Chapter 8
Finn
The scent of her perfume assaults me when I tilt my head to my shoulder and remove my ear bud, the exact place Presley laid her head tonight. The feeling of her tucked against me was so right, so normal.
The minute Tony texted me they had arrived, I made my way to the doors to see her and had to grip the wall when she exited the limo. Every part of her shined: the dress, the shoes, and the way her hair fell down in curly waves. I watched the three girls pose for a picture, and then Robbie bolted by me to get to Ember. I fought every instinct to follow him, but stayed back, trying to calm my nerves.
When our eyes met, all bets were off. There was a clawing urgency to be near her. The moment she was close enough, I tugged her to me, not able to wait any more. The small taste of her lips still lingers, leaving me craving for more.
Robbie pats me on the shoulder, letting me know we’re off for the night. The other guys have it taken care of. I follow him to the main dining room and stop when I see her. Presley is at one end of the table, motioning wildly, laughing loudly, and her lips are moving at warp speed. Mom, Jenna, Ember, and Reese are cackling.
The other end of the table is all the men, also smiling at her animated show. Dad looks at me briefly, gives me a chin jerk, and focuses back to the conversation.
I make a split-second decision that will put me in the spotlight. I could go the end of the table and join the guys, but my eyes are zoned in on Presley. As I approach, Robbie chuckles behind me, guessing my destination.
Presley gives a loud screech and raises her hands in the air, tears running down her cheeks, and I move to her quickly.
“What’s the comedy show?” I pull up a chair, getting as close to her as possible.
She looks at me with her eyes dancing in humor. “I was almost a ‘Donnie and Marie’.” She giggles and the whole table erupts
.
“Again, what?”
Johnny gets out of his seat and comes to her other side. He mimics her earlier animated style, using dramatic hand movements to detail his story.
“Our mom loved musicians, enough that she thought her children should carry their names. I am the great Johnny Cash!” He pauses, and Presley claps lightly then lays a hand on his waist.
“Maybe Dad should tell the last bit.” She jerks her head at Jeff.
“By all means, carry on. I can’t compete with this show.” He waves for Johnny to continue.
“But then the story gets weird.” He speaks to the group in a hushed tone, and Presley leans into me. I take the opportunity to tuck her close, wishing I could lift her onto my lap.
Johnny looks between his father and Presley and gives a salute with his beer. “Simon was named after Paul Simon, who is a legend. He was the lucky one because Mom’s next grand plan was terrible. She and Dad had a deal—she named the boys and he the girls. When she found out I was a boy, she was convinced her third and final child would be a girl. That’s where the insane idea was born. She begged Dad to go along with the names Donnie and Marie. I am only Johnny because he stepped in, thank God.
“The way Mom told it, she used every trick in the book, but Dad refused to go along with her plan. His logic was that there was no guarantee they’d have a girl, and if they did, he couldn’t live with them being Donnie and Marie.”
“Oh, the shame,” Presley adds her own bit of commentary, which draws another round of laughter.
“My Lydia loved her music. There’s no doubt about it. She was so full of life, so compassionate, so incredibly beautiful on the inside and out. I consider myself a fortunate man that she passed along those traits to our kids.” Jeff eyes Presley and Johnny lovingly. “The twenty-two years we had, I was a lucky son of a bitch.”
The table goes quiet, and the unanswered question lingers in the air. Presley takes her glass of wine and sips before speaking. “We lost Mom to heart disease ten years ago. But we keep her alive every chance we get by sharing memories.”
“I think that’s wonderful.” My mom’s eyes glisten as she looks between the Chambers family.
“One thing Lydia insisted is that her children learn a musical instrument. None of us can sing worth a damn, but she let them choose and nurtured the process. Her patience was resilient.” Jeff winks at Presley.
“He’s being coy, but truthful. I fought the musical talent thing tooth and nail. Simon played the guitar because he said it was cool. Johnny picked up the piano and keyboard because he’s a natural. But me, well, I decided on the violin, which was brutal. I think back to my practice sessions and remember cats crying… God, I was awful!” Presley giggles. “But, eventually, it worked out.”
“You play the violin?” My dad’s eyes grow wide. “That’s pretty impressive.”
“Oh my gosh, Tim, she’s incredibly talented!” Ember gushes. “She and Johnny played an unbelievable tribute at Simon’s service. I was blown away.”
“Thank you,” Presley shyly accepts the compliment.
“Our son-in-law is a musician, and I’ve always been proud of his talent. But I agree with Ember, when you two played at the funeral, it was inspiring and beautiful,” Jenna tells them both with a kind smile.