Life As A Hemmings (sequel to ABLH)

twenty-two

"She didn't even tell me babe, she didn't want me to worry."

"What do I do Laura? I can't go through what I went through with her as a child. It almost killed me seeing her in that much pain."

"I know, I could easily take her to a doctor. But the medication that they gave me for the nightmares gave her voices in the head."

"I don't know sweetheart, I'm just so worried about her, I know that's what she wanted to avoid. Ashton told me she went to his house the night before tour and told him and she said she didn't want to tell me."

"I guess I'll have to, see what's been going on. I love you to the moon and back baby. Give the boys my love?"

"Alright, bye beautiful."

My dad set his phone down and sighed, putting his head in his hands. "You know stress gives you headaches."

He turned from facing the wall and saw me awake, "Yeah love, I know." He crawled back towards me on the bed and came and laid next to me.

"Why weren't you going to tell me?" He asked in almost a whisper.

"Cause you'd be like that. Stressed up to your eyes," I spoke back.

"Sweetheart, I'm always going to worry about you and your brothers. You have to know that."

"I don't want you to worry about me," I spoke.

"It's my job as a dad to worry," he spoke, "I'm always going to worry about you and your brothers and your cousins. It's just part of being a parent."

"But you can't worry about me forever," I spoke.

He shook his head, "Sadly sweetheart, I can't. But by that time you'll have someone that you'll love deeply and they'll worry about you when I can't."

"Are you seriously talking about when you die?" I asked.

"Yeah, but I've got a while Em. Don't stress over it."

"How can I not stress about you dying?" I asked as I got up and left him, going to my bunk.

Today was an off day. Thank god. I got in my bunk and put my earphones in, listening to John Mayer as I lulled myself to sleep.

//

I woke up with sweat trailing from my forehead down my face. I was shaking as I opened the curtain to my bunk.

I jumped down and walked towards the front of the bus, where my dad was on the computer.

"Daddy," I barely whimpered out as he looked up at me.

He set his computer aside and came to me before I fell to the floor. He was holding me in his arms as he sat in the floor, cradling me like Uncle Michael does to Arden.

"Sweetheart, I was wrong. You do have a right to stress about my death, but that's a long way from now. I was here yesterday, I am here today, and I'll be here tomorrow. Don't think that I won't, okay? I love you so much, now calm down Emma, please."

I cuddled farther into his chest and he held me tighter, staying like this the rest of the night.