Jean, Christopher, and Ruby arranged the details for Amelia's week-long visit to her grandmother. If all went well, Jean hoped they would be willing to have her come for additional extended visits. And they assured her their house hunting would be for at least a three-bedroom home so that Jean could also visit them in Las Vegas whenever she wanted, with or without Lucien. It seemed Christopher and Ruby felt nearly as bad as Jean did at her separation from Amelia.
With everything settled then, they went to retrieve the toddler. Amelia and Lucien were no longer outside, so Jean led the way onto the porch. "They must be inside," she said. "Come on in."
"Are you sure?" asked Ruby.
Jean had told them about Lucien having been a musical prodigy and even showed them his album cover. It seemed Ruby was slightly in awe of him as a result.
"Come along," Jean said, holding the door for her.
"Ooh, what a lovely kitchen," Ruby sighed as she stepped in. "I don't suppose we can afford anything like this in our new home."
"Not this big," Christopher agreed. "It is nice, though."
"Lucien enjoys cooking so this room is important to him," Jean told them. She listened for a moment and heard the piano playing. "Sounds like they're downstairs. Lucien is probably teaching Amelia to play the piano."
"Oh, really," said Ruby with a smile.
Jean led the way downstairs, surprised to hear happy music, the last thing she expected Lucien to be playing. As she got closer she recognized it as the theme song to 'Sesame Street', but with discordant notes scattered in. Entering the room, she saw Lucien at the piano bench with Amelia on his lap. The little girl was pounding the keys joyfully.
He nodded to them but kept playing until the end of the verse. Amelia was perfectly content to continue as well. When Lucien finished, she pounded twice more on the keyboard, then looked to her parents and grandmother for approval.
Jean applauded her enthusiastically, followed by Ruby and then Christopher.
"I played," Amelia pointed out proudly.
"Yes, you did, sweetheart," said Jean. "You helped Lucien."
"And very well at that," said Lucien. "She doesn't know the proper notes or chords, of course, but she has a good feel for the tempo."
"If you say so," said Christopher doubtfully. "She must get it from her grandmother."
"Quite so."
"Lucien, Amelia is coming to stay for a while starting next week while her parents are away," Jean told him.
"Is that right? Well, then, I suppose we can continue the lessons. Don't you think, Amelia?"
The little girl banged on the keys happily once more.
"That sounds like fun," said Christopher, "but right now I've got to take Amelia and Ruby home so I can get to work on time. Lucien, thank you for keeping her occupied, and Mum, just thank you for everything."
Ruby echoed the thank yous and soon the three of them were headed home. After seeing them off, Jean moved closer to Lucien and put her arms around him.
"You seem much more cheerful. Is that down to Amelia?"
"In part, but I also received some family news of my own."
"Oh?"
"Yes. The schedule was released today for the new season at the Hollywood Bowl. Guess who the featured violinist is for the opening weekend." His smile was as wide as any Jean had ever seen on him.
"Judging by the proud look on your face, I'd have to say your daughter, Li. I'm so happy for you, Lucien." She hugged him tighter. This was just the kind of news he needed at this point in time.
"We'll have to make it a celebration," he told her. "I was thinking one night we could have all our family there - my parents, Christopher and Ruby, Jack and his girlfriend, if you think they'd enjoy it. And the other night we could have friends - Matthew and Alice, Mattie and Ned, Patrick and his wife Susan, and Cec."
"That's a lot of tickets," Jean pointed out.
"I have a garden box there. I don't use it all that often, mostly give the seats away to friends or the kids in the foundation, or the Bowl resells them, but for something like this..."
"You'll get a chance to spend time with Li, won't you, if she's going to be in town for several days?"
"I need to introduce the two of you," he said firmly, although she noticed he evaded the question somewhat.
"I'm looking forward to meeting her," said Jean. In truth, she felt a bit apprehensive at the prospect. Not only was Li Lucien's only child, she was also a world-renowned musician. Then again, Lucien had once been as well, and there was nothing intimidating about him. She hoped Li had inherited the gene for kindness from her father and grandmother.
"Would she be able to stay here while she's in town?" she asked Lucien.
"I don't know," he admitted. "In part, it depends on how much political tension there is between China and this country at that time. And whether her husband and daughter are traveling with her."
"You'll invite her, of course?"
"She has a standing invitation, but I'll certainly reach out to her once again. And speaking of staying here, what about Miss Amelia?"
"Yes, Amelia," said Jean, and she could feel herself tear up at the thought that her darling granddaughter was soon to be living so far away.
"What's this? You aren't happy that she's coming to stay?"
She shook her head to drive away the tears. "I'm always happy when I can spend time with Amelia. That's the problem, Lucien. Christopher's just received a big promotion at work, but it means a transfer. They'll be moving to Las Vegas. I'll never get to see her."
He took her in his arms to comfort her. "I'm so sorry, Jean. I suppose there's some consolation in that it's Las Vegas and not Chicago or Atlanta. No reason we can't hop into the car and drive there when you're missing them. Maybe spend the night, take in a show or two."
