"Mommy? Can we please get the yellow frosted sugar cookies for the party?" Ava begged and tugged on Ally's shirt. Ally looked down at the eight year old and opened her mouth to argue, until she locked eyes with Ava's big brown pleading eyes.
Ava was the spitting image of Ally. She had the same wavy brown hair, the same chin and nose, even though she had her dad's smile and dimples. One prominent thing she had of Austin's was his big, hazel/brown puppy dog eyes. The one look where the cuteness of the doe eyes and the pouting of the bottom lip would melt Ally's heart and convince Ally to do anything he wanted. It wore off by now, but it was inherited in Ava.
Ally sighed, and moved to negotiate. "Go ask your father. He's the one paying for the groceries anyway."
"Okay!" Ava smiled in victory and skipped over to her father and little brother, who were up ahead in the produce section. Her tiered yellow skirt and daisy t-shirt flowed behind her. Ally smiled softly, taking a glance at her daughter while subtly disguising it to look like she was trying to decide which cheese platter to buy. Ava knew that her father would say yes. She was daddy's little girl. Austin gave her everything, well not everything, he did have some responsibility. But Ally knew his weakness for sweet things, and besides yellow was one of his favorite colors, and it was Ava's absolute favorite. Alex preferred green.
It was the weekend of the Fourth of July. Today was the third, but the fourth would be tomorrow, and Austin and Ally were planning a huge party.
Miami always went over the top for celebrations, but it was all a matter of budget. Austin and Ally decided to hold a huge festival on the beach. Not only was it celebrating the holiday, but it was celebrating Dez and Carrie's homecoming, Trish's Oscar, and the positivity of life.
Austin and Ally didn't perform much anymore. They were an official duo and they toured and lived out their dream, but a few years later, when Ally found out she was pregnant with Ava, they decided they had a new dream to live: raising a family. It wouldn't be easy for Alex and Ava to grow up in the spotlight. Austin and Ally had the chance to be normal kids and they wanted their children to have the same opportunity. The press made a huge deal with both of the kid's births, trying to sneak into the hospital and be the first ones to snap pictures. Austin and Ally requested privacy, and they got their wishes. They played a few gigs now and then, just for the fun of it. But they wouldn't go on tour or spend all of their time in the recording studio when raising their kids. There would be time for that later. It wouldn't hurt them financially. They managed their money well, and they were well off. Austin and Ally decided to perform at the festival, and they had a surprise for all of their guests. It would be a summer to remember.
Ally finally picked out the perfect cheese platter. They would get catering, because it was going to be a huge party, but there would be an after party at their house, an intimate gathering with only close friends and family. So she wanted to make it special, and she was going to try and cook. She wasn't the best cook.
She headed over to her husband, who handed their five year old a peach. Alex was going to be in kindergarten this year, but he still wanted to sit in the grocery cart.
"That one isn't too squishy, is it Alex?" Austin asked his son, who squeezed the peach gently and put on his thinking face.
"Nah." He put in softly in the bag. "It's good."
"Hey sweetie, can you do me a favor and put these in the cart for me?" Ally handed Alex the platters, who politely nodded and put them in. She smiled at her son's politeness. He was drowsy and tended to be more rowdy when he was hyped up on sugar.
Austin smiled at Ally and wrapped an arm around her. She took a deep breath and his smile faltered to a look of concern. Although she didn't show it, she seemed overwhelmed. "Alls, are you alright? You seemed stressed."
She sighed. "Yeah.. there's just so much to do! I have to write a new song, bake a pie, clean the house, get ready for Trish and Dez, did I mention that I've never baked a pie in my life and I-"
She was cut off by the soft feel of Austin's lips on hers. It created a sensation that she would never get tired off. He pulled back and put a hand on her shoulder. "Ally, as much as I love you, you need to relax! This party is supposed to be fun! Besides, it's been awhile since the four of us have all been together in one place."
Ally nodded. "That is true..." She shot him a grateful smile. "Thanks Austin, you always know what to say."
He blushed slightly. "I try. I know you want everything to be perfect, but you don't need to plan everything to immaculate detail. Just roll with it, and everything will work itself out."
