Josie
0.1
“Josephine Elizabella Hemmings, come put your shoes on or I’m going to leave you here with Papa and you’re not going to get to see Daddy” Liz Hemmings said, sighing the last part as she looked at her almost three year old granddaughter, who was busy trying to sneak another stuffed animal into her carry-on bag. She gave a pleading look to her husband who had just come downstairs with Josie’s suitcase.
“Josie bug.” He bent down to the toddler’s level. “Let’s go put your shoes on so you can see Daddy.” As soon as the toddler heard “Daddy” she grinned reaching her arms up to get picked up. Andy laughed, picking her up and taking her shoes from his wife. Liz thanked him numerous times before taking Josie in her arms so they could begin the journey to the airport. Luke didn’t know they were coming, as it was his 19th birthday next week and they wanted to surprise him.
As they drove to the airport, Liz couldn’t help but think back to the day her youngest son told her she was going to be a grandmother. He was fifteen years old and came to her in tears, knowing she was going to kill him. He sat her down and explained the situation, but of course Liz knew all along that her son had been sleeping with his girlfriend. He told her that they had done everything in their power to prevent it from happening but it still had and Aria wasn’t going to abort the baby. She’d hugged him and told him that while it was scary for him to go through this at fifteen, she would support him in any way she could, just like she always had. On his sixteenth birthday, he woke her up at 1:30 in the morning to have her drive him to the hospital to meet his girlfriend and Josie was born at 9:42 that morning. A couple of weeks later, the first night Luke had been home and slept in his own bed, he woke up and went out to get the mail to find his daughter in her carseat bundled in blankets and a note from Aria, saying she couldn't be a mom and not to come after her. Liz once again held her youngest child in her arms that morning as he sobbed and freaked out because he had no idea how to be a dad. Liz and Luke had taken Josie and went to target to get supplies because they had nothing. Now, nearly three years later, she couldn’t believe her son had ever second guess himself. He put Josie before himself and that’s why she was staying with Liz and Andy while he was on tour – he knew that the fans were crazy and he didn’t want her hurt.
“Nana?” Josie’s voice came from the backseat softly.
“Yeah baby girl?” she asked turning around in her seat to face the little girl.
“Want Daddy.” She said. Liz checked the time on her phone, noting it was just barely six am where Luke was.
“Let’s call Daddy, Josie.” She suggested and dialed her sons phone number and put it on speaker. It rang twice before Luke’s groggy voice came through the phone.
“Hello?” he mumbled. “Is Josie okay?”
“Josie’s fine. She just wants to hear your voice.” She said, laughing at the fact the first thing he did was make sure she was okay.
“Put her on the phone.” He sounded more away now, mostly because he was going to talk to his princess.
“Okay, I’m gonna give her the phone.” She said and handed it to Josie, who held in both hands, happy to talk to Daddy.
“Hi Princess.” Luke said. Liz could practically hear the grin in his voice.
“Daddy!” Josie squealed. “Miss you!”
“I miss you too, baby. What are you and Nana up to?” he said.
“Ride.” She told him simply, but Luke knew that she meant she was in the car.
“Oh really? Where are you going?” He asked.
“Uh, don’t know.” Josie said. He couldn’t help but smile at her even though she couldn’t see him.
“Daddy wishes he could be there for your birthday. You’re getting to big.” He said.
“Daddy day too.” She said.
“That’s right, it’s Daddy’s birthday too.” He said. “I love you.”
“Love you too.” She said. Right as she said, Andy put the car in park, meaning they were at the airport. Liz took the phone from Josie and spoke.
“I hate to cut this short, but we’ve arrived at our location. Your dad and I sent your gift, you should get it today.” She said.
“You didn’t have to get me anything.” He said.
“Trust me, you’ll like and yes I did. Josie, say bye to Daddy.” She said. Josie laughed and screaming “bye Daddy” at the phone before Liz hung up and shoved it in her pocket to help her husband, who insisted on getting the bags himself. She unbuckled the car seat and lifted her granddaughter up, grabbing the diaper bag and her carry-on.
