by Tina Wells
Zee smiled. Even though she hadn’t planned as much of the Baby Blast as she’d wanted, it had been her idea to have it in the first place. But she was mostly happy that she had such amazing friends who wanted to help and to be a part of her family.
The doorbell started ringing again. When Zee opened the door, she found Landon, Conrad, and Marcus waiting.
“Mmmm,” Marcus said, reaching for a finger sandwich. “I’m starving!”
“Me too!” Conrad said. “Got any peanut butter and jelly?”
Without answering, Zee absentmindedly held out the tray for the boys to take what they wanted. “Where’s Jasper?”
Landon shrugged. “He called us at the last minute and said to go without him.”
Conrad gulped down his tiny sandwich. “I believe his exact words were ‘a crisis of phenomenal proportions.’” He parroted Jasper’s British accent.
Zee’s eyes grew wide. “Is he OK?”
“He looks all right to me,” Marcus said, pointing.
Jasper climbed out of his father’s car and hurried up the steps to the Carmichaels’ house with a frazzled expression on his face. Although he was perfectly dressed in his usual weekend clothes—crisp khaki pants and a short-sleeve collared shirt—Zee could tell that Jasper was not all right.
“What’s wrong?” Zee asked him, worried.
“I think you may have erased all of our work on the science fair project,” Jasper said.
Zee could tell he was trying to appear calm. What could have happened?
“Well, I’m out of here,” Conrad said, heading toward the living room.
“Me too,” Marcus said, following him.
Landon looked as though he wanted to stay to hear what was about to happen, but Marcus circled back and pushed him into the living room. “I think I smell shrimp in here, buddy,” Marcus told him.
“How could I have erased everything?” Zee asked helplessly. “It was all in our shared documents.”
“The documents are all there,” Jasper explained. “But they’re all blank, and the history says that you were the last person to edit them.”
Nothing was making sense. Zee thought back and pictured herself typing on her laptop, entering information into the computer. Then she watched herself knock over the glass of orange juice, frantically wipe the keyboard, and . . . hit “Save” without checking to make sure all of the documents’ contents were still there!
“I must have wiped away the information when I wiped up the orange juice I spilled,” Zee said out loud—and then immediately wished she hadn’t.
“You hit ‘Save’ without checking to see what you were saving?” Jasper sounded really angry, even though he still looked calm.
“I have all of the information somewhere,” Zee explained. “I can re-create all of the documents.”
“I guess that’s what you will have to do,” Jasper said. “Can you put it back together before the end of the weekend?”
Zee took her right hand away from the tray of sandwiches and held two fingers up in the air. “I promise.”
At that moment, Zee’s phone rang. As she reached into her pocket to get it, the tray of sandwiches crashed to the floor, ringing out like a gong.
“Dad?” Zee answered the phone as Jasper began picking up the food from the floor.
The rest of The Beans and Mrs. Carmichael hurried over to see what the commotion was about.
“Are you two OK?” Mrs. Carmichael asked.
Zee nodded, then said into the phone, “Today?”
“What is it, Zee?” her mother asked.
“Yeah, what’s up?” Chloe said.
The crowd grew curious about Zee’s mysterious phone call now that they knew Zee was okay.
Zee pulled the phone away from her face. “They want me to come back for another audition,” she said, only half as excited as she should have been. “Right now.”
Chloe took a step closer. “What are you going to do?” she asked.
“Should I leave the shower now?” Zee asked her father at the other end of the line.
“It’s up to you,” Mr. Carmichael told her.
Zee knew he had meant it when he had told her she should continue with the TV pilot only if she wanted to. But if she didn’t go to the audition, would she be letting him down after all of his hard work?
Mrs. Carmichael placed her hand gently on Zee’s shoulder. “Don’t worry about the shower. You’ll have a lot of years to celebrate the twins and help me out with the babies.”
Zee could feel the weight of her mother’s whole body press against her shoulder, as if she needed Zee to hold her up. Zee looked at her mother’s tired face.
