This time, Dr. Madison winked at Addison. “I’ll let you get dressed and find the bathroom.”
Addison suppressed a chuckle. “Thank you.”
“My pleasure. I hope I see you both soon.”
Addison nodded. “Me too,” she muttered. She caught the rise of Emma’s brow. “What?”
Emma shook her head. “I guess it’s time for that talk.”
Addison sobered. “Not today, Em. Let’s just celebrate today.”
Emma shook her head. “No, Addy; I think today is the perfect time.” She smiled genuinely. “Don’t look so dire,” she said. “You might be surprised by what I have to say.”
Addison tried unsuccessfully to smile. She nodded and helped Emma to her feet. “Can I buy you lunch?”
“Absolutely,” Emma said. She kissed Addison on the cheek. “Breathe, Addy.”
“I just love you so much, Em.”
“I know. I love you too. Want to tell me what I should call the sprig?”
Addison shook her head. “Not, the sprig.”
“Really? I thought that was better than seedling or sapling.” She grinned when Addison shuddered. “So? Tell me what to call him.”
“I’ve been telling you for five years, Em. Cornelius. How can you keep forgetting?”
“I think I’d prefer Frodo.”
Addison shrugged. “Short is as short does.”
Emma smacked her playfully. “Let’s go.”
“Hey, I’m not the one with the short gene.”
“You’ll be short your favorite cookies if you keep this up.” Emma zipped her jeans, grabbed her jacket, and opened the door.
Addison chuckled. Nah. “I get it. Cornelius in hungry.”
Emma giggled. She might just do it, kiddo. She just might.
CHAPTER TWO
Addison replayed Emma’s words over and over.
It’s where I fell in love with you, Addy. That house is where we brought Vicki and Hannah home. It’s where Tam and Christie got married. I know we agreed. I know. I just—it’s part of us.
“It is part of us,” Addison grumbled.
“Good conversation?” Sherry asked.
“The thing about talking to yourself is you can give the answers you want.”
“Mm. I assume this is about you and Emmie living here full-time.”
“I’m not sure that’s going to happen.”
Sherry pulled out a chair and took a seat across from her daughter-in-law.
“I thought Em would jump at the chance.”
“It’s scary, Addison. For Emma, I mean.”
“Moving home?”
Sherry grinned. “Ah, but is this home? When you think about home do you think about moving back to Maine?”
“No, but I’m not Em.”
“True. You and Emmie have built a life in California.”
“We can build a life here.”
“You can.”
“You don’t think we should either,” Addison surmised.
“Nothing would make me happier than if you and Emma moved into that house next door and stayed. Nothing. It isn’t about me.”
Addison sighed. “I wish there was a way to make it work.”
“There is; you just haven’t found it yet.”
“That’s kind of what Emma said.”
“Occasionally, my daughter takes after me.”
“More than occasionally.”
“Can I ask you something?” Sherry requested.
“Sure.”
“Why do you want to move to Kansas?”
“A lot of reasons. The kids, for one. They would have more space here to play, to run—to be—”
“Safe?”
“Normal.”
Sherry nodded. “Normal is overrated.”
“I don’t know about that.”
“Mm. Normal is also different for everyone.”
“How do you mean?” Addison wondered.
“Take Emmie, for example. She’s been in the spotlight since she was twenty-two. It is her normal. It seems foreign to me—even after all these years. When I see Emmie interviewed on television, or the two of you at some big event—it still feels strange. It’s odd; knowing that the world is enthralled with my daughter, some loving her, some being so cruel it makes my stomach turn.”
Addison understood that emotion perfectly.
“I know it isn’t easy for either of you. It is part of your everyday lives.”
“It doesn’t have to be,” Addison said.
Sherry nodded.
“Wait. Do you think Emma is worried she’ll lose herself or something?”
“Or something,” Sherry replied. “She doesn’t need the fame, Addison. You know that as well as I do. But she will never have anonymity again. We all know that. Sometimes, I think being here is like a shelter, but also a mind trick to Emma. The longer she is here, the harder it is when she has to go back.”
Emma had not articulated Sherry’s observations, but it made sense. Addison closed her eyes and mentally scolded herself. “I’m so dense sometimes.”
“No, you aren’t,” Sherry disagreed. “You just love her differently than I do.”
Addison smiled. She got up from her chair, put her mug in the dishwasher, and squeezed Sherry’s shoulder. “Thanks.”
***
“Hey,” Addison peeked into the bedroom. “God, there really is a lot to pack now.”
“Mm. Only going to get worse, love.”
“Yeah. But look at it this way, you get to do more shopping this time.”
“What?”
Addison laughed. “Well, you know I am all for gender-bending, but somehow, I doubt you plan to pass Hannah’s dresses down to Noah.”
Emma froze. Noah had been her best friend from the time she was born until she turned fourteen. She had told Addison thousands of stories about their adventures. His family moved to Australia shortly after her fourteenth birthday. A year later, Noah was diagnosed with leukemia. She never saw him again.
“Em?”
“Addy?”
