Careful what you wish for

shes not coming back? Is she?

the tour had kicked off once again and Noah went back out on the road. I stayed back at home for the time being.
I had agreed to keep Mia for a couple weeks so that Audrey could go on a business trip.
So it was Mia , Harper and I. she had grown since the last time I'd held her in my arms.
She can sit up so tall now and hold her own bottle. She had grown in a split second.
I know that Noah could make her cackle, he loved her.
He wanted me to come and watch the show in LA tonight but , how could I do that, when I had Mia ?
I'd come up with a plan.

I'd dressed Mia and buckled her into the car seat.
Driving 30 minutes to the concert venue.

"Come and let me in, I'm at the back gate. I have a surprise" I smiled hanging up the phone. I waited a moment with Mia's car seat hooked around my right arm.
"are you ready to see your uncle Noah?!" I smiled talking to Mia in a very high pitched voice.
the door clicked opening to reveal folio.
"I see you brought a friend." He laughed. "Is that- MIA?!" He exclaimed.
"Yes, she is so big now." I let out a whine.
Granted , the last time Nick seen or even heard about her was when she was two months old.

I creep into the green room sneaking up behind Noah
"NOAH SEBASTIAN." I yelled as he whipped around going to grab me before noticing the car seat below.
He crouches down slowly.
"Mia!!" He dramatically sighs , catching her attention.
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING SILLY GIRL." He tickled her foot. "DIDNT tell me that you had Mia still."
"Yeah, Audrey is taking a lot longer than usual." I say. "Is it okay that I brought her?"
"Okay? Im excited you did. Im on in five but stay close and headphones-" he pointed to Mia. he went out on stage as I prepared Mia for the show, standing on side stage.
"CONCRETE-" Noah yelled.
"JUN-GLE" the crowd followed.
"ARE YOU READYYY-" he said through the roar of the crowd again. " before I start this show, I'd like to bring out two special ladies of mine. one of them you may know, the other one.. she is kind of new at this." he chuckled. The audience had gone silent trying to figure out what he'd just said. I handed Mia to Bryan , the photographer who had switched liyah places this tour.

"Lilly, come out here for a second." He waves to me. "Woah, you are forgetting something."
I raise my hands and look around.
"Bring Mia too." He laughs.
I go back and grab Mia, walking back out to Noah.
The fans were in awe and then a wave of applause took over the venue.
"This is my little Mia. and my beautiful fiancé Lillian. SURPRISE. I did say fiancé ." Noah claps.
he pulls us close and kisses my forehead, sending Mia and I back to side stage to watch the show.

the show went on, but mia started to get hungry. So, I walked down the long hallway into a quiet room, making her a bottle. I sat down shushing her and comforting her as she cooed.

"shhhh." I comfort her, laying back with her on my chest. "your uncle Noah, did something bad tonight. all the fans are gonna think you belong to us now." I lightly smile. "I wouldn't mind-" I rubbed my index finger over her head.
"I wish we did have one though. but I love Mia, she is the best baby ever." Noah sits down on the couch next to me. "maybe one day.."
"Yeah, I guess she is" I laughed. "And I'll think about it " I winked.
I lay my head over on his shoulder closing my eyes for a moment.
"Ready to go home? The guys are spending the night too." Noah yawns.

We'd gotten home and everyone had settled in.
The house felt, full again. Like home.
"she's not gonna go back to sleep.." I sigh.
"me and nick can look after her for a couple hours so you can rest." Aliyah suggests.
"with nick, maybe. With you? nah." I laugh.
She scoffs dramatically.
"I would love a few hours of sleep though. Do you guys mind?" I yawn.
"Not at all." Nick says reaching out for the small baby.
"you are spending time with uncle Nick-" he coos as Mia laughs.
"Uncle nick.. huh. That suits you well." I smile
I walk up stairs leaving the three downstairs.
My eyes traced the sage green hallway, leading to the door that closed Noah and Is room. I smiled before turning to the guest room.
"good night nic" I leaned against the door frame.
"night lil." He yawns "hit the lights on the way out"
I flipped the switch.
"night jolly!" I popped my head into the open room.
"Goodnight Lillian." he turned in his chair. As I left the room I heard, "LOVE YOU." from jolly.
"Love you jolly!" I answered. I walked the hall again before coming to my room, which had been covered in Mia's things. Clothes, to start. Toys and a bassinet. Her things had taken over the house. I creeped into the room, fixating my eyes on Noah, who was sitting on the bed folding the basket of laundry I'd not gotten to.
"Honey, you don't have to do that." I say dropping my eyebrows.
"I know, but you've been busy with Mia so, I'd figured I'd help." He shrugs folding a pair of jeans. "You deserve rest too." Noah grins.
I climbed into the bed next to him, letting the smell of him fill my nose.
"I miss you being home." I sigh.
"I know.." he rubs my head. "we get a super long break for Christmas with this tour so, hopefully we get all the time together we want."
That was the last thing before drifting off to sleep. since the very first time he'd held me, I'd learned to just melt into his warm embrace and not fight it.
Which could've been the best thing for me.

morning came, I'd payed in bed for a sheer moment before realizing - Mia. where did she go?

I walk down stairs and instantly answer my own question.
"How long have you been up?" I yawned
"since about three.." nick says bouncing Mia on his lap.
"Why didn't you wake me?" I asked plopping on the couch.
"You were tired and I couldn't sleep." he laughed. "But this little cutie gave me no issues."
I watched the pair interact for a moment before getting up to go to the kitchen for coffee.
I'd opened the white cabinet and chosen Noahs favorite favorite mug. I flipped it over reading the words on the front.
"SHUH. DUH. FUH. CUP." I laughed. "That gets me every time."
My phone rings and I pick it up , resting it between my chin and shoulder pouring my coffee.
"ms. Radke?" A voice on the other side rang.
"This is she-" I answered.
"I'm calling to inform you that Audrey was found..." the voice trailed off. My eyes widened as
The mug in my hands fell in what seemed to be slow motion onto the floor.
As it fell the coffee stained my legs and clung onto my white socks, staining our tile floor.
I fell to my knees, no tears , just shock.
I felt a pair of hands grasp me as I started to wail.
Jolly-
"Shh. It's okay." He held my head closer to his chest, just as he'd seen Noah do many times before.
"Go get Noah out of bed Aliyah. Now." He pointed.
"I'll start cleaning this up. Take her for a second." Folio handed Mia to Nicholas.
"she's not coming back. she's - she- " i wailed "Audrey. She's gone."
moments later Noah came bolting down the stairs sliding into the kitchen, taking jollys place.
"What-"
Moments went by, that felt like days. Noah and jolly walked me to the couch and sat there with me.
"What about Mia?" Nicholas said rocking her in the chair.
"I'm her god mother. And her next of kin.." I look at Noah's face, it had turned white. "I am now her legal guardian. we. Are her parents.." I winced awaiting Noah's response.
He gave everyone in the room a "leave for a second" look as his mouth opened to speak.
"we can do this. She needs someone. it's us." He spoke.
"We aren't alone. She has Aliyah and nick. jolly and Charolette. Nicholas. Danielle. Takes a village." He smiled.
I nodded my head on agreement.
Was this our fate?
Just Noah, Mia and I.