#reggieappweek

You didn’t think you had ever seen him this peaceful. Just resting, soaking up her attention.

“She asleep?” you asked quietly, moving to sit down across from him on the armchair.

He nodded his head slowly, blue-green eyes not breaking their gaze.

“Remind me not to let you pick our next child’s name,” you joked, seeing if that might get his attention, it surely did.

“Hey, it’s a nice name!” he countered quietly, pressing a soft kiss to her forehead. “My little princess Leia,”

“If I had known…” you shook your head.

“That’s on you for not watching Star Wars with me,” he chuckled. “But it’s a good name. Leia… it suits her,”

You nodded, standing up and coming to join him.

“Yeah it does,” you agreed. “She seems like she’s gonna be her dad’s girl,”

“You think?” he grinned, looking up at you. “I love her so much, it’s only been a week, but I-I just love her so much,”

“I know, honey,”

Reggie looked back down at his newborn daughter, hoping he could give her a happy home to grow up in. Leia deserved that. She deserved the entire galaxy and Reggie would serve his heart to her on a silver platter if it meant he could see her smile.

Right now she was the number one priority, the thing that mattered most.

“We should get to bed,” you noted, pressing a kiss to your husband’s head. “Can’t be even more tired when she wakes up in the middle of the night,”

Reggie nodded, slowly standing up and placing the small baby in the crib.

“Night princess,” he whispered. “Sleep tight,”

—

7 years later…

Reggie could hear the front door open and shut, followed by your gentle voice and the sound of sniffles.

He quickly stood up from his seat, running over to see what had happened.

“I promise it doesn’t matter baby,” you assured her. “You tried your best and that’s all your dad and I want you to do. I loved your project. It was perfect,”

“What’s the matter?” Reggie asked, bending down so he was at eye-level with you both.

Leia’s cheeks were tear-stained, and her lip quivered while she quietly cried, running into her dad’s arms for comfort.

“The teacher didn’t give her a good mark on her project,” you explained. “She spent a lot of time on it and was really proud, but I guess it didn’t hit the criteria properly,”

“She’s in the second grade?” Reggie frowned in confusion. “It can’t matter that much,”

“But it does papa,” Leia sniffed, looking up at him.

Reggie clicked his tongue and wiped away her tears with the heel of his palm. Her green eyes staring back up at him with so much hurt.

“Why don’t you tell me why princess,” he offered, picking her up and making his way to the couch while you grabbed her bag and unpacked her lunch in the kitchen.

“The other kids in my class made fun of me, they said my poster was stupid and I should have done a PowerPoint,” she sniffed, wiping away her tears.

“Okay princess, I’m gonna let you in on a little secret,” Reggie said in a low voice.

Leia leaned in closer, listening attentively.

“Other people don’t know you like I do, not even your teacher,” he said. “I’m your papa, and I know that my Leia is one of the smartest and dedicated kids in her class and she shouldn’t let what other people think of her get in the way,”

“But it still hurts,” she frowned.

“I know, and it’s gonna hurt for a little bit, but you know what we do? We go to the park, watch our favourite movies. We do things until it doesn’t matter anymore.”

Leia nodded and leaned her head against her dad’s shoulder, wiping her nose on her sleeve.

You walked into the living room, gently rubbing your daughter’s back as you sat next to the two.

“You feeling a little better Leia?” you asked and she nodded. “Why don’t you and dad build a fort?” you suggested. “I can make some popcorn and we can all watch a movie together,”

“Really? On a school night?” she asked, her eyes brightening slightly.

“Just this once,” Reggie smiled and Leia’s mood seemed to be instantly lifted.

“You guys go to the video store and grab something,” you grinned. “I’m sure if you tell the owner I’m your mama he’ll give you a discount,”

“Really?” this time it was Reggie who was slightly skeptical and you only laughed.

“He’s my uncle,” you flicked his forehead. “Now go on you two,” you shooed them.

Leia got out of her dad’s lap and took his hand, leading him out the front door of your home.

Only Reggie would be able to do that. Make her feel better about something that was so complicated.

They loved each other on a different level. One you weren’t sure you would ever understand, but you were grateful they had.

—

3 years later…

“I’ve been waiting so long for this day,” Reggie grinned, excitedly sitting in his seat at the movie theatre.

“Is this really as good as papa says it is?” Leia asked looking over at you and you just shrugged your shoulders.

“Wouldn’t know, I haven’t watched it yet,” you admitted. “It better be, I let him name you after one of the characters,”

“You what?!” she exclaimed, looking at both her parents in surprise.

“You’ll love her!” Reggie insisted. “Just trust me, princess,”

“One day that’s gonna get me in trouble papa,” she joked and you couldn’t help, but laugh.

The theatre soon turned dark and the familiar well-known theme came blasted through the speakers along with the opening credits.

Reggie was right, a part of you hated that he was right, but you couldn’t be mad when you saw Leia’s face light up at the sight of her namesake on screen.

It must have felt empowering to be named after such a strong and amazing character. It made you a little happier you let Reggie pick her first name.

When the screen finally went dark and the lights turned back on, Leia was the first to stand up, looking back at both you and Reggie proudly proclaiming,

“That was friggin awesome! Can we watch the next one? Papa, do you have the next one?!”

“Careful with the language honey,” you chuckled at her enthusiasm and she gave you a quick apology.

“I think I’ve got them somewhere in the attic,” Reggie nodded, standing up and joining her. “Wait! I’ve got an idea,” he grinned. “Come with me,”

He took both your hands and dragged you out of the theatre, entering the mall and twisting and turning through the halls until he found the store he was looking for.

“Hot topic? Papa, come on isn’t that a little bit out of your style?”

