Jaspers tour had slowly crept up the east coast and two weeks after Evelyn's first birthday, we were in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We were past the halfway mark and now after Pittsburgh, we just had to go to Boston and then the middle of the country. Soon enough we would be back home in LA.
In the last two weeks Jasper and I had grown so much closer, reminding me of what it had been like before he moved from Washington almost two years ago. He and Evelyn's relationship just got stronger by the day and she was such a daddy's girl, it's like I didn't exist when she was around him. I had also grown so much more comfortable with this lifestyle of being with one of the most famous artist's in the nation.
Jasper was playing in the football stadium tonight and I was excited for this concert as it was nice and cool out so I didn't mind sitting on the side of the stage while Sawyer offered to watch Evelyn. sawyer was now nearing seven months of pregnancy and after the next concert Jasper was sending her home to make sure she was safe for the last two months. Since she was so pregnant, she said she didn't mind hanging out with Evelyn for a bit.
We chose to stay in a hotel while we were here because the bus was getting cramped after spending weeks on end together. Pittsburgh also had a nice downtown area that we planned to explore a little while we were here. Our hotel room was huge, a suite nonetheless. Jasper wanted plenty of room for Evelyn as she went straight from walking to running. She was fast and had so much energy so it was important that she had enough room.
We had just woken up though and I was laying lazily across the couch in our room as Jasper stood at the small kitchenette by the door. He was lethargically making coffee as his blond hair fell in front of his tired eyes. He was standing in just his athletic shorts as I sat on the couch staring at him tiredly.
I watched as he bent over an pulled the small container of milk out of the mini fridge to poor Evelyn a sippy cup. Evelyn had made it a small habit to have a cup of milk as soon as she woke up and right before she goes to bed. I started brushing her teeth afterwards though so the sugar in the milk doesn't sit on her teeth for too long.
Evelyn was sitting on the ground next to me, trying to figure out a small toy that was playing with when she stood up and toddled to Jasper. She grabbed his shorts with one hand and lazily sucked on her thumb. I pulled my phone out to take a picture because she was just standing in her diaper and messy bed hair while he looked pretty similar but with shorts.
He placed his hand on the top of her head and scooped her up as he watched coffee drip into the pot impatiently. He handed her the sippy cup but she just laid her head on his chest, ignoring him.
"What do you want to do today?" Jasper asked, startling me from my staring state.
I glanced out the window next to me at the quiet city and shrugged a little. "Did you have anything in mind?"
He seemed to be thinking intently as he swayed with Evelyn in his arms.
"I've been wanting a tattoo." He commented, watching my face for a reaction. I pursued my lips and furrowed my eyebrows lightly.
I nodded slowly and stood so I could be closer to them. "What were you thinking of getting?"
"That's the problem." He laughed quickly. "I'm not sure. I want something for Ev, but not something cheesy ya know?"
I nodded and leaned into his side where he wrapped his free arm around my shoulders and kissed the top of my head.
"You could get a rose, she's Evelyn Rose." I suggested, not knowing whether a guy would like a rose tattooed on them.
"I like that." He murmured, seeming to still be deep in his thoughts. His eyes lit up when he realized the coffee was ready so I took Evelyn from his arms and kissed her cheek quickly. She immediately snuggled into me and held her sippy cup close to her chest. She seemed extra sleepy this morning, but that also meant extra cuddly.
"I'm gonna go change her." I told Jazz as he poured his coffee into a small styrofoam cup and he just nodded lightly, shooting a quick smile our way.
I took Evelyn into the small room that held the bed, her portable crib, and the bathroom door. I laid her on the bed and quickly changed her diaper as she babbled quietly.
Since it was only a few days from October, the days were starting to significantly cool down. Especially in Pittsburgh where it was predicted to be in the low 60's all day. I decided to dress Evelyn in some gray loose leggings that had a small drawstring at the top and a cute white eyelit lace top. Last minute I put a small denim jacket on because it was quite breezy yesterday when we arrived and I didn't want her to be cold if we decided to walk around a lot today. Her hair was getting longer but since it was a lazy day I just pulled the front pieces back with a small bow so it didn't get in her face.
"Jazz wanna come get dressed?" I called after I had put on a plain white top and jeans. I decided to pull on a loose jacket, because I got cold very easily.
"Yeah, why don't you pack her bag real quick and then we can head out?" He asked, placing his empty coffee mug in the small sink as I walked by.
"Ok." I replied quietly, already stuffing diapers, wipes, a change of clothes, and other miscellaneous items into the small bag. I pushed the bag under her stroller so we wouldn't have to worry about fussing with it later. Evelyn wandered around the room, picking up toys and placing then on them the coffee table, like she was cleaning up.
