a bird, skittering of a nearby critter, or the simple sound of the breeze whistling its happy song through the trees.
It was all the stuff we miss in the hectic day-to-day in the city, and it renewed my soul by the minute. The sun had just begun to set, so the sky exploded with brilliant pink and blue in a painting no human artist could replicate. I reached for my sister’s hand. “You’re a genius,” I smiled.
“I know,” she grinned back.
By the time we reached the Family House, it was alive with the rowdy sound of, well, my family. There was my mom, whose voice always carried, my dad’s robust laughter, whatever music Dallas was learning for her new routine, and my beautiful baby brother Dash, in his favorite sparkly tutu, dancing right along with her.
He was always showing her dance moves, and she’d always entertain him. Sometimes those moves would end up in her act. He bragged to everyone who would listen that he was going to help his big sister win the Olympics one day.
“It’s a medal,” she’d remind him, and he’d just shake his head. His long beautiful strawberry blond tresses that he’d never let anyone cut would swirl around his face like a halo.
“You’re gonna win the whole thing,” he swore.
The moment he saw me, he broke out into a run, leaping into my arms with a huge hug. “Pea!” he cried, before turning to Fern for the same treatment. “Fernie!”
“Hey, guys,” Dallas nodded, before turning back to her practice.
She was single-minded, but that was what had made my older brother, Archer, such a success.
One could also say it made him a dick, but that was just one of the traits that made him a successful attorney.
Mom emerged from the kitchen. “There are my girls!” she exclaimed, before coming to give us hugs all her own.
“I hope we’re not intruding,” I said, referring to showing up virtually unannounced.
“Are you kidding? Since when do my children need a reason to come home? How are you feeling, honey?” she asked me, brushing my hair from my face.
“Better now,” I said as I kissed her cheek soundly.
“Wonderful. Let’s go get some grub.”
Dinner at the McPhee Ranch was always a noisy affair. Everyone talking at once, subjects pivoting on a dime. Lots of jokes and laughter. It was the sound of home and I couldn’t help but smile.
All conversation ground to a halt, however, when I began to tell them about my amazing new job, which I announced with a toast of Yaars wine. I managed not to take a sip, instead relying on their reactions to enjoy the luxury by proxy. Mom, Dad and Fern all remarked on how sweet but subtle it was, with just a few bubbles to tickle the nose. “Do you really want to waste this on a family dinner?” Dad asked.
“There will be plenty more,” Fern grinned, setting the stage for me to state what kind of offer I had been given. I could almost hear each of their jaws hitting the floor with a clank. For one person, the one who was still young enough not to care about money, it wasn’t entirely good news. “You’re gonna be gone for a year?” Dash asked, his face pulling into a pout.
“Maybe not a year,” I said, softening the blow. “The tour starts March 30th in New York and ends in Aldayne August 24th.” I gulped a little, thinking that I would have been 30 weeks pregnant by that time. Third trimester, lots harder to hide, especially in a ball gown.
Choices? Who had choices?
“You won’t be here during summer?” he asked, this news hitting him much harder than I expected.
“No, but I will call you every day. We’ll talk on camera like you like. It’ll be like I’m right there in the room.”
His little lip quivered and my heart broke. “It’s not the same.”
“It’s the opportunity of a lifetime, Dash,” I tried to explain, but it sounded feeble even to my own ears.
“It’s a lot of money,” Dad agreed. “You’d be set for a good long while. Especially if you invest.”
I nodded. “More than that, this book is destined to do very well. It’s worth a year if it prepares me for the next fifteen or twenty, right?”
“Will you bring me something from Aldayne?” Dash asked, coming to peace with the upsetting information.
“Whatever you want,” I promised. And for once, I could make that kind of promise.