He’d been laying in the sheets of his bed all tangled up, since he’d fallen asleep with various thoughts in his mind. His chest continued to move up and down slowly, his eyes shut to the world. It was when he slept that he could forget about everything and not worry about his problems. Yet, just like the sun would rise every morning, JC had to get up as well.

The sound of his alarm going off, which had been set for a studio session, was what woke him from his slumber. He stretched his arms up high and his eyes fluttered open slowly. JC scooted up in his bed and sat up, yawning and letting his eyes focus on the morning light. He wiped all the sleep from his eyes and then slowly peeled his covers off of himself.

He moved out of the bed and stood up barefoot, beginning to walk over to his bathroom that was connected to the bedroom. Just before he hit the doorway to the bathroom, the thought of Jacelyn calling him ‘JC’ came back to his mind. He knew it probably was only said because she’d heard everyone at America’s Best Dance Crew calling him JC, but it still didn’t sit that well with him.

JC shook the thought and quickly did his morning hygiene in the bathroom, before going downstairs dressed in some jeans and a gray hoodie he would wear for his studio session.

When JC made it down to the living room, that’s when he heard laughter and some blocks crashing to the floor. He knew the culprit of that laughter. It was Jacelyn and she sounded like she was having fun playing. He spotted Tyler on the couch watching as Jacelyn stacked blocks and made them fall again and again.

Tyler glanced up at JC and shot him a smile. “Hey, look who woke up.”

“Ha. Ha.” JC rolled his eyes.

“I’ve been playing with her for a good hour already. She really likes knocking blocks over.”

JC took a seat next to his brother on the couch. “I had my alarm set, so I didn’t plan on waking up any earlier.”

“Always an excuse, Josh.”

“Yeah, well, that’s just how I roll.”

Jacelyn remained oblivious to her daddy being awake and sitting next to her uncle. She made another tower of blocks and then laughed as they came crashing to the floor once more.

“Timmer!” She yelled.

“Timber!” Tyler corrected and watched his niece’s face light up at the fun she was having.

JC couldn’t help but let a smile purse on his lips and he waited for Jacelyn to acknowledge him.

Jacelyn then got up off her knees and stood up. She looked over at the two men on the couch. Her little eyes lit up.

“I’ll go get her some juice. You give her any juice yet?” JC asked, standing up slowly from the couch.

Tyler shook his head. “I gave her a little water in her sippy cup, but maybe some apple juice would be good. I just bought some the other day.”

Jacelyn outstretched her arms and she let her gaze land solely on Tyler. “Daddy!”

JC started walking toward the kitchen, but stopped hearing Jacelyn call out for him. “Come here, Jacers.”

He put his own arms out for her and knelt down for her to be able to reach him. Jacelyn looked over at JC, but her gaze went right back to Tyler.

“Jacelyn Harmony, come on, baby.” JC called out to her again, not sure why she wasn’t coming right to him, if she wanted him.

“Go to daddy, Jace.” Tyler said, not sure whether his niece was confused or what. Jacelyn simply ignored JC again and then cried out for her daddy once more.

“Daddy!” She yelled and finally moved her little legs over to in front of the couch where Tyler was sitting. She then tugged at Tyler’s pant leg, wanting him to pull her up into his lap.

Tyler was confused as to what just happened, but he pulled his little niece up onto his lap. Then he turned to look at JC. His face dropped, seeing his brother frozen in his spot near the kitchen door, with a look like he’d just been jabbed in the arm over and over with a needle.

“Did..did..she just..?” JC choked out, not able to finish his question, but luckily Tyler could read his mind.

“I think she did, bro.”

“Has she ever called you that before?” Tyler cringed and then nodded his head slowly.

“Mm..once or twice, but never like this with you in the room.”

“Shit!” JC exclaimed, pissed and hurt now. Jacelyn’s hands moved up to her ears to cover them.

Tyler sighed. “Maybe if you’d spend more time with her, you’d be a lot more familiar to her and she would never think I was daddy instead.”

“But she called me daddy yesterday. She’s called me daddy plenty of times.”

“It’s not my fault. What do you want me to say? Maybe you’re the one confusing her, Josh.”

Jacelyn rested her head upon Tyler’s chest and cuddled into him. “ Want juice.”

“Daddy is going to get you some.” Tyler reiterated and looked at JC.

