Becoming

Deja-Vu

Tamar's initial test proved accurate, as she ruefully said a couple of days later, while Dave held her hair back as she retched. She planned to take a second test anyway, just to be sure. Dave just quietly made sure she had plain crackers available at all times, along with ginger tea since they weren't able to find the herbal blend she'd used before. She did take a second test when they reached Newcastle, which simply confirmed the first test's results.

Bruce, who returned to London after each show to be with his wife, called the hotel the rest of them were at with a frantic message for Rod after supper on 22 September. "Paddy's in labour," he said. "I'll have to meet up with you lot in Dublin. Wish us luck that she pops the kid out before I'll have to leave to catch a flight over, I really want to be with her for the birth."

Even Steve couldn't argue Bruce's absence under the circumstances. He called Lorraine instead, thinking that she might want to go visit Paddy after the baby arrived. Janick called Sandra for the same reason, and Nicko called Becky, who decided to fly over to visit Paddy and then join her husband on the tour for a time since Nicholas was in school and staying with his birth mother during Maiden's tour.

A tired but smiling Bruce joined the band just in time for sound check the following afternoon. "It's a boy," he announced proudly. "Born at 6:49 this morning. Paddy's named him Austin."

Everyone offered their congratulations before settling down and going through sound check. Rod insisted that Bruce stay in the hotel with the band that night, given that he'd been awake for nearly 24 hours by the time the show ended. An exhausted Bruce said he would, on the condition that he leave for England directly after the show ended the following night, which Rod agreed to. After that, any time they played shows within a two-hour drive of London, Bruce would get himself to the venue in time for soundcheck and then head back to his home immediately after the show.

As the tour progressed through the UK, Janick and Dave got into the habit of spending an extra few minutes after soundcheck, during which Janick coached Dave to be a little flashier onstage. They started with a few simple things like holding his guitar vertically against his body during a solo, then worked on getting Dave to move around a little more comfortably than he'd done previously.

Tamar, despite feeling less than her best due to the combination of morning sickness and the UK weather causing her legs to ache, still enjoyed the tour enough that she decided to stay through the end of October, when the band would play Paris. Mary Murray had the couple out for dinner the day before the London show as it was a day off, and also came to the London show.

Before they had to leave, Mary hugged Tamar and whispered in her ear, "Congratulations! I promise I'll be surprised and happy whenever my son calls to officially tell me the news."

"But... how did you..." Tamar stammered.

"I've two of my own, lass," Mary said with a chuckle. "I know the signs. I also recognise the tea you had with dinner."

Tamar could only laugh and hug Mary back. "Thanks... Grandma."

Dave arranged with Rod that once they left England, he'd travel separately with his wife, getting to the venues in time for soundcheck and leaving with Tamar after the shows to have more time with her. After letting Bruce do something similar to get as much time at home with his wife and new son, Rod felt he couldn't refuse. Besides which, he considered Dave one of the most reliable members of the band and didn't think he'd take advantage of the extra freedom.

Tamar enjoyed playing tourist in Spain, Portugal, and definitely in Paris. Dave wasn't quite as enthused with The Louvre as she was, but he still found enough of interest that he didn't mind trailing around behind her there. The couple enjoyed their time sightseeing in between shows, especially as Tamar's legs stopped hurting when they were in Spain and Portugal, although the chill in Paris started them aching once again.