"Are you cleaning?" I asked as she placed another oversized LEGO on the glass top.
She glanced up and clapped her hands proudly as she had put everything up. I clapped along with her to encourage the good behavior and she seemed happy as could be.
When Jasper came out he was wearing dark jeans, black sneakers, and a long sleeve T-shirt with a hood on the back. We all dressed comfy for the day which made me happy, it was like a normal lazy day that any other family would have.
"How about we get breakfast first? I'm hungry." I laughed and nodded at his suggestion as we walked down the hotels hallway and into the elevator. I pushed the button for the lobby and we rode quietly, listening to the music over head.
"Wanna just walk until we find something we think well like?" I asked, unsure of where anything was in this city as this was my first time here.
"Yeah and if we don't find anything we can just look on our phones." Jasper shrugged easily, pushing Evelyn down the sidewalk with me walking closely next to them.
"Are you worried about fans recognizing you?" I asked, suddenly noticing that neither of us even put on sunglasses.
"No, I figured this city is tiny and I could spend some time with fans today." He glanced at me and grinned, his one dimple making a quick appearance before he faced forward again.
"How about here?" I asked, pointing to a small cafe coming up on our left. We had been walking for about five minutes and I was getting nervous that we wouldn't find anything on the road. The cafe seemed cute with a rustic look to it, reminding me of LA and the short time I spent there.
I held the door open for Jasper as he maneuvered the stroller in the tight space. When we finally got in we approached the counter and he ordered another coffee, he was so tired from concerts almost every night, and a breakfast sandwich. I got a strawberry smoothie and a croissant since I wasn't too hungry.
I took the stroller and found us a table as Jasper waited at the counter, making funny faces across the room. I laughed behind my hand and decided to sit down so I wouldn't draw attention to us. I pulled Evelyn out of her stroller and placed her in a high chair so she felt like she was actually sitting with us. I brought some little snacks with us, but I knew that we would also give her some of our food.
Jasper came back shortly after, holding a small tray with our food and drinks on it. He passed out the food accordingly and quickly returned the tray before sitting down with us again.
"Do you think you want a rose?" I asked as I pushed Evelyn's drink closer so she could reach it.
"I think so, I really like the idea of it." He flashed his sweet grin, the one that made my heart skip a beat, and I smiled in reply.
"Where would you get it?" I replied.
"I think somewhere small, like my forearm or even my hand." He answered, turning his hand over so he could look at the free space. He pulled the sleeve up and made a face before glancing back up at me. "I think I like the hand."
"It could be nice and dainty, it doesn't have to be anything big." I reminded him.
He had already drank his coffee and was halfway done his sandwich before I even made a dent in the croissant, it was much bigger than I had thought it would be. I ripped it in half and placed one half on his plate and then pulled apart more for Evelyn. She seemed content, watching us with her large eyes, taking everything in.
I let Evelyn try my smoothie and when the cold hit her tongue she made the funniest expression, pushing my hand away and puckering up her lips.
"Do you want more?" I asked, tilting the drink towards her. I wanted to get a picture of her funny reaction, but I didn't want to force her. Thankfully, she nodded and reached for the cup as i brought the straw back to her lips.
"Got it." Jasper laughed as he showed me the picture of her eyes squeezed shut and her lips drawn in. I pulled the cup away, not wanting to give her a brain freeze and she whined in response but quickly distracted herself again.
We left shortly after, setting out on foot in hopes of finding a trustworthy looking tattoo shop. Jasper was going to go in by himself because we didn't want Evelyn in a tattoo shop for obvious reasons.
As we walked, we chatted. Jasper told me about his plans for the night with the concert and I told him how much fun I was having, which was true, going on tour with him was one of the best moves we've made. I loved being able to see so much of the country, something that I had always wanted to do but thought was impossible with a baby. I also told him that I was grateful that his friends were so welcoming to me and that they included me so quickly.
"This one looks good." He mentioned, nodding towards the window of a shop that we were passing in front of. They had nice lighting inside with a crisp, clean look. We mostly were looking for somewhere clean so he wouldn't get an infection or anything like the sorts.
"I'll go check it out." He kissed my lips quickly, smirked, and turned to push the door open. He spoke to the young man at the front desk, both wearing smiles, before he turned and shot me a thumbs up.
I pulled the door open and stuck my head inside, "How long do you think it will take?"
"Probably no more than fifteen minutes." The guy smiled, an odd accent coming as he spoke.
