uncle calum •cth•

uncle calum: one

It was no secret that Calum was the only unmarried lad left in the band. Each of his bandmates has been married for at least a few years now, but he wasn't ready for the added constant weight to be on his left ring finger. He was often seen at parties with his bandmates and their significant others. He didn't mind being the only one alone in the group, occasionally bringing a one night stand back to his place, but he always felt like something was missing. He continued going out even when the others stopped.
Michael had a baby, a little girl, that stopped his partying days. Ashton claimed he was 'too old for this shit' after he got a headache for three straight weeks at the loud club music. Luke was the last party buddy Calum had. Eventually, his wife made Friday their date nights and Saturdays were for staying home. Calum scoffed and called him whipped, but at least Luke had someone to go home to every day.
After three months of partying by his lonesome, he stopped. He turned over a new leaf in his life. He even started babysitting Michael's kid which he swore he'd never do. He wouldn't even hold the small child in the first months of her life.
"That thing is gross, man. It cries, throws up, and shits." Calum scoffed at the offer the hold the green-eyed bundle.
"That thing is my daughter, you asshole." Michael rolled his eyes at his bandmate, but still persisted. "I really need you to feel comfortable holding her if we're supposed to leave you to take care of her Friday."
"Fine. Jeez, I'll hold the child." Calum eventually relented. "What's so special about Friday anyways?" His question was met with a scoff from Michael as he walked towards the occupied couch with the baby in his arms.
"It's our anniversary. You're the only available person, and we've had these reservations for months, we're not canceling." Michael paused when he reached Calum. It took some more time to explain how to hold her properly before Calum took her. He wasn't prepared for what it would do to him. He listened intently at the lessons Michael was giving him on how to care for the little girl. Calum was disappointed when the day came to an end. He didn't want to leave to go back to his lonely home after spending the day with the little family. He would've never have let the baby leave his arms if it weren't for Michael taking her. He assumed that Calum had reached his limit of caring for the incapable human, and he assumed he was doing him a favor by taking the girl. Calum hated the feeling in his chest when his arms became empty. He hated that he wouldn't get to see her for another two days. He hated the thought of anything every harming the girl. He hated the thought of her growing up and learning about the world and how harsh it could be. He hated that he just now figured out that he would lay down his life for his niece when she had been in this world for months. Most of all, he hated that he didn't have a family of his own.
Calum's whole drive home was a blur. He couldn't stop thinking about how he swore off love and any previous chance at a serious relationship. From that day, he vowed to find something serious. He wasn't interested in partying and flings. His new favorite weekend activity was babysitting little Clifford. He loved his new role as Uncle Calum.
He took nine-month-old baby Clifford to the store one day while her parents were on a lunch date.
"What do ya think, little bit? Do you fancy some apple pear or some carrot pumpkin kale?" He looked down at the baby in his arms to see her response. He knew there would be no words, and she looked up at him with her hand in her mouth which caused him to chuckle. "I know, I know, it sounds nasty. I can't promise it won't taste that way, you can't eat your hand." She continued looking at him with a smile forming behind her hand. He decided on the least awful sounding mixture of baby food and went to the next aisle to grab a few things he needed. He was concentrated on the cereal boxes in front of him when a voice broke him from his concentration.
"She is the cutest! How old is she?" He first thought about how weird it was that people will so openly talk to strangers when they have a baby to be nosey about the baby. After this thought, he looked in the direction of the voice. He expected to be met with a middle-aged woman, but he was surprised to see a woman around his age waving at the little baby as the girl couldn't care less about the random stranger. He stared at the woman for a few moments, not that she noticed, before shaking his head as if to clear his mind like an etch-a-sketch.
"Um, oh, a, she's nine months." He stuttered out.
"She's adorable. Her eyes are gorgeous. I'm guessing she gets them from her mom." The stranger had made her way closer and was getting the little girl to smile at her funny faces now. Calum thought on her question. He had half a mind to say that she actually got her eyes from her dad because it was true, but he didn't. He thought about his answer before speaking because this woman was beautiful, albeit nosey, and Calum wanted her to know that he didn't contribute to the making of the adorable baby in his arms.