Reggie gave her a look and she just laughed, following him into the store, straight to the jewelry section.

“Here this one, do you like it?” he asked, putting the millennium falcon pendant in her hand.

“I love it!” she grinned.

“Then it’s yours, come on, let’s go pay for it,” Reggie smiled before looking over at you. “I forgot my credit card-,”

“Don’t worry,” you chuckled lightly and pressed a kiss to his lips. “It can be an early Hanukkah present,”

“Mom it’s June,” Leia tried to stifle a laugh along with Reggie.

“You should have seen her a few months ago, she bought me a new flannel and said it was an early birthday present,”

“Just making sure my bases are covered,” you said, taking the necklace from your daughter and handing it to the cashier so they could scan it and hand it back to her.

Leia quickly tore away the cardboard casing and with Reggie’s help clipped it around her neck.

It became her most prized possession. She never took it off, always a token, a reminder of happy days. She was always her dad’s princess.

—

4 years later…

You and Reggie were both sitting on the couch, doing various things for work and whatnot when you heard the door click open and slam shut.

You both looked up from your laptops, seeing a quite frustrated Leia enter the living room, sitting right next to Reggie and tucking her face in between his shoulder and the couch.

“Everything alright there sweetie?” you asked gently.

“No,” you could hear her voice start to break.

“What happened,” you pressed further while Reggie put down his things and prompted his daughter to move, showing her face and leaning in closer to her dad while he wrapped an arm around her.

“Soriah broke up with me,” she said, choking back her tears, trying to hide her face in her hands while Reggie was quick to pull her closer and gently rub her back.

“What happened princess I thought you two were doing good,”

“So did I,” she sniffed. “But she just came up and gave me some stupid-ass cliche bullshit a-and now I just don’t know what to do,”

“The first step is always food,” Reggie instructed, kissing her forehead, “(N/N)-,”

“Already on it,” you nodded. “Brownies and ice cream? It’ll take a bit to make but it’s worth it,”

Leia nodded and said,

“Thanks, mom,” before turning to Reggie,

“Well what’s step two then?” she asked, wiping away her tears. “It wouldn’t happen to be egging her house would it cause that would make me really happy,”

“Unfortunately not, although I’d be lying if I didn’t say I want to go there and give her a piece of my mind,”

“Oh God, please don’t,” you begged and he chuckled, shaking his head with a sigh.

“Step two is talking about it, getting things out in the open,” he explained. “So what are you feeling?”

“I feel like I want to egg her house,”

Reggie shook his head again and nudged her, prompting her to go a little deeper.

“I-I’m hurt,” she sighed. “I’m confused, I don’t know why she ended things and I’m angry…”

“Are you tired from being angry?” Reggie asked with a small smile, referring to when she would throw tantrums as a toddler and immediately take a nap afterwards.

“Shut up,” Leia nudged her dad and Reggie couldn’t help but laugh.

“Come on Reg,” you urged your husband, coming back into the living room. “Give it a rest. It’s her first break up,”

“Are they all going to suck?” Leia asked.

“Most of them will,” you nodded, tucking some hair behind her ear. “But sometimes you know it’s for the best and that’s okay,”

Leia nodded and sniffed once more before turning to her dad,

“I think I’m ready for step three,”

“Now I think you’re gonna like this one,” he grinned. “Star Wars?”

“Okay this is officially my favourite step,” she nodded and you and Reggie both laughed before turning on the TV and going to put in the DVD.

“What one do you wanna watch first?” he asked.

“Episode IV,” she yawned, grabbing the blanket from the back of the couch and curling up underneath it.

“That’s my girl,” Reggie smiled fondly, putting in the DVD before coming back to sit with you and Leia.

Maybe breakups wouldn’t be so bad now that she had those three steps.

—

3 years later…

It started as small things,

“I’m too tired dad,”

“I’m not really in the mood,”

“I have homework I need to finish,”

And then it came to

“Come on dad that’s so childish,”

When he asked if she wanted to go out for ice cream or talk a walk and feed the ducks by the park.

Whatever it was, Reggie had no idea what was happening. All of a sudden Leia went from his little princess to someone who barely even wanted to talk to him. Isolating herself in her room, only coming out when absolutely necessary.

You saw how your daughter slowly pushed away from him. Secluding herself. It was painful to watch, painful to see how Reggie didn’t know what to do to get his daughter back, to turn her into that little girl that wouldn’t leave his side.

And Leia, she couldn’t see it, but it affected her too. She was spending all her time with friends, coming back to the house late, it wasn’t something she used to do. It wasn’t something she was even used to doing and it was taking its toll on everyone.

“Hey, I’ve got practice,” Reggie noted, grabbing an apple from the fridge before looking at you and Leia.

You were preparing something for dinner while Leia tackled her homework. Your daughter gave no kind of response, but you looked up at Reggie and gave him a nod.

“Say hi to the guys for me,” you smiled, pressing a quick kiss to his lips when he came by you.

“I will,” he nodded, moving over to say goodbye to Leia. He pressed a kiss to her hair, but again, no response. “I-I’ll see you two later,”

Reggie grabbed his bass, slinging it over his shoulder before heading to the car and driving off to the studio.

When Reggie entered, Luke, Alex, and Bobby were already set up and ready to go.

“Hey sorry I’m late, traffic,” Reggie shrugged, tossing his notebook and bag off to the side.

“No problem, you ready?”

The bassist nodded and tuned his instrument, doing a quick scale before nodding at Luke to count them in for whatever song they were planning to do.

Practice went fine and about an hour in they went for a break. Reggie went inside to grab some water, but when he came back he was met with the boys crowding around his notebook.