She rolled her eyes. It was good advice, but sometimes it didn't always work out, and he'd proven that to be true more than once. "What am I going to do with you?"
He winked. "Anything you want." He leaned in and kissed her again, and for a moment, they forgot that they were in a grocery store.. with their kids... and they were busy making out in the produce section.
"Ew!" Alex exclaimed and covered his eyes with his little hands. "They're kissing!"
Both Austin and Ally chuckled, and they continued with their shopping. They had so much to do and so little time.
x.x
They remembered the night Ava was born. It was a scary thing. It was new territory. Neither of them have dealt with something of that nature before and it was just.. scary.
Everything went fine. Ally squeezed the life out of Austin's hand, and her screams reminded him of a horror film he saw with Dez a few weeks prior, but it was all worth it. After sixteen hours, they welcomed Ava into the world.
It was easier with Alex, because they knew everything that was going to be okay. And the stress was easier to handle. They remember the moment they first found out that they were going to be parents. It was strange and exciting and amazing. It was an experience and responsibility that they would share together.
And now Ava was eight going on nine. She was going into third grade this year. Alex just turned five and he would be starting kindergarten. They have already done so much. Of course all the normal bonding that parents did with their kids, taking them to the playground and making them eat their vegetables, all that stuff. But there was more to it. They were all a family.
Even Aunt Trish and Uncle Dez, along with Chuck and Carrie of course. They were all family. Their kids were all the closest cousins that you can imagine. That's why this party was such a big deal to Ally. This was the first time in forever that they would all be together.
Therefore, she decided to make a pie. An apple, cinnamon, lattice pie to be exact.
Ally was a great cook, but not a great baker. Yes, there is a difference. She could make delicious stir fry, pot pie, and her vegetable stew was perfection. But when it came to desserts, she always had trouble. She could make delicious cupcakes and cakes. But pies, cookies, tarts, shortbread, or anything of that nature always came out too dry, moist, burnt, or overdone. She wanted this pie to be perfect, and one thing about Ally is that she is nothing but a perfectionist.
Just not a perfectionist confectionist.
Everyone was bringing something to the party so Ally wouldn't have to do it all herself. Dez was bringing his famous chili and Carrie would make a veggie platter. Trish would bring some chocolate covered strawberries and Chuck would make some ribs with his famous barbeque sauce. Ally thought it would be smart if Dez and Chuck didn't make anything too similar, they were still as competitive as high school. Austin would grill some burgers. It would be the best Fourth of July party ever.
Austin was decorating outside with Alex, so Ally thought it would be good mother/daughter bonding time to bake the pie. Ava was taught how to make delicious pancakes and brownies by Austin, but she wanted to teach her daughter something too. So she brought out all the ingredients. Their hair was matching in ponytails and they were both wearing aprons. After washing their hands they began to start.
"Okay, so for the dough we need three cups of flour and two cups of margarine."
Ava's face scrunched in confusion, much like Austin's. "Margarine?"
"Butter, sweetheart."
A look of realization dawned upon Ava's face. "Oh.. Why didn't you just say so!" She took the ingredients along with a few others and mixed them in, the dough came out perfect. At least something was going right for a change.
Alex ran in and squealed. "We're done! It looks so pretty! There is confetti and a bouncy house and fairy lights!" Ava and him had an obsession with "fairy lights" which were like Christmas lights, but used for any occasion.
Austin came in through the back porch. He looked comfy in his sweatpants and blue t-shirt, but his hair was matted, and he was sweaty and out of breath. "Next time, you're helping me. I can't hang five miles of lights on trees like a spider web…"
Ally slightly chuckled and set down her filling that she was mixing. "I'm sorry Austin, how about this. You can have the first taste of pie when it's done." He leaned her head against her and she ran her fingers through his hair, smoothing it down.
"Can it be alamode?" He looked up with his big puppy dog eyes.
She smiled. "It can be whatever you want."
"ALEX!" Ava screeched.
Austin and Ally turned to see the commotion behind them, and what they saw was Ava covered in flour. She crossed her arms and gave her brother an angry glare, but her brother just laughed.
"You look like a flour monster!" Alex giggled.
Ally got up. "Alex what happened?"
But before Alex could answer, Ava threw a handful of flour like a snowball and it dusted Alex's little body from head to toe.
