Chaoter Twelve - Richie's story

I have a son. I don’t believe it. Alexander Stephen Sambora, born at 10:47am this morning, weighing 7lbs 2ozs. I can’t stop grinning. Even when Pippa was doing her best to strip the skin from my pick hand I just grinned through the pain and held her hand. 37 hours. That’s how long she was in labour for. It was worse for her than it had been for Heather. Pippa has a small pelvis, something neither of us had noticed…ya know when you’re diving in no one looks at the structure of the cave if you get my meaning…but it meant Alex got stuck for a bit and she ripped. Even the thought of it makes me shudder. Hearing her scream like that. It wasn’t a normal labour scream and my heart stopped for a beat or two but after the Doc told me what was happening and I could feel my colour coming back, the grin just wouldn’t go away.

I wish my dad was here to meet Alex. He’d have loved to know that there’s another boy in the family to carry on the family name. He loved Ava, don’t get me wrong, but I knew he’d been wishing for a grandson. Mom’s over the moon. I took a breather right after the birth to call her and let her know, I also took the op to tell Jon and Jilly that everything was a-ok. I even called Heather to tell her and to speak to Ava to tell her she has a brother. Being with Pip has taught me that life’s too short to hold a grudge, even if that person is trying to destroy you. Do what you have to do to stop them but don’t take it too far, do exactly what is necessary and then walk away and life your life.

I have a son!!! Oh my god!! I sit down next to where Pippa is sleeping and stare at my son, sleeping in the cot next to her. Normally babies are taken away and placed in a nursery, all together, but no-one was taking my son away from me. Even if I have to stay here 24/7 to keep an eye on him then fuck it, I will.

Jon enters the room and beckons me over.

He pulls me into a bear hug and I relax in my brother’s embrace. All this time I guess I’d been feeling second best to him as he’s got three sons and I had none but now? I have a son too…I know it’s a totally sexist thing and if Pip could hear me she’d whomp my ass for even thinking it but I don’t care. Every man will say it doesn’t matter as long as the child is healthy and every single fuckin man is lying!! Every man wants a son!…ok, maybe I’m going a bit too far but hey it’s been 40 odd hours since I slept and I guess I’m a little punch drunk, oh and I did I mention I have a son?

“Hey man, congrats bro. Jilly and I are gonna head back home…unless you want us to stick around?”

I can see the exhaustion on Jon’s face and even though I want my bro with me he has his own family and needs to be there for them. It’s been a strange five years. Ever since we first decided to do a competition to meet one of us and we all drew straws to see who would have to do it as none of us wanted to…

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“Fuck off, a fuckin competition to have dinner with one of us? Fuck me Jon, do you wanna get stuck with stalkers R us? Jeez…us man, have you gone stupid or somethin’?”
Jon gave me what has universally come to be known as the stink eye. It’s not nice and no-one wants to be on the receiving end but fuck me…dinner with a fan? I’d rather eat my own left testicle fried in butter and garlic…

‘This album is not selling as well as the last and we need to raise our public profile. Having dinner with a fan or two is nothing compared to the amount of PR it will generate.’ The stink eye was still in evidence, before he smiled wryly.

‘How fuckin’ thick do you think I am Moose? You really think I wouldn’t have people to check out the possibles? To sort out the stalkers and wannabees from the genuine? Oh and they will be female and good looking if I can help it. You really think I’m gonna sit across from some dog for 3 hours? Get real fuckhead…’

I smiled at that. There was the Jon I knew. A sniffer to the end.

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Who could have known though that the good looking, genuine female fans that Jon hand picked ( yes that’s right – he employed PI’s to check out the last ten possibles) would turn out to be the loves of our lives? I never got to see the pics, in fact I didn’t know he’ ahd all this background work done until six months or so after we’d met them. I was over at his one day, Jilly was out shopping with Pip, and I caught sight of some photo’s he was trying hard to hide from me. Needless to say I grabbed them from him and got the whole story from him. He’s a devious shit at times, but protective and loyal. Though sometimes I think he’s more protective of the product than the people. Scratch that. He used to be like that and now? The people come first.
I always used to wish when I was a kid, for a happy ending. Yeah, I wanted fame and fortune but above all I wanted a happy ending. For a while I thought I ahd it with Heather but now I know I’ve got a happy ending. I have two healthy gorgeous children, My brothers in arms are settled and happy. Jon and Jilly are more in love than ever before and if I’m not mistaken Libby will soon have another sibling. And Pippa? What can I say about Pippa that I haven’t said before? She is my life, my breath, my heart and soul. I would do anything for her, die for her, kill for her…get ice cream at 4am and mix mushrooms into it for her ( ok I did that once but never again…it was the grossest thing I’ve ever done in my life and I’ve done some pretty out there things…). I am complete. She completes me. If I never sang or played guitar again it wouldn’t matter as long as I had her by my side. I’d like to thank you all for letting us tell you our story, all the ups and downs, over the years…Oh, and did I mention? I have a son!

The End