Page 678 of Rock Me All Night
Epilogue
The doorbell rings.
I only barely manage to hold onto my mug of coffee. This day has been great so far. Hell, it's the best Thanksgiving I can remember. There's no place to go but down.
Ophelia nods to the door. "I'll get that. Stay put, sweetheart."
She pushes herself off the couch. It's across from the one I'm sharing with Pete. There's a coffee table between them. Between the trays of snacks and the mugs of coffee, there's barely a free inch of the table.
From their spot on the couch opposite ours, Tom and Willow try to act as if they're not staring at me.
I must look as anxious as I feel.
"Breathe, baby." Pete leans in close and rubs my shoulder. "You can do this."
I nod. Of course I can do this. It's not like it's a huge deal, our families sharing a holiday together. And not any holiday—the one about gratitude and sitting around a table with nowhere to hide.
"Your dad looked great when we saw him," Pete says. "Remember?"
"He did." Some of the tension in my shoulders eases. Dad looked great when we visited. But that was halfway through rehab. Now he's out, on his own, taking care of himself.
"You're worried about him?" Pete asks.
I lean in to whisper in his ear. "What if he's already slipped?"
"You really think that happened?"
"No, but…"
His deep brown eyes find mine. The certainty in them soothes me.
Pete pulls me into a tight hug. "You're gonna be okay, baby. I promise."
The front door opens. It's too far to hear exact words, but that's Madison's voice. She's greeting Ophelia. And there's Dad.
I push myself to my feet. I can do this.
Pete motions to Tom and Willow. The three of them stand at once. Then Madison is bouncing into the room. Her short hair hangs in front of her eyes.
"Jessie. Your dress is gorgeous." She throws her arms around me. "I've missed you so much."
"I've missed you too." I pull back and hug my dad. "How have things been?"
"Difficult, but good." He smiles.
He looks good. I can't believe how quickly the time has passed. It feels like just yesterday I was getting on a plane to get as far away from home as possible. And now I'm here, at Ophelia's place in Orange County, surrounded by my family, new and old.
Home is still in flux—the label is kicking us out of the Hollywood place—but I trust Pete when he says he's got it under control. The man really gets shit done.
Ophelia motions for everyone to sit. Madison and Dad introduce themselves. He asks them to call him Mark instead of Mr. James.
It's going well.
It's going to be okay.
"Can I help with dinner?" Madison offers.
"No. We're ordering delivery. No one in the family cooks." She motions to the kitchen. "Would you like some coffee?"