She sometimes forgot that Lucien had toured all over the world. Driving to Las Vegas for the day was no big deal to him. Jean, on the other hand, with her aging, unreliable car and limited travel experience, saw a trip to Las Vegas as a major undertaking. "I was thinking that if the week she spends with us goes well I might be able to convince Christopher and Ruby to let her come for extended stays more often."
"And why not, eh? We could even fix up a little girl's bedroom for her. What do you say?"
"Don't you think you might be getting a little ahead of yourself?" Jean asked, although this new enthusiasm had certainly propelled him out of his depression.
"The extra rooms are just sitting there," Lucien insisted. "We could make one over to be fit for a princess. Then if Li comes to stay with her family, my granddaughter Jia can use it, too."
Jean wondered if Lucien had even met his granddaughter, but she didn't want to make him sad if he hadn't. He seldom spoke of her, or Li either, for that matter, despite Jean knowing how much he loved Li. It had to be so painful for him. And here she was lamenting that Amelia would be a few hours away.
"Jia is such a lovely name," she remarked.
He smiled affectionately. "It means 'beautiful'."
"Then she deserves a beautiful room to stay in, as does Amelia." Jean wanted to encourage his current mood.
"Right." He glanced at his watch. "We have time to go furniture shopping now, unless you have something else planned."
No, I'm all yours," she said.
"And I'm very glad you are," he told her, his eyes shining.
In the children's furniture store, Jean was immediately captivated by any number of things. With her two boys, she'd never had occasion to furnish a room for a little girl. The pinks and yellows and pale greens delighted her.
"A crib or a bed?" Lucien asked her.
"How old is Jia?"
"She's almost four."
"A bed with removable rails would be best, then. That way the girls won't outgrow it quite so quickly," Jean explained.
A lovely bed of blonde maple with a frilly pink canopy caught her eye. Lucien was already walking toward it, so she followed him. The tag on the piece said matching rails were optional.
"Yes?" asked Lucien.
She nodded, thinking she would have given anything for just such a bed when she was a girl.
It was available as part of a suite with a chest of drawers, a small vanity and a nightstand. "Might as well get the whole set then," said Lucien.
"Oh, yes." Jean could just picture Amelia's delight at a bedroom set like this.
"Now, what else? Bed linens?"
"I think I saw them over here," said Jean, leading the way.
They looked over what was on offer.
"Something with animated characters or more generic?" asked Lucien.
"Amelia is currently fascinated by the characters from 'Frozen', but who knows how long that will last, and we don't know what Jia likes, so I'd say something with with a pattern of some kind. Floral maybe?"
They found a set with tiny pink and blue flowers scattered over a white background, and another with fine pink-and white stripes resembling seersucker. They also purchased a duvet that matched the canopy cover, and curtains of the same fabric. Jean would alter the length if necessary.
"Lamps?" Jean suggested, "or do you have some that would fit?"
"We definitely need lamps," Lucien insisted.
A matching pair of floor lamp and bureau lamp painted white with pink, lace-edged shades were added, and then Lucien found one for the bedside table that could serve as both a reading light and nightlight. In nightlight mode, it cast a field of twinkling stars onto the ceiling, and they could be made to rotate slowly. Jean thought any child would be delighted to be lulled to sleep in such a manner.
"I think that should do it," she said at last.
"Oh, no, one more very important item. A toy box. And, of course, some things to fill it."
"Of course," said Jean. "And a puppy?"
"If you think so," Lucien said, his brow wrinkling.
"I'm kidding," she told him with a laugh. "Next thing, you'll want to get them a pony."
"I thought the pony could wait until they're a little older."
This time it was Jean who wasn't entirely sure if he was serious.
They came across a beautifully carved and painted chest of white with pink flowers. The inside was lined with pink and white gingham. The unit on display was spilling over with soft dolls and stuffed animals. Jean's eye was immediately drawn to one of the smallest of them, a tiny plush hedgehog. It immediately brought to mind fond memories. She picked it up, a gentle smile on her face.
"I used to have one similar to this," she recalled. "Oh, how I loved that old thing. I used to carry it everywhere with me, even into my teens. It was like my lucky charm. I remember I even had it in my pocket when I took my SATs."
"And did it work?" asked Lucien, taking the small toy from her to have a closer look.
"I did very well on the tests, but I can't say for sure that it was due to my hedgehog. Sadly, I can't remember now whatever happened to him."
"If he was lucky for you then we should definitely get this little fellow for Jia and Amelia. Maybe some of those rag dolls, too, and that stuffed cat that looks like Scout."
As he settled up with the store and arranged for delivery of the items, Jean couldn't help but reflect that he seemed to be a new man now that he was busily engaged in doing something kind for people he loved. She so hoped that Li, if not her whole family, would make time for him during her visit to Los Angeles in a few months.