“Hey what are you doing with that?” he asked, Luke grabbed the notebook and moved back as Reggie moved forward.

“Reg what is this?” Alex asked.

“Yeah, And when she was sad I was there to dry her tears, and when she was happy so was I. When she loved me,” Luke read from the book. “I-Is this about (Y/N)? Are you guys okay?”

“Guys it’s nothing what the hell!” Reggie snapped, jogging up to them and grabbing the book from their hands.

“Reg are you ok-,”

“I’m fine!” he yelled at them. “Just stop asking it’s none of your business,” his voice quieted.

The boys pursed their lips and nodded unsure of what to do next.

“Can we just pick it up from where we were at,” he asked and in response they made their way to their various instruments, continuing their practice.

When everything was over Alex and Luke had to head out pretty quickly but Bobby stayed behind a little, hoping to get a word in with Reggie.

“It’s about Leia isn't it,” he said finally once he was sure they were alone.

“What?” Reggie sighed from where he sat on the couch, looking over at Bobby.

“The song you wrote, the one in your book. It’s about her,”

Reggie could feel the lump start to grow in his throat as he moved his hands in front of his face trying to hide his emotions.

“She won’t even talk to me anymore,” he whispered. “Not even to say goodbye when I leave the house, what the hell am I doing wrong, Bobby?”

Bobby quickly came to his friend’s side, sitting next to him and laying a comforting hand on his shoulder.

“Reggie you’re not doing anything wrong,” he tried to assure him.

“But how can you go from someone who spends so much time with you, who loves you to someone who doesn’t even acknowledge your existence. It feels like I’m being a bad parent to her and I can’t figure out how to do better,”

“Look Reg I’m dealing with a similar thing with Carrie,” he started. “She… She’s distant and yeah it hurts like hell cause sometimes I just want her to tell me what’s wrong, but they’re teenagers, they’re gonna push away before they come closer. I think all we can really do is remember that until it happens,”

Reggie nodded and ducked his head in his hands, shoulders shaking slightly with every soft sob that came from his mouth.

“Bobby, s-she’s my princess… I-I-I don’t know if I can do that,”

“I know,” Bobby sighed, continuing to offer his friend comfort. “I know,”

—

“You’re quiet tonight,” you said thoughtfully while climbing into bed, turning to your husband who was staring blankly at the ceiling.

“Hmm,” he looked over at you, “Sorry, what were you saying,”

“Nothing, you’re just quiet. Something on your mind?” you asked, raising a hand to move some hair out of his eyes.

He nodded his head, “Leia… I don’t know, does she talk to you about anything?”

“Sometimes, for help with school and telling me about plans with her friends,” you told him. “But not much aside from that… You miss spending time with her, don’t you?”

“Yeah I do,” he sighed and you curled in closer to him, pressing a kiss to his shoulder, hoping to offer any comfort you could.

“I understand, you two were always inseparable,” you chuckled lightly. “I remember our first week home you didn’t want to let her go. You slept in the armchair in her nursery with her wrapped up in a tiny little blanket,”

Reggie let out a breathy chuckle and gave you a soft smile.

“I remember that too,”

“She’s out baby, it’s only natural that when she drifts it would hurt. But that doesn’t mean she won’t come back. She’s just testing deeper waters,”

“So everyone keeps telling me,” Reggie nodded, wrapping an arm tightly around your frame and pressing a soft kiss to your temple. “But I’ve still got you,”

“That you do,” you agreed. Reaching over slightly to turn off his lamp and then close your eyes, both of you waiting for sleep to take over.

—

“Nice of you to make an appearance,” Reggie said, trying to bite back the tone in his voice when his daughter entered the house.

He was sitting in the kitchen, looking out past the countertops and to the front door where Leia was kicking off her shoes.

“Things ran late, I had to catch a later bus,” she said simply, without even an apology.

Reggie stood up, making his way over to the foyer.

“Did you forget what day it was today?” he asked.

“No,” she said plainly, stopping on the steps to turn around and look at him.

“So you just actively ignored the fact it was your mother’s birthday and spent time with your friends instead,” Reggie scowled, now he was upset.

“Why are you so mad, I gave mom her present this morning, I did what I had to,”

“It’s her birthday Leia!” he exclaimed. “It’s one day in a year that maybe you can take a sliver of your oh so precious time to spend with your family,”

“What the hell! Mom doesn’t even care, stop badgering me!”

“Yeah well, right now I care!” Reggie fired back. “Do you ever stop to think what I’ve been thinking the past few months, no years Leia! You’re different! You don’t want to spend time with me anymore! You’re so caught up in your dumb little friend group your grades are slipping don’t you think I’ve noticed that?!”

“Well maybe if you stopped treating me like a flipping child I’d want to spend time with you!”

“Leia you are a child! You’re only seventeen and you think you know everything the world has to offer! You don’t! Wake up and smell the damn coffee! You haven’t even been alive for two decades!”

Leia slammed her fist on the railing where she stood, looking down at her father with complete anger and frustration.

“You don’t know me! You don’t know anything about me!”

“Leia stop being overdramatic! I keep tiptoeing around you because I want to give you space well fuck that! You just don’t care! You don’t care about me, your mother, your school-”

“Stop it! Stop it!” she screamed, tears streaming down her face. “I hate you! Okay is that what you wanna hear? I hate you so much! Now would you just leave me alone,” she hit the railing again and spun around running to her room while Reggie hit his fist on the wall before taking a deep breath and making his way to the kitchen, pouring himself a small portion of a stiff drink.

He leaned against the island, pinching the bridge of his nose, cursing himself for letting the situation get out of hand like that.

He was thankful you weren't home, otherwise, the guilt would have been unbearable.