"Ava!" Ally shouted. "Young lady-"
But Alex threw another handful, and he aimed a bit too high and hit Ally in the face. Alex's smile immediately dropped and a guilty look took over his face.
Austin laughed and looked at Ally. The white flour covered her face and it stuck in her brown hair, making some of it look gray. "Hey Ally, you got your first gray hairs!"
She glared. "Yeah. Look who's talking!" She grabbed a bunch and slammed it into his face. Instead of being upset, he started laughing. After a few minutes, Ally started laughing too. It really was pretty funny.
The pie didn't get finished. And it definitely wasn't perfect. Not to mention that they had to all mop, clean up, and shower. But this was just how their family was. And they wouldn't trade that for anything.
x.x
Ally had trouble getting to sleep that night. She just had so much to do… Even though the inside of the house was spotless. She knew that it wouldn't stay that way though. She had two little kids and a childish husband. She was bound to clean up a mess one way or the other.
And now she found herself on the back porch. She had to get every speck of dirt swept away from the flowerpots. And why did Ava and Alex insist on leaving their toys out here? Spending the night picking up dollies and superhero action figures wasn't an ideal.
"Hey."
She jumped and nearly hit her head under the glass table. "Geez Austin! Don't scare me like that!"
He walked over and helped her up as she smoothed out her hair. "I'm sorry." He confessed. "If anything you scared me. No one wants to wake up alone. Unless you were in the kitchen making pancakes… I could accept that…"
He was still in sweatpants and had a loose band t-shirt on. His blond locks were messy and his eyes were tired. She, however, looked ten times worse. She had dark shadows under her eyes and her bob was pulled back into a high ponytail (her hair is naturally straight and just long enough to pull up). She wore one of his old shirts and a pair of pajama shorts. She may have been frazzled, but that didn't stop him from believing that she was the most beautiful woman that he has ever laid eyes on.
She sighed and sat down on the rocking porch swing, putting her head in her heads. "I'm sorry… this just has to be perfect…"
He sat next to her and scratched her back lightly, making her curl up close to him and lean her head on his shoulder. "Why does it have to be perfect? It's just a party, Ally. And you aren't planning it alone. The kids and I are doing everything we can, and Trish is coming early tomorrow to help set up."
Ally snorted. "But how much work do you think Trish will actually do?"
He paused. "Good point." He held her close. "But hey, stop stressing. Let's live for the moment and live for tonight. Let's forget what was broken, and say we'll be alright."
She smiled and pulled out her book, quickly jotting down the lyrics. "You're getting better at this." She put her book on her lap and resumed her position. "I don't know why this is so important to me… probably because we all haven't been together in so long and I don't want anything to change. I want the kids to have the same experiences we've had, and to share the same special moments. Also, tomorrow is very special for Ava."
Austin nodded. He pulled her even closer and they could hear the crickets chirp louder. "Ally, promise me something."
"Hmm?" She lifted her eyes up to meet his and he caressed her cheek with his hand. "Promise me to not worry about the future. We'll be alright, and I hate to see you frustrated at the smallest things. Let's try to live in the moment. What d'ya say?"
"Okay."
In only a few more seconds his lips were on hers, and she forgot all of her worries. They enjoyed their moments of gentle kissing in the moonlight. They found it much harder to get alone time now that they were parents.
They pulled back smiling, and he took a quick glance at his cellphone. "Oh geez, it's 2:45 a.m. and we have to be up by eight. Will you please try and get some sleep?"
She nodded. "For you, yes." She kissed him gently once again and they headed inside.
"But you know, if you do want to make pancakes…" He egged on with a tone.
"Austin."
"Sorry."
x.x
"Mommy can we go to the playground?" Alex asked.
"Mom! Have you seen my pink sparkle dress?!" Ava called from upstairs.
"Ally-"
"Stop!" She lifted up a hand.
"I was just going to say I love you…"
But Ally was still overstressed. "I love you too." She kissed him on the cheek quickly. "Will you please take Alex to the park and help Ava find her dress? I have to meet Trish in ten minutes."
"Well.. actually.."
"Thank you, you're amazing, bye!" She quickly hugged him and hurried out the door.
