Catch 22

25

"Kate!" I practically scream as I see my sister walking towards me, Copeland on her hip. I rush towards her throwing my arms around them both and shutting my eyes tightly to try and keep the tears in.

"Hi sissy." she laughs and Copeland pulls my hair trying to wrangle it into her mouth.

I pull away and grab her small body, lifting her into the hair before pulling her down and coating her cheek with kisses. She giggles uncontrollably and my heart feels like it could burst.

"What are you doing here?" I ask her. "What about a sitter and work? I thought you weren't gonna be able to come?"

"Someone worked it out for us." She says biting her lip and staring behind me.

I turn around to find Calum, grinning from ear to ear as he approaches.

"You did this?" I ask him, my voice light and thankful as I clutch my adorable niece to my torso.

"Surprise?" He says blushing and staring at the ground.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" I say throwing my free arm around him, Copeland squished between us.

"Not a problem." He says nonchalantly. He doesn't know how much this means to me.

Copeland watches him carefully, a pensive look on her face before extending her chubby little arms to him.

He looks scared for a moment before looking from me to Kate as if asking if it's okay for him to hold her. After a moment he scoops her from my arms and she brings her tiny hands up to squish his cheeks.

"Oh, come on. Not you too." He laughs. "You at least gonna introduce yourself before you go grabbing my cheeks?" He asks her and she squeals, running the palm of her hand over the light stubble that covers his chin.

"Okay, okay. Well, I'm Cal and I know you," He says poking her cheek "Are Copeland. Your Aunt Rowen has told me lots about you." He says in a high pitched voice I've never heard him use before.

Kate gives me a sideways glance when Calum uses my first name but I shake her off.

"Hi, Kate! It's nice to meet you." He says, turning his attention to my sister after a moment. "Sorry I got distracted by the little." He says making faces at Copeland.

His interaction with her is pulling at my heart in more ways than one. He'd be such a good dad one day.

Fuck. Why am I thinking like this?

"Hi, it's really nice to meet you too. Sage has been talking about you for weeks which is so weird but I'm really glad she's had you. I know she's had a hard time with the other crew."

Calum's face falls for a second and I reach out to grab the hand that isn't holding Cope against his side, intertwining our fingers and trying to silently tell him it's not his fault even though I know in his mind he blames himself.

"Yeah, I'm working on that. I promise." Cal tells her. "We have soundcheck in about an hour and I actually came out here to tell Row they wanted her on stage for setup. I can show you to the green room. I had a play pen and some stuff for Cope delivered to help for tonight."

He did what?

Kate and I share a look as she passes me to follow behind him, which is basically her telling me that if I don't treat Calum well she will end me.

I laugh and Cal turns, giving me a questioning look that I just shake my head at, following after him and heading for the stage.

"Bye, Kate. Bye, Cope. I love you, I'll see you in a bit." I say waving to them as I reach the stage door and leave them.