep, leaving Ryan stuck on the floor. A good hour later, after getting Madden's fourth member Chris over, it was set in stone that they were ready to tour. Now they just needed a tour.

"Guys, Warped is in two months." Molly said.

"Why don't you call Kevin, then? 'Hey, we need to start touring again and we know this is as last minute as we could probably get, but hey, do you think we get on Warped?' Great idea." Jake said.

"Just a suggestion." Molly told him.

"I'll call him." Tyler said.

"You do that." Jake said, having no faith in it.

"Ryan, are you awake?" Chris asked Ryan.

"Sorta. Shh. She's so warm." Ryan mumbled making all of them smile.

"I'm amazed she's sleeping." Molly said watching them all take pictures of the sight.

It took four days for Tyler to come back with the news that Madden would be on Warped. Ryan was stoked out of her mind. She was babysitting Sienna while Jake and Molly went on some date. They were watching old Hawaii Five-O reruns when her mother called.

"Hello?"

[Hi, baby.]

"What's up?"

[Have you heard from Daniel?]

"Not in like, a week."

[Oh, okay. How're you?]

"I'm alright. Madden's getting back into touring."

[Oh, good for you, sweetheart.]

"How's Rich?"

[Long gone. It's Scott now.]

"Ahh. Well, god luck."

[Thanks, baby. When you hear from Daniel or Cliff, could you tell them to call me?]

"What about Adam? Or Matt?"

[They're not talking to me.]

"Okay. Well, I'll call you sometime."

[Okay, sweetie. Good luck with touring.]

"Thanks."

[Love you.]

"Love you, too."

No, Veronica never really tried. She kept popping out kids to keep men around. When that didn't work, she didn't treat her kids well. She let their fathers come in and out of their lives. Ryan loved her mother, but she didn't like her.

"Sienna, I want you to know something. I want you to know that your parents are the best parents I've ever seen in my life. The only reason you're daddy's gonna leave you is because he loves you. In ten years, you're gonna be like 'Dad, you have the coolest job ever'. Between you and I, I want you to be our little mascot and tour with us. I'm really gonna push that. But, for now, just know how much Daddy loves you. And hey, if you take care of Mommy, I'll take care of Daddy." Ryan told Sienna.

Sienna looked up at her and started giggling. Ryan put Sienna in her lap and started tickling her. After a while she passed out on her chest. When Tyler and Chris came over and saw it, they both took pictures and sat down on either side of Ryan.

"You need to be a mom." Chris told her.

"I don't wanna fuck any kids up. I got fucked up." Ryan said slowly, rubbing Sienna's back.

"But you'll know what not to do." He told her.

"Don't pop out a kid every time you want a man to stay in your bed. Learned the lesson. I begged my father not to leave every time he came back. Do you see him around? No, he's gone. I have no idea where the hell he is. I'm sure I have more siblings out there. Like four isn't enough." She said.

"You have a mothering instinct. See?" He told her.

"Well, I'll be a crazy cat lady." She said.

"When we're thirty and we get married, we're gonna have kids." Tyler told her.

"If you have a side project, sure." Ryan said making Chris laugh.

"You seriously never want kids?" Tyler asked her.

"I won't plan it. If it's an accident, then I'll have kids. But, I'm not gonna plan it." She told him.

"She's gonna need cute little Tyler-Ryan baby friends." Chris said nodding toward Sienna.

"She'll be five by the time we even get married." Ryan said.

"So?" He asked.

"Anyway, we came over to see this little cutie pie." Tyler said.

"She must like, dig my boobs. Because the last three times I've seen her, she's fallen asleep on my chest." Ryan said slowly.

"We all dig your boobs, Ryan." He said.

"I second that, in a non weird way." Chris said.

"There's no real way not to make that weird, dude." Ryan said.

"I tried." He shrugged.