Addison closed the distance between them. “New beginnings. Familiar places. I think it’s fitting.”
“I—Addy, I don’t—”
Addison pulled Emma down to sit beside her on the bed. “Listen. I’ve been thinking—a lot, actually—about what you said yesterday.”
Emma sighed.
“No. Just listen for a minute. I think we should take the house off the market.”
“What? We agreed that—”
“We did. Maybe we should have put a little more thought into that. I don’t need an office at home. We can make that a bedroom.”
“Addy, I didn’t say—”
Addison chuckled. Normally, Emma was the one begging her to be quiet and listen.
“I’m sorry,” Emma said. “Go on.”
Addison took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “I think we need some stability. You’re right. It’s not only a house. That’s been our sanctuary for years. It’s the only home the girls have ever known. We can make it work.” She took another breath. “The thing is, I think that home should be the place we spend summers and vacations. At least, I think we should try it that way for a year.”
Emma sucked in a nervous breath.
“I know that you are worried that I’ll have regrets if I let Jeff buy me out. Maybe I will someday. I can’t guarantee I won’t. It’s no different than when you wanted to leave Off Screen.”
Emma nodded. “Maybe not.”
“I had found this place near the beach that I was going to show you next week. It’s beautiful. It’s in a quiet neighborhood. It isn’t home. It could be. I think any place we are all together will become home.”
Emma smiled.
“You think this is impulsive on my part. It isn’t. I want to work, Emma. So, do you. Just because we are used to things being a certain way, it doesn’t mean they have to stay that way. Look at all the change we’ve been through.”
“Okay.”<
br />
“What?”
“Okay,” Emma said with a smile. “Let’s make Kansas home.”
“Em, I don’t expect—”
“Addy, we need to make a decision. You’re right. I’m afraid you’ll regret this and resent me.”
“I would never resent you.”
“Probably not. It does scare me—this change. I love our life. We have had a lot of change. We’ve always had—”
“We’ve always had each other, Em. That is what hasn’t changed.”
“I know. You’re right again. Are you sure this is what you want?”
“I am. And, I have an idea.”
“I’ll bet you do,” Emma said.
“Interested?”
“Always.”
***
A WEEK LATER
“Why are you fidgeting?” Addison asked through a chuckle.
“Why did you and Emma summon us here?” Tamara countered.
“Summon you? You make it sound like you’re a demon something.”
“You are spending way too much time watching TV with Em. Are you naming this kid Buffy or Willow?”
“Spike might be a better option,” Emma deadpanned as she entered the room.
“No way! You guys are having a boy?”
Emma smiled.
“Yes, and his name is Noah, not Spike,” Addison said.
“Or Cornelius,” Emma replied dryly.
“There’s still time, Em,” Addison reminded her wife.
“Well, you two are certainly chipper,” Tamara said.
“Are we normally sullen?” Addison asked.
“No. You’re acting weird. That means something is up. You always act weird when you are up to something?”
Addison laughed. “What exactly do Emma and I get up to?”
“Hey. That is not my business,” Tamara said.
Christie shook her head. “Seriously, there’s a reason you asked us to come over. Somehow, I don’t think it’s about Noah.”
“It kind of is,” Addison said. “In a way.”
“What way?” Tamara asked.
Emma exchanged a smile with Addison.
“See! Right there!” Tamara pointed at Addison. “You’re up to something.”
Emma giggled. “We wanted to ask you both something.”
“Well, you’re already married so it can’t be about weddings. Babysitting? You want us to babysit, don’t you? Like for a month or something.”
Addison rolled her eyes. “You are imaginative. No.”
Tamara threw up her hands.
“I know you’ve been looking for a house somewhere close to the studio. Emma and I wondered if you might consider this one,” Addison explained.
“You want us to buy your house?” Tamara crinkled her nose.
“No,” Emma said. “We wondered if you might agree to occupy it, though. Pay the utilities, and all that jazz. I know that you are planning on spending your time off back in Vancouver. We thought this might be a good fit.”
“So, you guys finally found a house?” Tamara asked.
“Tam, Em and I have decided to make our new house in Kansas home.”
Tamara’s brow furrowed. “You mean like you want to live there?”
“That’s the idea; yes,” Addison said.
“All year?”
“Most of the year.”
“Really?” Tamara asked. “What about work?” Before Addison could reply, Tamara continued. “Wait! What about when you want to come home? You do want us to babysit!”
Emma erupted in laughter. Christie covered her face.
Addison let out an exhausted breath. “Tam,” she said. “You and Christie will be in Vancouver most of the year. On Screen is only filming twelve weeks next season.”
“And?”
“And, if you are going to spend most of the other forty weeks in Canada, it would make more sense for you to use our house. We will be in Kansas when you are here.”
Tamara stared at Addison. “We won’t see you at all.”
Emma intervened. “That’s not true,” she said. “We’ll make sure we see each other.”
“Yeah, right.”
“Tam, you and Christie can always come visit us in Kansas. We have the space. And, honestly, we can overlap here for a few days.”