"Ok, we'll be back soon." I waved quickly before turning and pushing Evelyn further down the street. It was almost 12:30 so she was fighting a nap as we walked down the road.
I turned into a small children's boutique after passing five or six stores and smiled softly as I saw that they had the cutest clothes inside. They had warmer clothes that would probably be too hot in the LA winter, but they had left over summer clothes that wouldn't make Evelyn too hot. I pushed through the racks, taking a few items out at a time to glance over them and if I liked them, I laid them over the handle bar of Evelyn's stroller.
I was looking at tiny shoes when I suddenly felt someone grab my waist and I jumped with a small yelp escaping my lips.
"Jasper!" I whisper yelled as I turned and saw him laughing quietly.
"How did I know that I would find you in here?" He asked, wrapping his arms around my waist and placing his chin on my shoulder.
"Because this is the cutest store I've ever seen in my life." I exaggerated, touching the clothes that I had picked out softly. He chuckled quietly before letting go and peeking over the stroller shade to see Evelyn slumped over, sleeping. I watched as his expression softened and he smiled contently.
"You don't wanna see the rose?" He asked lowly, not wanting to draw attention to ourselves.
"Oh I forgot!" I admitted with a laugh, reaching for his hand as I noticed the clear wrap around the bandage. "Should you take this off already?"
"He said it would just stick to itself again, but I can't mess with it too much." He answered, already peeling the wrap off.
He held his hand out and I held it gently, bringing it closer to my face so I could see it closer. The rose was dainty, probably an inch long, but it was perfect. The artist did an amazing job with nice clean lines and the rose itself was beautiful.
"J it's perfect." I complimented him with a grin, letting go of his hand and re-wrapping it myself. When I finished he held onto my hand and leaned down to kiss me on the lips quickly.
"I love it for Evie." He agreed, taking the shoes off the top of the stroller. "Show me the stuff you were thinking of getting."
I loved that he was interested in what I wanted for Evelyn, I thought it was sweet that he cared about his little fashionista. I held up each item, 6 in total, and he complimented each one, telling me what he liked about the outfits. He picked out a pair of little boots that I adored also and we decided to check out at the little cherry colored counter in the back of the shop.
An older lady, probably the same age as Jasper's mom, spoke to us nicely as she rung up each item. "Your baby is so sweet."
"She really is, she's a good girl." I agreed, pushing the umbrella shade back so the cashier could see her face better. "We're cutting into her nap time though."
"I can see that." She told us with a light laugh. She gave us a small bag with a ribbon tied across the top of the handles and we headed out of the quaint store, happy with our purchase.
We strolled back to our hotel, in no rush as Jasper didn't have to leave until two. We held hands and swung our arms between us as Jasper was able to push Evelyn with just one hand. I felt so normal in that moment, walking downtown with my boyfriend and our daughter. No one was taking pictures of us or asking questions and we could walk peacefully.
"I had fun today." Jasper told me honestly as we were sitting in our hotel a few minutes later. I had taken Evelyn from her stroller and laid her in the middle of our king size bed. She was still sleeping thankfully, as this would give her a full nap and she wouldn't be cranky later.
"I did too, I love how your tattoo turned out." I grabbed his hand gently again and rolled it around in my own, looking at the clear wrapping but unable to see the rose.
"I have to get going." He whispered, pressing his forehead against mine, taking his free hand and placing it at the base of my neck. He kissed me quickly and pulled away to make eye contact with me again before leaning in for a longer kiss.
I got lost in the moment until he pulled away, slightly breathless. "I don't want you to go though."
He laughed at my confession before kissing my forehead once. "I'll send Hanna and Sawyer up so you won't be lonely."
"But they're not you." I whined, flopping on the couch like a disgruntled child. He laughed from the kitchenette where he was chugging a water, much like this morning with his coffee. He turned to go into the bed area, grabbing his book bag before coming back towards me.
He leaned down and kissed me once again, stroking my hair lightly before pulling away and shooting me a soft smile. "Tell Evelyn hello when she wakes up."
"I will, don't forget to text the girls, or stop by their room." I reminded him, waving from my flopped position on the couch. I watched as he closed the door quietly to not wake up Evelyn and I stood with a sigh, going into the bed area.
I pulled off my jeans and replaced them with sweatpants so I could be comfy until I had to go to the concert. I laid on the bed next to Evelyn and began to scroll through my phone. I didn't have anything better to do as she slept and I figured I could try to catch up on my booming social media. Most people were just talking about how cute Evelyn was but there were the stupid comments saying that I was using Jasper for his fame or money. Those made me a little annoyed, but I knew that Jasper and I couldn't be happier, so I usually just blocked the person and moved on.
