We Can Make It Up Again || S-I-N Sequel

Chapter Five

Lainey's POV

"Mommy, you're back!" As soon as I pulled into the driveway Summer bolted out the door and jumped on me, hanging onto my waist as I walked up the stairs of the house.

"Hey, what have you been doing, sweet pea?" I asked, picking her up in my arms and going inside, heading down the hallway in search of April.

I wasn't intending on just putting Summer in the car and going, I needed to talk say thanks to April for babysitting Sunny and most nights I'd have dinner there with her, I might as well since she openly hated being in the house alone without Dale and I had trouble cooking anything more complex than instant noodles so it worked out pretty well. Sunny loved being around April, April enjoyed the company of the both of us and I got to spend another night without forcing Summer to eat my atrocious meals.

"We were painting," she said gleefully, holding up her hands and showing me the dried paint on her palms, arms and fingers with a broad grin. I hope that paint is kid friendly, April's smart enough to think about those kinds of things but I know for a fact that she does forget on occasion.

"Oh cool, that sounds like fun. Do you want to know what I did today?" Sunny nodded at the same time as I walked into the living room where April was cleaning up the spatters on the wall that come with the consequence of teaching Summer to paint. "I met one of the girls I used to know when I was in school, her name's Iris. We're going out with all my other friends for lunch and you get to come too and meet her."

"Sunday or Saturday?" April asked as she straightened, wiping her hands on her jeans then reaching up to adjust her scrunchie.

"Sunday for brunch because Iris, unlike me, is still willing to spend an entire morning in church." Even if I wasn't an atheist it wasn't only my memories of Gerard that kept me from going like I used to. It was Summer, there was no way I could mentally or emotionally handle getting up at six in the morning to dress the both of us, make breakfast and get us to the local church by seven; it just wasn't possible.

"Great! Saturday is officially dress up day." She grinned happily then walked towards the kitchen, me trailing her with Sunny - who had finally let go of my waist and was on her own two feet - enthusiastically following the conversation out of the living room.

"What do you mean, April? You know any sort of cryptic stuff after work for is a giant no-no for me, my brain just wants to slow right down." Some days on the drive over to April's place when I finish my shift at work I want to pull the car over to the side of the road, curl up in the backseat and go to sleep. I've never been high functioning when I'm tired and most days when I'm exhausted, any brightness I have left in me is reserved for my daughter.

"Dale called, he and the band are finishing up the Australia and Japan leg of their tour tomorrow and they'll be back in San Diego on friday for the RRA's. Because I'm doing ink for a couple of bands there I already get to go but since All The Cool Kids have finally decided they're gonna make it there on time Dale said he wants to take you and Sunny." Although I felt like I should have I didn't recognize the term RRA, I was excited because I knew I'd be seeing my brother again soon but according to April's face clearly not enough for her standards. "RRA, Red Radio Award? It's supposed to be for rock bands. How did you forget that ATCK was nominated for best album of the year?"

Well it's pretty reasonable for me to not know about it. I haven't seen Dale for nearly a year, April has never mentioned even once that All The Cool Kids had been nominated for any kind of award and I haven't recently - nor will ever - sit down and check out what my brothers band was doing. I always got to hear what happened first hand when he gets back from tour anyway so there's not much of a point.