I had just gotten back from putting an offer on a retail property in LA. Things were looking up and I already had big plans ahead for myself. I was up day and night sketching up ideas with Ola, trying to make everything as perfect as possible.

Just then, after I turned on the TV, the phone rang.

"Hello?"
" Rose? Rose...oh shit, Is that you?"
" Yes, its me—who the hell else?"
" Listen, okay? Do yourself a favor and d-don't watch the news okay?"
" Huh? Why not?"

Before he can say anything else, the tv was broadcasting a riot where they were playing, and people getting taken in ambulances.

It looked like a warzone.

" What the actual fuck?" I nearly shouted.
" No babe...I said don't watch the news..."
" Well, shit you're too late," I sighed, " What the is going on? What the fuck happened? Where are you?"
" I'm fine Rose, and nothing...its alright now."
" Just tell me what happened..."
He sighed, " Well, from as much as I can recall, Axl jumped a dude...punched him right in the face and then told everybody he was going home."
" He punched a dude for what?"
" I don't know, he had a camera or something. And then we left the stage and people started rioting and throwing shit. People were bleeding and everything...Im telling you it was gnarly Rose."
" Oh this is funny to you? Where are you now?"
" We left the venue as fast as we could. So were off to Illinois I think. Axl's charged with somethin' but he wont be under arrest until the tours over."
" Oh well lucky him," I scoffed, " God, he didn't know how to control himself five years ago on the strip and he still doesn't know now at almost 30...he just doesn't know when to stop. And I'm sure him and his privileged ass will just get a slap on the wrist and let him get away with it...he always fucking does."
" Shit happens, but that was the scariest shit I've ever seen, Rose. All that blood and stuff."
" You're okay now though, right? You're safe?"
" Yeah Im fine, but all our equipment got destroyed and we're supposed to play tomorrow and Sunday in Kansas but fuck...if we have no shit to play with there's no way."
" I'm sorry about that, hon...I wish I could help. I'm sure your tour manager will figure something out for you all!"
" Yeah I wish you were here with me. I miss seeing you all dolled up backstage waiting for me."
" I miss that too."
" Hey how's our girl and everything? You okay and stuff? Damn...You're like...almost fuckin' there."
" She's doing good, Im glad you asked. Its hard to stay up with my feet swelling all the time...it sucks. But I'm glad its happening. I wish you could be here when she's born."
" It might work out, we'll be playing in California around her due date. Shit, if Axl can storm out of shows and not show up because he wasn't in the right headspace then I feel like I can dip out for my own kid."
I chuckled, " I guess that makes sense."
"Oh by the way, has your mom been around at all?"

My mom? Woah, that's unheard of. They've really only met at our wedding. At least that I know of. He's never asked about my mom before...

"Uh, last I heard she was in Miami with her girlfriend. Why do you ask?"
He hesitated, " Shit, no reason. Maybe we should all get dinner sometime."
" My mom can't stay in one place to save her life...Also you're on you're on tour? Or did you forget?"
" Yeah, I know... Listen, it's getting late over here and we still gotta figure out how the fuck I'm gonna play with no equipment. I'll call you tomorrow, okay? And take it easy, you know?"
" Of course, We'll talk tomorrow."

I put the phone on the receiver.  I thought about calling up my mom, and asking what she knew about Slash. Was he genuinely wanting to start a relationship with her? Had he already? She'd been distant and out of the picture since our wedding. He'd never talked about her before, and I just didn't trust her.