In a month Ava would be able to drive the both of them to school but since he would be leaving the next weekend, he'd take his opportunity to drive them until Sarah had to. If he could finally convince Noah to spend more time on practicing his driving skills, he wouldn't have to get up in the mornings but these days most of the teenagers he knew all had anxiety.
After making his morning run to the school, he headed to a Starbucks closest to home with a drive thru so he could surprise Sarah with a snack.
At home, he parked the car and walked up to the house, unlocking the front door before he walked in and kicked off his shoes and dropped his keys on the side table.
Sarah and Daniel were waiting for him in the living room as he walked in. Daniel was standing at the coffee table, holding himself up by the edge of the table.
"He's standing." Richie said excited.
"He's been standing for a few weeks now." Sarah pointed out, gladly accepting the tea Richie passed to her.
"I know but it's so sweet. Soon he'll start letting go," He sat down on the couch next to her. "and he better not start walking while I'm gone."
Sarah frowned a little, knowing he most likely would learn to walk in the next couple of weeks. "I'm sure he won't and if he does, I'll make sure to send you lots of videos."
"I guess that'll have to do."
"He's been standing for a few weeks now." Sarah pointed out, gladly accepting the tea Richie passed to her.
"I know but it's so sweet. Soon he'll start letting go," He sat down on the couch next to her. "and he better not start walking while I'm gone."
Sarah frowned a little, knowing he most likely would learn to walk in the next couple of weeks. "I'm sure he won't and if he does, I'll make sure to send you lots of videos."
"I guess that'll have to do."
"He'll be walking for many years after too and there'll be many first times next year as well." Sarah pointed out, not wanting him to feel too bad about not being home for the two months. "He's going to learn to run and then you'll get to chase him down the house."
Richie smiled. "True."
"And then he's going to learn to talk." Sarah added on.
"Yeah."
"And he's going to learn to say daddy." She continued, noticing the sparkle in his eye giving away how happy that made him. "He's going to learn to throw and kick a ball around with you."
"Oh God, I'm too old for that."
"No you're not. He's going to learn to climb and jump around too and just wait for potty training, that's going to be a lot of fun."
Richie smiled. "True."
"And then he's going to learn to talk." Sarah added on.
"Yeah."
"And he's going to learn to say daddy." She continued, noticing the sparkle in his eye giving away how happy that made him. "He's going to learn to throw and kick a ball around with you."
"Oh God, I'm too old for that."
"No you're not. He's going to learn to climb and jump around too and just wait for potty training, that's going to be a lot of fun."
He smiled content, he had a lot of other milestones to look forward to other than Daniel learning to walk. He looked forward to all of them, even if it meant having to watching him every single second, making sure he was safe and would not hurt himself in his little adventures.
"It's all going to go too fast." He said, watching Daniel let go of the table to get back to his toys.
"It's all going to be worth it." Sarah smiled, reaching in to kiss him. "I'm glad we get to do it together."
After a while of keeping Daniel occupied, Richie asked Sarah if she'd be fine watching Daniel til lunch so he could get some work done. He'd rather get most of it out of the way instead of postponing til the end of the week, that way he could relax and have quality family time.
Upstairs in his office he went online to search for a hotel for the few days he would be staying in New York City for rehearsals, he preferred having his own space than staying with Jon and Dorothea like he used to years ago. that way he could do what he wanted without worrying about his friends and their children. Along with his hotel, he booked a flight to New York for Sunday evening, he'd take one of the later flights, he didn't mind sleeping on the plane and he'd have a few more hours at home. While on his computer, he emailed back and forth with the band's crew, figuring out pick up for his guitars to be safely transport to their first concert location.
Lastly, he printed out sheet music to most of the newer songs off of What About Now. He had helped write some of them but this way he could start practicing them and freshen up his memory of the songs before rehearsals, not delaying everyone else as much.
Once he had everything sorted, an hour had past and soon Sarah would start on lunch. He grabbed the sheets of paper he had just printed out and headed down the hall to get one of his guitars from his guitar storage room.
He sat down in the living room with Sarah again but sat away from her so he could play his instrument without disturbing her.
Sarah smiled at him, "How about I go make lunch while you watch Daniel?"
"Sounds good." He agreed and watched her leave the room, he loved watching her walk away.
Daniel stood at the table again, his toys on the table, and looked up at his dad with his guitar. His eyes were bright as he watched.