His head turned to the clock a while later and when he saw the time, it had been at least an hour since whatever that yelling match was. He decided it would be best to go upstairs and apologize.

With a deep breath, he knocked on Leia’s door, not really expecting her to open it.

“Leia… princess, I’m sorry,” Reggie sighed. “I-I don’t know what got into me, I didn't mean the things I said and I… I just want you to know I love you. Your mom and I-we…. We both love you,”

There wasn’t an answer from the other side, although it did seem eerily quiet.

Leia might have thought her dad didn’t know her well, but Reggie knew when she was upset she liked to doodle, draw things, or just do something with her hands, but Reggie heard no pencil scratching, crayons and markers clattering.

He turned the knob to the door and pushed open the door, his eyes immediately falling on the open window directly in front of him.

His heart stopped and sunk to the pit of his stomach while his hands quickly came to cover his mouth as he gasped.

No, no, no this can’t be happening.

Without much thought Reggie ran downstairs, grabbing his keys and phone, getting into the car, not even sure if he locked the door behind him.

He quickly dialled your phone number, trying not to break and stress you out more than necessary.

“Reggie? What’s up?” you asked. “I know it’s late and I should be home-,”

“That’s not it,” he swallowed thickly. “I-I got into a fight with Leia and she ran away,”

“She what,” your voice fell into a whisper and Reggie’s voice broke.

“She-I-I don’t even remember how it all happened and I was going upstairs to apologize and the window in her room was open and she wasn’t there,”

“Reggie where are you?” you asked, confused by the whole situation. “Are you okay?”

“I-I’m fine. I’m just out in the car right now. I’m going to stop by her friend’s places to see if she’s there,” he explained.

“O-Okay, I’m coming home,” you said. “Be careful out there alright it’s late,”

“I will,” he nodded slowly. “And (N/N),”

“Yeah babe,” you sniffed.

“I’m so sorry,” he apologized.

You sighed, massaging your temples.

“It’s not your fault Reg, just… just bring back out baby okay?”

“I love you,”

“I love you too,” you nodded and he hung up the phone, taking a deep breath and continuing his search.

—

“Yes, her name is Leia Peters, she’s around 5’6, um dark brown hair, green eyes,”

Reggie looked at you while you spoke to the police officer on the phone.

“R-Reggie what was she wearing when you last saw her?” you asked quietly.

“A Pink Floyd shirt, black jeans and my leather jacket,” he whispered and you repeated it over the phone.

“Yeah, she’s got a-a piercing, on her nose, it’s a stud,” you added. “Okay thank you, officer, goodbye,”

You hung up the phone and looked over to Reggie, leaning his back against the wall. Slowly, he slipped down, until his knees were pressed to his chest and heavy sobs wracked his body.

You bent down next to him, pulling his shaking frame into your arms, shedding a few tears of your own.

“She’s gonna be okay,” you kept whispering. “She’s gonna come home and she’s gonna be fine,”

Reggie clutched onto you while you continued to whisper words of comfort, happy things that were bound to happen when your daughter came back home.

You remembered the last time Reggie had acted like this when Leia fell at the park, unable to move and you thought she had been paralyzed. But this was so much worse, you didn’t know what to do, what to say. Nothing you did helped calm his nerves or slow his breathing, but to be fair you were in the same boat. So scared and helpless for your daughter.

You weren’t sure when you had fallen asleep on the floor with Reggie, your body taken over by exhaustion from working and searching all over town for your daughter. But by the time you woke up, it was nearly dark and Reggie was nowhere to be found.

Standing up abruptly, you called out for him, searching every room until you found him in Leia’s bedroom. His eyes were red as he stared at her empty desk, covered in school notes and sketches.

“I don’t think I remember the last time I’ve been in here,” he whispered, his voice raspy. “It’s so different. Leia, she’s so different.” Reggie gently touched the filled sketchbook and shook his head. “She’s right, I don’t know her. She has every right to hate me.”

“Reggie, stop it,” you shook your head. “Don’t say that, if you say that then-then…” you covered your mouth and held your stomach.

Reggie quickly stepped over to you, wrapping his arms around you.

“(N/N) I’m sorry, I-I didn’t mean to upset you,” he whispered, “It’s just-I-... This feels like it’s my fault, a-and if I get it wrong with one kid I...I don’t want it to happen with another,” his hand rested on your stomach.

“It’s not, It’s no one’s fault… she’s just, she’s going through something, a-and I’m fine, the baby’s gonna be fine,”

Reggie nodded and didn’t respond, only because of the quiet click of the door, followed by it being shut.

You and Reggie let go of each other, quickly running down the stairs, seeing the teen standing on the doorstep. One of her hands was clutching the pendant of her necklace and the other was wiping her eyes.

Reggie didn’t move forward, worried one wrong move would cause her to run away again.

He wouldn’t let that happen.

—

Earlier that night…

Leia knocked on the door, harder than she would have, waiting for someone to answer.

When the door opened, Alex looked confusedly at the teen.

“Leia?”

“Can I stay here? With you, I-I can’t go home, y-you can't tell my parents,”

“Leia, what’s going on?” Alex opened the door wider, letting her come in.

“D-Dad and I had a fight and-and I just can’t be there right now,”

“Sure, here, um do you need anything? Do you want to talk?” he asked, watching her sit down carefully on the couch.

“I just don’t understand him,” she said angrily, hitting her fists against her legs.

“Leia your dad… he-he does things in a certain way because of how he grew up,” Alex attempted to explain.

“What do you mean?” she asked. “He was fine growing up,”

“He was, but your grandparents fought a lot and worked a lot. They loved him, but it felt as if they weren’t there when he needed them. He’s the type of person who’s become protective because he wants to make sure you don’t feel neglected or-or alone,”

Leia bit her lip, shaking her head,

“Oma and Opa fought?” she frowned.

