FicWad

Scott, Lisa, and Abby were scheduled to stay in L.A. until after New Year’s. We decided to do a small party at our house that year. Nothing too exciting or loud. But we invited a few friends and their families to ring in the New Year with us. Joe, Marie, and the girls were living in L.A. now so they were here too. We had more kids than adults, but we still had fun. The weather was nice so the kids got to play outside and in the pool.

On New Year’s day Abby approached me with a concern. I was sitting with the twins giving them their bottles. The little kids were out back playing. And Bronx was on the phone with his Mom. Pete, Scott and Lisa were in the kitchen making dinner.

“Aunt Gracie, I know what I want to sing for the talent show. But I’m afraid Uncle Pete won’t like it.” She told me as she sat next to me on the couch. She smiled at Star who was in my lap drinking a bottle.

“Why do you think he won’t like it?” I asked her. I couldn’t think of a single reason he wouldn’t like any song she picked.

“Umm…. It’s a Fall Out Boy song.” She confessed.

“Oh, Sweetie, he’ll be thrilled if you sing one of their songs. Which one are you thinking about?”

“Heaven Iowa. Or maybe Sugar, We’re Goin’ Down. I’m not sure yet. But those are the two I like singing the most.”

“Why don’t you talk to him about it? I’m sure he could help you decide.”

“You sure he won’t be upset?” She asked me.

“Very sure. Want me to prove it to you?” I asked her with a smile.

She only nodded her head. I could tell this was something she wanted, but didn’t know Pete well enough to be comfortable asking him. And, I knew that Pete would be able to help her with this. If she wanted to be a singer, there wasn’t anyone else in the family that could guide her.

“Ok.” I took a deep breath and called for Pete. He was just in the other room. “Hey, Honey? Can you please come in here?”

Pete came into the living room where Abby and I were. “What’s up?” He asked us.

I looked at Abby, but she looked like she was about to throw up.

“Abby wants to sing a Fall Out Boy song in the school talent show. But she’s concerned you won’t approve.” I spoke up for her.

“Really?” He flashed his grin at her. “Which song were you thinking of?” Pete asked excitedly.

“You aren’t upset that I want to sing one of your songs?” Abby asked hesitantly.

“Upset?! Why would I be?” Pete asked her in disbelief.

“Because I’m not as good of a singer as Patrick.” She mumbled as an answer.

“Who says that? You never know, you might be better than him. So, which song?” Pete scooped up Jupiter who had been sitting on the other side of me and sat down on the couch.

“Heaven Iowa or maybe Sugar, We’re Goin’ Down.” She answered.

“Hmmm… both are good songs. Sugar, We’re Goin’ Down might be a little easier to sing. Heaven Iowa gives Patrick a hard time sometimes. Have you practiced either of them?”

Abby nodded.

“Can I hear you sing them? Maybe I can help you pick one.”

Abby stood up, took a deep breath, opened her mouth and started to belt out Heaven Iowa. I was totally blown away. She was better than good, she was great. I had no idea how good she was.

Pete gave her his full attention while she sang. When she was done, and she did the full song a capella, he held up one finger and said, “Hold on a minute.”

He pulled his phone out and called Patrick on FaceTime.

“Hey, you have a few minutes?” He asked Patrick when he picked up.

“Sure. What’s going on?” Patrick asked.

“Remember Grace’s niece Abby?” Pete asked.

“Of course. Why?”

“Listen to this.” Pete held out his phone and said, “Sing it again Abby.” And she did. Both men were silent as she sang. Scott and Lisa had come into the room by this time. Bronx had also heard her and come to see what was going on. Even the babies were listening to their cousin.

When she was done, Patrick only said, “She sings that better than I do.”

Abby smiled, blushed deeply and said “Thank you.”

“Abby, you have an amazing voice.” Patrick said. “Pete, you need to sign her.”

“She wants our permission to sing that or maybe Sugar, We’re Goin’ Down at her school talent show.”

“She has my permission. I think Joe and Andy would agree. When is this talent show Abby?” Patrick asked her.

“Not until March. Right before Spring break.”

“You got a back up band?” Patrick asked her.

“No. I was just going to play piano and sing, no back up band.”

Patrick just hummed a response. “Pete, I think I could write a song for her. Really, you could sign her. She has the voice for it. Abby, do you know how to read music?”

“Yeah, I’ve been taking piano for years. I can play this one without sheet music now.” She told him proudly.

“So, if I sent you some music, you’d be able to read and play it?”

“Yeah. Or if I needed to I could get my teacher to help me.”

“Well, you have my blessing to sing that or any of our songs for your talent show. But, I’d really like to see you perform.

Abby blushed even more at that. “Really? You want to see me perform?” She asked Patrick.

“Yeah, I do. You have a very sweet and clear voice. Have you ever thought about doing music as a career?”

Shaking her head she replied, “No. I love music, but I’m not good enough to be a professional.”

Patrick just shook his head. “Pete, the boys have a birthday party to go to, I gotta go. But I’ll call you later.”

