Through Thick And Thin
These Two Little Syllables To Change Your Mind
When Zacky pulled into his driveway, just three hours after he'd been dejected from the restaurant, he noticed that though all the lights were still on in the house, nobody appeared to moving- and for one crazy moment he wondered if taking care of a small child had wiped out Brian and Matt completely. He still had an un-breakable smile on his face from spending time with Keira, who not only captivated him in every way imaginable, but had the most amazing life on her own.
She was studying to be a lawyer at CSULB, and worked at the clothes store part time to help pay her bills. She was originally from Surrey, in the South of England and, strangely enough, had met Zacky once before at a concert in London. She'd fallen over the barrier during a particularly ruthless mosh pit and Zacky had pointed her out after they'd finished 'Unholy Confessions' and asked if she was OK after the show.
But he made her happy- maybe even more so than Linzee did.
"Hey guys- Linzee didn't beat you up already, did she?" he asked as he walked into his home, and into the living room, his smile broadening. Matt was crashed out on the couch, a picture book covering his face, and Brian was flat out on the rug in the middle of the floor, Linzee balanced on his toned chest and playing with someone's keys.
"I don't know how you do it Zack- she's got way too much energy. If anything, she gets that from you" Brian groaned as he sat up, lifting Linzee off of his torso and up to Zacky. He acted like he hadn't seen her in months, rather than hours, hugging the little girl close to his chest and peppering her face with kisses.
"Did you miss Daddy, babygirl? Did you miss me? I hope you didn't drive your uncles crazy- I'm sure they want to come and see you again" he cooed as Linzee stared back at him, smiling.
"She was perfect. She's also quite the dancer when it comes to listening to us and some of your crazy 'yay-music'" Brian told him with a smile, clearing up a few CD's that had been spilled onto the floor when they'd obviously been rocking out to Zacky's record collection.
"Are you gonna be a rockstar guitarist like Daddy and Uncle Brian? Or are you gonna sing your little heart out to the masses like Sleepy Matt over there?" Zacky asked softly, pointing over to the still sleeping singer on his couch.
"Da-da" she said suddenly, and it came as such a shock to the man holding her, that he almost dropped her in surprise.
"What did you say, Linz? Daddy?" Zacky said again, hopeful that his daughter could just be the smartest kid on the planet.
Linzee was silent for a moment, looking around as Brian stood up, just as astounded as Zacky had been at the sudden appearance of a new word. He'd spent the entire evening with Linz, and she hadn't uttered more than plain gibberish.
"Da-da. Da-da, Da-da!" she exclaimed happily, clapping her hands together in excitement. Zacky felt like he was going to cry, he was so happy. His daughter was speaking, he'd had the perfect date with a woman he was slowly falling in love with- his life was just perfect.
"Hey Zack, I think you got yourself the next President!" Brian announced, just as the phone went off, the ringing finally bringing Matt out of his sleep. As Brian went off to answer the call, Matt turned to see Zacky and Linzee.
"Hey, buddy. Good date? You guys fuck yet?" he asked, and as best he could, Zacky tried to cover his daughters ears.
"Kid present, lay off the f-bombs for a while. And no we didn't, we just kissed" he replied, gently uncovering Linzee's ears and putting her back on the pink blanket on the floor, the same one Brian had been almost dead on. Speaking of Brian, he stuck his head into the room and held out the phone for Zacky.
"It's the lawyer. I'll watch Linz- go talk to her!"
Quickly, the men switched positions and Zacky wandered into the kitchen to take the call. Why would his lawyer be calling now? Unless it was vitally important she would've waited till the next day.
"Zacky we have a problem" she said almost before the word 'Hello' had left his lips.
"I know you signed the adoption papers, but the birth mother has come forward and stuck her foot in. She said she wanted to know who she was giving her kid up to"
"But she was the one who left Linzee on my doorstep! She's not going to make me give her up is she?"
"I don't know Zacky. If she wants her kid back, you have to give it back- the adoption papers are still being processed. Hopefully, we can persuade her that you'll be a better parent. If not, I'll take her to court and take her to the cleaners in the process"
"So what do I have to do?"
"I've given her your address. She'll be at your house at 10am tomorrow morning, and you two can discuss what to do then"
Feeling like his insides had been spooned out with an ice cream scoop, Zacky numbly hung up the phone and walked back into the living room, where Brian was playing 'This Little Piggy' with Linzee's little toes.
"So? What did rod up her ass lawyer want?" Brian asked casually. Subtlety had never really been his strong point. Zacky collapsed onto the sofa, rubbing his hands over his face to try and clear his vision. This couldn't be happening.
"The birth mother got in touch. And the lawyer thinks she wants Linzee back"
***
10am the next morning, and an exhausted yet sleep-deprived Zacky had been pacing up and down the living room for almost fifteen minutes straight. Linzee, blissfully unaware of what was happening around her, was happily playing in her play pen that Zacky had taken four hours to assemble properly, dressed in a white dress with cherries on the front. It had been one of Zacky's choices. He was nervous as hell, but ready to do whatever it took to keep his daughter in his home. At least, that's what he wanted her to be.
Suddenly, the doorbell rang and Zacky looked up, startled. It was her, the birth Mom, the one who could easily take this kid away as easily as she'd brought it into the world. He was going to throw up, he was going to pass out- maybe both at once.
