To Keep Her Safe is All I Know

Chapter 5

"By then, she'll be old enough to understand that her dad is against those things and she'll be old enough to decide how she wants to handle it."

"You're not going to, I don't know, try to persuade John to not think the way he does?"

"I've been trying since the minute I found out he's a conversion therapist, Chris, but I'm just not sure he's ever going to change."

Chris goes to speak, but then hears something in the background on the other line.

"Yes, honey, it's Chris."

Chris smiles, "Is that Sadie?"

"Yeah, hang on, I'm gonna put you on speaker."

"Hi, Chris!" Sadie exclaims.

Chris' smile grows, "Hey, kiddo. What are you up to?"

"Watching Frozen and putting on my Spiderman costume. How much longer until I get to see your concert?"

"Nine more days."

"Uuuugggghhhh that's so far away!"

"It'll go by fast, I promise."

"You're not gonna forget about us while you're gone, are you?"

"What? How could I forget my two favorite people? We're gonna have tons of fun at the concert and we'll see each other every day when I come home, I'm sure."

"Okay. Love you!"

Chris smiles, "Love you too, kid."

Melanie's voice returns, "Okay, that was really cute."

"I try." Chris says, "You sure you guys are okay?"

Melanie laughs, "Yes, Chris, we're fine. You've got your own problems to worry about, focus on them."

"Okay, okay. I'll let you to then...Call me if you need anything."

"I will. Bye."

"Bye." Chris says. He hangs up his phone, then decides to go and get some food.

Chris walks into the living area of the bus. The rest of the guys were all in mid-conversation with each other, but they go dead silent the minute Chris walks out.

Chris raises an eyebrow, "What did I miss?"

"Nothing." Balz says.

Chris blinks, "Okay..." He says, opening the fridge and grabbing an Uncrustables.

"Was that Mel on the phone?" Ricky asks.

"How'd you know?"

"Lucky guess." Ricky states.

Chris furrows his eyebrows, "Is there something I'm not getting here?"

"No, no..." Ryan says.

Chris sits down.

"You might as well just start calling Mel your wife now." Vinny says.

"What?!"

"Oh, come on. Like you're not totally playing stepdad to Sadie?" Ghost asks.

"No, I'm not." Chris says. 

The rest of the guys look to each other, then back to Chris.

"Alright. Yes or no: do Melanie and Sadie have their own rooms at your house?" Balz asks.

Chris rolls his eyes, "Okay, yes, but come on, I'm just trying to help them out."

"We get that, and we think that's really good of you." Ricky says.