Be With Me

Chapter 99

1998

"Colton..." James called his three-year-old son. "Dada said not to play with the guitar." He said as he saw the little boy pulling the strings of his guitar. It was warm inside the studio and the little boy was sat on the floor, bare foot and bored to death.

"Dada..." He called and James smiled tenderly at him.

"What do you want?" He asked picking him up to his lap.

"He must be so bored." Lars exclaimed laughing.

"I know..." James agreed. "But what did you want me to do? Rafi had to go with our youngest to the doctor. One thing is to take Ava with her, she's already five but taking Colton... it's impossible. I had to bring the little man with me."

"Isn't Taylor better?" Lars asked.

"She is, but you know, as she's just five months and the doctors want to control everything from close. The infection stopped; she breathes well again. She gave us terrible nights..." James told him.

"I can imagine."

"Dada... let's go home!" Colton whimpered.

"Will you give dada five more minutes?" James asked the boy, but Colton shook his head, making James giggle. "Really?" He insisted teasing his son.

"Yes." Colton affirmed.

"You don't let dada stay here a little more?" Lars insisted and Colton shook his head smiling at Lars.

Lars opened his mouth pretending to be indignant and wishing his baby born son would grow up fast so he could be talking like that to him. He had witnessed how James laughed and played with his children. He had always wanted that for himself.

"I want to play!" Colton said but that time whimpering. James got up.

"Ok! The whimper came, I better go." Colton clapped on James's arms.

"Will you play with me daddy?" Colton asked and James laughed.

"Oh man... Ava is going to ask the same when I get home and war will be installed." He said to his band mate.

"And your youngest is still too little!" Lars added.

"Three kids is a lot!" James stated and both men laughed loud.

The driving until home was slow and Colton whimpered now and then, desperate to get there, bored to death from being locked up in a car. James, patiently, tried to talk to him or even play games with him while stuck in night traffic under heavy rain. Sometimes he cooperated, others he'd just mutter and sulk. Parenting wasn't easy. James had learned that from the beginning when Liam was born but parenting three children was being the biggest challenge of his life and still... he had never been happier.

"See?" He looked back unlocking his seat belt. "Didn't dada say it would be fast?" He said as they arrived home.

Colton smiled. His three years old innocence didn't made him notice it had been almost an hour and a half since they had left the studio. He was home already and that was all that mattered.

"Let's play!" He said enthusiastically and trying to free himself.

James laughed watching him and then got out of the car. He opened the door and then he freed Colton. He picked him up under his arms and the boy wrapped his legs around his waist and surrounded his neck with his arms. Smiling, James kissed his cheek.

"Let's play little man." He said tenderly. It didn't matter how tired he'd get home from the studio; he'd always find time to spend with his kids. That was the highlight of his day.