He sighed and picked up Alex. "C'mon buddy, let's help your sister and go to the park."
Alex nodded. "Can we stop by the rocket ride first?"
Austin chuckled. "I'll tell you what, we'll do that when Uncle Dez gets here."
Meanwhile, Ally headed down to Shedders to make sure that everything was getting set up. The catering had arrived, the stage was set, and people were already starting to show up. They were also able to rent Phil's Fun Town for the day. This party was definitely going to be huge.
"Ally!" Before Ally could turn around, she was attacked in a hug from her best friend.
"Oh my gosh! Trish!" She returned the embrace tightly. "Congratulations on your Oscar!"
Trish pulled back grinning. "Thanks. You know I've won so many academy and best actress awards, but none of them competes with an Oscar! So, where's Austin."
"I think he's down at the park with the kids. I don't really know. I spent so much time planning this party and I want this to be special for you."
Trish smiled. "And it will be, because I'll be with everyone I love most… and Dez. But this isn't all about me, someone told me that my niece is performing live tonight!"
Ally groaned. "Austin wasn't supposed to say anything. But yes, Ava is performing tonight. Just please don't tell anyone else…"
Chuck walked over with Maggie. "Did I just hear that Ava is performing tonight?"
She sighed. "Yes she is, but please don't say anything."
"Wait- Ava is performing tonight?!" Dez called quietly loudly from behind Ally.
She was really too frustrated to properly greet Dez, who she hasn't seen for seven months. "Yes Dez, but please.."
"Ava is performing tonight!"
Ally turned around in frustration, ready to tackle the next person she saw. Who she saw was her husband, who was the one who was supposed to keep the secret in the first place. "Yes Austin. We know, thanks to you."
His eyes widened and a hand clapped over his mouth. "Oops… sorry.."
"Hey buddy!" Dez ran over to his best friend and they did their famous handshake. Carrie ran over with Darrie.
Alex ran over to his best friend/cousin. "Darrie! Do you wanna go on the rollercoaster with me? I don't wanna go alone…"
Darrie sighed. He may have been as old as Ava, but he was already starting college. Therefore, he was a bit more mature than the rest of the kids. "Fine. But we have to make sure that the safety bars are locked tight to specifications and that the track is stable. Those things are death traps."
Alex grabbed his hand. "That's the point! C'mon!" Then the five year old dragged off his cousin towards the carnival.
Ally was concerned by Darrie's commentary. "Please look after him Darrie!" She called after them. "And don't forget to put on at least three coats of sunscreen!"
Ava skipped over to Maggie. "Wanna go to the carnival too!"
Maggie smiled. "Sure, but let's not go by the spinny rides. People get sick way too easily and I cannot have vomit staining my dress!" Maggie spun around, showing Ava how her frilly purple dress.
"Pretty! Let's go to the Ferris wheel!" And with that, they ran off too. Leaving just the parents.
"Wow…" Chuck commented while wrapping an arm around Trish. "They grow up so fast.."
"You're telling me…" Ally replied. "It's only years away until they're teenagers."
Austin's face paled, thinking of his baby girl as a teen. "Teenagers?" He squeaked out. "I'm not ready for that stage yet…"
They all laughed and decided to catch up. It would be only an hour till the events officially started. They all sat around a picnic table with margaritas in hand. They were in walking distance from the house and a drink wouldn't kill them.
"So Trish," Austin began. "How was the Oscars?"
She squealed. "It was amazing! I've never met so many stars before.. Even on Dez's movie sets. I was nominated for three, but I only won one."
"Wait…" Carrie paused. "An Oscar? I thought you won an ostrich.."
Everyone looked at her in confusion, except for Dez who just laughed and wrapped an arm around her.
"Why would I win an ostrich?" Trish asked.
"Because! They are very popular right now! Dezzy and I own three!"
Everyone turned to Dez. "What?" He said. "Our other ones ran away."
Trish looked around at all the festivities. The carnival was in full swing, the waves on the beach rolled in so peacefully, and the sun was just starting to set. "Wow, this is quite the setup! I'm impressed."
"Well, we wanted to do something special!" Ally smiled. "I'm really glad it turned out."
