So I accidentally published the wrong chapter as chapter nine. Which actually works out because the other chapter needs some editing. Enjoy!

Avery L.

On the fifth Larisa showed up with Mishka. That was almost more fun than Cherry could handle.
"Deedee!" She said when Larisa and Sebastian stepped onto the bus, "Puppy!" She exclaimed and started wiggling in my arms in an attempt to get down. I put her down and she ran over to Larisa who was holding Mishka.
"I tut it?" She asked Larisa. Larisa and crouched down.
"Sure." Cherry very gently patted Mishka on the head. "This is Mishka."
"Mithka?"
"Close enough."
"Mithka fuffy!"
"She is." Cherry came running back over to me and put her arms up so I picked her up. Larisa stood up and noticed Alana for the first time. "I don't think we've met. I'm Larisa."
"Alana." Alana smiled. "Nice to meet you."

———

Cherry and Mishka got along surprise well. They played together a lot with the ever increasing number of toys Mishka had. And when we were in a place with lots of space to run they ran around together. It was the cutest thing ever. They napped together on the bus too. Which was also adorable. By the end of May my phone was full of pictures of Cherry and Mishka. Like hundreds of them. And I'm not even exaggerating. I also may or may not have spammed Monica with pictures of the two of them.
The first night after Mishka joined us I was FaceTiming with Monica and Cherry came and got between me and my phone and started talking Monica's ear off.
"We gotta puppy!" She said excitedly. Monica laughed.
"Did you?"
"Uh-huh. Her name Mithka! She ve-y fuffy!" Cherry talked non stop for twenty minutes about Mishka. Which was cute, but Mon and I had been trying to have a conversation. "I 'ike her lots! I wanna puppy!"
"You do?"
"Uh-huh." She turned to look at me. "Deedee? I get a puppy?"
"Not right now."
"Mawwow?"
"Probably not. Maybe some day though."
"Otay! I wat beyal?"
"Sure. Let me find my iPad." I laid my phone down and started rummaging through my bunk for my iPad. When I found it I started Beauty and the Beast for her. She laid down beside me and started watching the movie, eventually putting her necklace in her mouth and holding onto her padlock. I smiled and turned back to my conversation with Monica. We talked for awhile, mostly just how our days had been and then work for a few minutes.
"How's Alana?"
"Good. I think. She's not much of a talker. But she seems happy. At least happier than she was when tour first started."
"That's good. How do her arms look?"
"A lot better. She hasn't had to keep them wrapped up for awhile now and she says they don't hurt anymore, but I'm not sure that's entirely true. I dunno." I yawned and fixed my glasses.
"I miss you." Monica sighed.
"Miss you too, baby."
"Fuck is that the time? When did it get so late?"
"It was late when we started talking." I pointed out.
"Hmm. Good point." She yawned. "I should probably go to bed. I have work in the morning.
"Okay. Hey, Stargazer, say bye to Monica?" I asked her. Instead of saying bye Cherry leaned up and "whispered" in my ear,
"I says her mommy now?" What did that even mean?
"Uh. . . sure?" It's probably not the best idea to answer when I don't even know what she's talking about, but whatever.
"Bye Mommy! 'Ove you!" She said before turning her attention back to her movie. I looked back at Mon and she was almost in tears.
"She called me Mommy." She said.
"She did."
"Is this what it feels like when she calls you Daddy?" I smiled and nodded.
"Fuck. This just makes me miss you guys more."
"I'm sorry. But we'll see you soon. Ish."
"Real comforting."
"I'm doing my best." She laughed. "I love you."
"I love you back."
"I'll text you in the morning."
"Okay. Goodnight."
"Night, baby." I ended the call and plugged my phone before readjusting so I could watch the movie with Cherry.
"I mith Mommy."
"I know you do, Stargazer. I do too."
"We gonna see Mommy soon?"
"In a couple weeks."
"Oh. Otay. Monima Uh-Ana's Mommy?"
"Sort of. It's hard to explain kiddo."
"Why?"
"I dunno, 'cos it is."
"Oh." She was quiet for a few minutes and then, "'Ove you, Deedee." She rested her head against my chest and started humming along to Be Our Guest.
"I love you too, Stargazer." I kissed her forehead. She started singing.

