Hope for the best, expect the worst.

Secrets.

Josh POV

Porcelain and I just got to tugboat Annie's. We sat down and she seemed quiet, "is everything ok babe?" I asked as she stared blankly at the Fraser river.

She nodded, "yeah, just thinking. Haven't heard from my dad much lately. I don't hear from my mom but I get the odd text or call from my dad." She said barely above a whisper.

I grabbed her hand from across the table, "I'm sure he's just busy. You said he works construction, right?" she nodded, "well isn't summer a really busy time of year for that? he's probably just over worked and tired." She nodded again.

"I know. I just miss him." She sighed.

I laughed, "well. There is an easy solution to this." She looked up at me expectantly, "break up with me and move back in with your parents." I smirked.

She smacked my arm, "not funny." She said smiling, "and I don't think if break up with anyone to go back to my mom."

I laughed and it fell silent again as we looked at the menus. This was just a small pub style place. It had fish and chips, chicken strips, wings. Stuff like that.

Once we ordered I looked over at porcelain. I wonder if she finds it weird that I'm so much older than her. She's only just turned 21 and I'm 28. Maybe her parents have a big age gap and that's why she doesn't find it weird. I just live her enough to not notice the age gap. She's perfect for me.

I was taken from my thoughts by someone clapping, loudly in front of my face. "Whatcha thinking about so deeply, rockstar?" she laughed.

I leaned over a little and looked in her eyes, "maybe I just like looking at you sometimes." I said matter of factly.

She nodded like she was thinking through what I just said, "that would be a much better argument had you been looking at me and not right through me." She laughed and I rolled my eyes, leaning back again. "Seriously. What were you thinking about?"

I shrugged, "How much older is your dad than your mom?" I asked.

She thought for a minute, "uhm. Three almost four years, I think. Why?"

I shrugged again, "does it bother you that I'm almost 7 years older than you?" I asked. Not bothering to answer her question, I figured she'd figure it out.

She shook her head, "no. Not at all. I love you, that's what's important, right?" I nodded slowly, thinking again, "why. Does it bother you?"

I shook my head furiously, "no, no, no! I mean, age is just a number right?"

She shook her head no. She reached across the table taking both my hands in her own, "sweetheart. Age is a word. Not a number." She said sweetly but ending it with a smirk.

I rolled my eyes, "love you too." Suddenly the waitress came and placed out food down, "thank you." I smiled at her, she smiled at me and porce too. I ordered chicken strips and porce got halibut and fries, "how can you eat that?" I said sticking my tongue out and flashing my tongue ring.

She laughed, "I forgot. You're afraid of seafood."

I rolled my eyes, "I'm not afraid of it. We just don't get along."

She laughed, "you and fish don't get along? but you're both so slimy."

I smirked at her, "you wanna kiss a fish, disaster?"

She shrugged and kissed her deep fried food, "not as good a kisser as you. But not bad for a dead fish."

I laughed and we finished eating in silence.

We were about to get into the car when Porcelain grabbed my hand and pulled me past the car, "I wanna show you something." she said taking me across the parking lot, I nodded and let her take me across the road.

She took me behind one of the industrial buildings and over to a hydro pole. At the base there was a little nest that seemed unused. I looked over at porcelain, "my dad found this best when he was working here a few years ago, had to fight to keep workers hands off it, made sure the ducklings were safe before working anywhere near it." She smiled as she grabbed my hands and leaned her head on my arm. "It hasn't been stayed in since those eggs hatched, too much commotion, but I still like to come look once in a while."

I smiled and removed my hand from hers just long enough to wrap my arm around her shoulder and pull her in for a side hug, I just held her tight and kissed her head, "wanna go back home and call him? I'm sure he'd love to hear from you." She nodded into my side and let me lead her back to the car.

•••

We just got back to out place and porcelain ran upstairs to call her dad in our bedroom. I went over to the fridge and grabbed a coke and sat on the couch and started watching random crap on tv.

I sat there for about 20 minutes before porce came back down, "hey. Everything good?" I asked as she sat down and laid her head in my chest.

She nodded, "yup. He took a couple weeks off and went camping. He said he was just about to call when I called him."

I smiled and wrapped my arms around her as I flipped through the channels some more. Porce went to the kitchen and grabbed us both a coke zero since mine was almost empty.

She sat back down and kissed my cheek, I raised my eyebrow at her, "thanks for the date today. Sorry if I was a little spacey."

I smiled and wrapped my arm around her as I kissed her head again, "you're very welcome. And no problem. I was out of it for a little bit too."

"Next week will be better." She said snuggling closer to me.

"Oh about that. Next week us gonna have to be cancelled. We have some parts we have I record for the album again. That's the only day the studio wasn't booked." I said. We learned a few days ago that we only lost the vocals. Don't ask me how they managed that. But we only have to re record those instead of the instruments too.

She nodded, "ok. No problem. Hey, are you doing anything next Sunday?"she asked.

I thought about for a second. "I don't think so. Why?"

She lifted her head up and looked at me, "I was thinking about getting that tattoo done. I was wondering if you'd take me?"

I smiled and pecked her lips, "of course I will. What are you gonna get?" I asked.

She smirked, "that is for me to know and you to find out."

I rolled my eyes, "what is it with you and secrets lately?"

"Don't look at is as secrets. Look at it as a surprise."

"But I don't like surprises." I said looking at her.

"Well then it sucks to be you."