“What if I don’t go?” Zee asked her father.
“I’m not sure,” he said. “This may be your only chance to audition again.”
Zee looked at her mother, torn. “Are you sure you don’t mind?”
Mrs. Carmichael forced a smile. “I’m surrounded by my favorite people in the world.” She placed her hand on her heart. “And since I always have you in here, you’ll be with us, too.”
“I’ll be ready when you get here,” Zee told her father. Then she hung up the phone and raced to the TV room to find her guitar.
Chloe and Missy followed her. “How can you leave your own mother’s baby shower?” Chloe asked Zee.
“My mom said she’s fine with it,” Zee told her. “I probably won’t get another chance to audition.”
“And your mother probably won’t have another Baby Blast.”
Suddenly, the last thing Zee needed was someone else accusing her of not doing her part. “It’s really nice that you helped my mom with the Baby Blast, but I need your support, too.”
“Missy and I supported you by putting this party together with your mother when you didn’t have the time to do it!”
Missy stepped forward. “Chloe really was trying to help out, Zee,” she said in her quiet voice. “She did it because you’re her best friend.”
“Then she should know that the audition is a really big deal for me!” Zee said.
“When have I acted like it wasn’t?” Chloe asked defensively.
“Right now!” Zee snapped.
Kathi and Jen stepped into the room, followed by the rest of The Beans. “Just let her leave, Chloe,” Kathi said.
“She wasn’t planning on playing with the band today, anyway,” Jen added.
Zee looked at her fellow band members, then her eyes rested on Chloe and Jasper.
No one said anything. No one came to her defense.
Suddenly, Mrs. Carmichael’s voice broke the silence. “Zee, there’s something I think you should know,” she said. “I’ve gone into labor.”
16
Little Things
As she watched Mrs. Chapman guide Zee’s mother to her minivan, Zee called her father.
“What’s going on?” Mr. Carmichael answered. “Is everything all right?”
“How did you know something was up?” Zee asked, momentarily distracted from her mom going into labor.
“You never call—just text,” he said.
“Well, you’re right,” Zee told him. “You’re going to be a father! I mean . . . you’re going to be a father, again! Mrs. Chapman is taking Mom to the hospital right now.”
After making sure everyone was all right, Mr. Carmichael said, “Adam and I will meet you there.”
The Beans and the rest of the Baby Blast guests climbed into the other cars and drove toward the hospital. Zee climbed into the minivan with Mrs. Chapman, her mom, Jasper, Marcus, Conrad, and Landon.
Zee was sitting right next to Jasper, who kept typing on his iPad, scratching his head, and muttering to himself. She knew he was worried about the science fair, but at that moment, Zee had too many other things on her mind to try to convince Jasper that she would save the project. The twins were just more important.
The boys may have thought Zee had let The Beans down just as much as the girls did, but they didn’t seem to
be thinking about Zee now. Even Conrad and Marcus weren’t cracking their regular jokes. Zee felt sorry for Landon, who looked terrified—probably convinced Mrs. Carmichael was going to give birth in the minivan before they got to the hospital.
Luckily, that didn’t happen. But as soon as they pulled up to the hospital’s main entrance, the nurses hurried Mrs. Carmichael to a desk in the maternity ward to check her in. Mrs. Chapman sat with her and helped answer questions.
Zee and the boys went to the nearby waiting room, where some of the other shower guests and The Beans had gathered. Zee looked over at Chloe, who was sitting next to Missy. Neither girl looked up.
Zee was relieved when her dad and Adam arrived. Mr. Carmichael immediately rushed to his wife’s side, and Mrs. Chapman and Adam came into the waiting room.
“Zee and Adam, why don’t you go see your mother and father?” Mrs. Chapman suggested.
“Are you sure it’s OK?” Zee asked, not certain where she was allowed to go in the maternity ward.
Mrs. Chapman nodded.
“Well, your mother gave us a surprise,” Mr. Carmichael said to Zee as she and Adam walked toward her parents.