“Ya-Ya, they’re divorced, of course they fought,” he nodded.

She held her forehead in her hands, looking down at the coffee table.

“I still can’t go back… not yet we’ll just yell at each other again,” she whispered.

“Leia honey,” Alex said softly. “Your parents are that way because they love you, not because they’re trying to get back at you for something you did or because they’re disappointed,”

He took Leia’s hand in his and gave it a squeeze.

“My parents, they thought I was a different person after I came out, i-it takes its toll. Don’t throw away what you have with your dad just because you’re drifting apart.”

Leia wiped her tears on the sleeve of her leather-no, her dad’s leather jacket that she took.

“Can you take me home,” she sniffed. “Please,”

“Of course Ya-Ya,” Alex nodded, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her into a tight hug. “We love you okay? All of us,”

—

Leia waited for only a second longer before she lunged into his arms, gripping onto him tighter than ever before.

“I-I’m so sorry,” she sobbed, “I’m so sorry papa, I didn’t mean it,”

“Shh it’s okay,” Reggie assured, his shaking hands gently running through her dark hair.

“B-But I said all those things-,”

“I don’t care,” Reggie sniffed softly, “I don’t care,”

“And the-,”

“No, it doesn’t matter,” he pressed a soft kiss to her hair. “You’re back, princess you came back,”

“I love you, I’m always gonna love you,”

“I promise I’ll give you more space, you’re right you’re not a kid anymore I-I need to respect that,” Reggie admitted.

“And I’m going to be here more… you were also right I should have been here for mom’s birthday,”

“Speaking of,” you noted, coming down the stairs. “Not much of a birthday present you left me,” you added and Leia chuckled through her tears.

“Yeah, sorry mom,” she sniffed, breaking apart from Reggie to go and give you a hug.

Reggie looked over at you and his eyes trailed to your stomach, and you nodded in understanding but mouthed another time.

“Why don’t we have a movie night,” you suggested. “We can watch Star Wars, it's been a while,” you said, twirling her pendant between your fingers.

“Even on a school night?” Leia whispered.

“Just this once,” Reggie nodded, “Just this once,”

Laughing, the little girl said, “Come on, daddy! Get up, get up! It’s my first day at school, remember?”

Reggie laughed with his daughter, picking her up and moving her so he could sit up and press a kiss to her head. The girl smiled and from beside them, the sheets stirred as you raised from the sleeping position in your shared bed with Reggie, opening your eyes to see your daughter and husband smiling happily, despite how early in the morning it was. When you woke up enough, you smiled at the both of them while you sat up, Reggie pressing a kiss to your lips.

“Good morning, babe,” you yawned.

“Morning, N/n,” he smiled back. “Liv here couldn’t wait for today, could she?”

“No daddy,” the little girl smiled and moved over to your lap to hug you. “Mommy are you excited too?”

With a laugh, you hugged your daughter back and said, “Of course I am, Liv! It’s your first day of school!”

At the mention of school, Liv broke the hug and climbed off the bed, tugging at the sheets to get the both of you out of bed. You couldn’t help but laugh, watching her struggle as her tiny hands gripped the fabric. “Liv, why don’t you go pick out what you want to wear today, okay? Me and daddy will be out in a few minutes,”

Another smile broke out onto your daughters face and she let go of the sheets, running out of the room and down the hall. Turning to your husband, you saw the happy tears welling in his eyes. You almost laughed, had it not been for the way that Reggie bowed his head. Scooting closer, you wrapped your arm around your husband’s broad shoulders and pulled him close to you, allowing him to rest his head on your shoulder.

“It’s not fair,” Reggie said. “She’s still so young! It feels like yesterday we were bringing her home for the first time, and now she’s going to school?”

“I know, Reg,” you told your husband, scratching his scalp soothingly. “The house is going to feel a lot different, now that she’s going to be in school for a while. But she’ll have fun, I promise. She’ll make friends and learn new things, and she’ll be so excited to tell us about them when she gets home.”

Another sniffle escaped your husband as you sat in the bed. You always knew something like this would happen, especially since you discovered just how badly Reggie was wrapped around your daughter’s finger. As you pressed a kiss to your head, Reggie decided that looking back on everything that’s happened so far would be a nice thing to do.

“Do you remember the day we brought her home?”

“Clear as day, Reg,”

It had been a long two days for you and Reggie. After what had seemed to be just abdominal pain and cramping - something you were used to - yesterday morning, turned into nearly active labor by lunch. Then there was the panicked drive to the hospital, courtesy of your husband, and the several hours of active labor that led into the late night.

But it was all worth it because at 9:47pm, your daughter Olivia was born. With eyes as blue as her father’s and hair equally as dark, you knew she would be an amazing person when she grew up. And a daddy's girl, too. As soon as she was in Reggie’s arms, you could tell that she had him wrapped around her tiny finger.

Today, you were allowed to go home, and Reggie was just as nervous as he was to get here, if not more. The boys came to see you and help you get home, despite the fact that Reggie was more than capable to do so on his own. Right now, he was arguing that he could do it himself as you were being put into the mandatory wheelchair.

“Reggie, sweetie, I think we’re better off with Alex driving 5 miles per hour than with you being too anxious to take a turn.” You said, settling yourself into the seat.

Alex’s jaw dropped in offence while Reggie thought about it before digging his hand into his pocket and pulling out a set of keys. “Don’t scratch the paint.” He patted the drummer on the back before saying, “What am I saying? You’re too careful to do that anyway,”

The group laughed and the nurse handed you the baby, making everyone quiet down. Wearing the outfit you picked out for her to come home in, you adjusted the little pink hat on her head and made sure she was comfortably sleeping in your arms before Reggie came up behind you to push you to the elevators and outside the hospital.