Austin squeezed her hand. "See? I told you you were stressing over nothing."
"Would you guys like some food?" Dez offered. "I made my famous chili!"
Chuck stood up and glared at Dez. "Well, I made my famous barbeque ribs! They are the spiciest in town!"
Dez stood up and glared back. "The second spiciest thing in town." Dez corrected. "My chilli is so spicy, that instead of putting spicy sauce on food, they put my chilli on it…"
Everyone groaned and Trish shook her head. "Here we go again…"
"My barbeque ribs are so spicy…. That they renamed the Spice Girls, the Chuck's Barbeque Ribs girls…" Chuck smirked and Dez was struggling to come up with a better comeback.
Carrie attempted to come to her husband's aid. "What was that? I couldn't hear you over the spiciness of Dez's chili!"
Chuck raised an eyebrow. "That doesn't even make sense."
"Well neither do I, so there!" Carrie said proudly and Dez grinned.
"That's my girl!"
x.x
The party was in full swing, and thousands of people showed up. Austin and Ally found themselves running into many of their old friends and acquaintances. Kira and Jimmy were, of course, there. So was Mindy, Ridley, Miles, and even Nelson. Of course everyone had grown up and had their own lives now, and it just seemed so weird.
Ally had gone to look for Ava, who she assumed was still with Maggie. It would only be a half an hour until her performance and she needed to get ready. She was over by the food stands when she heard a familiar voice.
"Ally?"
She froze. The voice was deeper than she remembered, but she would recognize it anywhere. She turned to find herself face to face with her high school crush.
Dallas.
Of course she didn't harbor those feelings for him anymore. She was in love with Austin and she was a mother. It was weird to see Dallas again, because he moved away when they were sixteen. He had certainly not lost his attractiveness. His hair was shorter and he was taller and muscular. His skin was tanned from the California sun. His eyes were just as warm as she remembered them.
"Dallas! It's been years! How are you?" She went over to hug him and he gently returned it. She didn't find herself blushing or stumbling over her words. She wasn't nervous anymore. Although he still did smell like a fresh summer breeze.
He smiled and squeezed her back gently. "It's good! Man, I haven't seen you in so long! I always wondered how you were after I moved to Los Angeles."
She rolled her eyes playfully. "Well I'm married now and have two children, but I'm sure you knew that already."
"To Austin Moon right?" He replied. "Yeah, you two have always been close. He's a cool guy and very lucky too."
She found herself blushing a bit, and right at that moment she felt an arm wrap around her.
"Hey Ally! Where did you go? I've been-" Austin paused when he saw Dallas, she felt his arm tighten around her waist. His eyes hardened and his voice was sharp. "Hey…"
"Austin you remember Dallas, right?" She knew that it was hard for Austin to control his jealousy, no matter what the status of their relationship was. She linked her hand with his and squeezed it gently, letting him know that he had nothing to worry about.
Austin let a small smile creep back on his face. "Yes I do." He shook Dallas's hand. "How's it going, man?"
Dallas smiled. "Pretty awesome. I'm actually married as well. The Mrs. and I decided to travel back to Miami for a while, for old times sake."
All of a sudden, a girl with strawberry blonde hair and sunglasses skipped over and latched onto his arm. "Oh my gosh! Austin and Ally!" She lifted up her sunglasses and the duo suddenly recognized her.
It was Cassidy.
"Cassidy!" Austin exclaimed. "You and Dallas are married?"
She laughed. "I know right? We moved to L.A. at the same time. We actually met on the plane there… ever since, we've been together!"
Ally nodded. "Well, I'm really happy for you guys. It's funny how things tend to work themselves out."
Cassidy smiled. "Yeah, well we are going to look around and see what else Miami has to offer!" She leaned over to hug Ally and then Austin.
"Sorry that we never had that date." She whispered softly in his ear.
He pulled back and held Ally even closer to him. "It's okay, I'm happy with the way things turned out."
x.x
"Ooh! Dezzy, could you win me something?"
Dez and Carrie were wandering around the carnival. Carrie was constantly distracted by the flashing lights and sounds that surrounded them. They found themselves in front of the game booths, specifically the one that required Dez to knock down all the milk bottles.
