“Your art project took first prize?” I ask. Where was I? Was this when I was back in England for filming? “Your mother didn’t mention?—”
“And she missed my orchestra performance too,” Eddie says. “She’s never missed it before. It was like, why am I even playing?”
I peer at him. “You’re in the orchestra? And your grandmother has been to see you and I haven’t?”
“What do you play?” Bea asks him.
He pauses.
Both of the boys lean around me to share a look.
“Whatdoyou play?” I echo.
My god.
My children are musical and artistic geniuses and I had no idea.
I’m as terrible as my own parents.
I am.
Worse, in all actuality.
Who doesn’t know their children are musical and artistic?
Especially when I’ve lived near enough that I should’ve been attending their performances and displays.
Mostly.
I did travel a bit for projects the first half of the year.
“Violin? Clarinet?” Bea prompts.
“The soundboard,” Eddie says. “I played the soundboard.”
A relieved sigh slips from my lips while Charlie covers a snort of laughter.
I was well aware Eddie’s taken an interest in technical, behind-the-scenes production, and that he wished for me to not be there to cause a scene.
I thought I’d missed that he’d taken up the tuba, for which I would’ve snuck into the theater to watch.
“It’s not funny, Charlie,” Eddie says. “If it weren’t for the crew, there wouldn’t be performances at all.”
“That’s quite right,” I agree. “The tech crew is invaluable in any production. Could we please get on with apologizing to Ms.Best? And then ordering burgers for all of us, which we will enjoy because they’re delicious?”
“We’re sorry we missed you on Saturday,” Charlie says.
“It sounds like it would’ve been a great party,” Eddie agrees.
Bea purses her wide pink lips together, clearly suppressing a smile.
“They’re very sorry,” I tell her. “Genuinely sorry. We’re still working on expressing our regrets.”
“So you’re in charge while Lana’s getting her mom settled?”
“Yes. And I’m only in meetings or working three or four hours a day.”
“It feels like thirty or forty,” Charlie says.