The drive home was good, to say the least. Alex sat in the front with Luke while you and Reggie sat in the back, him looking over your shoulder as you kept your eyes on your sleeping daughter and leaning over her car seat. Bobby was tasked with driving Alex’s van home and would meet you at your house, since he was driving behind you.

You felt like you were walking on eggshells when the car came to a stop in the driveway, unbuckling your daughter’s car seat and then yourself to exit the car from the passenger’s side, allowing your husband to take the car seat into the house. Everything felt new and exciting, your home finally being completed with the arrival of your daughter.

Reggie hummed, taking your hand in his as you recalled, “What about when she learned how to talk?”

Laughing, the both of you reminisced about Olivia’s very first Independence Day, where she learned her first word.

“Reggie! Make sure that we have enough hot dog buns for everyone!” You shouted from the kitchen, making sure your husband could hear you from the backyard. This year was your year to host the Fourth of July party for your friends and family, and you didn’t want to fall short on anything.

“N/n, you bought 3 packs of hotdogs and double the amount of buns, I think we have enough,” Reggie said as he came through the open sliding door. You looked at him with a tired smile as you mashed the potatoes, trying to recreate your mother’s recipe.

“Can you go check on Liv? I laid out an outfit for her to wear and I’m a little busy,” nodding, Reggie came up behind you and pressed a chaste kiss to your cheek before leaving the kitchen and heading into the hallway and into your daughter’s room. You could hear her delighted babbles from the kitchen and the sound warmed your heart, bringing a smile to your face.

By the time you were done with the mashed potatoes, the last bit of food you needed to finish making, Reggie had Olivia on his hip, all dressed up in the red, white, and blue dress you bought for her a few days ago. Your lips tugged upward into another smile as you caught sight of your smiling daughter.

She made grabby hands at you and squirmed to get out of her father’s arms. Walking up to the pair, you took the 10-month-old from Reggie’s arms and adjusted her to rest comfortably on your hip. As you looked down at her, Reggie kissed your cheek once again before doing the same to his daughter, the sensation making her laugh happily.

The sound put a smile on both yours and your husband’s faces, and you adjusted her dress just as the doorbell rang. Reggie stayed behind in the kitchen to bring the food out to the table in the backyard as you went to the door to greet one of the many people who were meant to be attending the get together you were hosting.

Alex greeted you with a smile and you let him into the house, enveloping him in as good of a welcoming hug as you could with a baby on your hip before you closed the door behind him. Immediately, he was outstretching his arms and saying, “I feel like I haven’t seen you in forever!”

The way he raised his voice by a few octaves and training his eyes on Olivia made you laugh. You handed him your daughter and let him do his thing, trusting the drummer with her. When you entered the kitchen again to help Reggie bring the abundance of food you’d been preparing all morning into the backyard so it was ready for everyone to eat once they all arrived.

And, one by one, they did. Your parents and younger siblings, Reggie’s sister, the boys, and a few friends from your work came by. Everyone was there by 3pm and eventually spread themselves throughout your backyard, talking and laughing amongst themselves as music played and Reggie continued to cook hamburgers and hot dogs on the barbeque.

It was almost hilarious to you. You and Reggie were nowhere near the perfect, cookie cutter family that had these kinds of gatherings, and yet here you were. In a perfect backyard Los Angeles on the Fourth of July, chatting with your guests and your daughter on your hip, grasping at your hair and babbling to herself as your husband cooked a barbecue dinner and waited for the night to come so you could set off some fireworks. The only thing that was really missing was a golden retriever, but you had Luke and that seemed to be a good enough substitute.

After dinner was cooked, everyone lined up at the long table underneath the awning to grab their food while you went inside to make Olivia’s bottle. Dinner had been perfect and full of laughter. You only had to stop Luke from starting a food fight once, and that seemed to be a record, given his history.

Night came faster than you thought, and after you changed Olivia’s clothes and grabbed yourself a sweater, you were outside watching your father and Reggie try to properly set up the fireworks. After a small argument and a lot of holes in the ground, they were finally ready. As soon as they were lit your husband came running back to you, coming to your side and turning to look up right in time.

The dark sky lit up in a beautiful array of colours and deafening sounds, but your daughter seemed to enjoy it more than everyone else in the backyard. Reggie’s arm was around yours, careful to keep Olivia close despite how much she was bouncing and wriggling around. When the fireworks faded and Reggie turned back to set up the others, Olivia cried out, “Boom!”

Everyone could hear her word as clear as day, and you looked down at the baby in your arms with wide eyes. She gave you a wide smile and said, “Boom! Boom boom boom!”

Shocked laughter escaped your lips and you bounced your daughter proudly as you said, “Yes, honey, that’s right! The fireworks go boom!”

Olivia repeated the word multiple times and once the initial shock wore off, Reggie went back and set up more fireworks, making his daughter unbelievably happy for the rest of the night.

“And when she walked for the first time?”

This time it was your turn to laugh, remembering the hell Olivia brought down on the house when she finally learned to walk.

“Liv, come get the cookie,” Reggie cooed from across the living room, waving the cookie around enticingly to get his daughter to move. You laughed from your place on the couch, watching the scene unfold as Olivia slowly removed the stuffed toy from her mouth and locked her eyes on the cookie.

Once she caught sight of it, Reggie moved closer and held it just above her reach, but she seemed to be determined to get it. She bounced and made grabby hands at the treat, but when Reggie didn’t yield, she looked around for other resources. Spotting the coffee table, she reached for the ledge and pulled herself up, just as she had been doing for the last few months.

