Chapter 25

"Mom." Caleb complained as he walked into the kitchen where Sarah was cooking dinner for the family.
Sarah turned around from the stove. "What's wrong?" She asked, knowing her son's complaining voice and when it came up.
"What's up with Richie?"
Sarah frowned. "What do you mean?"
"He's been home for five weeks and we haven't played guitar since before we went on vacation."
"Daniel's been sick, we were at the hospital a lot."
Caleb sighed frustrated. "I know but it's been two weeks, we used to always play together and now he's never brought it up and I'm not sure if I should."

Sarah quickly turned around to turn over the meat to save it from burning.

"Just ask him if he wants to play guitar. Dinner's alsmost ready so go ask now if he wants to teach you some new stuff after dinner." Sarah suggested.
"I guess." Caleb sighed. "And what if he says no?"
"Then ask for tomorrow. He likes guitar, why would he say no?"
Caleb shrugged, "He's busy with Daniel most of the times."
"Just ask." Sarah repeated and turned back to cook.

Caleb walked out of the kitchen. "All about Daniel." He said under his breath but sure that his mother still heard him.

In the living room he found his father, as he had expected, with Daniel.

"Richie?" Caleb asked carefully.

Richie looked up, frowning, not used to it anymore when they called him by his first name. They'd been calling him dad for months and it surprised him that Caleb hadn't. Perhaps it meant something bad.

"Yeah?" He asked. "What's up?"

He got up from the couch and went to lay Daniel in his playpen, then joined Caleb on the couch.

"So?" He asked.
"We haven't played guitar in a while." Caleb said, trying to be straight forward as much as he dared to be.
"Oh." Richie thought back and realized Caleb was right. "We haven't. Sorry, it's slipped my mind with everything going on with Daniel."
"It's okay." He said quickly. "I was wondering if you could help me with a couple songs and maybe teach me something new."
"Yeah, of course." Richie said excited right away. "Now? Or sometime later?"

Caleb smiled, relieved that Richie did want to play with him and still pay attention to him too.

"I don't know. " He hadn't expected Richie's excitement and was a bit surprised now.

"Dinner's ready!" Sarah called from the kitchen as she got ready to set the table in the other room.

"After dinner?" Richie suggested quickly. "We can just jam for now and I'll help you with your songs on Saturday?"
"Yeah." Caleb smiled again. "That sounds good."
"Great," Richie got up from the couch. "Lets go help your mom set the table."

Caleb got up and followed his dad without a problem, not minding having to help out at all. He was getting a chance to play guitar with his dad again. Someone that he looked up to when it came to guitars.

After dinner, Richie stuck true to his word and went upstairs to Caleb's room as Sarah and Noah cleared off the table and did the dishes.

While playing, Richie realized how Caleb must have felt, how everyone must have felt the past few weeks. Everything had been about Daniel.

In five weeks, he had also missed spending time and playing guitar with Caleb and now he realized he missed the same with Ava and Noah but now he knew what he had to do.