“It’s not a total surprise,” Zee said, looking sideways at her mother’s large belly.
Mr. and Mrs. Carmichael laughed.
“Listen, Zee,” her father said seriously. “I’m not going to be able to take you to the audition, but Mrs. Chapman says she is more than happy to.”
“Dad, I’m not going,” Zee said. Zee had wanted the part on the TV show, but her family was more important.
“I really think you should go with Mrs. Chapman,” Mrs. Carmichael said. “You’ll probably be able to perform an entire play—with intermission—before these babies are born.”
Zee looked from her mother to her father, who was gazing down at her mother. She knew he loved his role as stage dad, but he loved his roles as just plain dad and husband even more. Anyone in the hospital could see that.
When Zee had just left her friends in the waiting room, the tension of the last half hour had been melting away. Conrad and Marcus were high-fiving Landon. Jasper was showing Kathi and Jen something on his iPad. And Chloe was bouncing up and down, excitedly telling Missy something. They all could have gone home, but instead they had come to the hospital to be with Zee’s mother.
“I want to stay,” Zee said.
“You don’t need to do that,” Mrs. Carmichael said.
“I know you’re not asking me to choose,” Zee explained. “But I’ve learned a lot over these past few weeks.”
“You don’t want to waste all of what you learned about acting by hanging around and just waiting, do you?” Zee’s mother looked concerned.
Zee took a deep breath. “It won’t be a waste at all—since the most important thing I’ve learned is that I don’t want to be an actress.”
“But, Zee, it was always your dream to be a star!” Mrs. Carmichael said, looking up at her daughter.
“It still is. But if I get the part, it won’t be a dream anymore. And now I know that I really want to be a musician, not a TV actress.” Zee looked at her father. “I’m sorry. I know you worked really hard for me. But I’m not sure I’m cut out to be on a TV show. I just want to write songs and play in a band with my friends. At least for now.”
Mr. Carmichael put his arms around his daughter and pulled her close to him. “The truth is, I don’t think I’m ready to be a real stage dad. I just liked acting like one.”
Zee looked at her mother, and they shared a secret grin. “You sure are a good actor! You nailed the part, Dad.”
Zee’s heart pounded as she walked across the waiting room toward her best friend.
“Hey!” Chloe said brightly.
“Hi,” Zee said, then stopped. She was afraid to say anything else just yet.
Then Chloe asked, “Could you play us one of the songs you’ve been working on for the audition?”
“Really?”
“Sure. You brought your guitar.” Chloe pointed to the spot where Zee had put it down across the room.
“Ohmylanta! I guess I was holding it when we rushed to the hospital.”
The other Beans gathered around Zee and Chloe. “It looks like we’re going to be here awhile,” Landon said. “I think we need some entertainment.”
“There’s a courtyard in the middle of the hospital,” Missy’s mother said. This was the hospital where she performed surgery. “You can go out there and you won’t bother anybody.”
“Let’s go!” Chloe said, and The Beans followed Missy to the outdoor courtyard.
Zee lifted her guitar out of its case and took a breath.
At first, she sang quietly.
“How can it be? Can it be true? Here I am looking at you.”
She had never performed like this in front of The Beans before, and it felt strange to be singing songs she had written to perform by herself. But as they smiled and applauded, Zee grew louder and bolder.
“When you came I couldn’t believe that I’d fall in love. I’m head over heels!”
Continuing to play, Zee watched a few people walk out into the courtyard to hear the music.
“But now that you’re here, whatever was true is now just a lie. I was waiting for you.”
By the time she got to the chorus, the crowd had grown larger.
“The earth started spinning when you started grinning. It all came together. Let’s call this forever—for us.”
When Zee finished her song, the audience applauded loudly. But she hardly noticed because something else got her attention. Adam and the parents of The Beans were carrying out the band’s instruments.
“They were in the cars, so we decided we shouldn’t let all of that Baby Blast practicing go to waste,” Mrs. Lawrence-Johnson explained.
