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Part III Chapter 60

When Clive found out what was going on he called a meeting.
“This is absolutely unacceptable! You two, fighting over this girl, and now, you friggen idiot, you break her nose, a week before the video shoot, and bruise up Nick as well.” Clive said to AJ. He sat keeping his stare away from everyone. After he had hit Win, AJ had left the party without taking Tiffany and disappeared for two days. Edith and Denise had called around for two days frantic with worry when he finally showed up, very shaken up, ragged and dirty. After that he locked himself in his room and did not emerge until Clive called him and told him to come to the meeting before he was kicked off the tour.
They would have to leave for Virginia in one day. They had four concert nights in a row at four different venues. The US tour was quickly coming to a close and the concerts that had been rescheduled had not left much leeway for anything. They had two months left before the tour was over, and they still had the video shoot to do. They got off November first, and were expected back on tour December twenty first, the first concert being the day after Christmas. They would meet in France. So now the schedule had to be tight, things could not be rescheduled, let alone cancelled or pushed back.
Four days had been scheduled in between shows to film the video, everything was planned to the very hour on the days. All Clive could do was switch the guys’ days off closer to the end of the month with the video shooting days to give Win’s nose time to heal.
The next day, at noon, the bus arrived at Howie and Nick’s duplex to pick them and Win up. They were already packed and they got on the bus ready for the trip. When the bus got to AJ’s house he was waiting outside, Latecia clinging to him and crying.
“I’ll be home soon sweetie, don’t cry baby.” AJ said painfully as Latecia cried into his shoulder.
“Look, I talked to your mommy and you’re gonna come see me for a whole week on tour.” AJ replied holding his little girl up and looking into her teary eyes.
“You promise?” she asked wiping some of her tears away.
“From the bottom of my heart baby girl.” AJ replied looking at her.
“Pinky swear?” she asked sniffling. AJ held out his pinky and she locked her finger with his.
“I pinky swear on it.” He smiled at her.
“I love you daddy!” Latecia said flinging her arms around her neck. AJ closed his eyes when he heard her call him daddy, and he felt a few tears building in his eyes as well as he hugged her. Edith came up and pulled Latecia away.
AJ stood up and looked at Edith holding his daughter.
“You need anything at all, you call me, okay?” AJ asked. Edith nodded.
“And you baby girl, you call me, any time, day or night.” AJ said touching Latecia. She nodded her head, still crying silent tears.
“Well, I guess that’s it.” AJ said looking at his daughter, wishing he could take her with him now.
“Here,” Edith said holding out a photo album to AJ, “I’ve been adding to it since she was born, for you.” AJ flipped open the first page and saw him holding Latecia when she was just two months old. He smiled.
“Thank you so much Edith. For everything, especially for Latecia.”
“It’s nothing AJ, really. Go on, Denise will be in Pennsylvania with Latecia next month. You’re going to be late.” AJ gave them both a hug, and Latecia a final kiss before climbing on the bus and not looking back as it pulled away.
AJ waked directly past Win, Nick, and Kevin sitting at the kitchen table and climbed into his bunk. He shoved his bag at the foot of his bed, pressed himself as far as he could into the corner and felt his heart tearing in half as his sobs ripped from his chest, muffled by the pillow.

Later that night, well after midnight, Win emerged from her bunk to get a drink and saw AJ at the table looking through a photo album, it was the first time he’d come out of his bunk since he arrived.
“Mind if I join you?” she asked. He looked up and her and said,
“If you want to.” Grabbing her drink Win sat down opposite of him. Her nose was still bandaged and looked much worse than it was.
“Win, I am so sorry.” He said without looking at her.
“I know.” Win replied.
“No, I mean it. I was wrong to hit Nick, I was wrong to hit you. And there is no excuse for any of it, or for kissing Edith either. Win I know you won’t take me back, and I know I deserve it. I just want you to know that I realize what I did was wrong. And from the bottom of my heart, I hope you know that I will always love you and always appreciate what you did for me.” AJ kept his stare away from Win, his hands in his lap.
“Thank you AJ.” Win replied.
“Of all the bad things that came out of this, you still brought something good into my life. Even though you didn’t want kids, you gave me one, you gave me Latecia. I can never thank you enough for that.” AJ said finally looking up at her.
“She always was your daughter, you always treated her like she was your daughter, and now, you got your wish, she is your daughter.” Win replied smiling.
“Yeah, she is, just look at that,” AJ said turning the album to show her a picture of AJ holding Latecia on his shoulders, she was holding her hands over his eyes, but he was laughing as was she.
“You two are adorable together, the perfect couple.” Win replied.
“I think you are right. I think I’ve had enough relationships for a while, I think I’m just going to focus on Latecia for a while.” AJ replied turning the album back to him.
“That could be a good idea, if I could believe it,” Win replied with a smile. AJ looked up her and shook his head.
“I’ve been so awful to you. How can you sit here with me, so calm and, and caring?” he asked.
“AJ you are not an evil person. You are not a bad person either. I know that, I’ve loved you, I still love you, and I part of me always will, no matter what. You just reacted bad, that’s all, we’re all guilty of that sometimes.” Win replied.
“You continue to amaze me Winifred. After everything that I’ve done to you, after all that’s happened to you, you just give back, love, and understanding, no matter what.” AJ said sitting back and looking at her. Win just shrugged her shoulders and smiled at him.
“Oh come here,” he said getting up and pulling her out of the booth to hug her tightly.
“Thank you, for everything.” He said squeezing her tight.
“No problem.” He let her go and sat down at the album again.
“I got to tell you something AJ.”
“What’s that?” he asked carefully.
“I lied about something too. Remember the night that you and the guys went out to that comedy club, and I stayed home sick?” Win asked.
“Yeah, what about it,” he said looking at her skeptically.
“That Freddie Louis girl you liked so much, you’re looking at her.” A smile crept across AJ’s face as his shook his head.
“I should have known. Just do me one favor Win,” AJ said grabbing her hand.
“What’s that?”
“If it doesn’t work out between you and Nick, and not saying that it won’t, just stay away from Howie.” Win laughed heartily and nodded her head.
“I promise AJ, I really promise.”