"Pfft… Could I…" Dez walked over and slammed money down. "I'm a pro. Watch babe, I'll win you anything you want."
"What about that giant penguin pillow?" She point to a stuffed penguin pillow that could easily be a mattress. He needed one thousand points to get it, which means he had to knock down all the milk bottles five times in a row.
He put down more money, enough that he would get ten shots at knocking the bottles down. "Just you watch." He pointed at his wife. "I'm going to win you that pillow, because I have great aim." He turned around to throw the ball, but was interrupted.
"Not so fast, Red." Chuck stepped forward and threw down money on the counter. "Trish and I may be married now, but that won't stop me beating you at games."
Dez rolled his eyes. "Please Chuck… we're adults now…" He tried to act mature. "And I have better aim!" Dez stuck out his tongue, contradicting his point.
Chuck's eyes narrowed. "Oh yeah? My aim is so good, that instead of curveballs, they call them chuck balls."
Dez was getting older and was struggling. So Carrie marched up and, again, tried to come to his aid. "Yeah? Well Dez's aim is so good, that his face is the target for dartboards everywhere! Woo!" She went to go high-five her husband, whose face was as red and as hair.
And the game was played.
x.x
It was nearing about six thirty now. Ava would make her big stage debut at seven. Children thoroughly enjoyed the carnival rides, teenagers loved the clubs, and there were plenty of activities for family fun. It was something for everyone. However, Ava wasn't enjoying it as much as she hoped. She was dreading the whole night, nervous about singing in front of a crowd for the first time. She sat backstage, tinkering on the piano.
"There you are!"
She jumped and slipped her hands on the piano, sighing in relief when she realized it was only her dad. "You scared me."
He chuckled. "I'm sorry princess. What are you doing back here? Shouldn't you be getting ready?"
She got silent and walked over to a set of steps and sat down. "I don't wanna do it.." She mumbled.
Austin raised an eyebrow. "Don't want to do what? Perform?"
She sniffled and buried her head in her hands. He immediately became concerned and sat down next to her to comfort her.
He put an arm over his daughter and pulled her close. "Hey.." He said softly. "Why are you crying? Why don't you want to perform?"
Ava lifted her head. Her eyes were red and her cheeks were streaked with tears. "I'm scared…" She admitted. "What if they don't like me? What if they laugh or make fun of me?" The thought of it caused her to let out a choked sob.
"That won't happen." Austin assured her, rubbing her back. "Ava, you can do this. Your mom and I want you to be confident and be proud to be who you are. Who cares what anyone else thinks? You are awesome because you're you. And anyone who thinks otherwise, will have to go through me."
Ava cracked a small smile. "You think I'm awesome?" She looked up at Austin with gleaming eyes and he could feel his heart melting.
"Well duh! You are my child after all, of course you are awesome. You are awesome in your own special way. And guess what," He looked at her and smiled. "You are the most talented little girl I know." He leaned over and whispered. "Don't tell Aunt Trish or Uncle Chuck that I said that…"
That made Ava giggle. "Thank you daddy. I think I'm ready to perform." She hugged him tightly and he returned it. He wanted to be the best father he could to his daughter.
"Ava.. are you-" Ally walked in to see the precious moment. "Oh I'm sorry.." She backed up to give them their space.
"It's okay, Ally." Austin said. "I think Ava needs your expertise here."
"Expertise?" She walked over close enough to see that Ava had been crying. "Sweetie, were you crying?" She sat down on the other side of Ava and stroked her hair. "What's wrong?"
Ava rested her head on her dad's shoulder. "I was scared to perform… because I was worried I'd get made fun of… I know it sounds stupid.."
"Ava…" Ally warned. "We do not use that word. And it is a common worry." She paused and looked at her daughter. "Did I ever tell you that I use to have stage fright?"
Ava looked in disbelief. "Really? You?"
Austin nodded with a slight laugh. "Yeah. It was so bad, she couldn't even sing in front of stuffed animals. She was a mess." Ally shot him a glare and his smile dropped. "Sorry, honey…"
"Anyways," Ally continued. "I got stage fright when I was about thirteen years old. I was worried about failing and getting made fun of. It took me a long time to feel comfortable performing around anyone."
"Even dad?" Ava asked.
