Becoming

Sign Of The Cross

"Dave, any chance you can get away and come to our show in Virginia?" Ade asked as soon as he was able to get his lover on the phone. "It's 4 October, and it's the last show before we head for Europe, so I'll have a couple of days off. It's not really long enough for me to go to Hawaii cos of the travel times and all, but I'd much rather stay there for a couple of days and see you, than run up to Montreal. Nathalie will also be happier if I don't come 'round for just a couple of days, cos the kids'll get hyped up to see me and then toss wobblers when I have to leave again so quickly."

"I should be able to," Dave said. "Mind, I'll need to check with Tamar, see about hiring someone to be here for Tasha if I'm to do anything but fly out on Friday night and fly home on Sunday. Of course, that'll be a good trial run, since we'll need to hire someone for when I'm off recording come November and December anyway."

"Don't you still have your nanny, what was her name, Tai?" Ade asked. "What happened with her?"

"Oh, she was a military wife and her husband got transferred to somewhere on the mainland," Dave said. "We've made do with a local activities centre and Rachel helps out sometimes as well, but I've only been away for Bulldog since Tai left and that trip was just four days. Recording the new album's gonna run four to six weeks, though, and that's a bit longer than we'd like to count on nothing going wrong like Tasha becoming ill enough to have to stay home from school or whatever."

Ade nodded even though Dave couldn't see him. "Yeah, I get that. Nathalie's got a decent amount of extended family she can call on for help whilst I'm gone, but even so, she hired an au pair for the year just to prevent difficulties." He paused and said, "And I really hope you can come. I've some news that I'd like your opinion about, but it's not something I'd care to go into over the phone."

Dave raised a brow. "That sounds a bit ominous," he said.

"No, it's something that's almost certainly good," Ade said. "But it was rather unexpected, and I need to make a decision which is why I want to talk to you about it. But I'd much rather talk to you in person, you know that."

"Yeah, I always prefer talking to you in person as well," Dave said, his voice warming with his smile. "Right, well, I'll check with Tamar, and either you can call me back tomorrow, or I can try calling you if you know what hotel you'll be in."

"I'll call you, we're on the bus tonight and the next couple of nights as well," Ade said. Bruce appeared in his line of sight and gave him a wave, so he nodded and waved back in acknowledgement. "Speaking of which, I've just been given the signal that we need to get aboard and on the road. I'll call about this time tomorrow, then, yeah?" He glanced around but didn't see anyone, so he dropped his voice and murmured, "Love you, baby."

"Love you too," Dave replied softly. "Talk to you tomorrow." He blew a kiss at the phone, smiling when it was returned before he heard the click indicating that Ade hung up. He also hung up and went to talk to Tamar about the possibility of the trip.

She proved willing, as long as they found a new nanny before he left, so he confirmed the dates of the planned trip when Ade called the next day, then set about the task of finding a new nanny. Not wanting to lose the new one in the same way they'd lost Tai, he braved the computer to look up agencies for professional nannies. Sure, someone who'd been through courses and got certifications would charge more than Tai had, but by getting someone fresh out of training, she'd almost certainly be single and could live in, which would be a huge plus for Tamar when he got back out on the road.

After a few interviews with both himself and Tamar present, Dave hired a young woman named Melissa, who got along well with Tasha. Melissa herself not only welcomed the employment, she laughingly admitted that she was grateful that her first job was for just one older child rather than several still in diapers. Melissa got along well with Tasha, so Dave left for Virginia satisfied that he'd found a nanny who fit in well with his family and who wouldn't have to leave on short notice.