Page 61 of The Publicity Stunt

"Call them up for me?" She walks over and hands one envelope to Nia and one to Bobby. "I'll have to figure out how to get these to the band."

Pulling out his phone, Bobby sends a message to the rest of his team. "They'll be up in a second."

Nia opens her envelope and gasps. "Please tell me there's no pink slip attached to it."

"I don't blame you, Nia."

"I do. Bri, this is too much."

"Merry Christmas."

The rest of the crew comes in, and Bri gives everyone envelopes with their names on them. She reaches a hand out to Bobby to stop him from opening his while everyone else does.

"What's this?" Zip asks, and Bri loves how his large neck always looks like his shirt strangles him.

"Consider it a Christmas bonus," she says. "You're all so incredible, not just during the tour but also with the additional traveling I've done recently. You stay away from your families, and you always go above and beyond. It's a small way for me to say thank you for being the best team I could ever ask for."

Oscar, whose name she learned a long time ago fits his normally grouchy personality, hands it back to her. "I can't accept whatever's in here, Bri."

"Why not?"

"Because I need to ask for some extended time off after all the time you've already given me."

Bri, already an emotional wreck, tears up knowing what this means. "No, Oscar."

Tears fill his eyes, too, and he nods. "I just got the call this morning. I was waiting to talk to Bobby."

"What's going on?" Nia asks.

Bobby pats Oscar on the shoulder as Oscar wipes tears from his eyes. "I'm sorry, man."

"My daughter has cancer. Bri's been so gracious to give me time off early in the tour because we saw another specialist. My ex called and told me they're putting her into end-of-life care at home."

Bri hurries over and hugs him. "I'm so sorry."

He sniffles and wipes his eyes. "Thank you. And I appreciate this, but I already feel like you've done too much for me."

"Open the envelope, Oscar."

Smiling, he shakes his head. "I should've known you wouldn't take no for an answer." Tears fill his eyes again as soon as he opens it, his face scrunching up. "Does this mean what I think it does?"

"Go be with your daughter. Take the time you need, and let us know if we can do anything."

"I won't be long. Jobs like this don't come around all the time."

"We'll figure it out," Bobby says. "I've got a few friends I can call to fill in while you're out, and you'll have a job waiting for you when you're ready to come back."

The paper shakes in his hand. "Bri... thank you. I... you have no idea how much this means. To have this off my shoulders. I'm forever in your debt."

"I prayed for a different outcome for Sandy, and the last thing you need to worry about is how to pay for her care. Let me know if you need anything, Oscar. Anything. As cheesy as it sounds, all of you are my family. The family I chose, and while, sure, I pay you, you're always there. Many going above the job description, and I love you all."

Oscar kisses her cheek and says, "Merry Christmas," before leaving.

Bobby shakes his head. "You covered the medical bills, didn't you?"

"What can I say? I have a soft spot for loving parents."

Everyone else thanks her for their bonuses, and each hugs her before leaving to take up their posts again. After recent events, Bri's come to realize just how lucky she is to have the family she has. It's not traditional, but they're hers. She needs to stop focusing on what she's lost and remember what she has.

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