Page 51 of All the Forbidden Things

I wander into the family room and make myself comfortable in the corner of the large leather sofa and feed Layla her bottle. Despite the comfort of the sofa, the room’s sparsely decorated and too cold-looking for my taste. The sofa’s black, the coffee, side tables, the entertainment unit, and the long narrow table are a washed grey timber.

Layla burps once at precisely the halfway point and is asleep seconds after draining her bottle. I lift her upright so her little head is resting on my shoulder just as my phone vibrates from where I left it on the sofa beside me.

As I reach for it, Layla both burps and farts at the same time, making me laugh then wince as a dull pain shoots through my still sore ribs.

Glam Dan:You gonna snap me some pics of all that hotness you’re sharing your Sunday with?

Me: Fuck. Me!

Glam Dan: Baby gurl, we’ve had this convo! You’re gorgeous. I love you. But I love dick more!

Me: How did I forget?

Glam Dan: That I was gay?

Glam Dan: That I like dick?

Glam Dan: ???? I’m confused???

Glam Dan: You gotta give me something to work with her princess.

Glam Dan: You feeling ok? I think that knock to the head may be affecting your memory.

Me: That Max Young is FAF!

Me: FAFF!

Glam Dan: Gurrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrl!

Glam Dan: I’ve been telling you since you were 11 that man is a God! A. God!!!

Glam Dan: Maybe that knock to your head was a good thing and finally has you seeing straight.

Glam Dan: But wait! There’s a wife right?

Me: It’s complicated.

Glam Dan: Oh do tell . . .

Glam Dan: ??????????????

I stare at my phone, remembering the promise Kenzie and I made Max earlier.

Me: I’ll call you later. Love you xoxo

Glam Dan: Get hotness pics. Naked if poss! Love you too xoxo

Max

“That’s definitely better.” Cal nodshis head in time with the music as he speaks. “Well done, Jakey boy, good call.”

After playing his up-tempo version of the song I’d initially written as a ballad, Jake remains seated at the piano, bathing in the praise. He’d arrived at the house a few minutes after we’d left, and Mel had sent him here to find us, we’ve been working on the arrangement ever since. It feels good. So fucking good to be with the boys. Losing myself to the process of creating music.

Jake may be a thirty-year-old man now, but in his head, he’s still the baby of the band,stillthe late addition, always looking for acceptance. To us, he’s an annoying little brother who we enjoy watching grow and flourish with each song we write and performance we give. To the world, Jake Wright is a player; a single, successful, musician living the rock star life. But to us, his bandmates, his brothers, he’s an insecure kid, unsure of his place in our family and always seeking affirmation and acceptance.

“So, that’s four new songs in total?” Cal asks.

“Yep.”