"Are you excited?" Richie asked him, knowing Daniel was always ready to listen to him play. He smiled, not expecting much of a reaction from his little boy but he played a few notes and tweaked a couple pegs.
Once ready, he positioned his guitar on his lap and started the first song on his page, being still mostly familiar with it. As he played he watched Daniel take steps around the coffee table as he held on to the table top to get closer to him, it was cute to watch his little legs move as he walked, taking his steps slowly but surely, wobbling at times. His son was out of arm's reach so he watched him closely on his unsteady legs, making sure he was holding on tight and wouldn't lose his balance.
Sarah smiled at him, "How about I go make lunch while you watch Daniel?"
"Sounds good." He agreed and watched her leave the room, he loved watching her walk away.
Daniel stood at the table again, his toys on the table, and looked up at his dad with his guitar. His eyes were bright as he watched.
"Are you excited?" Richie asked him, knowing Daniel was always ready to listen to him play. He smiled, not expecting much of a reaction from his little boy but he played a few notes and tweaked a couple pegs.
Once ready, he positioned his guitar on his lap and started the first song on his page, being still mostly familiar with it. As he played he watched Daniel take steps around the coffee table as he held on to the table top to get closer to him, it was cute to watch his little legs move as he walked, taking his steps slowly but surely, wobbling at times. His son was out of arm's reach so he watched him closely on his unsteady legs, making sure he was holding on tight and wouldn't lose his balance.
Richie finished his song and Daniel just stared at him, not impressed the music was over, he grunted at him.
"Yeah?" Richie asked. "Don't want the music to stop?" He strummed another cord and left it at that, making Daniel grunt again. In response, Richie chuckled, it was cute watching his son get frustrated. He played a short tune and stopped again, waiting for Daniel to grunt again but instead, the little boy took 4 steps over to his dad and slapped his tiny hand on the guitar, wanting him to play it again. He held on to his dad's knee as he looked up at him.
Richie looked down at him. Amazed at what he had just done. It was so unexpected, he wasn't even sure it happened. Obviously it had since Daniel was now right in front of him instead of at the coffee table.
"Did you just walk?" He asked the little boy whose brown eyes were watching the guitar as his hand touched the strings, oblivious to his accomplishment.
Richie stood up, picking up his son as he set down his guitar, then headed to the kitchen.
"He walked." He was still amazed when he told Sarah.
"What?" She asked, looking away from the food she was preparing.
"He was at the coffee table and I stopped playing so he grunted at me and he let go of the coffee table and took a couple steps, then hit my guitar." Richie told her.
"I missed his first steps?" Sarah sounded disappointed.
"I'm sorry sweetie. I'm sure he'll do it again." He stood Daniel on the floor and let him hold on to a finger. "Maybe if you call him? Or get him a snack."
Sarah grabbed a soft vegetable and held it out to Daniel. "Look what mommy has for you, come get it." She coaxed.
Richie watched but Daniel let go of his finger and sat down on the floor, looking up at him with a confused look.
"I'm sorry." He repeated to Sarah.
"Yeah?" Richie asked. "Don't want the music to stop?" He strummed another cord and left it at that, making Daniel grunt again. In response, Richie chuckled, it was cute watching his son get frustrated. He played a short tune and stopped again, waiting for Daniel to grunt again but instead, the little boy took 4 steps over to his dad and slapped his tiny hand on the guitar, wanting him to play it again. He held on to his dad's knee as he looked up at him.
Richie looked down at him. Amazed at what he had just done. It was so unexpected, he wasn't even sure it happened. Obviously it had since Daniel was now right in front of him instead of at the coffee table.
"Did you just walk?" He asked the little boy whose brown eyes were watching the guitar as his hand touched the strings, oblivious to his accomplishment.
Richie stood up, picking up his son as he set down his guitar, then headed to the kitchen.
"He walked." He was still amazed when he told Sarah.
"What?" She asked, looking away from the food she was preparing.
"He was at the coffee table and I stopped playing so he grunted at me and he let go of the coffee table and took a couple steps, then hit my guitar." Richie told her.
"I missed his first steps?" Sarah sounded disappointed.
"I'm sorry sweetie. I'm sure he'll do it again." He stood Daniel on the floor and let him hold on to a finger. "Maybe if you call him? Or get him a snack."
Sarah grabbed a soft vegetable and held it out to Daniel. "Look what mommy has for you, come get it." She coaxed.
Richie watched but Daniel let go of his finger and sat down on the floor, looking up at him with a confused look.
"I'm sorry." He repeated to Sarah.
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