"She's not mine," He wanted to slap himself at her quick action to take a step back at his words. Dammit, now he had to clear up that he didn't kidnap her. "Sorry, that came out wrong. She's my friend's kid. He's got the gorgeous eyes." Eh, he didn't clear it up too well, but to be fair, Michael did have some gorgeous green orbs. He was relieved when the stranger started laughing.
"Duly noted. So," she paused for a moment, "would it be acceptable to give you my number since you have pretty eyes, too, and I really hope you're single." He was taken aback at her forwardness. She wasn't used to anyone being this up front that wasn't drunk out of their mind. He was kinda glad he didn't have to be the one to initiate things, so he accepted her number. He promised himself to go after serious relationships, and meeting in a grocery store seemed more serious than meeting in a club. Right?
He turned out to be right. She was around his age, and at the point he was. She wanted to settle down in the near future and leave parties with strangers behind. He always credited baby Clifford for the relationship, and Michael was a bit jealous that his daughter was a better wingman than he. Calum continued his babysitting duties, but occasionally brought along his new girlfriend. Baby Clifford liked her well enough on her own, but didn't appreciate her around her uncle.
Calum was babysitting on a Thursday morning when he decided to go to the park. He invited his girlfriend and allowed Duke to tag along. He couldn't help but to think how domestic they seemed with him pushing the stroller on the pavement while she held the dog leash. It was a snapshot of what he wanted his future to look like. Baby Clifford got tired of the stroller, wanting to walk by herself. Calum took the now 1 ½-year-old out of the stroller and took her hand. He walked next to his girlfriend as she pushed the stroller with Duke's leash attached to the handle. Calum smiled down at the girl that was so much smaller than him as she attempted to jump on every leaf in her path. He sent a smile to his girlfriend that she easily returned. He took the chance to lace their hands together as she pushed the stroller with one hand. Little Clifford must've sensed the attached hands because she was breaking away to run in between the two adults instantly. They came to a stop at her quick movements. She faced them, their hands still linked, and looked up at her uncle.
"Hand?" Her question sounded almost like a command as she jutted her hand towards him. He laughed since this was not the first time she had showed her jealousy, but he obliged to the little girl. She liked Calum's girlfriend, she really did, just not when she tried to show any bit of affection towards him. They spent the rest of the time at the park with their hands holding each of the little girls and lifting her up every so often to hear the happy squeals and giggles leave her lips.
Calum's girlfriend hung around a lot more, and he babysat a lot less. Baby Clifford turned four and started preschool before anyone was ready. Ashton had his first kid a couple years back, and Luke was getting ready for his first one, yet Calum still hadn't signed the contract with the love of his life, the one that vows they'll be together forever. They both agreed that they wanted everything to be perfect, and maybe a bit extravagant. It came as a total shock to their friends and family when they took an unexpected trip to Vegas. It was the night before a world tour started, and Calum couldn't wait any longer. He got hitched. Showing up at the airport the next morning to meet his bandmates with the biggest smile on his face.
"What's got you all happy? It's 5am!" Ashton wondered as he let out a yawn. Luke let out a groan thinking he had solved the mystery.
"Did you really get lucky this early in the morning?"
Cal just chuckled and shook his head.
"No, mate. I got lucky for the rest of my life," he said as he showed his left ring finger with the gold band wrapped around it.
The boys clapped him on the back, hugged him, congratulated him, and shared his same smile. He was over the moon, and his heart was full. He may have once been a pessimist when it came to the thought of love, but, now, he was a walking advertisement for it.
"So, when's the baby due?" Michael laughed as he asked. Everyone joined in the laughter, but Calum's mind drifted away. He didn't know when it would happen, but he couldn't wait to recreate the walks in the park he had had with Baby Clifford with his own family. One day. One day soon, he hoped.