“Let’s go see Daddy, Bug.” She smiled, walking into the airport.
“Josie bug.” He bent down to the toddler’s level. “Let’s go put your shoes on so you can see Daddy.” As soon as the toddler heard “Daddy” she grinned reaching her arms up to get picked up. Andy laughed, picking her up and taking her shoes from his wife. Liz thanked him numerous times before taking Josie in her arms so they could begin the journey to the airport. Luke didn’t know they were coming, as it was his 19th birthday next week and they wanted to surprise him.
As they drove to the airport, Liz couldn’t help but think back to the day her youngest son told her she was going to be a grandmother. He was fifteen years old and came to her in tears, knowing she was going to kill him. He sat her down and explained the situation, but of course Liz knew all along that her son had been sleeping with his girlfriend. He told her that they had done everything in their power to prevent it from happening but it still had and Aria wasn’t going to abort the baby. She’d hugged him and told him that while it was scary for him to go through this at fifteen, she would support him in any way she could, just like she always had. On his sixteenth birthday, he woke her up at 1:30 in the morning to have her drive him to the hospital to meet his girlfriend and Josie was born at 9:42 that morning. A couple of weeks later, the first night Luke had been home and slept in his own bed, he woke up and went out to get the mail to find his daughter in her carseat bundled in blankets and a note from Aria, saying she couldn't be a mom and not to come after her. Liz once again held her youngest child in her arms that morning as he sobbed and freaked out because he had no idea how to be a dad. Liz and Luke had taken Josie and went to target to get supplies because they had nothing. Now, nearly three years later, she couldn’t believe her son had ever second guess himself. He put Josie before himself and that’s why she was staying with Liz and Andy while he was on tour – he knew that the fans were crazy and he didn’t want her hurt.
“Nana?” Josie’s voice came from the backseat softly.
“Yeah baby girl?” she asked turning around in her seat to face the little girl.
“Want Daddy.” She said. Liz checked the time on her phone, noting it was just barely six am where Luke was.
“Let’s call Daddy, Josie.” She suggested and dialed her sons phone number and put it on speaker. It rang twice before Luke’s groggy voice came through the phone.
“Hello?” he mumbled. “Is Josie okay?”
“Josie’s fine. She just wants to hear your voice.” She said, laughing at the fact the first thing he did was make sure she was okay.
“Put her on the phone.” He sounded more away now, mostly because he was going to talk to his princess.
“Okay, I’m gonna give her the phone.” She said and handed it to Josie, who held in both hands, happy to talk to Daddy.
“Hi Princess.” Luke said. Liz could practically hear the grin in his voice.
“Daddy!” Josie squealed. “Miss you!”
“I miss you too, baby. What are you and Nana up to?” he said.
“Ride.” She told him simply, but Luke knew that she meant she was in the car.
“Oh really? Where are you going?” He asked.
“Uh, don’t know.” Josie said. He couldn’t help but smile at her even though she couldn’t see him.
“Daddy wishes he could be there for your birthday. You’re getting to big.” He said.
“Daddy day too.” She said.
“That’s right, it’s Daddy’s birthday too.” He said. “I love you.”
“Love you too.” She said. Right as she said, Andy put the car in park, meaning they were at the airport. Liz took the phone from Josie and spoke.
“I hate to cut this short, but we’ve arrived at our location. Your dad and I sent your gift, you should get it today.” She said.
“You didn’t have to get me anything.” He said.
“Trust me, you’ll like and yes I did. Josie, say bye to Daddy.” She said. Josie laughed and screaming “bye Daddy” at the phone before Liz hung up and shoved it in her pocket to help her husband, who insisted on getting the bags himself. She unbuckled the car seat and lifted her granddaughter up, grabbing the diaper bag and her carry-on.
“Let’s go see Daddy, Bug.” She smiled, walking into the airport.