"Hello! You've reached Jonny's voicemail. Please leave a message and I'll try my best to reach you later."

Beep.

"Hi, Jonny Boy! I was calling to apologize for not being able to make it to the birth of your girl. I was planning on going, as I thought it was only fair that I come to your big day as you did mine, but Moses came down with an infection at the last minute and Gwen wanted me to stay back and take care of him. So I'm very, very sorry and I hope that you will forgive me. I'm also very curious about the name of her! You did say once that you would name her after a flower, and my interest in whether or not you followed through is peaked!

"Anyway, call me back. I'm not doing much, so I'll probably pick up. Talk to you later, J! Bye!"

Chris put his mobile with a sigh. He had given Moses his medicine a little bit ago and the boy had finally settled into slumber for the first time in what seemed like a week. Apple was out with her mum, buying groceries, and they'd hopefully be back soon, because poor Chris was bored half to death.

His mobile buzzed and he picked it up to see one new message from Jonny. He smiled as he opened it, and his grin widened as he read it.

Hey Chris! Sorry I missed your call, I'm in the hospital room with Chloe and neither of us had gotten any sleep, so we were out like lights.

The man reread the message, and thought about his reply before actually typing it.

thats ok, j. im sorry if i woke u up. that was not my intention i swear!

He hoped that Jonny would see the playfulness in his message and respond accordingly. He loved flirting- teasing- with Jonny.

He received a new message not a minute later.

You liar! You totally intended to wake me, you arse!

Chris chuckled to himself and waited for Jonny to finish typing his message.

Anyway, to answer your question, we named her Violet. It was my idea. I actually wanted to name her after a song from our album, because it's my favorite and it's a reminder of the era that she was born in, ya know? I thought Violet fit perfectly, since I did want to name my daughter after a flower, and I love Violet Hill, so there ya go.

Violet. It did have a very Jonny-like ring to it, Chris thought. It was sweet and gentle, like him. It was indeed a perfect name for Jonny's daughter.

its absolutely perfect, j. its a very jonny-like name indeed

Chris smiled, then chuckled and sent him another message.

i think the name violet suits you very well!

Gwenyth walked through the door then, a handful of groceries in one of her arms, and a sleepy Apple in the other. "Here, let me help you," Chris offered, taking Apple from her arms and moving away so she could set the groceries on the counter. He kissed his daughter on the cheek and asked Gwen if she wanted him to put their daughter to bed, who said, frustrated, "Why do you need to ask me? Just do it!"

She stormed out to get more groceries from the car, and a Chris, confused, walked into Apple's bedroom to put her to bed.

When he came back out, Gwen was sitting on the couch, crying, none of the groceries put away, which was unlike her to leave the kitchen such a mess.

"Gwen?" He sat next to her and patted her leg. He didn't ask her what was wrong yet, he just embraced her and let her cry.

"It's alright, love. Let it out."

She cried for close to fifteen minutes before it seemed that she had run out of tears. "Hey, Gwen. Are you ready to tell what's wrong?" He had never seen her like this before, and it concerned him, despite his dwindling affection for her.

"I ran into my ex at the store tonight."

Ouch. Chris knew what that was like. Well, kinda. His ex was his best friend, and they had a great relationship with each other. He didn't know what it was like to have an ex hate you. And, knowing her, he knew that most of her ex-boyfriends weren't on the best of terms with her.

"Did he say anything to you?"

She nodded. "It was a simple hello at first," she brought her eyes up slightly and began tracing shapes on Chris' back with her fingers, "but then he saw Apple and he started spitting insults at me." She gripped onto Chris' t-shirt as if her life depended on it and kept telling her story. "He said I was a good-for-nothing whore bag and that my daughter would grow up to be a slut just like me." She started crying again and Chris gripped her tightly, his anger growing. How dare someone insult not only his wife, but his daughter?

"That knob! Why would he say such things?"