JC nodded and headed into the kitchen. As soon as he got into the room alone, he started slamming cabinets and cussing. He was certainly angry and frustrated now. He then grabbed Jacelyn’s cup and poured the juice. He almost wanted to just spill her cup of juice to the floor as well, but he knew his daughter was waiting on it.

He then mustered up a smile and walked back out to the living room, heading over to Jacelyn and Tyler. JC put the sippy cup full of juice out in front of Jacelyn’s grasp.

She snatched it up. “Tanks.”

“Your welcome, baby.” JC said with a sigh.

“Jacelyn, who just gave you the juice?” Tyler asked. Jacelyn looked up at Tyler and then over at Jacelyn. She pointed at JC.

“That’s correct. So who is that?” Tyler posed the question, wanting to see if the little girl would confuse her father and uncle again.

She sipped more of her juice and then opened her little mouth to reply. “Is Jay-cee.”

Tyler and JC both looked at each other, knowing the answer wasn’t what they wanted to hear. JC stepped closer and he spoke to Jacelyn.

“Sweetie, that’s right. I am JC, but who else am I? ”His daughter shrugged her little shoulders.

“That’s daddy.” Tyler pointed to JC. “And I’m Uncle Tyler.”

Jacelyn looked back and forth between the two men again. “No daddy.”

“Yes, I am daddy.” JC reached out for her, wanting to take her away from Tyler.

“Nooooo!” She cried, cuddling up more into Tyler.

“Jacers, you know me, baby. Don’t act like this.”

“Josh, maybe she’s just still tired and cranky. Plus you know you’re not around a lot. You can’t blame her.” Tyler chimed in.

“Way to make me feel better, bro.” JC said dryly and then reached out for Jacelyn, pulling her away from Tyler. She then started crying, not wanting to be in the arms of her father.

“It’s not my fault she sees your face more on TV than she does in real life.” Tyler spat.

“Well it’s not my fault Kate walked out on me and left me with a kid! She knew I couldn’t fucking handle this on my own and she still up and left! So don’t go kicking me harder when I’m already down!”

Jacelyn’s cries intensified. She was now scared from the argument that was happening and the raising of JC’s voice.

“Hush up, Jace.” JC scolded.

“I’m not trying to make it worse Josh, but you’ve not been taking this parenting thing seriously for quite a few months. The longer Kate’s been away the worse you’ve gotten.” Tyler explained. “Plus you shouldn’t be telling her to hush up when you are the one causing all of this.”

Jacelyn cried even louder, struggling to get out of JC’s arms. “Go. I go. Down.” She kicked and screamed.

Tyler stood up and then swiped Jacelyn from his brother. “Yo, go to work and just get out of here.”

Tyler settled Jacelyn to the floor and watched the little girl run over to her teddy bear in the corner of the room and hug it tightly.

“I’m going. Just do what you do. Apparently you do it well if you’ve replaced me.”

“I haven’t replaced you. You just won’t spend time with your daughter like a father should.”

JC flipped his brother off. “Don’t start with me.”

“Fine, be a pussy, Josh. I’m not the one losing time with Jacelyn.”

JC huffed and then just exited the room, heading back into the kitchen. He grabbed his things off of the counter and then headed outside to his car. He had a studio session to get through and he didn’t have time to let his personal life interfere with his professional one.

“And that’s a wrap for today.” JC said, motioning for the younger singer he was working with to come out of the booth.

“Thank again for such a great session. I’m in love with the new song.” The petite brunette exclaimed with a smile, as she approached JC.

“No sweat. I did my job and you did yours. It all worked out perfectly.” He grinned.

The girl picked up her bag off of the couch in the room and then looked at her watch. “Hey…do you want to maybe go grab a cup of coffee? I have some time before I have to be at a dance rehearsal.”

JC turned to look at her. “Umm..normally I’d say no, but I think that sounds like a good idea. Lord knows I could use a little break.”

“Awesome. We can go to the Starbucks just around the corner.”

JC stood up from his chair and made sure all the equipment was turned off, before following out of the studio.

Then a few minutes later he pulled up to the coffee shop, finding that Amber, the artist he’d been working with, was waiting outside the door for him.

JC hopped out of his car and smiled, approaching her and then opened the door for the two of them. As soon he stepped into the coffee shop, JC looked around to see how many patrons there were and was glad to see that only a couple tables were occupied.