Smiling successfully, Reggie pulled the cookie away, slowly moving back. As per usual, Olivia used her grip on the table to steady herself, moving slowly and trying to reach out for the cookie. You knew what was coming, what always came. When she reached the end of the coffee table, she would let go and stumble, falling onto her bottom and crying, while Reggie broke the cookie in half to give to your daughter out of sympathy, which normally stopped her crying.

But this time was different. This time, Olivia seemed so determined to get the cookie that when she stumbled, she reached for the table again and caught herself before she could fall. Then, she let go and didn’t stumble at all. In fact, she began to walk without the table as support, and made her way to her father as fast as a one-year-old could go. Speaking of Reggie, he was so shocked that he stopped moving backward and let Olivia take the cookie from between his fingers.

She gnawed on it with a bright smile and you jumped off the couch, scooping her up into your arms to spin her around. “You did it, Liv! You took your first steps! Momma’s so proud of you!”

The shock wore off your husband and he came up to the both of you, taking his daughter into his hands and tossing her lightly into the air. “You did it, bubba! Daddy’s so so proud of you,” he pressed a kiss into her hair as she giggled, warming your heart.

There was no escaping the wrath that your daughter inflicted upon the both of you when she realized she had free reign in the one story household, drawing all over the walls with washable markers and running freely between rooms. At some point she hid in one of the kitchen cupboards and fell asleep there. You still hadn’t figured out how she managed to get in there, let alone close the door.

Speaking of, the pitter patter of her feet was heard out in the hallway and you looked up just in time to see her poke her head into the room excitedly, smiling as she exclaimed, “Mommy! Mommy! I picked out my outfit!”

With a lighthearted sigh, you pulled away from your husband after pressing one more kiss to the top of your head before untangling your legs from the sheets and following after your daughter to help get her ready for the day. For her first day of school.

She talked excitedly about how ready she was to go to school and make friends, even while her favourite CD was playing on the drive there. Despite her animated state, you laughed and agreed with everything she said, telling her about all the things she would get to do and all the new people her age that she would meet.

By the time you got out of the car and both you and Reggie took one of your daughter’s hands, you could see the tears pooling in his eyes. But before you could go to the drop-off zone, the familiar minivan that belonged to Alex pulled up to the curb behind your car. You scoffed and shook your head at the three men, who all clambered out of the vehicle and ran up to you.

“Uncle Bobby! Uncle Alex! Uncle Luke!” Olivia shouted when she saw the boys, letting go of your hands and running up to them, Luke scooping her up and hugging her. She gave all three of the boys hugs and kisses like she normally did, and you laughed. No one was able to get the boys to smile as wide as she did.

They carried her back to you and set her down in front of you, the microphone keychain on her pink rockstar backpack jinging as she was released from Bobby’s arms. You kneeled down in front of her and took her hands in yours. “Liv, sweetie, I want you to have a good day, okay? Make lots of friends and be nice, and don’t forget to remember your manners, got it?”

The little girl nodded and said, “Yes mommy, I remember.”

“Good,” you pressed a kiss to her hairline and pulled her in for a hug, gently nudging her over to her teary-eyed father when you released her.

Reggie did the same as you and knelt down to her level, not saying anything but just pulling her into his arms and pressing a kiss to the side of her head. Once she was free from her father’s arms, he pushed her gently by the backpack and watched her run up to the other kids in the drop-off zone, instantly talking with another kid who was wearing a similar outfit to her.

The boys gathered around you as you watched your little girl get into line with the other students. Bobby looked at Reggie and patted him on the back, saying, “Reggie, I love you, buddy, but I think Liv is supposed to be the one crying, not you,”

“Leave him be, Bobby,” you chastised the guitarist. “It’s not his fault he’s emotional. Besides, Liv has him wrapped around his finger, there’s no way he was going to make it through the morning without crying.”

All three of the boys laughed at your teasing jab, but they all quieted down as Liv turned around and waved one last time before going through the doors of the school. You all waved back at her, and you couldn’t believe that she was growing up so fast. None of you could. But this was life, and life moves fast when you’re happy.

The one thing you knew right now was that Reggie was nowhere near prepared for the day when Olivia would graduate high school.

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Here's to us

One more toast

And then we'll pay the bill

Closing night was always a sad thing. But after the last three months, all of the drama, and the nightmares… You could tell that the smile on Reggie’s face was his, and he was happy. Truly happy.

Deep inside

Both of us

Can feel the autumn chill

“Y/N, I’m sorry. I’ll be better. I want to explain, so I’ll be at our spot at 7 pm tomorrow.” You listened to his voicemail over and over, trying to decide if you should trust him this time. You got one of these voicemails every week on Monday. It had been a month since “the incident” and he wasn’t giving up.

“Y/N, I’m sorry. I’ll be-” You tossed your phone at the wall as hard as possible, but with your bad luck it landed on the soft white sheets of your bed and you let out a scream. It was loud and heart-wrenching, and you collapsed into the shag carpet. The soft blue carpet he had bought for you when you found out you had landed the role.

And from your spot on the floor, there was the photo of the two of you that you had framed after your second date. When you knew he was the one. He had taken you to the fair, and one of his friends had come over to take a photo of the two of you, but someone had bumped into him, and there was a ton of bright pink cotton candy in his hair. That was your favorite moment with him.

You rolled over, and like a bad omen, your phone played the voicemail again. “Y/N, I’m sorry. I’ll be better. I want to explain, so I’ll be at our spot at 7 pm tomorrow.” You had crawled onto your bed to turn it off when you heard him whisper something he hadn’t in any of the other voicemails. “I love you.”

