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Della leans up against the pool table and both Teo and Devon join us, taking a seat.
"I know you boys have big plans of recording for the next few months, but the label promoters have other ideas."
Four sets of eyes narrow in on her. This is not what any of us want to hear right now. We all need a break, and it's taken twelve months to negotiate. I'm not giving it up easily.
"What other ideas?" asks Iwan, sounding even more irritated.
"We're not changing our plans. We have been on the road on and off for years now, and we all need a little more stability. We agreed this was best for us all. You were there for that meeting, there is no going back now." I speak for us all. There is no way in hell I'm going back on the road, not this year.
She plasters on a fake-ass smile, and I can see she's getting irritated with me. "A good opportunity has come up; it would be worth thinking about," she tries to convince us.
I look at my friends. We’re sick and tired of travel. I'm sure Teo and Devon would go along with it to keep the label happy, but I'm so close to done it's not even funny, and without me, they have nothing. I know Iwan is with me on this. He wants a life with his new wife. "No, Della, we don't even want to hear what it is. If you need us for the next three months, we will be here making a new album. It’s not negotiable.”
“I’m with Heath. I’m done with the travel. Mandy needs me here while she’s pregnant, and after that, I don't think I'll want to leave my kid for a while."
I look at him. How much did I miss while I was gone for the week? "You're having a baby?" No reaction from the others, so I guess they knew already. This is so good for him and great for me because I have no intention of going anywhere anytime soon, and if he's the same, it will make life a lot easier for me.
"Yeah." He smiles proudly.
"Nice," I say, happy for him.
Della's face has gone from smug smartass to resting bitch face. She's not happy with the lot of us. "So that's it? Decision’s made no matter how this would work out for you? Teo, Devon?" she asks them, hoping they will concede.
"I'm happy to stay put," says Dev.
"Lots to do here," agrees Teo.
"Is there something the four of you are not telling me? Is this the beginning of the end?" she asks nervously. We’re her biggest pay check and have been for a long time. She should be anxious.
Teo turns to me, like I have all the answers. "It's not, is it, Heath?"
"Of course it's not. We’ve been together since we were fourteen, it will never be the end. We just have some other priorities that need nurturing at the moment. The band will still go on, and we will work on some new music to give the fans, but things are going to be different, Della. You need to hear us when we're talking, no going behind our backs and lining stuff up because you think it's good for us financially."
She looks between the four of us, and I know she's surprised. This is the first time we have really stood up to her and told it how it is. And unfortunately for her, it's not going to be the last. I need this break from the public eye, a chance for something a bit normal. I think we all do. And if she won't allow it, there is going to be a real problem for her.
CHAPTER TWELVE
AMELIA
"Mom,hurryupandget inside, this place is wonderful," calls Ruby from the front entryway of Heath’s LA home. Well, it's more of a mansion than a home. She runs on ahead without me and Connor. We were too slow getting out of the car.Wonderfulis also her word of the week, the word she is using to describe just about anything that she thinks is awesome.
I grab our overnight bags out of the trunk, handing one to Connor to carry. He's my little helper, always there ready to give me a hand when I need it. "Are you okay, Con?” I ask him. He was very quiet on the trip here and is right now staring up at the house in front of us. He looks more than a little overwhelmed. The tips of his ears have turned red, and I know from experience that means he is on high alert. This is a lot for him. When he was little it would mean he was about to have a meltdown. There would be hour-long sessions of kicking and screaming, ending with him feeling a hell of a lot better and carrying on like nothing had happened and me a drained mess, wondering what to do to avoid that from happening again. Now it's more likely he will hold it all together until we get home, then the next little thing to happen will set him off.
"Why wouldn't I be?" he asks like this is an ordinary Saturday.
"I'm just checking. I know this is a lot for you. Lots of new things over the last couple of weeks. You can tell me if it all gets too much, I understand."
"I'm fine," he grumbles, even though I know he isn't. I know I'm not.
I'm a scrambled mess. It's been nearly a week since Heath left for LA, but he has called every day since to check in on me and the kids. Sometimes he talks to them, sometimes it's just me, and it's been so lovely knowing he cares enough to call. It's also had me daydreaming about what all this could really mean. Could we somehow make a go of this and get back together? Or are we better off trying to manage this as friends and co-parents? It felt so nice to curl up with him on the couch. But neither of us has brought up the kiss again.
He smiles over to us from where he’s standing on his front porch.
"Hey, bud, so glad you could come and check out LA with me this weekend," he tells Connor.
"Ruby is right, this place is insane," says Connor, his eyes going wide when he can see inside, in awe of the impressive space Heath calls home.
My kids aren't wrong. It's a four-story cube-style mansion. The floors of the place look like one of my kids has built it out of Lego, all square and asymmetrical, every floor looking completely different from the others. It's all glass and wood slats and white plaster. With sections that have trees growing through from one floor to the next. The top balcony even has some sort of vine draping over the glass. It's stunning.
