I smiled at her joke, but as we stood there silently, staring at one another, and she didn’t budge on her story, it slowly started sinking in that what she was saying was true – and then everything began to fall intoplace.
When I didn’t respond, because my bottom lip was hanging around down by my feet, Emma said, all cheerfully, “Okay.Ready?”
Of all the scenarios I’d conjured up in my mind about who Emma was, never once had I suspected something this huge. I was all but convinced she was some rich man’s daughter getting a free ride through life. But this? Sister to Jake McKallister… this was on a whole ’notherlevel.
“Wait, I… no… I can’t. Is he in there?” I whispered, still too stunned to really process thewords.
“I’m thinking heprobablyis.”
“Holy shit, Emma, that’s not something you say in passing. I mean…” I couldn’t even find the words to finish my sentence, that’s how shocked I was. “I can’t go inthere.”
“Sureyoucan.”
“What am I supposed to say to him? He’s… I mean, come on, he’s Jake McKallister! The whole reason I made the trip was to see him perform!” My voice was getting increasingly more high-pitched and whiny with eachprotestingword.
“Okay, first, calm down. Second, now you get to meet your reason for making the trip – yay – and third, he’s just a person. Talk to him like you’d talk toanyoneelse.”
“So, yesterday, the ticket. The hotel. The security guards.” I was just rattling off all the clues from the day before and assembling them in one spot so I could try and make sense ofitall.
She nodded. “Yes. All Jake. Are you okay? You look alittlepale.”
“I… no… I’m fine. Just shocked. Why didn’t you sayanything?”
“For obvious reasons, I don’t announce my lineage to justanyone.”
She had a point. I hadn’t exactly given her a spreadsheet on my brother and the prison cell he was sitting in. “So what you’re saying is, I’m not justanyone?”
“Well, that and a whole lot more, but if that’s all you want to focus on,” she said, grinning. “So what do you say, Psycho, you ready to pretend you’re cool enough to hang with my rock starbrother?”
“Please. Give me a little credit, Emma,” I said shaking off my nerves. “I’m a goddamn actor. You don’t think I can act like a normal human being foronehour?”
“I wasn’t sure at first. You went all hyper-psychotic there for aminute.”
“Okay, well to be fair, you did drop a rather large ‘by the way’ on me. Haven’t you ever heard of easing people into aconversation?”
“News flash. I’m socially awkward.” Emma grinned playfully. “I’m surprised you haven’t figured thatoutyet.”
“Oh, isthatwhat this is? I thought you just enjoyed keeping me on the edge ofsanity.”
“That too.” She nudged me. “And speaking of socially awkward, don’t forget about my mother, who’s going to beveryexcited tomeetyou.”
“I got this, Emma. Leadtheway.”
* * *
She saidhe was just a person, but I wasn’t so sure I’d agree. In my eyes he was a musical god, and standing face to face with one of the greats took a lot more composure than I ever thought possible. I’d been around famous people before, but this was a different level altogether. Forcing my eyes off Jake, I went down the row of relatives circled around a table, all just as curious about me as I wasaboutthem.
“Emma!” A woman who could only have been her mother choked out the word, and a dollop of coffee actually dribbled downherchin.
“Oh Jesus, Mom,” a guy my age commented. “Don’t mind her. She’s a little Alzytoday.”
“Shut up, Keith,” she grimaced, wiping the liquid away with her thumb, then treated me to a radiant smile. “I don’t have Alzheimer’s. Just a little surprised is all. My daughter didn’t tell me to expect company. Hello, I’mMichelle.”
I came in for a handshake, amused and a little surprised by the exchange. I wasn’t sure why I’d expected stuffy people on this side of the door, but if the curiously amused faces were any indication, Emma’s family was a group of entertaining characters, and I instantly relaxed undertheirease.
Before I could introduce myself, Emma said, “Everyone, this is a friend of mine, Finn. Finn, this iseveryone.”
Michelle took my hand, seemingly mesmerized, as she looked me up and down. “Wow. It’s so nice to meet you. You’re… afriend.”