I pulled up a picture of Jasper and Evelyn from this morning, him shirtless and her standing in her diaper. I posted it to Instagram saying; My two sleepy heads getting their morning milk and coffee😴☕️🍼
I tagged Jasper and posted it, fully knowing that people would go crazy over seeing a shirtless Jasper. He had a very chiseled chest as a trainer traveled with us and he often woke up early to work out. He had great muscles and could probably run for hours without feeling tired.
My phone began vibrating in my hand so I turned my notifications off in the settings. I chose not to look at what people were saying because I refused to get sucked into worrying about social media.
I heard a card fit into the slot on the other side of the door, signaling that someone was coming into the room. I sat up in the bed, careful not to jostle the sleeping baby. Hanna pushed open the door then and grinned at me cheekily. Sawyer quickly followed in, her stomach seeming to grow by the day.
"Hey guys." I grinned and stood up, leaving the bed and hugging both of them.
I sat on the couch with Hanna and Sawyer got the love seat adjacent to us.
"What did you guys do this morning?" Sawyer asked, sipping on a water bottle she had grabbed from the mini fridge.
"Well," I began, taking a small pause. "Jasper got a tattoo for Evelyn. A little rose by this thumb. It's perfect really. We also got breakfast and some outfits for Evelyn."
"He got a tattoo?" Hanna asked loudly, turning towards me and tapping my leg. "He's crazy."
"Why?" I asked, genuinely confused as to why that made him crazy.
"He's so spontaneous." Was all she said in reply with a laugh. "Where's baby?"
"Sleeping on the bed. This is her first good nap in a while so I'm not gonna wake her up." I widened my eyes and shook my head. Tour had been hard on her internal clock, especially when we changed time zones.
"I can't wait to get her all night. Can I have her crib?" Sawyer asked, nodding towards the portable bed that we had brought into the hotel with us.
"Wait, you're taking her all night?" I asked, surprise evident on my face.
"Yeah, I thought that was the plan?" She asked, looking confused with furrowed eyes. "Jasper said you guys were taking a night off."
I pursued my lips and shrugged. "As long as you don't mind. This will be the first night away from me though."
"She'll be ok momma bear." Hanna laughed rubbing my arm comfortingly.
"I think it'll be nice to have a night to ourselves." We haven't really caught up since we've gotten back together." I admitted, shrugging my shoulders lightly.
"You can make it romantic too." Sawyer suggested, a cheeky glint in her eyes.
"Ok." I rolled my eyes, agreeing just to appease them.
"What did you get Evie today?" Hanna asked, thankfully changing the subject.
"Lemme grab the bag." I grinned, pushing myself up from the couch and stepping behind the wall to grab the bag that was next to the bed. Evelyn was still sleeping soundly, her little chest rising and falling softly.
I crept back to the couch with the bag on my lap and undid the ribbon holding the handles together. I pulled out the two pairs of shoes, riding boots and a pair of black converse that I adored. The girls both fawned over them for a moment before I pulled out a little romper. It was a halter top with a floral print and the seam on the legs cinched so it stayed tight on her thighs.
I showed them the other clothes, two dresses, another romper, and then a pair of distressed jeans that were so cute and perfect for Evelyn.
"I hope my girl is half as cute as Evelyn." Sawyer laughed easily.
"Of course she will. When are you due?" I asked, refolding the clothes so I could put them back in the bag that we had originally gotten.
"November 28, but we'll see if she actually shows up then." She laughed again, gently rubbing her stomach with one hand as we talked.
"Have you picked out a name yet?" Hanna asked, tucking her phone back in her lap as she was just texting someone.
"We did actually." She grinned and sat up a little straighter. "So Noah and I couldn't agree on one, so each day we dropped a name into a mason jar and then at the end of September we drew one until we both liked it. That way, we both knew that we genuinely liked it as someone had to put it in there in the first place."
"Ok, well, what is it?" Hanna asked impatiently, crossing her arms jokingly.
"Laken Jane Myles." She grinned proudly, a small blush covering her cheeks. "I had put Laken in but never mentioned it to Noah but he loves it. Jane is his moms middle name and I love how Laken Jane flows. And, obviously, Myles is our last name."
"That name is perfect, it's so cute." I told her honestly. I loved that name. Sometimes I wished that I got more adventurous with Evelyn's name but her grandma would've loved to meet her and so it holds a special place in my heart.
"Thank you, I'm just glad we finally agreed on something." She chuckled easily and we continued talking for well over an hour before we decided that it was time to get Evelyn up and head to the venue. I was excited for the night to come.