“Oh yeah, I forgot a hot shot like you gets paparazzi and fans all up in your box.” Amber chuckled, noticing him looking around.

“Well it’s just that I don’t feel like being bothered today. Some major news was released about me and I’m just waiting for it to catch on.”

“Ahhh…I see.” She paid for her drink and then waited for JC to order and pay for his.

Once they were both ready to sit down, JC led Amber over to a table for two in the corner. He slid into a chair and then started sipping on his latte. Amber sipped on her own drink and then spoke up.

“So, what is this news that got leaked?” JC licked his lips and debated whether to tell her, but he went for it.

“I have a daughter.” Amber gasped in surprise.

“I know, it’s a little bit of a shocker. I mean everyone knows I’ve never been the fatherly type, nor prepared for children.”

“So then how did it happen?”

“I fell in love with a girl. We made love and created a baby.” JC answered, simply.

Amber nodded. “Well yeah, I would hope that’s how it would happen. So then is the mother still in your life or what?”

He shook his head. “No, she’s been gone for over a year now. I think my daughter was three or four months when Kate walked away from us.”

“Oh sweetheart, that’s horrible. I can’t believe you’re a single father and broken-hearted.”

“Yeah well, neither can I, but I guess that’s just how it goes.” Amber shook her head.

“I bet you can mend your broken heart and I’m sure some new woman would love to come into your life so you aren’t raising your daughter alone.”

JC sipped on his coffee again and then sighed. “I doubt that. I really don’t want to replace her mother with another woman. I don’t even think I can love another woman like I loved Kate. This is just how my life is going to be…shitty father with an incomplete heart who gets his sex purely for pleasure.”

“So then it is true you’re a manwhore!” She exclaimed. “ I knew it!”

“Sshh..sshhh..calm down.” He said trying to quiet her down. “I wouldn’t necessarily use that label, but I enjoy sex from anyone who wants to hop in my bed or vice versa.”

“Well what if I said I wouldn’t mind hopping into your bed?” She smirked.

He laughed. “Umm..no. I don’t hop into bed with those I work with. That’s where I actually have a boundary I won’t cross.”

“Aww…well it was worth asking.”

He sipped on his drink again and sighed. “Well I should probably head back home. Lord knows my brother is waiting for me to get back and take Jacelyn off his hands.”

JC then stood up form the table and waved bye at Amber, not having anything else to say to her. He didn’t even know why he told her as much as he had.

When JC got home, he unlocked the house and walked into an empty one. He didn’t hear a sound and the lights were turned off. So he crept into the kitchen, flicking some lights on. He noticed a small note on the counter and it was scribbled in Tyler’s handwriting. JC picked it up and read it.

He sighed. He couldn’t even remember the last time he took Jacelyn somewhere in the evening , let alone somewhere by himself. Now his brother was out there enjoying precious moment with his daughter and he was home alone after a day that started shitty.

He crumpled up the note and tossed it into the trash. Then he picked up the bottle of wine that was sitting out on the counter and headed up to his bedroom.

JC flopped onto his bed and then he opened the bottle of the red alcoholic beverage. He started drinking some, guzzling it down. It burning his throat slightly. He coughed a little and then reached for a picture that was on his nightstand. It had been there forever and was a picture of him, Kate, and Jacelyn a week after they’d brought Jacelyn home from the hospital. He and Kate had huge smiles on their faces and they looked like the picture perfect family. He looked at it in disgust and then threw it across his room. The glass of the frame shattered as it fell to the floor.

“Gahhhhhh!” He cried out in pain and frustration.

He then set the wine down and buried himself into is bed sheets. “Why Kate? Why? Why did you leave me? Why do I suck at life? Why does Jacelyn love Tyler more? Why can’t I get my shit together? Why? Dammit! You’re so messed up, JC! You’re a bastard! You’re a fucking bastard!” He screamed out loud, it echoing in his room.

Then he crumbled and all the emotion he had inside of him poured out in tears. The tears rolled down his cheeks and his body shook violently the harder he cried. He was like a baby now, crying his eyes out. The last time he’d cried this bad was when he came home to find Kate was gone for good.

JC just continued to cry until he could cry no more and fell into a deep sleep. When he slept things always seemed better.