Page 31 of Wish For Me

“Yeah, Aunt Paige,” Will says. “That’s like, the tenth time since we got to the farm that I’ve heard you waxing poetic about the family.”

Paige throws up her hands. “I can’t help it! We’re all here together and everyone is so happy. And my baby is getting married!” Her voice cracks on that last part and Uncle Reed wraps an arm around her, chuckling softly.

“I’m perfectly fine with your display of emotion,” he says. “If you cry, it will draw the attention away from me when I have a complete and total emotional breakdown at the wedding.”

“Oh, please, Daddy,” Everly says, rolling her eyes. “Nothing is going to change. It’s not like Bodhi and I are moving away or something.”

That sick feeling I’ve been trying to ignore slams right into my chest. Leo’s arms wrap tighter around my middle and I try to force myself to focus on my niece and nephew playing on the floor.

But my Aunt Paige isn’t done yet. “And we’ve got all these new babies,” she says, reaching down to brush a hand over Poppy’s head. “Who knows? Next year there might be even more.”

She’s not even subtle. She looks right at me and waggles her eyebrows. It’s so overt—and so completely Paige—that part of me wants to laugh as I shake my head.

But a bigger part of me is feeling even more sick. Because I’m still not sure if that’s the life I want—staying here with the family, having babies like my brother and cousins. And every time I think about it, I’m only reminded more that I have no idea what our next move should be.

A movement on the other side of the room catches my eye and I look over to see Alex sitting on the edge of her seat. She shifts again, like maybe she’s trying to decide whether to get up. If I feel sick about Paige’s little baby hint, Alex looks like she might throw up. I want to go over and talk to her, ask her what’s wrong, maybe get her to leave this room with me. Anything to take that horrible, stricken look off her face.

But then Wyatt puts a hand on her knee and she seems to relax. I watch as she arranges a neutral expression, even smiling slightly. Somehow, it doesn’t make me feel any better.

Before I can decide what to do about it, Uncle Cash clears his throat. He finally seems to have reached the bottom of the mountain of presents. “This one says it’s for Ruby Roads he says, holding up a final gift bag. “Which one of you wants to open it?”

Of the four family members who make up the band Ruby Roads, Silas is sitting closest and takes the bag from his dad. “Who’s it from?”

“Says Santa,” Cash says, raising an eyebrow.

Lyric, Nix, and Presley join Silas on the floor as he pulls tissue paper from the bag. A second later, he holds up a small cardboard box. “Ear plugs?”

“There’s more,” Will says, grinning. “Keep going.”

Looking suspicious now, Silas pulls a few more objects from the bag. A box of car-sickness medicine. A neck pillow. A travel mug. A book of odd roadside attractions across the United States. (“That part is from me!” Aunt Paige calls)

“What is this?” Lyric asks, looking between her dad, the uncles, and Will, all of whom are wearing knowing smirks.

“There should be one more thing.” This time it’s Eva who speaks up, and I note that her expression closely matches the guys. Everyone has quieted down, the Littles wandering over to watch.

Silas pulls a folded sheet of paper from the bag and smooths it out over his flannel clad thigh. “It’s a list of cities…”

“It’s an itinerary,” Eva says. “For my tour this spring.”

He looks up at her with wide, disbelieving eyes. “Why are you giving us a copy of your itinerary?”

She looks at Will, who grins back and turns to his little brother. “Because Eva’s record label was in touch with us last week to let us know that you’re going to be the first opener on her tour.”

There’s a beat of silence before the room erupts in noise.

“Are you serious?” Lyric gasps.

“Oh my god, for real?” Presley presses her hands to her cheeks. “Like, for real for real?”

“For real,” Eva says. “They loved your demo.”

“The second opener is a little higher profile,” Will explains. “They’re with the same label and they have two records out. Really, you’ll be opening for them, and your set will be a little shorter—”

“In other words, we’ll be playing while everyone files into the venue and waits in line for their beer,” Silas says, but his grin is stretching across his entire face.

“Maybe at first,” Cash admits. “But you’ll still be getting your name out there.”

“Did you guys do this?” Nix asks, looking between my uncles and his dad. Out of all the kids, he looks the least excited. Shell-shocked might be a more accurate description.