Ally smiled and looked at Austin. "That's the awesome part. No matter how scared I was, your father was always encouraging and supporting me. He would tell me that he was grateful, and that he know I was talented and he wanted the world to know. He made me feel like I could do anything…" She started to tear up herself and Austin extended his arm out to wrap around her.
"And we knew that we could do anything, as long as we were with each other. And Ava, you will always have us. Your mother was very brave and overcame her biggest fear, and so can you."
She smiled and looked at her parents, feeling so lucky to have them. "Thank you mommy and daddy.. I think I'm ready to show the world who Ava Moon is…"
x.x
By now, hundreds of people were crowded by the stage that was near the beach. Ava took a deep breath, she was nervous and excited. She would be singing one of her mother's songs. She hoped that she could write songs that amazing one day, and she just wasn't ready to share her own.
Austin walked onto the stage, earning cheers and screams from fans, friends, family, and acquaintances. "Hello Miami! Thank you all for joining Ally and I in this Fourth of July celebration. We are happy to share the joy of this holiday with all of you. We have a very special performance tonight!"
As Austin continued talking, Ally stood by Ava and hugged her tight. "You'll do great, sweetheart.. Just remember that we are right here to support you."
Alex also hugged her. "You go Avy! You got this!"
"Thanks Alex." She smiled at her little brother.
"Ladies and gentleman, give it up for Ava Moon!"
The cheers became louder and Ava summoned up all of her courage and walked up on stage. She took the microphone from her dad and smiled at the audience. "Thank you everyone! I'll be singing the song "Finally Me". This performance is dedicated to my mom, who is always encouraging me to follow my dreams." She looked backstage at Ally. "I love you mommy."
Ally got emotional as tears started to flow. Alex hugged her leg and Austin kissed her cheek.
As the music started to play, Ava felt a rush of confidence.
I've never felt this before
I'm not afraid anymore
Been writing words on a page
'Cause I got so much to say
And now I'm taking the stage
Woah
Her voice wasn't as mature yet, but it still sounded smooth and sweet.
I'm getting ready to fly
I know it's my time to shine
Don't care if I'll make mistakes
I'll do whatever it takes
'Cause I got so much to say
Woah
She smiled at the excitement from the audience and decided to twirl around and dance. Her moves were small and graceful.
I'm finally me
Got everything I need
What you get is what you see,
I, I, I'm finally me
And I've never felt so free
There's no one else that I'm trying to be
I'm finally me
Hey hey uh-huh
Hey hey uh-huh
Hey hey, yeah
I'm finally me
I'm stepping out of my shell
Feels good just being myself
Not scared to show what's inside
I'll put it all on the line
'Cause I got nothing to hide
Woah
This was amazing. The adrenaline and energy made her feel so alive. Now she could see why her parents loved doing this. She wanted to be on stage. She knew that she was destined to perform.
I'm finally me
Got everything I need
What you get is what you see,
I, I, I'm finally me
And I've never felt so free
There's no one else that I'm trying to be
I'm finally me
Hey hey uh-huh
Hey hey uh-huh
Hey hey, yeah
I'm finally me
Hey hey uh-huh
Hey hey uh-huh
Hey hey, yeah
She looked over at her family, who were now front row, watching her. Maggie cheered for her cousin, Darrie nodded and moved with the music, and Alex was jumping up and down and singing with her. My aunts, uncles, and parents looked at her with happiness in their eyes.
I've got quirks but they work
I've learned to love those things, yeah
You don't have to be anyone but you
So let me hear you sing
I'm finally me
Got everything I need
What you get is what you see,
I, I, I'm finally me
And I've never felt so free
There's no one else that I'm trying to be
I'm finally me
Hey hey uh-huh
Hey hey uh-huh
Hey hey, yeah
I'm finally me
Hey hey uh-huh
Hey hey uh-huh
Hey hey, yeah
I'm finally me
As soon as she finished, the crowd went wild. She definitely took after her parents. Before she even had a chance to speak, her mom ran up and hugged her tightly, still very emotional. Alex and Austin ran up to join the group hug, and soon the rest of her family did too.
There would be other performances that night, but Ava's experience was unforgettable.
x.x
The fireworks show would start only a half an hour later. Everyone was spreading their blankets and setting up chairs on the beach to watch the spectacular show.
"Ava that was amazing!" Maggie gushed, hugging her best friend/cousin.
"Thanks!" Ava blushed. "Maybe we can sing together someday! We can be a duo like mommy and daddy! But like a best friend/cousin duo!"
Alex overheard and became intrigued. "Oooh! Can I join! I wanna play drums!"
"Sure!" Ava replied and looked at Darrie. "How about you, Darrie?"
He thought about it for a moment. "Well, I'm not much of a music person. I am more logical, like a technician or problem solver. But, maybe I can work of setting up the shows."
"Or maybe you can do money?" Alex suggested. "That's what Aunt Trish used to do."
Darrie laughed and whispered to his cousins. "But I can probably hold down a job better than Aunt Trish."
They all giggled and continued to talk, sitting down on the children's blanket. The adults all sat down a little bit behind them.
"Phew!" Trish sat down in a beach chair next to Chuck and rested her head on his shoulder. "What an amazing day.."
"Yeah!" Carrie agreed. "I had a great time! Even though Dez didn't win me a fluffy penguin pillow.."
"It's okay, babe." He held her hand. "I'll buy you anything else you want!"
"How about another ostrich?"
Everyone ignored Carrie's strange comment, except for Dez who complained about the price of the animal.
"Speaking of, who did win that penguin pillow?" Trish asked.
"Hello, hello!" Mike and Mimi walked up, arm and arm. They certainly were a lot older, but still as coupley as ever.
Austin jumped up. "Hey mom! Hey dad!" He hugged them and Ally followed suit, greeting her parents in law.
Alex ran over. "Grandma! Grandpa! Did you see Ava perform?"
"We wouldn't miss it for the world!" Mike replied and picked him up.
"Oh, and guess what?" Mimi said. "We won a giant fluffy penguin pillow! We have to go back and pick it up, it was too big to carry."
Dez groaned. "Oh man…"
As everyone continued to settle down, the fireworks shot into the sky, illuminating it with color. The kids all sat together on another blanket and point out which patterns and colors they liked. Alex sat with his grandparents, who were holding him and enjoying the show. Dez tried to film the show with his camera, but it was hard with Carrie latching onto his arm. Trish complained about the noise so Chuck covered her ears. Austin and Ally sat down on a different blanket, completely amazed by the beauty. Their hands fit perfectly together, each completely entranced.
x.x
After the show, the excitement started to die down and families started to go home. Dez, Trish, and their family were staying in a hotel close by, because they would have to return in a week. However, they all found themselves at Austin and Ally's house. Alex and Maggie jumped inside the bouncy house, while Ava and Darrie were playing with the sparklers. Trish, Dez, Chuck, and Carrie were all sitting at the porch table, eating some "delicious" apple cinnamon lattice pie alamode. Mike, Mimi, Lester, and Penny were all inside, also visiting. Penny even decided to stay for a little while longer, to spend quality time with her grandchildren, daughter, and son in law.
Austin and Ally sat on the porch swing, watching the stars and listening to more fireworks and celebrations boom in the distance. Austin had her close to his side, and her head rested on his chest.
"What a crazy night…" Ally commented.
"But worth it, right?"
She smiled. "Yes. Most definitely." They looked over at their kids, who were all squealing and having a great time.
"They grow up so fast.." Austin spoke softly. "I know when relatives said that to me, I didn't think anything of it. But now I finally understand…"
"We're lucky." Ally said. "I'm lucky. We're lucky that we have such amazing kids… and I'm lucky I have you."
He smiled and looked at her with adoration. "I love you…" He leaned in and kissed her softly, feeling on top of the world.
"And I love you." She leaned in to kiss him again, and they both thought the same thing.
Fireworks aren't the only sparks flying.
I'm sorry if this is terrible.. I know it's kind of all over the place. This was supposed to be a drabble… but I got carried away again… I'm sorry it's been so long. With my busy schedule and writer's block, it took me about two weeks to write this. It's my first family one shot so I hope it turned out okay. I start Spring Break next week so "By Your Side Forever" should be uploaded no later than next Friday.
-Evelyn