Head in the clouds

Thirty One - Morgan

You know the opening scenes of Home Alone when they're all finishing getting ready to go on holiday to wherever and there's aunts and uncles and cousins everywhere and it's so manic, no one notices the fake police man stood in the doorway? That was my mum's house right now. Absolute chaos. I didn't bother calling ahead. I knew they'd all be here and I could show my face without it hopefully causing too many issues. I just wanted to see my Auntie Sandra more than anything, play her the song. Tell mum she won't like it so to not listen until after the wedding, same with Sarah and then dip out of there.

"Woah." I chuckled as Theo ducked out of the way of a sticky 8 year old running riot. There were secondary cousins here I'd never met, they probably had no clue who I was to be honest.

"Yeah, watch yourself. No one tends to look up here." I picked up a photo from the table beside the entrance, smiling at Jake's dopey face before passing it to Theo. "Jacob meet Theo."

"Look how cute you were."

"Were?" I chuckled, stealing the picture back and taking a photo as clear as I could. I'd never be allowed a copy but I loved this photo.

"Are. You're cuter now."

"Oh thanks." I turned looking around the house and nodding as one of the older kids came into the hall, head in there phone. "Layla." Nothing. I stepped forward, grabbing her hands and she scowled. "Oi." She looked up, smiling. Layla wasn't that far behind me in age really. She was 18 now, already old enough to know everything when I left. "Blind or death?"

"Both. What are you doing here? You're early." She looked over my shoulder and smirked when she looked back at me. "Ooh they're gonna go bat shit."

"Mhm. Thought I'd get the lecture over with before I play them a song I wrote for your dad and Jake." She snickered. "Hey might as well burn the whole relationship to the ground huh?"

"Yeah, might as well. When are you intown until? I think we need to catch up."

"Sunday morning. Gotta catch the train back to London at lunchtime." She nodded. "Oh my god. I'm being rude. Layla, this is Theo Wright. Theo, this is Layla, my uncle Mike's eldest daughter."

"Eldest daughter because there's a son running around somewhere chasing after his toddler who has a lightsaber so watch yourself." She reached out and shook Theo's hand with a soft smile, locking her phone and putting it in her pocket. The screaming of kids made me look around for the source, a cool breeze whisking through from the back of the house. I used to think this house was too big but honestly, there was 6 of us. Mum, Dad, Sarah, me and Jacob and Kennedy. Mum had siblings who she was very close with and Dad had Mike and Sandra's kids here almost constantly. The last count I had made our close family including Mike and Jacob was 37. Technically it was 35 now including all the kids and the youngest kid was probably 3. Chaos.

"Who gave him that?"

"No idea." She grinned. "Definitely not auntie of the year right here." God I missed Layla. "You wanted my mum right?"

"Yeah."

"Back garden listening to your mum's rants."

"Sarah?"

"Getting her nails done. My tip? Run. Before she sees you. You know Bridezilla in the dictionary? It was rewritten last year to have your sisters face under it."

"That does not surprise me for Sarah. Where' Ken?"

"No one's seen them today. They've got the right idea. Hide. Wish I could do the same but Emerson just finds me."

"Why's Cohen not watching him?"

"Because Cohen has been dragged into manly stuff with your dad. Like putting batteries in fairy lights."

"AHHHHHHHHH."

"BACKS." I turned around as the toddler charged at me.

"INTRUDER."

"Not an intruder. Cousin." I laughed, bending down to his height. "How you doing Sonny?"

"Morgan?"

"Yes." He looked at Layla who nodded and his mouth dropped open before turning around and running off.

"DADDY. DADDY IT'S MORGAN FROM THE TV."

"Guess my covers blown." We followed the blonde haired kid out of the house, down the steep steps. "Watch your feet on the bottom Theo, it's loose." Layla shook her head again. "What now?"

"Just how nothing ever changes around here. Every time you're back it's like you're this whole other person with 4 fucking Grammy's or a million new awards and a new album and all sorts, but everyone else is stuck in 2013."

"Everything was easy in 2013."

"No Sonny, you'll see Morgan on Saturday though. She is coming, right mum?"

"Ah, I don't know, long way to travel for some boring wedding." Sandra and my dad looked up from whatever they were doing. "Sorry, don't know if I can make it."

"Found her on the doorstep." Sandra scrambled out of her chair, swallowing me into a tight hug.

"Your sister is going to kill you."

"I know people keep saying but what was I supposed to do? Come alone? No chance. She'd have seen I was in town, anyway, loads of people saw us getting off the train. I'm not here to steal her spotlight and if she was worried I was going to, she could have not invited me."

"She wasn't expecting you to come."

"Then that's on her." I shrugged. "I wouldn't miss anyone's wedding if I could help it. I need to speak to you really."

"Me?" I nodded. "Why?"

"Because there's a song dropping at midnight and I need you and your 4 to hear it before everyone else. My mum's going to hate it and so is 90% of the family but I know you guys will love it." She looked over my shoulder to Theo then back to me. "That's Theo."

"Yeah, I know who he is Morgan." She chuckled and stood back. "I'll gather them up at the front of the house I'll give you a sec with your dad first. Theo was it? Can you give me a hand? I think Cohen bolted off after a little curly haired kid. Yay high, goes by Sonny. Giant toy he's attacking people with. Can't miss him. Find the kid, find Cohen." He saluted, giving me a wink before my aunt and Layla wandered off with him.

"You didn't call to say you were coming up early. We'd have made your room up."

"I'm staying at the hotel, coming up early was a last minute thing. Didn't know if I could get out of work but managed to move things around a little." He nodded, screwing the lid back onto the glass jar and standing up.

"4 Grammy's. Layla says it's a big deal."

"The biggest award in the business." He nodded slowly. "1 more than Elvis Presley ever got. Had my own exhibit in the museum and everything." I was never going to not use that. Jake loved Elvis.

"Sarah would have asked you to be a bridesmaid if you were around more." Here we go. Not even a congratulations on the awards.

"You know too well why I'm not around dad."

"Because you're busy with work."

"No. Because I get the blame for Jake." He glared. "Where's mum anyway? It's been a while, I'm sure she's got some new ammo lined up."

"Morgan."

"What? She needs to get it out now so she's not ruining Sarah's big day." He sighed.

"Why do you always bring drama home Morgan? There's enough stress here at the moment without you adding to it." I shook my head slowly.

"You know, I wasn't going to say anything, I was just going to leave it, but I wrote a song for Jake. It's out at midnight. The music video is filled with him so I'd avoid it. Lord knows it'll be everywhere tomorrow." He crossed his arms. "I'm done pretending he never existed outside of this house dad. You guys wont. You wiped him from everything. I'm done playing that. He was here and he was important. So, you guys can keep going on like he never happened. I'm not anymore. I'll see you Saturday."