———

I love playing festivals. Half the people there love you and the other half think you're insane. It's fun. Alana seemed to enjoy herself. She watched as many sets as she could and spent most of the day wandering around with Sebastian and Emerson because I spent most of my time with Cherry, who didn't like it as much as the rest of us. We spent our time off stage watching the other bands perform. She got bored pretty quickly and I had nothing to keep her occupied. There were a few bands I could live with not seeing so during those sets I did stuff with Cherry. I let her run around and get rid of some of her energy and she took a nap.

———

We had just finished our set and were sitting backstage. Cherry and Alana were off with Austin getting something to drink. Emerson and I were lounging and talking about the show and Dave Grohl just walked in.
"Hey guys. Great set." I didn't even know what to say. I just kind of stared at him with my eyes wide and my mouth open. However I did manage to get out a thank you. The only thing running through my head though was 'I'm such a big fan' on repeat.
"Thank you."
"Thank you. That means a lot coming from someone we look up to so much." Emerson added.
"No problem. I love your energy and your sound. You guys are good." We kept talking about music and concerts and fans and life on the road. It was so surreal to be having such a casual conversation with one of my biggest idols.
"Deedee!" Cherry came in and ran straight toward me. Alana stayed by the door for a couple minutes before joining us.
"Who's this?" Dave asked as I picked Cherry up.
"This is my daughter, Cherry." I looked down at her, "Can you say hi?" She shook her head. "She's not a people person." He smiled in understanding.
"My oldest was like that at this age too. My youngest though, she's probably the most sociable person I've ever met. Walks right up to people she's never met and introduces herself and tells 'em how old she is and what her favorite color is." He laughed and shook his head.
"Could we get a picture?" I asked.
"Absolutely. Let's do it."
"Awesome." I put Cherry down and pulled my phone out.
"Alana-I'm sorry, I just realized I never introduced you. Dave this my daughter Alana," I said without even thinking about it, because in my mind she was my daughter. "Alana this is Dave Grohl." She waved a little and smiled.
"Hi. I like your band." He smiled.
"Thank you." She nodded.
"Here. Take a picture for us?" I held out my phone to her.
"Sure." She took the phone and Dave put his arms around mine and Emerson's shoulders. "There you go." Alana said and offered me my phone back.
"Thanks."
"Well I should go. Gotta call the missus, but it was great meeting you guys. Hope I can see you play again someday."
"Get in touch with us and we'll get you a ticket. Or more if you need." Emerson said.
"I'll do that. See you around guys. And girls." He nodded at Alana and Cherry. Cherry was standing behind Alana. She waved at him and then stuck her fingers in her mouth. "Will you be at the show tonight?"
"Hell yeah!" I said more enthusiastically than intended.
"Awesome. Alright. See ya." And he left. Emerson and I looked at each other and grinned.
"Dude!" I exclaimed.
"We just met Dave Grohl!" Emerson said.
"I know! How fucking Awesome is that?"
"We made it. We fucking made it, Remington. Send me that picture." Then he sat down and pulled out his sketchbook. Alana giggled.
"What?" I asked.
"You guys. Fanboys. It's funny." She giggled again.
"What funny?" Cherry asked.
"Daddy." I smiled.
"Deedee funny?" I picked her up off the floor.
"I am hilarious." I told her. She cocked her head.
"Hiarious?"
"Yup."
"Oh." Then she noticed the word 'Fuck' written on my neck. "F. Oo. Ck. What that says?"
"Nothin'."
"Why?"
"Why not?" That confused her.
"I no know."
"Maybe this will help." I readjusted her so she was laying in my arms and then blew a raspberry on her stomach. She laughed and tried to get down.
"No! No tittles!" She shrieked.
"Yes tickles!" I went to do it again and she pressed her hand, which was sticky, over my mouth.
"No tittles, Deedee!" I nodded and she took her hand off my mouth. I grinned and blew a raspberry on her stomach again. She shrieked and laughed and I laughed too.

———

Cherry was really grumpy the next day because she fell asleep around seven thirty and then I woke her up a little before nine so we could watch The Foo Fighters because there was no way in hell I was missing that set. But she did get kind of excited when she saw Dave Grohl because we met him earlier that day. She kept calling him 'that guy'. It was cute. And she danced to the music and I danced with her until she got tired of dancing and then I put her on my shoulders. I held her hands to make sure she didn't fall and kept dancing. She laughed hysterically for the next twenty minutes before she started crying. That was my first real experience with an overtired toddler. Not fun. But that's parenting. That's life. That's my life. And I wouldn't trade it for the world.