Chapter 5: The Call

  Richie awoke as it was barely cracking daylight outside. He looked down at Ava as she was still fast asleep in his arms. He gently kissed the top of her head but held his lips to it with his eyes shut. He thought about when she was first born and he kissed her head while she was in Heather's arms. He moved his lips away from her. He opened his eyes and looked up at the ceiling. He clenched his teeth as tears began to stream down his face. He knew he had to stop, for fear of waking her. He wiped the tears away with the palm of his hand and looked back down at her. Gosh she was so beautiful. He felt not good enough to be blessed with the daughter and life he had. He leaned his head back again and closed his eyes. Just lost in thought.

  Ava was awake but her eyes weren't open yet. She just lay there enjoying the love, comfort, and warmth of her father. She felt him gently caress her arm. She couldn't help but smile a little. She felt so blessed to have him. She didn't know where she would be in life if she didn't.
"Daddy?" she whispered.
Richie's eyes shot open and looked down at her.
"What is it darlin'?" he whispered back.
"I'm so blessed to have you as my father, I love you daddy," she said as she looked up at him.
"I love you too, so very much,"
He kissed the top of her head again and they held each other a little tighter.
  After a minute or two of silence, Ava began to talk.
"When will you go get sober? I'll be right here waiting for you when you get out of rehab,"
"Well darlin' I guess I'll check in today if you would like,"
"Okay dad,"
"Would you like to help me find a place?"
"Sure," Ava said as she sat up.
She looked back down at her dad and sat her hand beside his and opened her hand. He gently slid his hand into hers and softly gripped it.
"Promise me you will never choose alcohol or pain killers to soothe your pain. You won't be able to stop," He said as he looked deep into her eyes.
"I promise,"
"Okay, now go get me that number," he said as he patted her hand.
  After a minute or so she came back with a phone book. Richie sat up and they looked at it together. Finally they found a place close enough and called the number. They told him to come right in. It would be a month or so till he could come back out. He hung up the phone and looked over at Ava. She hugged him. He looked down at her on his shoulder.
"Here," he said softly as she let go, he turned to her, and they hugged.
He just held her in his arms.
"I love you," he said as he kissed the top of her head.
"I love you too daddy..."

ANNOUCEMENT FROM AUTHOR

Im so sorry I haven't posted any more chapters. I have some things that have came up and I have a bit of writer's block. Its hard for me so please bare with me. I hope you have enjoyed what I have so far. I hope to have at the least chapter 5 done soon. Thank you.

Chapter 4: Movie

   It was late in the evening, Richie and Ava were both getting tired.
 "How about a movie and some popcorn?" Richie asked Ava.
 "Sure," she said as she sat down on the couch.
 Richie put the popcorn in the microwave and let it begin popping. He fixed them each a drink and put in the movie to let it play through the previews. Then he went upstairs to get a large blanket for them to share. He heard the microwave beep and cut itself off as the popcorn was done. He took the popcorn and put it into one big bowl. Then he turned out all the lights and took the popcorn and blanket into the living room. He sat on the couch beside Ava and sat the popcorn on the coffee table in front of them, beside their drinks. He spread the blanket over their legs and grabbed the popcorn as Ava pressed 'play' on the remote. She cuddled up against him and he put one arm around her.
 "I love you daddy," she said as she reached into the bowl of popcorn with one hand.
 "I love you too darlin'."
 They sat and watched the movie.

   The movie was about halfway over and he noticed she was fast asleep on him. He turned off the television with the remote, put the popcorn on the table, turned on a lamp, and laid down with her in his arms. He couldn't help but touch her while he was sober. He smiled as he ran his fingers over her cheek bone. She was stunningly beautiful, he still couldn't believe that he had made such a beautiful girl. She looked so much like her mother, but looked like him just the same. He gently raked his fingers through her hair. It reminded him of Heather's. But this time, he felt alright. As if Ava was actually healing his heart. Could it be true?

