Heaven Help Us

Something So Divine

I had planned out this whole speech inside my head to start the set off, but as soon as I stepped in front of the people, the words that I had planned disappeared out of my mind. So I said the words that came to mind instead.

“Hey, guys! So, tonight’s a very special night for all of us. We’ve got a couple of special guests here who will be revealed at the end of the set. We’re also bringing back a few songs from our first few albums, does that sound good?” I asked the crowds.

They screamed their approval.

“Well, alright then! Let’s do this, LA!”

I made my way through the set, every few minutes subconsciously feeling my pocket for the box with the ring in it.

Right before we got ready to do Saviour and Done For You, the guys tuned their guitars, Jinxx got his violin, CC took a water break, and Blasko called me over to get me set up with a wireless microphone which I would use after the end of Done For You. We had a few minutes anyways, before we had to start, and I planned to say something very important to everybody who was there.

I knelt down in front of Jeph after they had set up the mic so that all I had to do was hook it up around my ear when I was ready.

“You ready, Jeph?” I asked him.

He nodded, grinning excitedly. “Yes!”

“Good. When I motion for you to come out, come out, okay?”

“Got it!” He said, saluting me. I laughed and ruffled his hair a little.

“Andy, what-” Rain began, but I cut her off.

“Don’t worry,” I smiled and kissed her and then went back out to my mic stand.

“Alright, everybody. It’s time for you to meet a very, very special person in my life.” I looked over at Jeph and waved for him to come out onto the stage. He ran out and jumped up when he reached me. I caught him and then turned to the crowd holding him.

“Say ‘hi’, Jepha,” I said as the guitars struck up the chords for Saviour.

“Hi!” He said enthusiastically. He had definitely inherited his parent’s stage presence. He was totally calm, except for the excitement that radiated from him.

We started into Saviour, and I couldn’t help but glance at Rain every few seconds.

Jeph and I sang together and occasionally switched off. The crowd was tearing up, and I knew the next song and the events that would follow would break the dam.

I was even tearing up. It was awesome being out there singing with my son. It was an amazing feeling.

At the end of the song, I knelt down next to Jeph and we looked at the crowd for a few moments.

“This is my son, Jepharee. I met him a year and about four months ago, when he was five, almost six. I didn’t know I even had a kid until Rain Moore, who was, at that time, my ex, and is now my girlfriend, told me that seven years ago today she gave birth to our child. Seven years; can you believe that? It’s his seventh birthday today.”

The fans exploded with a huge “Happy Birthday, Jepharee,” and then I continued, as Jeph leaned on me and giggled a little, waving at the crowd gratefully.

“Nearly six years without even knowing he was my kid, but do you know whose fault that was? Not Rain’s, no. It was mine. I walked out on my family when they needed me most, and they took me back when I needed them most. Jeph accepted me into his life immediately with very few questions. I remember one of the first things he said to me was, ‘I knew you’d come back.’ As you all know, when Rain and I broke up all that time ago, I became the worst kind of alcoholic. The last tour I was on with Death To You, the one where I met Jeph, the one that changed my life for the better, I stopped drinking. I stopped doing drugs. I stopped sleeping around. Something inside of me told me that I needed to get better, or that was it. I would lose everything; any chance of getting back together with the love of my life, Jeph, the band…my life. All of that would have been lost if I had kept it up. I was young and stupid, the year Jepha was born, but that’s no excuse. It’s not really  my place, but if any of you out there have kids or every have kids: do not leave. Stick around to see what you helped make. I guarantee you, if any of you walk out on your family that will be the worst mistake you ever make. If you do that, you are not a part of the BVB Army. Fathers, stand up and be man about it! Mothers, stick around and be the mother that your kid or kids need!” I paused to take breathe for a minute. “I regret walking away. But there’s nothing I can do to change it now. I just have to be here for the rest of my son’s life and make sure that I try as hard as I can to be the best possible father that I can be. He and his mother are the most important people in my life. I’ve got more to say after this last song, very important things, but now, let’s get to what I came here to do.”

“The best things in life, come with a price,” I started. The crowd was silent, as if holding their breath. Smiles were everywhere, but almost all of them involved tears. “The star that burned so bright, faded the fastest. You'll always feel it's right, even when we end the fight. Welcome home, home tonight.”

Jeph joined in then, as I held him up and leaned towards the microphone so that he could sing with me.

“Singing ohhh, ohhh. Welcome home tonight. Ohhh ohh, tonight.”

I looked at Rain while I sang the next verse, hoping that maybe she would understand that I still felt bad for the things I had said before Jeph was born. “Words they don't know how to make amends, and all they do is push you to the edge. But it's not wasted.”

Jeph and I finished the song and then stood side by side, looking out at the crowd.

Finally, after a few moments of applause, I spoke up again. “So, I spent a year planning tonight out. I changed my plan multiple times, and then decided that this one would be the best one. I had some help from some friends, and I’m eternally grateful to them for it. And now, without further delay, I’d like Rain Moore to come out on stage. I’ve got a question for her…” The crowd cheered and Ash passed by, smiling like an idiot. He hi-fived me and I felt the box slide into my hand. I quickly hooked the wireless microphone around my ear and nodded to our sound guy, who flashed a thumbs up.

Rain reached Jeph and I on stage, and Jeph moved to go stand by Jinxx, Jake, Ash, and CC, who had all congregated on one side of the stage for a better view.

I cleared my throat, a little bit to test the mic, and a little bit to get the crowd to quiet down.

“Rain, I love you more than words can express. I love waking up next to you every morning, and having breakfast with you, Jeph, Dante, Asher, and Raven…I love talking to you, kissing you, sleeping next to you…I can’t live without you. The entire time we didn’t talk, I couldn’t get you out of my head. Not a single moment passed where I didn’t think about you.” I paused, trying to get the words right. “I want to continue to do that stuff with you. I want to see your beautiful smile every day for the rest of my life. I’ve waited ten years to do this…” I dropped down onto my knee in front of her and she smiled as much as Ash had been, red tinting her cheeks. I lifted up the hand that had the box in it and opened it. “Will you marry me?”

She had teared up significantly, but pulled me up by my shirt and kissed me. After a second, she broke away but stayed close, and said into the mic, “Yes.”

I kissed her again as she held my hand and I put the ring on her finger. “I love you.” My smile was permanent. Nothing could ruin this night.

Jeph ran over and I lifted him up again. He threw his arms around both of us in a big bear hug.

The crowd was cheering louder than I’d ever heard a BVB crowd cheer.

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You guys were probably expecting something better, but I tried with this one...I hope you liked it. :) I'll see if I can write a filler-ish chapter or something to do something for Valentine's Day. <3