As you lay down to sleep that night, your brain looped his words. I love you, I love you, I love you. I. Love. You.

He hadn’t ever said it before.

Birds of passage

You and me

We fly instinctively

The cast all had slight tears in their eyes. Most of them were seniors, including you and Reggie, so this was your last show at a school you had grown to love.

When the summer's over

And the dark clouds hide the sun

Neither you nor I'm to blame

“Y/N and Reggie.” Your science teacher moved on and continued calling out other pairs to work together.

He moved to where you were sitting. It seemed as if his personality had changed. He was no longer the confident, happy boy you knew, but a shy, quiet one. “I- I can ask for a different partner. You probably don’t, don’t want to work with me.” His eyes were transfixed on the desk.

You don’t know what led you to do this, but you slipped a finger under his chin and tilted his face to look at you. “We have 5 minutes left in this period, and then we have rehearsal. You have that long to come up with a convincing argument as to why I should trust you, go it?”

He nodded softly, and you released his face. Now you had that long to figure out if you should trust him again.

As the bell rang you began to pack up your stuff when a note fell out of your bag. You picked it up and began to read it.

“Y/N. I kissed him. I’m not trying to cover for him, it’s the honest truth.” You looked up at your teacher.

“Y/L/N, get to rehearsal, or at least get out of my classroom.”

“Yeah, sorry!” You said, hurrying out of her classroom. You stepped into the hall, and you continued to read the note.

“I know it sounds like I’m covering for him. I’m not. I came into his dressing room, I kissed him. (I’ll spare you the details) But you two are an amazing couple, and he’s been a mess without you. There’s a hole in his heart that only you can fix.”

And just like the “I love you,” those last words rang in your head through rehearsal.

“There’s a hole in his heart that only you can fix.”

When all is said and done

In our lives

We have walked

Some strange and lonely treks

He crossed the stage and looked back at you. The strength it would take the entire cast to not laugh like children would be incredible.

Slightly worn

But dignified

And not too old for sex

We're still striving for the sky

No taste for humble pie

“Thank you.” He said, passing you a coke. “The pie will be out in a second.”

The booth in the back of the diner was a quiet one, but there were so many memories here. Your first date, your first kiss, Reggie asking you to be his girlfriend, and getting cast as Donna and Sam. You had found out sitting in this booth.

The waitress came over. “Two slices of apple pie, enjoy you two,” She said, with a little wink.

You took a fork and stabbed the pie like an enemy. “Talk.”

“I didn’t mean to. She came in, and she started it, I-” You shoved some pie in his mouth. His face was alarmed for a second, and then he smiled.

“Not about that, idiot, about the project. We have to present tomorrow.” You took a bite of your pie.

“I thought…” He was lost in thought for a moment and then he spoke. “I was thinking we could alternate slides? Or if you just want to do the chunks you wrote, that’s cool too!” He said, eating some more of his pie.

“That sounds good, we can alternate slides. Also, could you help me with my math homework? I’m- well, I’ve got a D. Can you help me? I brought it with me if you want to now, I have it with me, or we can do it later?” You rambled off.

“Scooch over,” He said, standing up. As you did, he sat down next to you. “Okay, pull it out, and show me what you’re struggling with. We’re not leaving till you have it down.”

He smiled at you, and you knew you were back to normal now. Or at least, a new normal.

Thanks for all your generous love

And thanks for all the fun

Neither you nor I'm to blame

As he sang that line, you both glanced into the audience where your former-best-friend-now-acquaintance sat. Your relationship had healed over the last month. He and you were clearer, and when/if anything happened, you both gave each other a chance to explain your side of the story. It was better now.

When all is said and done

It's so strange

When you're down

And lying on the floor

“Okay look up when you open your eyes,” He said, removing his hands from your face. You looked out at the beautiful rolling hills and then up. Up to the sky, and the shining stars. You gasped as you saw them, each one more beautiful than the last.

“Woah, Reggie this is so beautiful, I-” You turned around to face him. He had a picnic all laid out. There was a full apple pie and ice cream, along with a bunch of your favorite sweets and some popcorn and pretzels.

“Reggie, when did you have the time for this? It’s almost tech week,” You said as you sat down next to him. “Not that I’m ungrateful but seriously, when did you-” He cut you off as he stuck a bit of pie in your mouth.

“Did you?” He nodded. “You bought a full pie from the diner?” You smiled at him so big. And it was a wonderful night.

How you rise

Shake your head

Get up and ask for more

Clear-headed and open-eyed

With nothing left untried

Standing calmly at the crossroads

No desire to run

“I’m scared Alex.” It was Reggie’s voice you heard as you walked up to the garage. Over the past 2 and a half months, your relationship had changed, and now, it was the Saturday before tech week.

You froze outside the garage as you listened to Reggie.

“I- I, I messed it all up before, and I keep feeling like I’m gonna mess up again,” Reggie said. His voice was shaking if it was even possible for a voice to do that.

“Reg,” Alex said. “What happened wasn’t your fault. They came in and kissed you.”

“I should’ve stopped it. I should have stopped them.”

“Reggie, she forgave you. And trust me, Y/N wouldn’t be with you if she thought you had done it on purpose.”

You knocked on the garage door. “Reg, you in there? We’re gonna be late to rehearsal!”

“Yeah- yeah, I’m coming, I’ll meet you in the car babe!” He hollered back.

There's no hurry anymore

When all is said and done

Then he did something unexpected. Something unscripted. You just felt him pulling you in and dipping you down, and for a moment in one amazing kiss, the audience wasn’t there.

You pulled away, smiling and breathless as the audience cheered.

~

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