Gwen shook her head. "I don't know, but now I feel like a horrible mother."

Chris shook his head. "Gwenyth, don't think such a thing. You're a fantastic mum. I wouldn't want any other woman to take care of my children."

Gwen slowly dried her tears and looked up at Chris. "You're only saying that."

"Why would I? I believe that our children will grow up to be wonderful people. I think we've both done quite well."

Gwen sighed, then nodded. "I think you're right. Apple noticed I was upset after that, and even though she didn't understand why, she still told me stupid knock-knock jokes to make me laugh, and I'll admit, it worked." She gave a small smile.

Chris chuckled. "Good girl. She'll be a real prankster when she's older."

"Heavens, I hope not!"

This made Chris laugh. "It'd be like having two of me in the house!"

"One is enough!"

They were both laughing now, and Chris was glad he could make his wife feel better. She leaned into him, and Chris wrapped his arms around her and kissed her head.

"Chris?"

"Hm?"

"I love you."

Chris bit his lip for only a moment before answering with the expected reply. She turned on telly and flipped through the channels and he checked his mobile to see if Jonny had replied. He had.

My parents had originally named me Violet! But when I was 7, I told them I fancied a different name and forced them to change it to something else. Thus, Jonny Mark Buckland was born!

Chris smiled at Jonny's goofiness, and replied, apologizing for taking so long to answer. Jonny answered him back quickly and said that it was fine and asked if he could call at the moment.

"Gwen, I'll be right back. Will you be ok?"

She waved him off. "If I need you, I'll call."

Chris smiled and stepped outside to dial Jonny's number. It only rang once before Chris heard his cheerful tone on the other end of the line. "Hello, Chrissy!"

"Hi, there Violet Boy!" He replied with a giggle. "How has being a father treated you thus far, eh?"

"Exhausting! How have you been able to handle three years of it?"

Chris laughed. "It's only exhausting if they're misbehaved. My children are angels, Jonny."

"Well you've had time to train them!" Jonny replied with a laugh.

When they were both quiet, Jonny sighed. "When are you moving back, Chris? I need you here with me," he whispered, startling Chris slightly.

Jonny needs me, he thought to himself. He needs me, and I need him. Maybe I can move back soon.

"Me? What about Chloe? Or any of the guys? Aren't they there for you too?"

Chris thought he heard Jonny crying on the other end, though that could've just been his imagination. "It's not the same, Chris. I need you."

Chris sighed. He wished he could be there for Jonny right now. He had missed the birth of his best friend's first-born child, and now when the poor man was in tears, when he needed Chris to be with him, Chris was absent. It felt horrible.

"I'm sorry, Jonny. I really wish I could be there, but my kids need me... and so does my wife. Life is really hard right now, I know, but you'll get through it, like you always do."

"I know, but... I miss being with you. I want you to move back so we can hang out like we used to."

Chris smiled slightly at the memories of him and Jonny together. Unfortunately, it would be harder to make time together what with them both being parents now. It was already hard with Gwen's schedule, and Violet's birth would make it twice as hard.

"I'll... try, J. I can't promise anything, but I miss you, too. And it probably will never be as it used to be." Chris wiped away a tear forming in his eye. As it used to be. Is that before the president of Ollama forced me to mate or after?

"I understand, Chris. I just want to know that you're close to me every day, and not just once a month."

Chris nodded, then remembered that Jonny couldn't see him. "I know," he said.

They didn't say anything, more, instead they each sat in reflective silence, both across the ocean from the other, yet thinking the same thoughts. Maybe I should tell him the whole truth. About what I am. About what happened to us, Chris thought. He smiled at the thought, and as he opened his mouth to spill everything, Jonny interrupted. "I've got to go, Chris. Chloe just woke up the baby."

Chris' heart sank. Maybe that was a bad idea after all. "Alright, man. Have fun."

"Thanks. I will."

They waited another moment, then hung up, all new ideas on Chris' mind.