Pete and Patrick hung up and Pete just sat and looked at Abby like she was something he needed to figure out.

“Abby! I didn’t know you sang. Why didn’t you tell me?” Bronx asked her.

“It’s just for fun.” She said with a shrug of her shoulders.

“Sweetheart, you sounded great!” Lisa told her. “I didn’t know you were practicing that song.”

“It’s just for fun. I’ve been practicing at school mostly.” She flicked her eyes over to her father.

“You sound so good, Honey.” Scott said as he beamed at her.

Abby visibly relaxed with the praise from her father.

“You have such a sweet voice. You should sing all the time.” I told her.

“You know, we have a piano. Come on, I want to hear you as you play it.” Pete said as he stood up, Jupiter still in his arms. He, Abby, Bronx, and Jupiter headed to the piano in the front room.

“Pete?” I called out to him. He turned to me with a question in his eyes. “Baby?” I asked as I held out my hands for my son.

“He’s fine. I’ve got him.” He flashed his smile at me and left the room.

A few minutes later we could hear Abby at the piano. I had known she took lessons, but I had no idea how good she was.

“Did Patrick really mean it? That he wants to write a song for her? He wasn’t joking?” Scott asked me. He seemed totally surprised by that.

I looked at my brother. He looked to be in a little bit of shock. I don’t think he really knew how good his daughter was.

“I’ve never known him to joke about his music.” I answered.

“Do you think she could make it as a musician?” Lisa asked.

“They could tell you better than I could. But she has a lovely voice. I bet anything Patrick writes for her will be amazing.”

“I’m not too sure how I feel about this. I mean, she’s my little girl and I want her to finish school. College would be a good thing too.” Scott was saying.

“You don’t have to decide anything right now. She might not want to be a singer.” I said.

“School is important. And I would like her to go to college too. But we shouldn’t keep her from the experience. I can’t believe Patrick Stump wants to write a song for her. I mean, that’s incredible.” Lisa was saying. “Besides, Gracie’s right. We don’t know what Abby wants.”

“Do you trust Pete with her future?” He asked me.

“I trust Pete in everything. And I trust Patrick too. They’re both fathers and won’t let Abby come to harm. But they can do everything to give her a shot, and she still could not make it.” I said.

Lisa and Scott turned to look at each other. “We need to talk about this and give it some thought.” He said. She only nodded.

“I think you need to talk to Abby first. She might only want to sing in the talent show and nothing more.” I said.

Both Scott and Lisa agreed that not only do they need to talk to each other, but they needed to know what Abby wanted. I took Star and went to finish making dinner for us.

Pete kept Jupiter with him as he and Abby sat at the piano. Bronx was also with them. The little kids were playing in the playroom. When dinner was ready I called everyone to the table. As we ate dinner both Scott and Lisa asked Abby about what she really wanted. Just to sing for fun in the talent show? Make a career out of music? Or just to have fun with it and leave it at that?

Abby was thoughtful and wasn’t too sure. “I’m not good enough to sing for a living.” She told us.

“Yes you are, if you want to. But you don’t have to if you don’t want to.” Pete told her.

“Uncle Pete, this was just for fun.” Abby told him.

“Well, if you change your mind, let me know. I can help if you decide to try to make a break into music.” Pete told her.

We dropped the subject of Abby singing. We enjoyed dinner together. The babies went down for the night not much after dinner. The little kids wanted to watch a movie with Bronx and Abby. They got settled on the couch and put on a Disney movie. By the end of it, they were ready for bed. The teenagers went up and played video games for a few hours.

The next day was the last day my brother and his family were with us. We didn’t have any plans for the day. They needed to get everything together and ready to leave. We hung out at the house and enjoyed the last day they were with us.

“I wish we didn’t live on the other side of the country from you guys.” Lisa was saying that evening at dinner. “I’ve had so much fun this week.”

“I’m really glad you all came out for a visit. I wish you lived out here too.” I told her. I did too. I would love to have them close by.

“Phu, umm, tttt Da!” Jupiter interjected. “Dada, Da!” He said to Pete as he made grabbing motions with his hands.

“Jupiter, do you want me to get you out of your chair?” Pete asked the baby with a smile. He loved talking to the twins. He and Jupiter had full conversations even when he had no idea what Jupiter was saying.

“Da!” Jupiter said.

“Ok, come on.” Pete said as he lifted our son out of the chair. Jupiter smiled and held on tight to Pete. Pete sat back down with Jupiter on his lap. The baby was done eating but wanted attention.

Star was quiet that night. She had been starting to make more noise the last few weeks. She still wasn’t talking yet, but she would be soon. I looked at her as she ate her dinner. Her big blue eyes were taking everything in.

“What about you Star? Are you done eating too?” I asked her. She was done eating so I took her out of her chair. But I didn’t put her down since she would only walk away from us. Now that she was walking, we couldn’t keep her in one room. I finished eating with Star in my lap. She was happy enough since she was getting attention from everyone at the table.

