A Cheers to the Life You Don't Get to Choose //Noah Sebastian

VII

Noah's POV

It's the last day of the festival and I am doing my best with knowing Will and Avery are together. Maybe I'm just being dramatic and setting myself up for failure, but I cannot give up, I won't. This is not just about keeping my promise to Jeff, which I did not tell Folio about thank fucking god, this is about me refusing to move on.

Why would I try to go for someone else when all I want is Avery? I'd be happy to live the rest of my life co-parenting Sloane with Avery if I couldn't be hers again. I will never want anyone else.

Last night, seeing my daughter on Avery's shoulders watching her dad perform will be such a core memory for me. One of the best experiences of my entire life. A lot of emotions went into that performance knowing Avery had her attention on me. I am honestly still surprised she wants to be photographer tonight.

"Are you going to grab coffee?" I ask Avery on the phone.

"Yeah, I'll be back in a bit. Can I bring you something back?"

Over the years with Avery, I've learned to not say no to this question, because even if I do, she still brings me something.

"You already know." My coffee order has always remained the same since the day Avery spilt my drink on me in the airport. I chuckle at the memory.

"Looks like it's just you and me kid." I look at my almost three foot child standing in front of me in my hotel room.

"Play with me!" She squeals. Chucky doll in one arm, Michael Myers in the other. Of course I'm not allowed to have Michael, so I'm forced into a "tea party" with Chucky.

Thirty minutes goes by and yes, I am still at this tea party. I love being a girl dad. Somehow Sloane convinced me to put a tiara on my head. I don't know how we didn't hear her, but I notice Avery standing in the doorway smirking, watching me trying to keep up with Sloane's game.

"Aw, did you turn daddy into a princess?" She reaches down and bops my nose and hands me my coffee.

"Yeah!! And he's not allowed to go anywhere until I say so!" She demands, Avery chokes on her coffee from laughing as I shoot her a 'help me' look.

"Well sorry to tell you this sweetie, but we're going to have to free daddy. He has a show later. So as the queen, my powers are stronger than princess', michael myers or chucky so I now deem daddy free."

"Aw!" She groans. I tell her to clean up her mess so we can get ready to go for another day out.

- - -

Avery's POV

A little bit later in the day I found myself side stage about to watch Sleep Token with Spencer standing next to me. Noah had to take Sloan back to the hotel to hang out with some of our friends who offered to keep an eye on her until the show.

"So how are things going?" He turned his body sideways to give me his full attention.

"I think okay..Noah is putting on a front and being overly supportive. I really like Will. I mean I don't know what's going to happen or where it goes but I'm trying." He nods.

"I think you're doing a great job. I'll leave you to it though." Spencer left me alone perplexed until I felt hands squeeze my waist.