Taking one final glance at his little girl, he slowly walked out into the hallway and unlocked his front door, swinging it wide open to reveal the woman who had given him Linzee in the first place.
"Val?"
She was studying to be a lawyer at CSULB, and worked at the clothes store part time to help pay her bills. She was originally from Surrey, in the South of England and, strangely enough, had met Zacky once before at a concert in London. She'd fallen over the barrier during a particularly ruthless mosh pit and Zacky had pointed her out after they'd finished 'Unholy Confessions' and asked if she was OK after the show.
But he made her happy- maybe even more so than Linzee did.
"Hey guys- Linzee didn't beat you up already, did she?" he asked as he walked into his home, and into the living room, his smile broadening. Matt was crashed out on the couch, a picture book covering his face, and Brian was flat out on the rug in the middle of the floor, Linzee balanced on his toned chest and playing with someone's keys.
"I don't know how you do it Zack- she's got way too much energy. If anything, she gets that from you" Brian groaned as he sat up, lifting Linzee off of his torso and up to Zacky. He acted like he hadn't seen her in months, rather than hours, hugging the little girl close to his chest and peppering her face with kisses.
"Did you miss Daddy, babygirl? Did you miss me? I hope you didn't drive your uncles crazy- I'm sure they want to come and see you again" he cooed as Linzee stared back at him, smiling.
"She was perfect. She's also quite the dancer when it comes to listening to us and some of your crazy 'yay-music'" Brian told him with a smile, clearing up a few CD's that had been spilled onto the floor when they'd obviously been rocking out to Zacky's record collection.
"Are you gonna be a rockstar guitarist like Daddy and Uncle Brian? Or are you gonna sing your little heart out to the masses like Sleepy Matt over there?" Zacky asked softly, pointing over to the still sleeping singer on his couch.
"Da-da" she said suddenly, and it came as such a shock to the man holding her, that he almost dropped her in surprise.
"What did you say, Linz? Daddy?" Zacky said again, hopeful that his daughter could just be the smartest kid on the planet.
Linzee was silent for a moment, looking around as Brian stood up, just as astounded as Zacky had been at the sudden appearance of a new word. He'd spent the entire evening with Linz, and she hadn't uttered more than plain gibberish.
"Da-da. Da-da, Da-da!" she exclaimed happily, clapping her hands together in excitement. Zacky felt like he was going to cry, he was so happy. His daughter was speaking, he'd had the perfect date with a woman he was slowly falling in love with- his life was just perfect.
"Hey Zack, I think you got yourself the next President!" Brian announced, just as the phone went off, the ringing finally bringing Matt out of his sleep. As Brian went off to answer the call, Matt turned to see Zacky and Linzee.
"Hey, buddy. Good date? You guys fuck yet?" he asked, and as best he could, Zacky tried to cover his daughters ears.
"Kid present, lay off the f-bombs for a while. And no we didn't, we just kissed" he replied, gently uncovering Linzee's ears and putting her back on the pink blanket on the floor, the same one Brian had been almost dead on. Speaking of Brian, he stuck his head into the room and held out the phone for Zacky.
"It's the lawyer. I'll watch Linz- go talk to her!"
Quickly, the men switched positions and Zacky wandered into the kitchen to take the call. Why would his lawyer be calling now? Unless it was vitally important she would've waited till the next day.
"Zacky we have a problem" she said almost before the word 'Hello' had left his lips.
"I know you signed the adoption papers, but the birth mother has come forward and stuck her foot in. She said she wanted to know who she was giving her kid up to"
"But she was the one who left Linzee on my doorstep! She's not going to make me give her up is she?"
"I don't know Zacky. If she wants her kid back, you have to give it back- the adoption papers are still being processed. Hopefully, we can persuade her that you'll be a better parent. If not, I'll take her to court and take her to the cleaners in the process"
"So what do I have to do?"
"I've given her your address. She'll be at your house at 10am tomorrow morning, and you two can discuss what to do then"
Feeling like his insides had been spooned out with an ice cream scoop, Zacky numbly hung up the phone and walked back into the living room, where Brian was playing 'This Little Piggy' with Linzee's little toes.
"So? What did rod up her ass lawyer want?" Brian asked casually. Subtlety had never really been his strong point. Zacky collapsed onto the sofa, rubbing his hands over his face to try and clear his vision. This couldn't be happening.
"The birth mother got in touch. And the lawyer thinks she wants Linzee back"
***
10am the next morning, and an exhausted yet sleep-deprived Zacky had been pacing up and down the living room for almost fifteen minutes straight. Linzee, blissfully unaware of what was happening around her, was happily playing in her play pen that Zacky had taken four hours to assemble properly, dressed in a white dress with cherries on the front. It had been one of Zacky's choices. He was nervous as hell, but ready to do whatever it took to keep his daughter in his home. At least, that's what he wanted her to be.
Suddenly, the doorbell rang and Zacky looked up, startled. It was her, the birth Mom, the one who could easily take this kid away as easily as she'd brought it into the world. He was going to throw up, he was going to pass out- maybe both at once.
Taking one final glance at his little girl, he slowly walked out into the hallway and unlocked his front door, swinging it wide open to reveal the woman who had given him Linzee in the first place.
"Val?"
11/4/13