Chapter 3: Starbucks

   Ava opened the driver's side door of her dad's 2013 Chevrolet Camaro.
 "Hey kiddo, don't you think you need the keys?," Richie called out from the doorway of the house, jingling the keys in his hand.
 Ava walked up to her dad as he locked the door to the house. He handed them to her.
 "Thanks dad," she said with a smile and a slight giggle.
 They walked to the car and got in.
 "Remember, seat belt first," Richie said as he pulled his seat belt across him and clicked it.
 She did the same and turned on the ignition.
 "You ready dad?," she asked him as she looked over at him.
 "As I'll ever be,"
 She smiled and backed the car out of the driveway. Once they were on the road she put it in drive and off they went.
 "Ava, you're really good at this, I'm so proud of you," he said.
 "Thanks dad," she said as a huge smile swept across her face.

   Richie opened the front door of the Starbucks building. He and Ava smiled at each other. Ava walked in and Richie followed. They got their coffee and headed back to the car with it in hand.
 "Would you like me to drive now?" he asked.
 "Yeah, sure,"
 "Okay," Richie said as he went and opened the passenger side door for her.
 Ava smiled at her father and got in the car. He closed the door once she was safely inside, and went to his side of the car.

   After that they went and got breakfast. On the way home they passed Heather's house.
 "Dad, can I please stay with you? I don't wanna go back home to mom, I wanna be with you,"
 "Have you talked to your mom about it?," he asked as he pulled to the side of the road and put the emergency blinker on.
 "I was hoping you'd do it for me,"
 "Okay, I'll talk to her,"
 "Are you sure?"
 "I'll do it, for you,"
 "Thanks dad, I love you," She said as she tried to hug him.
 "I love you too munchkin," he said as he gently squeezed her in his arms.
 He kissed her head and they released each other. Richie put the car in drive and went back to the house.

Chapter 2: Waking Up

   When Richie awoke his mind was whirling and he had a pounding headache. He put his hand to his head. He saw the blanket and he ran his fingers over it.
 "Ava...," he thought.
 He forgot she was supposed to stay with him for the weekend.
 "Damn it," he grunted as he pulled himself to his feet.
 He quietly opened the door to her room. She was still asleep. He quietly walked to the other side of the bed and laid down beside her. He scooted close to her and kissed her forehead. He put his arms around her and held her as he tried to go back to sleep. It was barely daylight outside but he could see inside the room just fine. Looking over her and to her dresser he saw a picture of them together. The one he wrote on saying, "I'll always walk beside you."

   When Ava awoke she felt the warmth of her dad. It was killing her knowing that they were once just a happy family and now it's being pulled apart because her dad couldn't always be home. He had his own dreams but a lot of them were now for her, and she knew that. She felt bad because she didn't inherit the natural talent for music like her father. She felt like a total mistake because she took the modeling and acting talent from her mother. Why did her mother have to me Heather Locklear?! A woman who likes to brake hearts and get a divorce once she had a child. She felt just like another 'project'. She had two sisters and a brother but she was the only child from Richie Sambora. She told herself that she would never call another man dad other than her own father. She laid one hand on top of her dad's. She could feel all the years of hard work he had put into his life. All his struggles, the pain, everything. She knew he had worked hard to get where he was in life and she admired him for that.

