New Beginnings {ACM}

Chapter 1

"Ha ha, funny guy."

He just smiled. "But in all seriousness, what's wrong?"

"Nothing, I'm fine" I lied.

Austin looked unconvinced. "You just said you were distracted, so obviously you're not fine."

I sighed. "I'm stressed about a lot of things; Lucy's party, the music video for that bullying campaign, writing a new song for the video, writing your new song-"

"Okay, one: you need to breathe," Austin walked towards me. "And two: calm down. I'm right here, and you don't have to do that video until you're ready, you know that. My new song can wait a little longer, too."

"But it's already been a year! They'll be getting impatient." I said.

I was shooting a music video for the Make It Right foundation, which focused on bullying. The people there had told me I could start filming after Lucy was born, but that was a year ago.

"Trust me, it'll be fine. They still want you," Austin rubbed my arm. "Now relax."

I took a deep breath. "Sorry. But you better go feed the dog; she's probably starving."

"Damn," he said before hurrying out the door.

I shook my head to clear it before I brought Lucy to our bathroom. I took her out of her pajamas and set her in her little bath that was in the big bathtub before kneeling down beside the big tub. "Alright, little lady, time to get you ready for your big day."

Lucy just gurgled to herself and inspected her fingers while I turned the water on. She started turning her head from side to side when I was cleaning her.

"What are you doing?" I laughed.

"She misses me," Austin said from the doorway.

Lucy's eyes lit up when she saw him and she threw her hands down into the water over and over while kicking her legs, soaking me with soapy water.

"Lucy!" I exclaimed, grabbing a towel. "God damn it, Austin, you know she always does that when she sees you!"

Austin, however, found it quite hilarious, and he knelt beside me laughing his ass off. "Told you she missed me. And yeah, that's why it's funny."

Lucy smacked her hands down again and splashed Austin. "Now who's laughing?" I retorted.

He rolled his eyes and grabbed the towel from the floor while I finished giving Lucy her bath. "Here, take her while I get ready." I went to the sink and grabbed my toothbrush.

Austin wrapped Lucy in her ducky towel and hauled her out of the tub into his arms. He dried her off by rubbing the towel with his hand gently.

"Hey, why aren't you dressed?" I asked him.

"I haven't had time yet, Ems," he sighed.

I glared at him as I brushed my teeth.

"Don't look at me like that," he told me before walking out of the bathroom with Lucy.

I finished with my teeth and started with my face.

"Lucy, no, you don't put things like that in your mouth," I heard Austin say from the bedroom. I hurried out of the bathroom to see him taking his phone away from her.