Chloe wrapped her mother in a hug.
“Yay!” Kathi cheered, rushing to get her violin from Mrs. Barney. “This is going to be The Beans’ best performance yet, because I’m singing lead!”
Chloe looked at Zee from behind her cello and rolled her eyes.
“One two three four,” Kathi shouted, and The Beans started to play.
Zee stepped aside and watched The Beans perform, just like any other fan. She had to admit that Kathi’s voice soared, and the songs she had written with The Beans for the Baby Blast really highlighted it. All of the band’s instruments and voices came together—they were fantastic.
More and more people came to the courtyard to watch The Beans. Nurses and other staff members started to bring out patients to hear them. The ones in wheelchairs tapped their hands and feet. The people standing swayed and danced to the music. Some clapped to the beat. It made Zee happy to see that so many other people were enjoying the music.
After The Beans finished their third song, the boys started whispering, then chanting, “Zee! Zee! Zee! Zee!” Soon the girls joined in. Even Kathi was chanting Zee’s name! Adam and The Beans’ parents added their voices.
Zee grabbed her guitar and rejoined The Beans in the center of the courtyard. “Let’s sing something everyone knows.” She looked out at their audience. “How about ‘Little Things’ by One Direction?”
Everyone agreed. Then Kathi stepped backward to make room for Zee—and only pouted a little.
“Are you going to start us off?” Zee asked.
Kathi looked around as if she thought she was the victim of an April Fools’ prank. Finally, she asked, “You want me to be the lead singer?”
“You’ve earned it,” Zee said, meaning it.
Kathi placed her violin on her shoulder and pulled her bow across the strings to play the song’s introduction. Zee did have to admit that it was kind of nice not having so much responsibility for how the band sounded for once. She could just relax and enjoy being part of the group.
After the band had played the last note and the audience applauded, one set of clapping hands stood out from the rest.
“Dad!” Zee exclaimed, racing over to her fa
ther. “How’s Mom?”
The rest of the band was right behind her.
“Has Mrs. Carmichael had the babies yet?” Chloe asked.
Mr. Carmichael beamed. “She’s had the babies, and everyone is doing great!”
“Are they boys?” Zee asked.
Mr. Carmichael shook his head.
“Girls?” Zee said excitedly, but her dad shook his head again.
“Monkeys?” Conrad guessed from behind Zee, and everyone laughed.
“One boy and one girl,” Mr. Carmichael announced proudly.
“What are their names?” Missy asked.
“Phoebe Grace and Connor O’Neal,” Mr. Carmichael told them.
“Can we meet them?” Kathi asked.
“Only Zee and Adam will be able to see them today,” Mr. Carmichael said. “But from what I hear, The Beans made this the most memorable birth Brookdale Hospital has ever seen.”
“You guys definitely made it special for me,” Zee told her friends, turning around to face everyone.
“Group hug!” Marcus shouted, and everyone reached their arms out.
After a few moments, Mr. Carmichael asked, “If Zee is somewhere in the middle, could you all let her out? I’d like her to meet her brother and sister before their first birthday.”
When Zee finally reached her mother’s hospital room, Mrs. Carmichael was holding the twins in her arms and looking down at them.
First Zee hugged her mother, and then she gave each baby a kiss on the forehead. “Hello, Phoebe,” she said to the tiny baby in a little pink hat. “Hello, Connor,” she said to the tiny baby in a little blue hat.
“How does it feel to be a big sister, Zee?” Mr. Carmichael asked.
Before Zee could answer, Mrs. Carmichael said, “I’m sorry you missed your big chance today, Zee.”
But when Zee looked down at her siblings’ rosy faces, she knew she would always be a star in their eyes. “If I had gone to the audition, I would have missed this.”
Then Zee began singing the song she had been working on the hardest over the past few weeks—a song that had nothing to do with the TV pilot.
It was a lullaby for her brand-new brother and sister. She whispered sweetly to them: