During dinner, Stepmother kept giving me these weird looks. I finally asked, "Can I help you, Stepmother?"

She shook her and Anastasia—she was usually the peacemaker—asked, "So, how did you meet Matt?"

I grinned, remembering. "Well, it was when I first arrived in New York, and he greeted me and introduced himself and got me a job with Newsies," I finished.

Drizella snorted. "That was the basic gist of what happened—in her first week," Matt added.

Charles asked, "So, any engagement or wedding stories?"

I looked at Matt and he nodded and said, "Well, we were married in a castle that we both swear looks exactly like Kiamo Ko—Fiyero's castle where Elphaba dies—in the book version of Wicked."

Stepmother asked, "No engagement stories?"

I shook my head. Then I began the story. "So, after we left Newsies, we auditioned for Twice Charmed. I was Cinderella—Stepmother, I'll let you explain the irony for me to have that role to your daughters—and he was Prince Charming. During this whole ball scene, I come running through the audience, saying all this stuff about stop the ball—I'm the mystery girl!—all that good stuff. Then Stepmother sneers and says, 'The Prince in love with a scullery maid? Absurd!' Then all three of you laugh, but I insist it's true. The king orders for me to taken away, but I beg the Prince just to look at me and forget the dress and hair and just look at me. He says he wants to hear what I have to say. Stepmother say, 'Your Highness, you really don't believe this commoner's lies?' Then he says, 'Lady Tremaine! When I want your advice, I'll ask for it!'—with an attitude, almost. Then he asks me to explain and I sing my power ballad…"

Drizella interrupted and asked, "What's a power ballad?"

I took a deep breath and said, "It's a song that's supposed to inspire determination or strength or belief in the person performing it. Seize the Day was the Newsies' power ballad. In Twice Charmed, my power ballad was Believe in Me and in Wicked, the power ballad was either Defying Gravity or Ik Lach Om Zwaartekracht, which translated means I Laugh At Gravity."

Then I returned to the story. "So I finish my song and the Prince goes on about how I am the girl and how long he's been looking for me and then he proposes. But during our final performance, Matt pulls out a real engagement ring and proposes for real. Then they had to close the curtain because I basically started freaking out and asking, is this really, did this really happen? Stepmother—the person who was Lady Tremaine—said, 'Yes, Ella, it's real. You're really engaged.' Then we get married on stage and lived happily ever after."

Anastasia grinned and Stepmother asked, "How are the four songs you mentioned all power ballads?"

Matt said, "Seize the Day was intended to inspire the Newsies—paper delivery boys—to rise up against impossible odds and take back their rights."

We finished eating and I said, "Why don't I perform the last three songs instead of attempting to explain?"

Stepmother nodded and we all went to the music room.