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“No, not this time, buddy,” Charlotte says. “Auggie and I came over because we’re going to watch Rudy while you’re all in LA visiting Billie.”
“Oooooooh,” Zach says. “I thoughtAuggiewas here to watch Rudy, andyouwere coming with us to meet Billie. Can you come?”
“I wish,” Charlotte says. “Don’t worry, I’m sure I’ll meet Billie one of these days. Maybe her parents will bring her to Claire’s next birthday party.”
The little boy replies to that, and I’m struck by how enmeshed Charlotte is in his and his sister’s lives. Zachary assumed Charlotte would come on a family vacation, and now, it’s also clear it’s a perfectly natural thing to expect Charlotte to attend his sister’s next birthday, too. Plainly, Charlotte’s a full-fledged member of the family, as far as these kids are concerned, and that fact only makes Charlotte even more attractive to me.
Kids can’t be bribed into loving you, in my experience. They only feel genuine love for an adult, the way these two obviously feel for Charlotte, when that adult investstimein them. I know this, due to my close relationship with my own niece and nephew, Ripley and Marcus; so I’m positive Charlotte has made a real effort with these kids. It’s yet another reason to feel things for Charlotte I probably shouldn’t.
“Isn’t Billie adorable?” Charlotte says to me, offering me Tessa’s phone. Lucky’s on my lap, so I shift him slightly to take the device from her, and the second I look down at the photo, I’m shocked to instantly recognize Ryan’s brother.
“Is your brother an actor?” I ask Ryan.
Ryan confirms my hunch and confirms the name of the show his brother’s most known for—one I recently binge-watched.
“I’ve watched every season!” I say. “Your brother was my favorite on the show—the best part of the whole thing.”
Ryan laughs. “I’ll tell him you said so when I see him tomorrow. He’ll be thrilled.”
I pepper Ryan with questions, and he fills me in on his brother’s journey in Hollywood, including the fact that the part I’ve seen Keane in has been a breakthrough role for him, one that’s opened lots of new doors.
“Good for him,” I say. “Is it weird having a famous person in your family?”
Tessa interjects, “Keane’s not the only famous Morgan sibling. Ryan’s other brother, Dax, is the lead singer of 22 Goats. Have you heard of them?”
My jaw clanks open. “I saw them the last time they came through Seattle! I love those guys!” I nudge Zach next to me. He’s sitting between Charlotte and me. “Is your mommy pulling a joke on me? Do you really have an uncle in 22 Goats?”
Zach shrugs like it’s no big deal. “I havethreeuncles in Uncle Daxy’s band. Uncle Daxy, Uncle Fish, and Uncle Colin.”
I palm my forehead. “That’s so cool.” I can’t imagine being a kid who gets to grow up considering all three members of 22 Goats as family, on top of one day getting to watch his Uncle Keane killing it in a popular show.
“Dax and his two bandmates grew up together,” Ryan says. “Most of my siblings and their spouses have lots of close, longtime friends, so every little one in our family has lots of honorary uncles and aunties, just like their Auntie Charlotte here.”
“I’m onlyhonorary?” Charlotte jokes. “How dare you.” Laughing, she kisses the top of Claire’s head. “I’m your favorite of all the honoraries, though, right, Claire Bear?”
Claire looks confused. “Awno-berries?”
We all laugh, and try to help Claire with the pronunciation.
“Uncle Fish ismyfavorite awno-berry,” Zach says. Apparently, the word’s going to stick that way. He continues, “Uncle Fish and Auntie Ally came to my birthday party and dey brought me a guitar and Uncle Fish showed me how to play it and den dey played a song for everybody.”
“Shoot. I can’t compete with that,” Charlotte quips. “Darn it.”
Everyone but me laughs. I’m too stunned by what I’m hearing to engage like a normal person. Fish is the bass player of 22 Goats, and he also produces music for his girlfriend or wife or whoever she is. There’s a song they did together, a duet, a few years back that was a smash hit. The kind that’s on the radio every time you turn it on. In every grocery store and every bank. Wasthatthe song they performed at Zach’s birthday party?Did this lucky kid get a personal concert people would pay good money to see?
I probably shouldn’t ask the question I’m wondering, so I don’t look like a total fanboy loser, but I can’t help myself. “Did Fish and Ally play ‘Smitten’ at your birthday party, Zach?”
“No. Dey played a song about dinosaurs because my party was a dinosaur party.”
“Oh, cool.”
“You know Fish and Ally’s music?” Tessa asks.
“I know ‘Smitten.’”
Tessa chuckles. “You’re so sweet, Auggie. You’re practically bursting right now.” She winks at Charlotte. “The next time we have a family party, the kind where even the LA Branch of the family makes the trek, you’ll have to come and bring Auggie along so he can meet everyone.”
My heart explodes with excitement. Not only because I’d love to meet Ryan’s famous family members, both honorary and actual, but even more importantly because this suggestion would mean I’d get to hang out with Charlotte again in the future, even after our present emergency is over and she’s moved back to LA or wherever.