Tamara shook her head. Emma looked at Christie, and then Addison. They both nodded.
“Chris, what do you say we grab the girls and take a walk?”
“Vacating so Emma can lecture me?” Tamara guessed.
Emma raised her brow. “Maybe you need a lecture.”
Christie grabbed Addison’s arm. “Let’s go before Tam ends up in time-out,” she whispered.
Emma waited until she heard Addison enter the girls’ bedroom to speak. “How about a beer?”
“You can’t drink.”
“No, but you can,” Emma said. “Grab a beer and meet me by the pool.”
Tamara sighed but complied.
Addison peeked back into the room. “Where’d she go?”
“I sent her to get a beer and meet me outside.”
“Em—”
“Let me talk to her, Addy. You talk to Christie. You know Tamara. She loves you.”
“She loves you,” Addison said. “This was the one thing that worried me.”
Emma nodded. “Take the girls with Christie. Grab a pizza on the way back.”
“Em, I don’t want Tam to—”
“Go.”
Addison shook her head and left to find Christie.
Emma took a deep breath and headed off to talk with Tamara. This is not going to be easy.
***
Tamara refused to look at Emma. Emma wanted to laugh. It reminded her of Vicki when she got caught playing with something that was deemed off-limits. She watched as Tamara fiddled with the beer bottle in her hands, never lifting it to her lips. “Tam?”
Tamara shook her head. “It’s fucked up, Em.”
“Us moving?”
Tamara looked at Emma with unshed tears. “I thought we’d be close, you know?”
“We are close. That’s why Addy and I want you to stay here. I have to confess, I’m a little surprised at how upset you seem to be.”
Tamara shook her head again.
“Tam?”
“I wasn’t going to tell you for a few more weeks.”
Emma took a deep breath and released it slowly. “You’re pregnant, aren’t you?”
Tamara held up the beer, shrugged, and set it aside.
“Explains why you didn’t take a sip,” Emma noted.
“I thought you’d be close.”
Emma nodded. “You know that I am always here for you—no matter what.”
“I thought these two kids would—”
“They will,” Emma said. “Tam, you and Christie are family. You will be in Vancouver most of the year.” Emma groaned when she saw Tamara shake her head again. “Shit. You’re planning to sell the house in Vancouver.”
“Yeah.”
“Oh, Tam. I don’t know what to say.”
“I guess we’ll rethink that now.”
“Don’t.”
“Em, you and Addy were the main reason we made that decision. We were going to tell you when—”
“When you told us about the baby.” Emma sighed again.
“You’re not married to this idea, are you? Moving to Kansas?” Tamara guessed.
“I am,” Emma said. “But it isn’t easy. This has been home for a long time.”
“What about working?”
“Addy wants us to start a new production company.” Emma’s eyes suddenly lit up.
“What?”
“I just had a thought.”
“What?”
“What if you ran the company with Addy?”
“What are you talking about?”
The idea excited Emma. “Come on, Tam, you are one of the best on-set producers I know. You know how to bring people together.”
“Emm
a, you—”
“You are!”
“I love you. I don’t think me and Kansas are meant to be.”
Emma laughed. “Who says you would have to move to Kansas?”
Tamara was at a loss for what to say.
“We were talking about that,” Emma said. “Who should run the production side. We both know we need a presence here. You. You should.”
“Friends and business don’t always make good bedfellows, Em.”
“Well, you can’t prove that by any of us; can you?”
Tamara groaned. Emma had a point. Jeff, Emma, Addison, Christie, and Sandra were the closest of friends. They’d worked together successfully and managed to maintain healthy relationships. Tamara had never worked with Addison or Emma in any official capacity. She also wondered how Emma’s idea changed anything. “Even if I agreed, how would that change things?”
“I think it would change everything. Tam, Addy thinks she can run a production company from Kansas. She can, but she will have to be here more than she’s ready to admit. It might not be for weeks at a time, but it will be our reality.”
“What about you?”
Emma sucked in a nervous breath. “I miss it,” she confessed. “Working. I keep telling myself that I don’t. I do. I think Addy knows that. I think you all know it. You know, I’ve been home for the last four years—for the most part. Addy has been working. She wants to be home more.”
“And you want to work more.”
“Not immediately. Yes, I think so.” Emma sighed again. “I do need some distance, especially if I go back to work in any meaningful way. I just do. I need that for the kids too.”
Tamara nodded. “What do you think Addy will say about this idea of yours?”
“Let’s ask her.”
“Emma—”
“Chicken?”
“Yeah, I am.”
Emma grinned. “We’re not talking about my idea anymore, are we?” She watched as Tamara’s gaze fell to a spot on the ground. “I understand,” she said. “It’s terrifying—being someone’s mom.”
“You’re like everyone’s mom, Em.”
Emma laughed. “I don’t know about that.”
“The only cookies I can bake are in a tube.”
Emma laughed harder.
“It’s not funny! What if I suck?”
“You won’t.”
“Easy for you to say.”
“No, it’s not,” Emma replied. “Not at all.”
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