That evening as we adults were hanging out before everyone went to bed. Scott brought up Abby and her singing.

“Pete, were you and Patrick really serious about Abby’s singing ability? Do you really think she has the talent to be a singer?” Scott asked.

“Yeah, I do. And Patrick sure thinks she has the gift. He’s already working on a song for her. If she wants to, I’d be happy to let her cut a demo in my studio.” Pete told him.

“That’s something we’ll have to give some thought to. And see how Abby feels about it. If she doesn’t want to, I’m not going to force her.” Lisa said.

“I completely understand. But if all of you want to go forward with it, let me know. I’ll see what I can do for her.”

The next day they had to leave. Everyone gathered around after breakfast to say their goodbyes. I was going to take them to the airport but everyone else was staying at the house.

“Pete, it was good to see you all again. It’s too bad we live so far apart. I miss my sister, and I would love to spend more time with the kids. Thank you both so much for inviting us out here. It was a great Christmas.” Scott told Pete as they said goodbye.

Pete was holding Star as he said goodbye to them.

“And you Miss. Star, you are so much like your mother. I wish I could watch you grow up. You and your brother.” He leaned in and kissed her on the top of her head. She smiled at her uncle and laughed.

“Abby, I had so much fun with you. I wish you didn’t have to go back to New York.” Bronx told her.

“Me too.” Abby said as she gave him a hug.

Both Saint and Marvel gave Scott, Lisa, and Abby hugs and kisses. They had had a great time too.

I took them to the airport and said my goodbyes to them there.

“Gracie, thank you so much for inviting us out here. And thanks for Christmas. I had so much fun. I do wish we lived out here. I want to watch the twins grow up. They’re just too adorable and at such a great age.” Lisa told me as we said goodbye.

“We’d be happy to have you guys out here. I miss you all so much.” I told her as I hugged her.

“Scott,” I said to my brother as I hugged him, “I’m so glad you all came out. I’ll try to work it out so we see each other a few times a year. I miss you guys like crazy. You and Dad.”

“Well, the farm will be yours. You all could move there. You know Dad would love that.” Scott said.

I smiled at him and said, “I know. But, I haven’t told Pete that yet. I probably should. He has no idea that I’ll get the farm when Dad dies. Maybe once Bronx is 18 and we don’t have to stay in California for the custody agreement, we could think about it.”

I hugged Abby and told her to let me know the date of the talent show since we wanted to see her sing. She agreed to let me know. I waved to them all, told them I loved them, and wished them a safe flight. Then I headed home.

That night, after all the kids were in bed and Pete and I were alone in our room, I decided to let him know that one day, the farm would be mine.

“Honey?” I asked as we got ready for sleep.

“Yeah?” He asked as he brushed his teeth.

“Would you ever consider moving to the farm?” I asked him. I was leaning against the doorframe of the bathroom, watching him in the mirror.

“Well, I can’t right now. I have to stay in California until Bronx turns 18.” He said after spitting out the mouthful of toothpaste.

“I know. But he turns 18 this year. After that we’re free to go where we want.”

Pete looked up at me in the mirror and made eye contact. “Do you want to leave California?” He asked me.

“Yes. I’m only here because this is where you live.” I told him. He looked surprised at this, but I don’t think he ever gave it much thought. This had been home to him for almost twenty years. For me, it’s just a place to live for now because my family is here.

“Do you not like it here?” He asked.

“Well, it’s not my favorite place. But you're here so I am too. But someday, the farm will be mine.”

“What do you mean?”

“When Dad dies, I get the farm. It was what Grandma wanted and Dad told me years ago it will be willed to me.”

“Do you want to live on the farm?” He asked.

“Yes, someday. I would love it if the twins grew up there. But, I’m married to you, and I will go where you go. I always knew you had to be here for Bronx. But he’s going to go away to college soon. We don’t have to stay here if we don’t want to. It’s something to think about.”

“But, what about my work? Recording and everything when we make an album is here. And my studio is here. What about the bands I sign?”

“We could split our time between here and there. Or something else. We don’t have to decide right now. It’s something to think about though. And I want to take the kids there this summer.”

Pete rinsed his mouth and turned to me. “I’m not opposed to the idea of it. But I’ll have to think about the logistics of it all.”

He crossed to me and gave me a sweet but passionate kiss. “Anywhere you are is home. Let me think it over, but I think we could make sure the farm is home to us someday, at least part of the time.”

I smiled at him and kissed him back. “It doesn't have to be now. We have years to decide. I mean, Dad’s healthy and I hope he’s around for a long time.”

“So do I. I like John. But we can certainly look into taking the kids out there this summer.” He said.
We went to bed after that and went back to daily life the next day. Pete went back to the studio with the young band he was working with. I had filmed a lot of Christmas and New Years. Scott and Lisa both wanted to be in the vlogs, so I had a bunch of footage. So I spent a good amount of my time editing. I was back to posting videos twice a week.