Page 58 of Songbird
Izzy pushes her lips into a contemplative pout, weighing up the chances that this is all some elaborate hoax before her eyebrows shoot up, her brown eyes brighten, and she bounces excitedly on her toes.
“Mommy got a karaoke machine for tonight. Uncle Finn and I are going to play ‘Mary Had A Little Lamb.’ You can do the singing, if you like?”
“Oh, honey. Rosalie is here as a friend, not a… not a…” Poppy says, trying to save me, but the look she gives me is a little helpless.
“It’s fine,” I reassure her before I follow Finn’s example and stoop to match Izzy’s eye level. “I’d love to sing with you tonight. What’s your name?”
“Izzy,” she confirms, and even though Finn already told me as much, I extend my hand the way I did with everyone else.
“It’s wonderful to finally meet you, Izzy. Uncle Finn has told me all about your music lessons and I can’t wait to hear you play.”
Izzy’s flabbergasted face makes me grin, and when I straighten, Poppy and Dylan both mouththank you, which I accept with a small shake of my head and equally silentno problem.
“Where’s everyone else?” Finn asks, but before anyone can answer the question, there’s noise at the front door. Chord and Violet quickly follow, accompanied by a fit guy somewhere in his late forties or early fifties. He looks so much like Violet that evenif Finn hadn’t already warned me he might be here, I’d assume he was Violet’s father.
“Rosalie,” Violet says as soon as she notices me, and I’m the first she takes into her arms to say hello. It feels nice, both the hug and her recognition.
Behind her, Chord throws a raised eyebrow at Finn before he schools his face to stillness. “Good to see you again, Rosalie.”
“Same to you,” I reply.
“This is my dad, Luke,” Violet says with a motion toward the other man. “Dad, this is Rosalie.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” he says with a polite nod of his head.
“Likewise,” I respond.
An awkward, expectant lull falls over the room as we wait for Luke to place my name, if not my face, but all he does is glance around in confusion.
Poppy covers her mouth to hide a smile, and Charlie steps in to break the tension. “So, where’s Daisy?”
“She’s—” Poppy begins, before she cuts off with a horrified expression. “Oh, shit.”
“Bad word!” Izzy exclaims.
“Here I am!”
It’s a tight squeeze with us all crowded into the kitchen, but I don’t realize it until we collectively spin in the direction of the new voice. I can’t make out the newcomer yet, but someone gasps—I think it’s Charlie—and Finn drops his head back with a groan.
“Holy hell,” he mutters. “I’m so, so sorry, Rosie. I have no excuse.”
“Ta-da!”
Chord snort-laughs, then covers it up with a cough, and everyone shifts enough for me to see Finn’s sister, Daisy, spinning in a slow circle to show off her Rosalie Thorne costumefrom all its various angles. She’s wearing a replica of the indigo boned and beaded bodysuit I wore on my recent tour. Her blonde hair is blown out in my trademark curls, her lips are painted intense coral pink, and her white knee-high boots are stacked with a platform heel. She’s clutching a bedazzled microphone in one hand, and she sets the other on her hip to strike my signature pose.
“I thought it would be fun to dress up,” she says, “because you know I’m singing nothing but sweet Rosalie Tee tonight. I look good, don’t you think?”
She really does, and if I weren’t here, I bet Izzy would love that her aunt dressed up for the party. Daisy lifts her chin and her hand as she waits for applause, but the vibe is quiet and discomfited, and I hope it’s not on my account. I think this is funny. I cross my fingers and hope Daisy will too.
“Ah, Daze?” Poppy slips from our little knot, closes the short distance to Daisy, and takes her hand to put it back by her side. “Finn’s here with his date, and… well.” Poppy sighs and her posture sags. “Daisy? Meet Rosalie.”
Daisy’s expression, all bright and excited, searches the group for the only face she shouldn’t recognize. I raise my hand to wave awkwardly, then wince at how fast her face falls.
Daisy’s throat bobs and she straightens out of her pose, arms dangling dejectedly. “Well, fu—”
“Fancy that!” Dylan shouts. “It’s time to eat!”
Everyone takes the hint, turning toward the dining table, and I slip out of the way so I can say a proper hello to Daisy. Finn is with me, but Daisy hangs back, cheeks aflame, and when I reach her, she drops her face into her hands.