   Richie felt her hand and opened his eyes.
 "Good mornin' darlin'," he said.
 "Goodmorning,"
 "Listen Ava, I'm sorry you had to-"
 "Dad, it's okay," she interrupted.
 "No, it's not, I'm a mess,"
 "I think it's time dad," she said as she looked him in the eyes.
Those baby blue eyes starring back at him made his heart melt. He let out a sigh.
 "I'll go as soon as it's final," he said.
 "dad-"
 "fine, I'll go but-"
 "Dad, I'm never gonna let go of you, don't worry about that,"
 "Thanks darlin'," he said as he kissed her head.
 "But you reek of alcohol,"
 "oh yeah, sorry, how about some breakfast and Starbucks after I get out, sound good?,"
 "Sounds great dad," She said with a smile.
 He hopped off the bed and walked towards the door. He stopped at the doorway.
 "Maybe you could drive me around for a change, since you just got your learner's permit,"
 "Okay," she said with a smile.
 He smiled back and walked out the door. He went to his room, grabbed a change of clothes, then went into the bathroom. He closed the door and turned on the water. As the water was heating up he began to undress, taking off his shirt first.
 "I can find someone else," he told himself as he looked down at his own body and the tattoos in the mirror.
 He was a little out of shape from the drinking and the pills but, he knew that if he tried hard enough he'd get his old body back. He began taking off his pants. Heather shot back into his mind.
 "Damn it woman get out of my head!," he said through gritted teeth as the pain crept back into his sober body.
 He wanted the alcohol and the pills. He needed them.
 "No, you don't need them. You'll be alright," he thought to himself.
 He looked back into the mirror and put his whole body into view.
 "You're a stud. Any woman fool enough not to fall to her knees every time she sees you is not worth your time," he muttered to himself.
 It had worked in high school, it should work now he thought.
 "You sexy beast," he said into the mirror as he put his hands on his hips.
 A smile swept across his face and he got into the shower. The hot water felt good as it ran over his body. All the nerves in his body began to relax under the water and steam. He let out a sigh of relief. He let the water completely soothe him.
 "mmm," he sighed as he looked up at the ceiling.
 All of a sudden a flashback of Heather and him came into his mind. He got mad, really mad. He punched the shower wall as hard as he could.
 "Are you alright daddy?" Ava called from outside the door.
 "Yeah darlin', I'm alright, don't worry," he said as he looked down at his red knuckles.
 He knew he got lucky it didn't break them, only bruised.

 

Chapter 1: Photograph

   Richie closed the fridge door with his feet and opened his bottle of beer. He bottomed it up, drinking half of it and began stumbling back to the couch. He was definitely drunk. Trying to drink enough to take himself out of reality. He was halfway there when he lost his balance and fell. Catching himself on a table, he lifted himself back to his feet. A picture fell off the table.
"Shit," he muttered as he sat the beer down and bent over to pick up the broken frame and glass.
He picked up the frame and the photo fell out face up. He looked at it and froze for a moment. He finally unfroze and gently picked it up.
"Oh Ava, I'm a mess," he shook his head.
 Ava was his daughter. His only daughter. But she was in custody with her mother who had just left him and filed for a divorce. Richie loved his daughter, more than anything in the world.
 Reality flooded into his mind. His dad was on his death bed. The woman he loved filing for divorce and taking his only daughter with her, A new world tour with his band was coming up. He couldn't stand it. He grabbed his beer, drunk the last bit, and sat it back down. He then walked to the fridge and got another beer. He closed the door with his hand. He looked at the fridge and glanced down to the photo. He grabbed a magnet and hung her picture on the door of the fridge. Then he cleaned up all the broken glass and threw himself down on the couch. After about 30 minutes he passed out.

  Ava unlocked the front door of her father's house with the key he had given her before she left with her mom. He had it made with her favorite color, pink, and put it on a necklace. She slowly and quietly entered the house. When she got  inside she quietly sat her stuff down and started silently cleaning up. The last thing she did was walk up to her dad and get his beer from him. She carefully slid  the beer bottle from his hands and threw it away. She went up to her room, got a blanket and a pillow, then went back downstairs. She carefully lifted his head and slid the pillow under it. Then she slid the cover over him. She raked her fingers through his hair and gave him a kiss on his cheek.
 "Love you papa," she whispered.
 She went and picked up her stuff and took them in her room. Then she remembered she left her cell phone on the counter in the kitchen. She went back into the kitchen. She picked up her phone and on the way back to her room she spotted the picture on the fridge. It was of her and her dad. She gently ran her fingers over the picture. It was taken before all this drama between her parents started. When he was happy. When she was happy. A tear rolled down her cheek and she walked to her room with her phone in her hand.